Treasure Rewards

[setzer9999]

I don't know if this is a rules question or not, because it seems to be very open to interpretation on the part of the GM, but, assuming we are using the table for treasure rewards per CR, how do you measure the value of the item against that table? Obviously coins and commodities are worth the exact amount, but what about things that are sold? Do you consider the fact that the PCs only get 1/2 the price for selling stuff they likely can't make use of themselves? Or is the suggested treasure value supposed to be equal to the full retail price?

So, if a group is looting the corpses of their foes and finds a bunch of weapons, longswords let's say, they aren't going to use. Would those longswords take up 15 gp, or 7 gp worth of the treasure total each?

[Gauss]

Setzer9999: I typically estimate whether or not my group will sell an item. Then I build the treasures appropriately. I also include a 'bonus treasure' if I need to add some somewhere along the way.

For example: I figure that a group needs 20,000gp in a dungeon. I place about 25,000gp with the expectation they will sell 15,000gp worth. Then I hand out 'extra' treasure (such as a reward from a mayor or something) afterwards. The amount of extra treasure is based upon how much they sell. If they sell less than I expect then the extra is less. If they sell more then the extra is more. Either way I aim for a number near 20,000gp in total.

That extra treasure can be inserted anywhere along the way (the mayor was just an example). An extra treasure pile in the next adventure, a mayor, benefactor, whatever.

Note: Some GMs and players do not like this. Some of them feel that you hand out the treasure and whatever the players do with it is thier buisiness. However, ever since the advent of 3.0 GP awards have been linked to player power levels and then compared to monster power levels (CRs). Thus, I make sure that players are somewhere near WBL every couple levels or so.

I've been working on a GP system that makes it easier for players and GMs to deal with this question but ultimately that would be a house rule.

- Gauss

[Mark Hoover]

Consider: on the medium track of EXP a 4 man crew at first level needs about 20 CR 1 encounters to level. Now consider that the avg dungeon of 20 encounters would have roughly half of all the monsters have treasure. Further the avg treasure value by the chart you mention is roughly 560 GP on the AVERAGE track

560gp/encounter x 10 encounters = 5600 gp. WBL figures roughly 1000gp per character. That to me says the rules are expecting a 1600gp loss. That to me says you're expected to loose SOME value from your treasure.

Personally I just shoot for building hoards around the 560 and whatever they loose they loose. In the end I know I'll get 'em to 1k by 2nd level, even if some NPC has to give them each a masterwork item as a boon.

[setzer9999]

Thanks to both of you, this is a big help! :)