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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Roudi" data-source="post: 2737486" data-attributes="member: 12423">Uhm... then what's the point of Wealth in the first place?  It certainly isn't to show off your bling bling to PCs and NPCs alike; it certainly isn't to pay rent to your character's apartment or buy everyone combos at the local Jack-in-the-Box.  If you can't use Wealth as a balance tool, then what in the high holy hell would be the point of using Wealth at all?Let me hit you with a personal example.  I just released a mecha product with a number of gadgets, a couple of which can be used to significantly boost the damage dealt by the mech's weapons (Weapon Hardpoints and Fire-Linked Weaponry).  Consider the following: a mech (any size) with two Weapon Hardpoints (+10 to the base mecha's purchase DC) and four M-87 Talon Missile Launchers installed in them (each missile launcher has a Purchase DC +2 higher thanks to the Fire-Linked gadget).  Now, the base mecha will, at the smallest size, cost at LEAST DC 50, before factoring in superstructure, armor, weapons, or other equipment, assuming that all purchases stick within the Progress Level (with just the missile launchers, the minimum Purchase DC for this mech is 51).  However, the mech's missile weapons will deal 29d6 damage with each successful strike.  This is higher than any other mecha weapon can produce... so naturally, all mechs should be so outfitted, right?  After all, if this is the most effective output, why would anyone settle for less?This is where Wealth comes in.  For mechs, most characters likely won't have the Wealth modifier to be able to purchase one "off the showroom floor", so we look to the bodies who are more likely to purchase mechs: organizations.  This is why the standard organization listing in the Menance Manual provides a Wealth modifier for the organization.  A merc squad with a Wealth mod of +25 looking to replace one of their scrapped mechs is going to find the above missile boat WAY out of their price range and look for something a lot cheaper (probably something from a lower progress level, with MUCH lower damage capacity, protection, etc).  This explains why every merc squad on Mother Earth isn't fielding these insane-damage missile boats; if Wealth weren't providing the mechanical balance for in-game finances, surely nothing else would stop them.If your problem is players gadgeting up gear to the high heavens and then abusing the Wealth system to buy it, then this is no fault of the system.  In cases of system abuse, the fault lies with the player (for abusing the system) and the Gamemaster (for allowing the abuse).  Claiming that "you can't use Wealth as a balance point!" because the system has the potential for abuse is a faulty argument (if that is indeed why you claim that) because of what I just stated.Wealth is a necessary balance point; without it, gadgets become useless (among other things).  If Wealth is not a balance point, then surely, XP and gold piece costs for creating magic items in D&D are similarly frivolous.</blockquote>

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