Hey all, I recently started a homebrew campaign with my group and I'm having problems with giving out loot, any advice on how to "realistically" give some out? Should I just give out more straight gold and gems, or should I make it more intimate (for lack of a better word)? They're level 3 at the moment.
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My players had some bad habits I had to break. Those guys would strip out the copper pipping to make an extra gold piece if I let them. Eventually I gave up on the crappy loot game. Instead of 6 mook enemies giving out 6 masterwork armors and weapons I would just say they had X gold amongst them. This way they didn't have to come up with a way to carry all that crap. For me it had to be this way cause they wouldn't give up on that extra 10 GP. It was ridiculous. So I agree with the just give out gold and gems approach.
I am not sure what you mean by "more intimate." Are you talking about tailor made magic items for the PCs? If so, it's not a bad approach. I am not much of a fan of random loot. I don't like the economy rules either, so I cut corners whenever possible. You will just have to find your groove I think.
By intimate, I meant that it would be believably carried by whatever dropped it or where it was found, if that makes sense. I don't want it to seem like I'm just pulling gold values out of the air but I also don't want to spend a huge amount of time on it. I think I may do mostly gold/gems, with a bit of specialty loot thrown in.
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I see. Well is it any less believable that 6 mooks have 25 GPs among them. Look at the alternative, the PCs have to carry 6 sets of weapons and armor around until they get to a market. Any market they find wants/needs 6 sets of armor and weapons? If the economy rules get them down they will have to pile this stuff up until they can sell it. There is a point for every group where it gets to be too much to try and simulate an economy and loot collection. You have to decide where that line is for you and your group.
I see what you mean, I don't want to end up simulating an entire economy. Thanks for the input.
Talk with your players and see what their wants and needs are. If level appropriate, allow a random encounter or a planned treasure trove to have "said item" in it. Maybe it is in a nearby cave long forgotten to dust and time. Gold and other items might be useless to a troll, but its victims might have carried it. I expressed desire for a specific magic item pertaining to the diety my character worshiped and while consecrating an abandon temple of said diety, I found the item (it was level appropriate and I informed my GM fully about it several levels prior).
Thanks Craig, I'm definitely open to requests from my players. Thanks to you too Pan, good ideas all around!