D&D 5E Wealth by level

[Matrix Sorcica]

Hey [MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION], did you see my question two posts up?

 

[Kobold Boots]

Let me save you the trouble - it's not.

And it's not meant to.

Remember: D&d is a levelled game, where a high level hero has many many times higher overall capacity than regular folks. Such heroes need "levelled wealth".

If anything, having access to wealth rivalling entire towns or nations is more believable than having AC 25 or 150 hit points.

But that's all I am interested in saying on this topic, since I firmly believe trying to make sense of D&D game rules as a simulation is a fool's errand. The only interesting question in my opinion is if it works internally.

And as I said earlier (maybe in this thread?) you can re-scale the character wealth however you like. There really are only two data points to consider: the PHB equipment prices and the prices of your selection of magic items.

In the first case I'm going to assume nobody want to mess with the PHB prices - this gives us a hard data point where a character ought to achieve a total wealth not lower than 1500 gp by level 7 at the latest (or thereabouts), since full plate is the most expensive "expected" item in the PHB.

The second case is more fungible. You can award, say, 1000 gp per level, and make sure no item costs more than 20000 gp (just choosing a very simplistic example here).

Or you can have 20th level characters end up with millions of gold. As long as they can't actually buy better game stats (=magical bonuses), your game remains stable.

In no circumstance does "but doesn't this mean you can buy a million chickens" come into play. Feel free to think about such simulation issues, but you will have to do it without me. For me, it's simple: if that's a concern for you, then lower the expected wealth and take the trouble of recalculating magic item prices. Rather than worry about implications on the local economy, I mean.

As far as I am concerned, I'm having a game balance discussion. Essentially, I am talking about gold in and magic items out. You can think of it as if you couldn't buy anything else for loot gold.

Understood. My level of internal consistency is different than most campaigns.

1. I have players that always try to unwind the economy by becoming merchants or raising armies.
2. Once that army is in play, knowing the economics of the land they just took over becomes necessary.
3. Magic items are special enough that no one is selling them and the most common way to get one is finding it in a hoard, killing the previous owner, or earning it as a boon.

So I approach the problem differently. Your way is just as valid. Mine may require more legwork.

Be well
KB

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Understood. My level of internal consistency is different than most campaigns.

1. I have players that always try to unwind the economy by becoming merchants or raising armies.
2. Once that army is in play, knowing the economics of the land they just took over becomes necessary.
3. Magic items are special enough that no one is selling them and the most common way to get one is finding it in a hoard, killing the previous owner, or earning it as a boon.

So I approach the problem differently. Your way is just as valid. Mine may require more legwork.

Be well
KB

You could replace the 5E "economy" with the economy from Adventurer, Conquerer, King. It sounds it will fit perfectly for what your players enjoy.

 

[CapnZapp]

Hey [MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION], did you see my question two posts up?

Begin by reading what I just posted over at another thread:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?612743-No-Magic-Shops!&p=7333211&viewfull=1#post7333211

And see my thread on my actual shoppe prices:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...he-many-and-fabulous-bazaars-of-Port-Nyanzaru

Then I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you might have!

 

[Kobold Boots]

You could replace the 5E "economy" with the economy from Adventurer, Conquerer, King. It sounds it will fit perfectly for what your players enjoy.

Perhaps. Thanks Matrix, I'll check it out.

At the very least I may get some ideas.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Begin by reading what I just posted over at another thread:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?612743-No-Magic-Shops!&p=7333211&viewfull=1#post7333211

And see my thread on my actual shoppe prices:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...he-many-and-fabulous-bazaars-of-Port-Nyanzaru

Then I'll be happy to answer any specific questions you might have!

Very informative, thanks!
I notice you priced the items in Nyanzaru rather differently than what you suggested in your post?

 

[CapnZapp]

Very informative, thanks!
I notice you priced the items in Nyanzaru rather differently than what you suggested in your post?

If you mean stuff like scroll prices and such, then yes, this campaign is the one where I am accruing the experience I need to make suggestions like the ones in my post.

In short: I wish I didn't have to gain my insight through trial and error, and instead could give money to WotC and get the finished product four years ago when I started dungeonmastering 5th edition...

If instead you're noticing how select items vary in price from the Sane document, that could be because of my "when a player buys an item, that is the right price" approach. Which means item X could have a starting price of twice or five times the sane price in order to create space for later price reductions.

In other cases, I have simply set a lower price on stuff I think would be fun to feature in the campaign, and higher prices on stuff I am wary of including at all.

It's much more of an art form than a science, and I am sure I am making mistakes along the way...

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Well, be sure to share whatever you have. As you know, you and I are among the only people wanting anything remotely like what you're doing

 

[CapnZapp]

That's not true.

It might seem that way, at least here, with the non-existent moderation of naysayers and threadwreckers, but of course it isn't so.

 

[delericho]

Yep, I'd also be interested to see what you come up with. I probably wouldn't use it in most campaigns, but it would certainly fix one of my big issues about using my current favourite edition (5e) with my current favourite setting (Eberron).