| Craig1234 |
I started my group with the beginner box (the included adventure plus several that I added to complete the story), and I'm thinking I didn't get the loot right there (I feel like it's far too much even considering consumption and 1/2 value sales, etc). So I wanted to post here and make sure I'm getting it right as we're about to switch to the core rules and run the RotRL AP. I'm also trying to preroll as much of the treasure as possible as I get really bored as a player when the GM has to stop the game to roll up the horde, and I'd like to avoid that in the games I run.
So, as an example, the first combat of RotRL pits the players against 3 Goblins (CR 1). As RotRL uses the fast track, that equates to 400 gp for the encounter. So far so good, now here's where I get confused. According to the beastiary, the goblins are carrying:
Leather Armor (10 gp)
Light Wooden Shield (3 gp)
Short Sword (10 gp)
Short Bow w/20 arrows (31 gp)
other treasure
So do I give 3 of each as loot and then deduct that from the total gp for the encounter? I ask because there are other encounters with as many as 8 goblins, in which case I'd be awarding 8x leather armor, which I'm not sure the PC's could even carry. Presuming that I do give 3 each, that brings the total awarded so far to 162 gp, with "other treasure" equaling 238 gp. As I was trying to work this out for the beginner box bit I did, at first level, that's a lot of gold to account for unless you start adding magical items, which I don't think should be common (at least not at first level). In the end, I found it very difficult to even give out that much loot without falling back to "x, y, z, and 500 gold" for every encounter.
At this point, I think I have a pretty good handle on most of the game mechanics, but this one I just don't get, please help.
Thanks
| Rub-Eta |
You will be surprised at how little players care about leather (at least that was the case for my players).
First: Don't turn the loot into gp, the players should take the initiative in the looting, they decide how much they want. If they want to scrape up every coin it shouldn't be handed to them.
Remember that it's easier to give more than to take back. Reduce the treasure if you think it's a bit too much and then add more reward later if you find them starved of loot. As long as there is loot, don't bother adding more treasure with any random tables.
However, it doesn't seem to be that bad, first fight is under 50gp for an entire party (your (listed items x3)/2=46.5 would be the correct pricing, right?).
If your player are loot-mad and WILL pick up everything, even when you tell them that the goblins are wearing s%!@ty sewn together leather patches, ask them: "Are you really going to strip a dead goblin for 5gp?"
(if you want it to be 5gp, personally I wouldn't give anything for clothes in goblin size and smell).
I would also argue that they won't have time to loot the first three goblins.