Dividing loot

[JohnF]

Seriphim84 wrote:

Wow, my groups are weird apparently.

Not that weird - the method you describe is just about identical to the one we use (which I posted earlier on in this thread).

About the only difference is that if our group is selling things we've just found (especially magical things like scrolls, potions, or rings) our GM often lets us get more than 50% of face value. Because we're running in an AP designed for 4 players, and we're usually splitting treasure 5+ ways, it turns out that to keep the group close to WBL guidelines 75%-80% works out to about the right amount without the GM having to go to great lengths to boost spoils (there's already enough work adjusting the strength of the encounters).

[Seriphim84]

I must've missed it. It looked like everyone was something the same basic thing.

I am gonna talk to my GM about that idea though. We are currently running carrion crown with 6 people and now extra cash. We would be completely screwed if I wasn't a Dwarven Magus with 3 different magical craft feats.

[Killstring]

We usually get GP value stuff, honestly. In one of my games, we're very behind the curve in terms of WBL, but ahead of it in average party level and character creation point-buy (25 point buy in Council of Thieves, 5th level party just stomped through the Asmodean Knot) so we tend not to worry about it, as it tends to balance out.

In other games, gear's been so scarce that this barely comes up.

[Malafaxous]

Players get what they can use / need. Those that get beat on a lot get first dips at things that boost AC. Those that fail the most saves get resistance items. If they get an upgraded item (such as Nat armor +2 and they already had an amulet) then their previous item us up for grabs.

Sometimes, depending on the greed of the characters (not PCs, but the characters) we will deduct the selling value of the item taken from the rest of the loot.

[Gauss]

Killstring, wow, Im surprised you are behind WBL in CoT. I am just wrapping up running it and the treasure is way over WBL. So much so that I had to figure out ways to tone down the treasure while still keeping the flavor of it.

- Gauss

[StarSlayer]

Our last 2 groups worked very well.

Group A) The character who the item seemed to fit the best got it, and passed gear down to other characters. All "sales" ran through the sorcerer who had the best skill and split all loot evenly after the sales day was over.

Group B) More to track but worked well also.
One person kept a running log of all magic and treasure.
As characters claimed or retuned gear the "master list" was updated (so we would always know what we had as a party) As needed we would sell all items that the party decided we didn't need. Gold was split by shares (Each party member got one full share, each henchman got a half share, and a running "party pool" got a full share).
The party pool was for large items or things the full party could use, this was used to purchase a keep for the party to use.

Both seemed to work very well.

As a side note we assign tasks to each person who plays when possible. things like treasure keeper, story keeper (very usefull when someone misses a session), NPC handler/recorder etc.

[Arizhel]

We run all gear as group gear, and assign based on need. In the case of equal need, our group leader decides. The Group Leader is almost inevitably the one with the highest Cha.

[StarSlayer]

I think Arizhel has a very good point. Charisma is the stat to be the leaders. They should be in position to be used as such. IMO.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Hmm, It really depends on the Player/Character personality and leadership abilities IRL.

After all I had a party member who was a 20 CHA Bard who couldn't lead a party at all. We were horribly disorganized and had horrible teamwork till my Fighter took over.

[gnomersy]

Leadership is far more dependent on player ability than character usually I agree.

In our group we do NBG (need before greed) so if you need something you put up your name for it if two people want it they discuss it and see if one can hold out if they both still want it the dice off and the loser gets the next one to come up or first crack at the next item of contention between the two.

If the item is not needed by anyone it goes down a rung and anyone who wouldn't mind using it or having one grabs it aka a spare magic dagger on an archer or dex belt on a wizard.

If absolutely nobody wants it it goes into the party loot bag and is divided into equal shares upon return to a town.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Hmm, one of the methods I tried last night was to allow them to trade an item to someone, for up to its full value, for another item, favor, or amount of coin of equal or lesser value. It really helped them in deciding whether or not they should sell a given item. Though they still had to find a person willing to do the trade.