D&D 5E Why does the "criminal" background start with low wealth?

[Crothian]

Sure but what about a drug dealer who gets rich quick, and I mean has loads of cash in his pocket from the first few sales, or the cat burglar, or swindler?

Right, the first few sales which means after the first adventure not starting out.

 

[Li Shenron]

Not all criminals are poor people, especially those that make a career out of gaining money through criminal type action, for example Gentleman Johnny Marcone from The Dresden Files. I think there should be varying degrees of starting wealth for a criminal.

Where are you reading this?

In Basic, Acolyte and Criminal get 15gp, while the other 3 get 10gp.
I haven't checked the detailed value of the other items, but it's minimal.
Actually the artisan's tools (Folk Hero) can cost up to 50gp so it's probably the worthiest item.

Equipment packs (p.46) have values from 10gp to 40gp but are class-based, not background-based.

But seriously, everyone thinking there's a balance factor in these, should remember that these are really small numbers. One adventure, and they likely don't matter anymore.

 

[Wormwood]

One adventure, and they likely don't matter anymore.

One adventure and they're all criminals anyway, if they're doing it right.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not all criminals are poor people, especially those that make a career out of gaining money through criminal type action, for example Gentleman Johnny Marcone from The Dresden Files. I think there should be varying degrees of starting wealth for a criminal.

I get that we're talking about fiction, but in real life, they overwhelmingly are poor, poorer even than their peers. (They're a group united by their poor risk vs. reward analysis.) I've been a journalist for decades and I've encountered one person whom I believe probably ought to be in jail and has prospered by his behavior. Everyone else got caught eventually or was thwarted before accomplishing much and then ALSO got caught.

Lex Luthor isn't anywhere near reality and even in fiction ought to be incredibly rare.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure but what about a drug dealer who gets rich quick, and I mean has loads of cash in his pocket from the first few sales, or the cat burglar, or swindler?

No drug dealer gets rich quick. Read Freakanomics: Pushers are better off working at McDonalds.

Someone selling a whole lot of drugs isn't a first level character.

 

[Warbringer]

... Because we don't have the background "banker " yet?

 

[Agamon]

Some odd and random posts by Mr. Ranger this morning. Quite the party last night?

 

[Ritorix]

The criminal is just doing crime wrong. He's like the guys in Office Space. "We would be good at this if we had more practice."

Look at the Charlatan. Comfortable wealth! Even the urchin, a literal street beggar, has managed to pull themselves up by the bootstraps and achieve Modest wealth.

(looking at the Adventurer's League player guide)

 

[Henry]

Sure but what about a drug dealer who gets rich quick, and I mean has loads of cash in his pocket from the first few sales, or the cat burglar, or swindler?

To mirror some other responses, those drugs didnt just materialize from thin air - he or she has dealers who are owed the lion's share for sold product. Likewise, the stolen goods didnt just transform into wealth, a fence took a hefty fee to convert the hot goods to cold untraceable cash. There are many ways to rationalize the game rules plausibly.

 

[drjones]

In my limited experience it actually takes a bit of time, luck and hard work to do well in crime which is why it is mostly an activity of the desperately poor and the not very smart in many societies. But it makes for better TV/Movies to focus on the outlier drug kingpins and Mafia dons than the guy selling pot 24/7 to pay his rent or stealing bikes and purses to get 20 bucks for rock.

But anyway, in our game the criminal thief may have started out meager but with a bit of card sharking, pocket picking, dealing with shady NPCs and creative loot distribution he has definitely not stayed that way.