Hey all, I'm a new dm and I'm trying to come into my role from a player perspective- I play within adventurer's league, so gold has little to no actual use for my players. What are some other options that I could give my players? I was thinking along the lines of healing potions, spell scrolls, etc.
Are the players planning on going to cons and that sort of thing? Unless you are running with friends who aren't you are tied in what you can actually do.
If you are essentially giving them things under the table to use in your games then you are open as to what you give them. (including making gold useful)
I don't think they're planning on taking these characters anywhere but we are an AL official game through the store. I was thinking a couple healing potions, maybe a spell scroll or two. Gold is handy if we ever actually get to a town where we can spend it, but I don't see that happening in this dungeon.
Fundamentally, gold is there to give players small things and so they can eventually buy the stuff they really want. In a way; it's like giving them a very small piece of something. Ergo, give the players pieces of magical weapons! Let them try to craft the items at very-accelerated speeds using these pieces.
Fundamentally, gold is there to give players small things and so they can eventually buy the stuff they really want. In a way; it's like giving them a very small piece of something. Ergo, give the players pieces of magical weapons! Let them try to craft the items at very-accelerated speeds using these pieces.
Brilliant! I am definitely going to borrow that.
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Personally as a DM, i'm sick of handing out gold, my players are never inventive or demanding enough to purchase anything but the best gear, which just means i throw harder monsters at them to compensate for their better gear. I've been trying to think of running currency in a different way- either none at all in a campaign that makes since (lost in space/lost island/barter only towns)
I'm playing around with the idea of playing cards used as currency in a Alice in Wonderland campaign setting. They'll earn cards about on average with how much they'd earn gold, but spending cards on goods and services would have rules. hearts could only be used for X goods in X town? Have rare items require great poker hands to purchase the rare items from a specific vendor?
As a DM you could have the decks of cards completely random letting the players collect whatever, or stack the deck with less/more valuable ones when an encounter requires it. Also you could fold in the deck of many things after a while when they get complacent about collecting and drawing cards, then they pull out something random and campaign-changing.
I know what has worked for me money wise so they don't buy super good equipment or something is to:
1. Don't have a merchant with the super good magic items anyway
2. Gold sinks, something they can throw their money at that doesn't make them more powerful. (in Xanathar's guide there is a bunch of common magic items that pcs will love to waste gold on)
3. You could make them pay their bills or donate to a starving orphanage?
I have found that if its me the DM giving magic items than it works better.
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I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou
Gold is like air, it's only really important if you don't have enough.
Magic items and spell components are much more important.
If you want players to use up some gold rebuilding a ruined tower or fort or other 'HQ' is always good for 7-12 level characters. That seems to be the point where they get excess gold and tend to want to have a base of operations.
I don't think they're planning on taking these characters anywhere but we are an AL official game through the store. I was thinking a couple healing potions, maybe a spell scroll or two. Gold is handy if we ever actually get to a town where we can spend it, but I don't see that happening in this dungeon.
You might have more restrictions on what you're actually able to do since it is an AL official game that is documented through WotC. An easy work around is to have a wandering merchant that seems to bother/follow the group around wherever they go. He could have healing potions etc. constantly available as a gold sink to them. Or just create a lineup of wandering merchants that belong to a renowned faction.
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Hey all, I'm a new dm and I'm trying to come into my role from a player perspective- I play within adventurer's league, so gold has little to no actual use for my players. What are some other options that I could give my players? I was thinking along the lines of healing potions, spell scrolls, etc.
We're running tomb of horrors, if that helps.
Healing potions and/or buffing potions are invaluable for Tomb of horrors.
Are the players planning on going to cons and that sort of thing? Unless you are running with friends who aren't you are tied in what you can actually do.
If you are essentially giving them things under the table to use in your games then you are open as to what you give them. (including making gold useful)
I don't think they're planning on taking these characters anywhere but we are an AL official game through the store. I was thinking a couple healing potions, maybe a spell scroll or two. Gold is handy if we ever actually get to a town where we can spend it, but I don't see that happening in this dungeon.
Fundamentally, gold is there to give players small things and so they can eventually buy the stuff they really want. In a way; it's like giving them a very small piece of something. Ergo, give the players pieces of magical weapons! Let them try to craft the items at very-accelerated speeds using these pieces.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Personally as a DM, i'm sick of handing out gold, my players are never inventive or demanding enough to purchase anything but the best gear, which just means i throw harder monsters at them to compensate for their better gear. I've been trying to think of running currency in a different way- either none at all in a campaign that makes since (lost in space/lost island/barter only towns)
I'm playing around with the idea of playing cards used as currency in a Alice in Wonderland campaign setting. They'll earn cards about on average with how much they'd earn gold, but spending cards on goods and services would have rules. hearts could only be used for X goods in X town? Have rare items require great poker hands to purchase the rare items from a specific vendor?
As a DM you could have the decks of cards completely random letting the players collect whatever, or stack the deck with less/more valuable ones when an encounter requires it. Also you could fold in the deck of many things after a while when they get complacent about collecting and drawing cards, then they pull out something random and campaign-changing.
I know what has worked for me money wise so they don't buy super good equipment or something is to:
1. Don't have a merchant with the super good magic items anyway
2. Gold sinks, something they can throw their money at that doesn't make them more powerful. (in Xanathar's guide there is a bunch of common magic items that pcs will love to waste gold on)
3. You could make them pay their bills or donate to a starving orphanage?
I have found that if its me the DM giving magic items than it works better.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. —Maya Angelou
Gold is like air, it's only really important if you don't have enough.
Magic items and spell components are much more important.
If you want players to use up some gold rebuilding a ruined tower or fort or other 'HQ' is always good for 7-12 level characters. That seems to be the point where they get excess gold and tend to want to have a base of operations.
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