Adding Replacement PCs & WBL Concern


Advice


If a PC dies or retires and a player brings in a new PC at the level of his previous one, what is the most balanced way to handle equipment? If a level 6 character comes in at WBL, that's a 16,000 gp windfall. Assuming the previous PC's equipment isn't just lost, is this something to worry about for balance purposes?

Specifically, my group wants to have some "replacement" PCs already rolled up and waiting in the wings as NPCs for storyline purposes. Assuming their equipment is "locked" and unavailable to anyone until they become utilized as PCs, does that still seem as much of a windfall?


IMC, when a PC dies all his gear is given to his family/sold for funeral expenses/buried with him/etc. The idea is, for purposes of balancing WBL, we all agree that's it's easier for the old PC to leave with all his old gear so the new PC can come in with all his new gear and not upset the balance.

A couple of alternatives I've used:

1. If any of the old PC's gear is kept by the group, the new PC deducts it's worth from his starting gear. It's then up to the group to redistribute wealth and correct any imbalances.

2. Deduct treasure from future encounters until the deficit is made up. I prefer to do this right away as an incentive for the party not to make my life more difficult. All treasure chests opened are empty, and all NPCs and monsters have no salvageable gear. I won't adjust their stat blocks, but instead of a +1 sword, that NPC now has a Su ability that grants him +1 to hit and damage with that sword. Once WBL is corrected treasure drops return to normal.

If the players want back-up PCs, that's fine as long as each characters gear is kept separate, but you still have to make sure to account for any old gear that's kept by the party when a new PC is brought in.


PC's are buried in their equipment or the equipment is sent to their next of kin. At most in my group if a pc dies someone might take his Cloak of Resistance, Ring of Protection or what-have you simply because they realize we are level 15 and they still only have the +1 variant.

Sovereign Court

Yeah, the old gear has to vanish somehow. Burial gifts, sent to family. If the old PC had something that another PC wants to keep, that other PC should sacrifice money/gear of equal value. Death isn't a free lunch to more WBL.

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