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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joe Liker" data-source="post: 6460989" data-attributes="member: 6777505">The default rules of the game assume they cannot spend their money on magic items. I'm not going to judge you for letting them, but it's important to keep in mind that the basic design of the game discourages it,  because there are some subtle ramifications.FWIW, I am doing exactly this in my current campaign, and the players don't mind a bit. It doesn't feel less like D&D to anyone; it's just a piece of mundane record-keeping they no longer have to worry about. (In fact, because it's our first 5e campaign, everyone's still marveling at how closely this matches the kind of game they always wanted D&D to be.)I actually think the idea has some merit, but I also think you are carrying it too far. It would be better to award extra XP for realistic amounts of gold spent carousing, as a bonus, rather than withhold earned XP and force this system upon them.For better or worse, it's a callback to the 1e days when magic-item commerce was strongly discouraged. It significantly alters the feel of the game and the foundations of your campaign's structure. It is also something you can easily allow (just as many players in the 80s allowed it), if you don't mind a very different flavor and altered player behaviors. So they left it as an obvious, mostly unspoken option so as not to draw attention to it.I would argue that a lot of this spending is not "nothing," and I didn't realize you were including it in your carousing budget because most of it generates very real benefits to the character. Buying a mansion or an estate increases social standing and allows for new quests of a different nature to be undertaken. Donating large amounts of money to a charity ensures the good will of the recipient and its allies. And, to be fair, most of the things the modern wealthy waste their money on are the modern equivalent of magic items, so I'm not sure that's the comparison you want to make.SO ... back to your specific situation. You want to allow magic item commerce, but limit it and create more of an opportunity cost. You also want to include some kind of nod to the PCs' social life outside the dungeon.I, as a player, would not enjoy the idea of withheld XP and enforced carousing, so I offer these suggestions:1) Allow players to buy magic items, but add an XP cost to the price. Your system does this anyway, but in a forced, convoluted way. Why not just be straightforward about it? If you need an explanation, you could tie it to the process of attuning to the item. (Attuned items are the ones that need the stricter controls, anyway.) 3e wizards had to pay XP to create magic items, so the idea isn't far-fetched.2) Ask players to create personal goals for their characters that do not involve magic items or direct character advancement. Treat these goals as minor quests, and award bonus XP when they fulfill them. That way, it's completely optional, but most players will at least make some effort. You don't have to take it very far -- even if it only adds a line or two to the character's bio, it has value.3) Encourage carousing by awarding token XP whenever they roll on the tables.</blockquote>

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