How do backgrounds and classes make sense in the players handbook?

Hi,

Ive been trying to make characters for my friends using the official 2024 players handbook when I noticed how you have 3 GP if you pick a in the 'Guide' background for equipment but in the class section it says 9 GP. This hurts my brain because I don't want to give my druid extra stuff but have no idea what the contradiction concludes to. I need help.

Thanks in advance

I think you get both, so you would end up with 12 GP and all the equipment listed in both sections.

You get both. With a class you can choose to get either A) some equipment + some gold or B) 50 gp. In addition, you get to choose your starting equipment from your backround: either A) some equipment + some gold or B) 50 gp. The equipment from your class and background don't usually overlap too heavily.

In practice, you can give your characters 100gp to use for starting equipment or get the recommended starting equipment listed with the class and background + leftovers.

(link to relevant section in PHB: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/phb-2024/creating-a-character#ChooseStartingEquipment)

As I understand it, you get the equipment from both background and class.

”Your background and class both provide starting equipment. Any coins that you gain at this step can be immediately spent on equipment from chapter 6. In addition, you can have one trinket at no cost (see the Trinkets table at the end of this chapter).”

So, in this case, they’d have the gear from each and 12 gp. Personally, this always felt a bit generous to me, so I’m very open to be reading it the wrong way.

But then 5.5 is pretty generous to PCs, and it makes sense that a class and a background would have different gear, and a person would need all of it, so maybe I’m not.

It is explicitly stated in the character creation rules that both the background and class provide starting equipment. There's no contradiction; you get both. See here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024/creating-a-character#ChooseStartingEquipment

thank you so much, this clears it up, I am a new DM