Who pays for the traps?

[clark411]

Only if you don't plan to have any treasure fall in those traps.

IMO, The reason NPCs shouldnt put their value into traps is because it sucks for the dungeon delvers to realize that half of the treasure that should be in their laps is instead stuck to walls and floors.. invested in an infrastructure they can't realistically cash in on.

On the other hand, when players invest in these traps, they get their money's worth over time by successfully protecting what they hoped to, or even better, a little extra scratch that lets em run even.

 

[Flyspeck23]

DMs- do you take the cost of the traps in your villains' lairs out of their gear value?

No.

And I'd like to return a question:
Do you take the cost of the villains' henchmen out of their gear value?

 

[Buttercup]

Honestly, it never occured to me before. I build a lair the way I want it to be, without considering the cost. I have little enough time to spend on game prep, without resorting to balance sheets for each of my villains.

 

[Gwarok]

Since when do villains have a budget?

 

[Wicht]

I figure if my villains want to complain about the costs of the traps I force them to install they can hire an accountant, draw me up a budget and submit it in triplicate. Most of them suspect the truth though. Namely that if they get too out of hand with petty whines I can feed them to the beasties and get a new villain with which to torment my players.

To be perfectly honest I don’t inquire too closely how my villains manage to raise the funds for their lairs. Being villains, most of them claim to be able to steal whatever they need. But I highly suspect a couple of them to be involved in certain direct marketing schemes by which they are working to raise their capitol. One of my female villains I am almost certain is working a side job as an Avon Lady on the weekends.

 

[ciaran00]

Okay, then- but isn't it a double-standard to expect pcs to pay for traps in their headquarters?

Only if you don't allow the PCs the capability to own an economy beyond their basic equipment just like you allow your villains to.

GP per level can't (and shouldn't) account for non-liquid assets such as kingdoms, crops, etc. If your players haven't invested in a kingdom (or whatever equivalent) then yes, take it right out of their pocket.

Similarly, no villain I design has a place more lavish than his own gold or his assets (EDIT: or his behaviour-- the villain IS capable of taking OTHER people's gold, isn't he?) cannot compensate for.

On a side note, how's it goin, man? We should take formally about D&D and stuff sometime...

EDIT #2. This is actually the equivalent of asking: do you take out a kingdom's "cost" out of the king's GP? This indicates that every ruler in your game is 100th level or so. D&D really has no rules for "equity." Nor should it. Though I do

ciaran

 

[Numion]

Okay, then- but isn't it a double-standard to expect pcs to pay for traps in their headquarters?

Hell yes there's a double standard.

The whole game is about double standard: PCs vs. rest of the world. NPCs get hosed in many respects, because there are so damn many of them, but only 4-12 PCs at any time. Free traps is just a small reward for that, if you ask me

 

[Simplicity]

Well since encounters have an average expected amount of treasure,
and a trap counts as an encounter, the traps literally have treasure
of their own to pay for themselves.

 

[Mista Collins]

Who pays for the traps?

It's me.

I admit it.

You mean I actually have competition out there. Maybe we could merge and have a monopoly on the trap distribution economy. Sound like a deal? ::extends right hand::

 

[Carnifex]

You mean I actually have competition out there. Maybe we could merge and have a monopoly on the trap distribution economy. Sound like a deal? ::extends right hand::

*stares suspiciously at Collin's righthand* You ain't gonna get me with that one