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

[shaylon]

LOL - I totally forgot about the gems. The mage and the priest have been hiding them and hoarding them and all I got was this stupid banded mail t-shirt.

[Jedi] "These aren't the gems you are looking for..." ::handwave:: [/Jedi]

Nice to see you on the boards! You will waer that banded mail T-Shirt and you will like it! Hey at least it isn't pink.(Although Bresden pleaded furiously with Taegan on dyeing it that color!)

Hey, buy the way, thanks DM, you saved us!

 

[Warbringer]

Here's the way I look at...

30,000 gold is the payoff from one EL16 encounter... so here comes a 16 EL encounter (4 12th level characters).

How long can they hold on to that much gold is the only question

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Harsh, But Fair ....

30,000 gold is the payoff from one EL16 encounter... so here comes a 16 EL encounter ....

Sweet ... sounds about right to me.

 

[LostSoul]

well, 3 million at level 12 is a lot worse then 30k at level 2.

In my 1st ever 1e AD&D campaign, I created most of the dungeons using the random dungeon generator in the back of the DMG. I was getting bored when I was doing it, and I had two 10x10 rooms to fill. Room A had a vampire cleric/magic-user. And a million gold pieces. Room B (right next to Room A) had a million gold pieces.

When the players (actually just my brother, running a party of 6 ~15th level PCs) came to those rooms, and the vampire jumped out, he swung at it with his Vorpal Sword. "Vorpal weapon damage" was his warcry, and it worked. The vampire's head was cut off, and 2 million gps were theirs.

And since 1 gp = 1 xp back in 1e, they went from around level 15 to somewhere in the 30s. The magic-user, Sheldor the Magnificent, was level 25. Cramdor the dwarven fighter was screwed, stuck at 9th level (although he did have the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords).

I think we stopped playing after that.

 

[Altalazar]

Here's the way I look at...

30,000 gold is the payoff from one EL16 encounter... so here comes a 16 EL encounter (4 12th level characters).

How long can they hold on to that much gold is the only question

See, I don't see why anyone would be particularly quick to "take" the gold. After all, when you get right down to it, especially if you are in a big city, there is this thing called "the law" and if it is a big enough city, likely "the law" is headed by VERY high level individuals who are rather loathe to let it get out that those with a ton of money will be easily robbed within their walls.

Besides, why not invest it in land - that is something that cannot be stolen - at least, not conventionally, no matter how many ECLs you throw at the players.

 

[Crothian]

Here's the way I look at...

30,000 gold is the payoff from one EL16 encounter... so here comes a 16 EL encounter (4 12th level characters).

Ya, and that's not the way we are looking at it. I undertstand that some DMs like to kill their players, they get a big high or feeling of superiority from it but it really isn't good gaming.

 

[Sejs]

odds were like 60to1 that we would win.

Maybe this is just me, but what bookie in their right mind would list those kinds of odds? I think part of the issue there was your DM didn't think out the numbers he was laying on the table, and was just saying something to convey the message of 'big'.

 

[genshou]

See, I don't see why anyone would be particularly quick to "take" the gold. After all, when you get right down to it, especially if you are in a big city, there is this thing called "the law" and if it is a big enough city, likely "the law" is headed by VERY high level individuals who are rather loathe to let it get out that those with a ton of money will be easily robbed within their walls.

Besides, why not invest it in land - that is something that cannot be stolen - at least, not conventionally, no matter how many ECLs you throw at the players.

Not all regions are so lawful... hence why bandits exist in the first place.