Value of Character Equipment

[victorysaber]

Page 135 of the DMG has the character wealth by level table for PCs. Page 127 has it for NPCs.

But I can't seem to find guidelines on the maximum value of a single item that a character of that level should have. For example, a 14th level character should have 150k gp worth of gear, but he shouldn't have an item that is worth 150k by itself right? Or even a single item worth 75k.

Are there guidelines for the maximum value of each individual item of treasure?

 

[Glyfair]

Not really. The D&D Campaigns have a chart that lists a maximum value of a single item for the campaign (since the players determine the players items from adventure to adventure). You can see it here.

Note that the campaigns give the players slightly less than "standard" treasure for each level. However, that's probably reasonable since players get to customize it to their characters, rather than having to deal with items they find in the course of adventuring.

 

[genshou]

Maximum value of a single item is something the DM has to limit according to their own needs. In my 3.0 games I always limited the maximum value of a certain type of item:
Magic weapons: 25% of total wealth
Magic armours/shields: 25% of total wealth
Maximum value of any single item of another type: 12.5% of total wealth

It worked pretty well for me.

Cheers!

 

[IceFractal]

Generally I'd say no more than 1/3 of the wealth in a single item, maybe as much as 1/2 if the item is of special significance (a legendary ancestral sword or the like).

 

[Agent Oracle]

I use 20%, flat, for any single piece of equipment. It works for me.

Really, if your player wants to be "sir Min-max, Posesser of the +1 vorpal" at 11th level, teach him the folley of putting all his coins in one basket.

 

[MonkeyDragon]

In our group, the standard is that one cannot spend more than half of one's gold on a single item. People still usually diversify their equipment anyway. I once told people they could spend it however they wanted, but keep in mind that if they blew all their money on one thing, they'd be very sad if something happened to it.

 

[Hussar]

I use 20%, flat, for any single piece of equipment. It works for me.

Really, if your player wants to be "sir Min-max, Posesser of the +1 vorpal" at 11th level, teach him the folley of putting all his coins in one basket.

Heh, sunder REALLY is your friend.

 

[Jdvn1]

Really, if your player wants to be "sir Min-max, Posesser of the +1 vorpal" at 11th level, teach him the folley of putting all his coins in one basket.

I agree with the sentiment, and don't understand why people have a limit on max price of a single piece of equipment.

 

[cthulhu_duck]

There were some guidelines in Epic Level Handbook. We're using a variant on that suggestion - it's something like no one item can be more than 50%, the top three items can't use more than 75%, and the remaining items can't be worth more than 10%.

I don't have the book at work, so can't check what it actually is.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Depends on the size of the town they're in, as per the GP limit.