D&D 5E Why I think gold should have less uses in 5e, not more.

[Undrave]

Economic pursuit can be their own minigame, similar to building a fortress etcetera at the middle tier.

A fortress is a way to improve your character yes.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You're kidding yourself if you don't think Gold is anything but XP by a different name. If you can't improve your character in someway it's basically useless. Might as well be rewarded in favours instead.

And you do what with that gold?

There are so many D&D-style games that do a better job handling the usage of gold, including previous editions and other versions of 5e, than WotC 5e. We are not forced into their design paradigm.

 

[Micah Sweet]

A fortress is a way to improve your character yes.

Maybe, and not necessarily in a personal power sort of way, depending on the system used.

 

[Reynard]

And I disagree, in part because I don't think there's much wonder in D&D magic, certainly not after playing for years (decades). Whether you find or buy that dancing sword, it's still just a sword that hits stuff for you.

It must be terrible to play D&D and only ever find magic items in the DMG.

Here's a trick: run a campaign without ever using ANY items from the DMG. Or monsters from the MM either. Use some 3rd party books your players have never heard of, or make stuff up yourself.

For a hobby built on imagination, it often seems that folks default to the least imaginative scenarios in their minds.

 

[Staffan]

Yes, but on what would PCs spend that cash? What can FE lv 8 fighter buy for 20-30k gold if magic items aren't available?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

It must be terrible to play D&D and only ever find magic items in the DMG.

Here's a trick: run a campaign without ever using ANY items from the DMG. Or monsters from the MM either. Use some 3rd party books your players have never heard of, or make stuff up yourself.

For a hobby built on imagination, it often seems that folks default to the least imaginative scenarios in their minds.

I do. I gave this out last session.

Hat of Remedial Wizardry
This conical paper hat is decorated with stars and moons, and occasionally gives off a colorful spark that shortly fizzles out. When attuned the wearer's Intelligence becomes 13, even if it was higher. The wearer gains proficiency in Arcana, and may cast the following cantrips at will: Light, Minor Illusion, and Prestidigitation. Once per day, if the wearer recites a rhyming couplet, they may duplicate the effects of a first level Wizard spell referenced in the verse.

Being able to purchase it in a shop didn't detract from anyone's enjoyment. You want to be the arbiter of what they get and seem to feel if the players buy the item instead they wont enjoy it as much. I disagree.

 

[Reynard]

I do. I gave this out last session.

Hat of Remedial Wizardry
This conical paper hat is decorated with stars and moons, and occasionally gives off a colorful spark that shortly fizzles out. When attuned the wearer's Intelligence becomes 13, even if it was higher. The wearer gains proficiency in Arcana, and may cast the following cantrips at will: Light, Minor Illusion, and Prestidigitation. Once per day, if the wearer recites a rhyming couplet, they may duplicate the effects of a first level Wizard spell referenced in the verse.

Very cool.

Being able to purchase it in a shop didn't detract from anyone's enjoyment.

I believe you.

You want to be the arbiter of what they get

Nope. Justy because the PCs can't buy an item doesn't mean the players can't ask for things.

and seem to feel if the players buy the item instead they wont enjoy it as much.

I feel there will be no sense of wonder.

I disagree.

Obviously.

 

[GrimCo]

View attachment 360929

Funny. But spending tons on money on partying gets very boring very fast. Been there. Done that. I could probably buy nice two bedroom apartment in my home town with money i spent on partying in my mid and late 20s

And going by prices in rulebooks, 1000-2000 gold is enough to rent whole brothel for a week, plus enough booze and fine food to last you that week. At tier 2 and later, that's not that much money. Question is, what to do with rest?

 

[Reynard]

Funny. But spending tons on money on partying gets very boring very fast. Been there. Done that. I could probably buy nice two bedroom apartment in my home town with money i spent on partying in my mid and late 20s

And going by prices in rulebooks, 1000-2000 gold is enough to rent whole brothel for a week, plus enough booze and fine food to last you that week. At tier 2 and later, that's not that much money. Question is, what to do with rest?

To the extent any actual work is done to model economies in D&D, they tend to do so around non adventuring people (I hesitate to say "realistic" though). Trying to make sense of what happens to a local economy when adventurers drop a year's worth of tax revenue in the tavern and alchemist shop is an invitation to madness.

Who is going to buy the 10,000gp diamond?

 

[Staffan]

Funny. But spending tons on money on partying gets very boring very fast. Been there. Done that. I could probably buy nice two bedroom apartment in my home town with money i spent on partying in my mid and late 20s

And going by prices in rulebooks, 1000-2000 gold is enough to rent whole brothel for a week, plus enough booze and fine food to last you that week. At tier 2 and later, that's not that much money. Question is, what to do with rest?

Well, it also means you can keep rewards lower. In 3e, with buying items being a fairly common occurrence, wealth rewards need to keep increasing to ridiculous levels because that's how you can afford to spend 9,000 gp on increasing your cloak of resistance from +4 to +5. If a typical reward is instead more along the lines of a few hundred gp, that makes for more grounded spending.