Hi all!
My group is very much focused on the roleplaying aspect of the game, rather than the fighty-stabby portion of it (though we certainly all enjoy when the time comes for it).
We are playing on the slow experience track, and our characters have very in depth and colorful lives.
The problem that exists for us, is that, given the GP limit, we are unable to finance the type of lives we wish our characters to have. For example: good luck turning your gold into buying a plush home in the Noble's District (with all the accompanying glam), on a level 11 adventurer's GP limit!
It would just be silly to invest in commodity rather than survivability!
For example, our group wizard is very interested in buying and maintaining a tower, yet he has understandably chosen instead to spend his money on a Ring of Wizardry...survivability before commodity!
But what are the rules, if they so exist, or if you should choose to give me your perspective on it, for characters like us who would like to live above the means of a level 11 character?
We aren't looking to spend extra money on gear. We are looking for a *separate* GP limit, or way of establishing another set amount of money, which can ONLY be used on commodity items.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as discovering a way to do such a thing would vastly improve our gaming experiences.
1000 thanks in advance.
Maybe provide some of these as quest rewards, or require an investment in time/effort?
Assume that the house/castle/estate whatever comes with a source of income that's sufficient to maintain it with a little left over for improvements.
Above all, remember that Wealth By Level is a GUIDELINE, not something set in stone. If its interfering with your fun, change it. The very simple method might be to assume that there's a separate WBL limit for estates and so forth, same as gear but only usable for non-adventuring stuff. Why? Well, because that's how society expects everyone to function. No one at high levels will take you seriously if you're still living on the top floor of a eight story inn to save money.
I appreciate the responses, thank you both!
Our GM is interested in doing something like this, but he also wants to see if anyone in the community has devised a way that has worked out well, or even if Paizo has any official content related to this question.
One way to accomplish this is a tacit agreement between GM and players. GM increases treasure by X percentage as long as X percentage goes to things that are not part of WBL.
Example: If normally you would give out 10,000gp for a treasure pile you give out 12,000gp but that extra 20% goes to non-adventuring expenses such as a castle.
If the party normally has 5 shares now it would have 6 (non-adventuring expenses being the 6th) using the agreement.
- Gauss
We've done this two ways in the past. First, investments: If players want commodities, they can invest early in things that pay them back, like businesses, which allows them to get better equipment at higher levels as well as all the commodities they can handle. Second, land grants: A village gives the wizard an old tower so they can say they have a wizard, the king grants the heroes a villa near his palace so they're on hand for emergencies, whatever.
Hm. A group I am in right now has a formalized convention on combat and noncombat wealth. I'll see if I can dig it up.
...here we go:
1/2 of your wealth acquired that you do not directly use in combat (aka gold pieces, gold pieces from sold jewelry, gold pieces from sold magical items, gold pieces from exchanged platinum and silver pieces, etc) is considered 'non-combat wealth'.
Non-combat wealth can not be used to upgrade your character's personal adventuring gear, or for services related directly to that profession. (Ala, buying a spell casting for an adventure, paying to revive a fallen character, etc.)
While there is no direct in-game reason for this distinction, the DM encourages the players to come up with their own motivations for not simply maxing out their arms and armor. While there is no direct in-game compulsion to follow this distinction, your character's thread of life will grow very short upon violating it.
Make sure that once you've split your loot into combat and non-combat wealth, you update both on your sheet separately.
We use noncombat wealth for building houses, throwing lavish parties, gifts for NPCs, that kind of thing. So that is all good.
It can make calculating shares of treasure a little fiddly, though.
Hm, I find this very interesting.
I'm glad to know that this is at least acknowledged by Pathfinder...this will make implementing it seem a little less 'homebrew,' which is a word that scares us all! :)
Wealthy Characters
Princes, scions of mighty trading houses, and other characters of wealth and influence bring a ready supply of plot hooks to your game. But the modest starting budget given to player characters would seem to rule out certain background concepts. World logic says that their vast resources ought to include any piece of gear available for sale, but game balance requires that treasure must be earned in the course of play.
This can be addressed in the character’s background. Perhaps the character is proving a point to doubting elders, stealing away from familial duties to lead a footloose life, or has been banished from the fold, justly or not.
During play, you might also acknowledge the characters’ wealth in areas other than the equipment list. Ordinary citizens fawn over them. They have many contacts and enjoy access to the highest levels of society. Their non-combat garb might be expensively impressive—though of course, social rules forbid them to sell it to buy useful adventuring gear.
Alternatively, if other players consent, a player with a character concept that logically demands it might get a 10–20% bonus to their starting budget.
All great ideas and I absolutely appreciate the advice!
Any more would be welcome, too. It's always great to know how others in the community are handling the issues that we are facing!
While there is no direct in-game compulsion to follow this distinction, your character's thread of life will grow very short upon violating it.Not to be picky, but this is self-contradicting, and has the effect of rewarding 50% treasure for encounters.
"Do this or your character is killed off" is kind of heavy handed and IS an in-game compulsion.
It's an out of game compulsion. The knowledge "do this or your character gets killed off" is out of game knowledge. ;)
But yes, it is heavy handed. On the plus side, none of us particularly feel like violating the rule anyway, as we get plenty of treasure. Enough carrot not to worry about the stick, or something like that.