D&D 5E Sourcebooks that give expensive things for PCs to spend money on

[Libertad]

So after my latest review, I've gotten around to thinking of what sourcebooks out there give equipment, services, and other things for PCs to spend their hard-gotten gold on. Beyond a certain level and amount there's not much use for currency in 5th Edition, save perhaps outfitting hirelings with full plate.

I'm not necessarily looking for a "magic item shop" style. Rather, things like base-building, favors and services of skilled minions, rare materials, vehicles, and those kind of things.

For the sourcebooks I know of, Matt Colville's Strongholds & Followers has mini-systems dedicated towards PCs establishing themselves as regional power players. Seas of Vodari has several options for designing and purchasing ships with magical enhancements. Brancalonia Spaghetti Fantasy Setting has rules for PCs upgrading safehouses so that they can start with free higher-level quality gear and animals between missions, bounties accumulated for crimes which must be paid off to avoid future complications and hazards, and the like.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Pathfinder's Ultimate Campaign is one of the most used books I own, even now playing 5E, as it provides gold costs for building taverns, your network of thieves, your base of operations, and so on, along with kingdom rules (a mini-game), and most online free as OGL. Because gold pieces are whatever you want them to be, if you want this feature in your game, you can modify how much you give out in treasure so folks can take advantage of this.

Otherwise, I've found in an open-ended campaign a ton of uses for gold with Xanathar's Downtime Rules. My players never have enough gold. When they made a bad deal with fey, they needed to research an "undeal." That cost money, a trip to a foreign capital, getting wrapped up in the regent's sister's machinations, and ultimately a solution they couldn't (yet) make happen. More adventures. In wilderness exploration, they came across a rusalka (water spirit of a murdered woman). They really want to set her to rest, but (cha-ching) that's not something you just know. It's research.

They found a (cursed) item they wanted to sell. They contracted a company to find buyers, legitimize the sale, only to have it fall thru when their deposit for a legend lore revealed something amiss. Cha-ching the wrong way, but it did light the fire for the complexity of convincing folks you have a legit magical item that will do exactly what you say it will do, and finding a buyer who wants it at that exact moment.

Finally, I use from time to time DM Guild's "A Comprehensive Equipment Manual" that provides innumerable weapons/gear, and upgrades you can buy for "masterwork" quality enhancements. The only reason I don't use it more is because it perhaps has too many options and I haven't shaved it down to what I like.

 

[Libertad]

Where can I find Downtime Rules? The closest thing I can find is Downtime Scenes on the Dungeon Master's Guild:

Downtime Scenes - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Downtime Scenes - After the end of an adventure, what do your player characters do? How do they fill the time between dungeon delves and h

www.dmsguild.com

 

[pukunui]

The Acquisitions Incorporated book includes rules for running a business, including a slew of downtime activities and headquarters upgrades and the like that cost money. If you don't like Acq Inc, the mechanics are easy enough to use with the serial numbers filed off.

 

[Morrus]

So after my latest review, I've gotten around to thinking of what sourcebooks out there give equipment, services, and other things for PCs to spend their hard-gotten gold on. Beyond a certain level and amount there's not much use for currency in 5th Edition, save perhaps outfitting hirelings with full plate.

That's one of the design goals of Level Up. We have tons of stuff to spend gold on (including prices for all magic items, strongholds, expensive pets, vehicles, crafting, etc).

Where can I find Downtime Rules? The closest thing I can find is Downtime Scenes on the Dungeon Master's Guild:

Without wanting to harp on about it, we also have a big section on downtime activities.

 

[reelo]

Where can I find Downtime Rules? The closest thing I can find is Downtime Scenes on the Dungeon Master's Guild:

Downtime Scenes - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Downtime Scenes - After the end of an adventure, what do your player characters do? How do they fill the time between dungeon delves and h

www.dmsguild.com

DriveThruRPG.com

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[toucanbuzz]

Where can I find Downtime Rules? The closest thing I can find is Downtime Scenes on the Dungeon Master's Guild:

Downtime Scenes - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Downtime Scenes - After the end of an adventure, what do your player characters do? How do they fill the time between dungeon delves and h

www.dmsguild.com

Edited my post for the confusion, meant Xanathar's downtime rules on acquiring magical items. Able to turn that into an adventure of its own. When the high priest of the city's largest temple, the lead buyer, was assassinated before the sale, it led to a side adventure that I had to make up on the spot.

 

[Libertad]

Thank you for the responses everyone. Those all sound interesting save for On Downtimes & Demesnes, which is less due to the content and more due to one of the writers (Alexander Macris) having associated with and promoted some very toxic and hateful people.

Otherwise it sounds like a good bit of books to choose from now!

 

[reelo]

Those all sound interesting save for On Downtimes & Demesnes, which is less due to the content and more due to one of the writers (Alexander Macris) having associated with and promoted some very toxic and hateful people.

The book is the work of Courtney C. Campbell, the others are just guest-writers....

 

[Libertad]

I don't know to what extent the various writers contributed to the book. The product page doesn't "rate" writers and artists, and given Macris' past business associates I'd rather err on the side of caution.