Need for fluid "character wealth by level"


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


After many years of D&D + Pathfinder, I've come to a conclusion I should have far earlier ... and I'm sure others have ... that there should be a DM controlled sliding scale with character wealth. This is the case with mythic or non-mythic games.

If a DM tells a wizard/cleric/druid/sorcerer/etc. that their magic item cap is halved or drastically reduced, said character could shrug their shoulders and focus on the basic necessities without breaking a sweat ... ie. Bracers or Armor, Ring of Protection, Cloak of Resistance. Combat types, as they grow in level, desperately need the best arms & armor possible PLUS the highest cloaks of resistance [Will saves] PLUS items that help with movement.

Especially with higher level games! A spell caster could be denied staves of power or magi & rods of lordly might and not worry. Martials at those higher levels HAVE to have 150-200k armor and multiple weapons [dual wielding or 1 melee + 1 ranged] whose total approaches 300-400k.

I understand that I'm probably stating a fact made obvious years ago, but my primary point is that DMs should probably allow the martial characters more "financial freedom" and leeway with big ticket items ... hence the SLIDING SCALE. [which is sorta what Harvard does with admissions ... those that have less, pay less, etc.]


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Good luck convincing the spellcaster (in character) that he deserves less of the party's loot.


Yeah, unless you never drop gold and ban item crafting feats and don't let them sell anything...

Casters find a way unless you just f#!! in-game logic.


Easy thing to do is just get rid of magic items.

Martials learn "techniques" for effective magic item bonuses and casters get "enchantments" for magic item bonuses.

"Buying" items just becomes part of the level up process.


I'm not "really" suggesting spell casters get less loot, I'm suggesting DM's should be more "flexible" with martials' "suggested wealth by level" restrictions.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

The catch is, there's no way to be more "flexible" just with martials without being really meta about it. Throw tons more martial-oriented shwag into the game and it'll get sold, broken down, or traded as needed, or worse you'll develop a reputation for obvious favoritism.

Then again, most martials can craft their own junk so it's kind of a non-issue unless you're a barbarian.


Giving them more loot won't really matter unless that loot emulates things that casters can do, that martials can't, and many players don't want to be "castered up" like that or they would just play casters.

If you are having problems with this in your game then post your issues and someone here probably has a solution. However the "casters rule" problem is less of an actual problem at most(not all) tables.

Now the argument that casters "can" do X is true, but most of the time whether knowingly or not the casters don't step on the toes of the martials due to the social contract.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / General Discussion / Need for fluid "character wealth by level" All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in General Discussion