Would you give your 2nd level party 30 thousand gold?

[Crothian]

I do not see this as necessarily indicative of a "smart" group (whatever that may be). Rather, it seems indicative of either A) a group that consists entirely of Lawful characters ("needs of the many outweigh individual needs"); or B) a horribly metamaging group that will spend much time (out of character) figuring out the best way to spend the money. Here are some ideas I could think of to spend the cash, and each has its benefits.

Well, I disagree with both reasons. You don't have to be lawful to do this. You just have to be non selfish. Alignment has nothing to do with it. And its not metagaming to want to get the most out of your money. I got a bonus from work this year and I made sure I took my time and priced things out and looked at my options. That is not meta gaming, that is thinking ahead and thinking things through by not acting impulsively.

 

[Hjorimir]

No, because adventurer economics have nothing to do whatsoever with real-world economics. The only way to "fix" this would be to greatly decrease the importance and value of magic items in the game. To an adventurer, 30,000 gp is equal to a couple of decent magic items, or one pretty good magic item. To a non-adventurer (even a rich one), 30,000 gp is equal to a small keep, or the annual military budget of an average-sized city, or the total cargo value carried by a fleet of merchant ships. The two simply do not mix in standard-issue D&D.

Which is why I said that it is one area that D&D fails to deliver. There is the obvious gaming element that prohibits certain story arcs with the way money equates to magic items which in turn equates to power. I can't stand it.

 

[IronWolf]

...the tank is certain to wipe out every generic goblin and orc in the 100-mile radius.

You haven't met Crothian's goblins!

 

[Sammael]

Note that I said "generic" goblins. I also have some pretty nasty goblin fighter/rogue commandos with muskets and flashbombs IMC... but not every goblin is like that.

 

[Sammael]

I got a bonus from work this year and I made sure I took my time and priced things out and looked at my options.

(emphasis mine)

Perfect. See, you looked at your options. I presume that you didn't pool the money with other co-workers who also got bonuses (boni?) in order to buy something that would benefit all of you - such as investing in some sort of a fund, or buying something with joint ownership. Your careful investments were probably very good, but they were yours, and yours alone.

If I understood correctly, you stated that the party didn't divide the money equally, because it would have been smarter to pool the money together and apply it towards a common goal. This is extremely lawful behavior. Every single chaotic character I've seen over the years has been vehemently against "party money." Sure, they'd chip in for party member resurrections (provided they were on good terms with the deceised party member), but they certainly wouldn't participate in a "money pool."

That is all from my experience, of course. From what I've gathered, your players aren't the metagaming types, so I doubt my option B) applies to them.

 

[Crothian]

(emphasis mine)

Perfect. See, you looked at your options. I presume that you didn't pool the money with other co-workers who also got bonuses (boni?) in order to buy something that would benefit all of you - such as investing in some sort of a fund, or buying something with joint ownership. Your careful investments were probably very good, but they were yours, and yours alone.

Correct, but the anology fails since the bonus was paid to me alone, and not one check cut to my self and a group of co workers for us to divy up all together. Also, my relationship with my co workers is much different then a relationship withing a party of adventurers.

A good anology would be a group of partners all owning the same business and getting a bonus check. They could divide it all amost themsleves, or keep it together and improive the business.

You do have some good points, players might feel like they need to meta game to get the most out of the money. Some players are selfsih and refuse to have group funds, I've seen that happen to. As a Dm though I don't reward people who do that. Money, they will find useful but its not going to be a great difference maker like many people in this thread assume it will be.

 

[Crothian]

You haven't met Crothian's goblins!

Um, those were not generic goblins. Those were goblins with three levels of fighter. The generic goblins come later in the game.

 

[IronWolf]

Note that I said "generic" goblins. I also have some pretty nasty goblin fighter/rogue commandos with muskets and flashbombs IMC... but not every goblin is like that.

Yeah, I saw the generic bit in your original post. All I know is the first set of goblins we met just about mopped the floor with us. For all my character knows that was a generic goblin in this world.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I wouldn't do it because they could it's enough to attract sharks and not enough to fend them off. Con men, assassins, kidnappers, muggers, whathaveyou would target them, and they wouldn't really be able to do much about it. And there's taxes, and the fact that you can't really afford anything too gamebreaking with that "little" amount of money. Well, other than a nice house or tower or something.

 

[IronWolf]

Um, those were not generic goblins. Those were goblins with three levels of fighter.

I thought maybe that's what a generic goblin was in your game! Something with at least three levels of fighter!