Ymrilix's page

The way my group did it for years was:

We add up all the loot and the sale value of the magic items. Each character bets an equal share of the money, but it is not just liquidated and handed out. We divvy the magic items out to who needs them most, mainly based on party vote, but dice rolls determine in situations where the vote is split or it is minor and no one cares.

We often run across magic items that even sale value are too expensive for any one character. When that happens the party loans them the money, and they 'owe' each other character some amount of money. When the next chunk of loot comes in, the amount they owe comes out of their share and goes into the other character's shares.

It takes a little math and bookkeeping but as an accountant it is really simple and I don't mind. It ends up that all the good items stay in the party and loot gets balanced out in the end. The only debate is weather healing items get put into the general loot pile or handed out before it.

The cost to bring people back to life basically gets charged as an item to the character, they can pay it back over time if they need.

All in all, it is fair and even.

I recommend taking fast stealth quickly, it can really help you move about and get more sneak attacking in. Also try and pick up sniper's goggles for 20k, they give you extended range or added damage to your sneak attacks and I think they make the whole build very worth it. Your concept sounds fun, play up that bad ass from the streets. =)

In regards to the check to be made:

The rules state that spellcraft or another craft skill in used, does this mean you can use spellcraft for any item and craft skills to make appropriate items (such as craft(tailoring or clothing) to make a cloak of resistance?

When rolling the check can abilities be used either by the crafter or others. Abilities such as touch of law to allow a natural 11 to be used, diviner foresight to roll a 20 and possibly apply it, guidance for a simple +1, ect. Also if you play with hero points can a crafter add one to give a +8, that expands the options a bit more, or the person you are making it for encouraging you for a +4.

Going along with this is the previously stated "can you take 10?"
As a player I am happy to use it but it theoreticlly allows much higher results. As a DM I am unlikley to allow taking 10 as to limit item creation.

Spellbook addition.
I read the page on sample spellbooks with rituals and protections but what about a comprehensive list of protections and additions one can put on a spellbook. I am about to play a wizard in Skull and Shackles and desperately want a waterproofed spellbook.

I personally agree with dice rollers and I also agree with harsh rules that allow player to get 1 hp for their level up. You know why?

I like it so that a DM can be kind. Most of you all do not use the standard system. (I don't, I do either a separate secret roll to chose from or the half plus a half the die.) Having a system that players don't like because they want power allows DMs to say "...ok, I'll let you have another slice of cake."

I like it because DM should have power, and not have players point and say "look it says we get X arbitrarily large number of HP." The game is fair if player have to roll and live with it. We let them have extra to be nice and beat most of the monsters.

Hi, jumping in on this long post to add 2 cents:

I personally liked the needing a +x weapon to hit a creature, but in older editions it was weird that silver was in the grouping but under the magic "Pluses".

I liked seeing different materials and such be needed in 3.5, it made the monsters more personal. I didn't like that the big bad ass dragons and other power houses could now be hacked apart by and magic weapon and not needing a +x. I think the 3.5 rules destroyed the need to really have any weapons over a +1 bonus. They did this by greater magic weapon and the new DRs, and I didn't like it.

I think that a perfect system would include a pluses system and a material system. I do not think that either should be a substitute for slashing/piercing/bludgeoning. The DRs allow DMs to scare players a bit more and maybe even cause them to retreat (something that I haven't seen since 3.5 and appropriately leveled encounters showed up.) A Rakshasa is really dangerous because you need a +3 blessed crossbow bolt to kill it. Don't have one, run and get one.

A lot of modules and random DMG treasure provides +x weapons that are 99% normal steel. Given what characters need to slay monsters these days it is ridiculous.

Pluses should matter, somehow, but should not be able to trump all.

Thank you.