Am I a Sinner? (the poverty campeign) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Am I a Sinner? (the poverty campeign) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Messer
08-24-05, 11:39 AM Sure, I was raised the victim of peverty, I had to eat pancakes for breakfast and dinner for months, and icky school lunches while all the other kids had bologna sadwiches. And when I went to college to get a worthless piece of paper, I had to play charactors that suffered my same affliction. Sure it was cool to play a swashbuckler, and be all smart and sly and cool. It was also fun to play a mage, and outsmart my DM with witty little tricks, but the down side was poverty. How can a 'wand of Identify magic' be put to any good use at all of there are almost never any magic items in the game?

Ugh, so, I run the game a little different. I randomize everything. I roll up treasures, if the guys want some fun ( I only say guys, because the are so scared to add girls that the one time I did add girls, the fighter up a quit, and everyone else complained..... I dont know whats wrong with my players ) I let them roll up treasures. Thats great fun and all, it's wonderful.

Anyways, I got to the problem just the other day. I added a new player. he never played a high level campeign before, and these guys have been playing now for onto 8 months solid, and I have been having fun learning with them, and we are now at about 13th level, some higher some lower. Anyways, I had the new guy roll up a charactor, and I handed him out a completely random treasure that fit (a little) his concept, and he looked at it, and told me.

"Wait, this seems all wrong, I mean, I dont want to insult your game, but isnt this over the top?"

And that sentence right there gave me the biggest guilt trip. After looking at all the prices (yes, I control the charactor sheets) of thier eq, and treasures, I found that (while it is true that some of them are seriously having issues with encumbrance, but to quote the sorceror, "I can summon a mount, or two if I want") they all fall in the appropriate 'estimated Charactor wealth per level' chart that can be found on page 135 of my favorite book.

Now, I have no problems giving them an intersting adventure, and I found that there are some things that I can sneak past them that they would never know, example, none of them rolled a 25 search to find the +3 dagger I took from the treasure I generated this time and hid in a pile of debries in a cell.

Anyways. I am curious, and this posting is about your opinions. basically, I am wondering this:

Poverty Campeign, Yea, or Nea?

Do you run it?

Do you like it?

Do you think that anything that is not poverty is twinkish?

I stand by the book on this one and say, "If my monk thinks having a Cloak of resistance +5 is the best thing for his charactor, then so be it. I'll still fight him like normal, and hit him with blunt force if need be, its his money, let him spend it."

What do you think?
revnk
08-24-05, 12:00 PM I was raised on Gygax, and even 'though I've heard he was really the biggest hypocrite in the world when it came to "Monty Haul" campaigns, I've always tended to be stingy with the goodies. (Allegedly Gygax would dole out the magic items like he was Santa, but I have no personal knowledge and only have hearsay to that effect--could be nothing to it but lies and slanders.)

It's fun to have the goodies out there, but I've always worried about game continuity and logic--if magic wands are as common as TVs, does that mean every peasant in the land has one? That kind of thing.

But if people are having fun, What The Hey? Tell the new guy that you know the whole thing's kind of silly, but everyone has a good time with it and maybe you'll run the gritty-survive-with-nothing-but-yer-skin-an'-wits campaign when this one wraps up.
Illion the Red
08-24-05, 12:04 PM It's all a question of what you and your players are comfortable with. If the PCs have items that allow them to walk over every encounter you throw at them, then most would say that they have too much stuff. I say...as long as it's still fun for them and you as well, who cares? It's your game, not mine.

Some might even suggest that wealth is the "difficulty" setting for the campaign. If there is low wealth, the "difficulty" is increased. Conversly, if there is high wealth, the "difficulty" is decreased. (This, of course, is prefaced on the idea that wealth is expendable in the acquisition of magical items and similar things to increase character power).
VirgilCaine
08-24-05, 01:14 PM I found that (while it is true that some of them are seriously having issues with encumbrance, but to quote the sorceror, "I can summon a mount, or two if I want")

What do you think?

I think your PCs need to buy some mules to carry their treasure. :rolleyes:
Messer
08-24-05, 08:25 PM I think your PCs need to buy some mules to carry their treasure. :rolleyes:

yeah, this is the funny part, I must have told the magic users 5 times already in charactor that they are wasting spells by casting things like mount numerous times, I think this next time I'll make sure they can't get the rest they need so they run out of spells.... that would make it all the more fun.
VirgilCaine
08-24-05, 10:21 PM Have every other adventuring party use mules and such. Put mules and horses where logical... NPCs they meet on the road comment on their lack of pack animals or mounts.
Using spell slots for mount is shamefully wasteful.
Calibron
08-24-05, 10:47 PM Have every other adventuring party use mules and such. Put mules and horses where logical... NPCs they meet on the road comment on their lack of pack animals or mounts.
Using spell slots for mount is shamefully wasteful.
Especially since it'd only cost 1800 gold to craft a slotless command word activated wondrous item imbued with mount. Unlimited uses of Mount per day, hell you could probably make enough Mounts for the whole party to ride all the time with this one item depending on your interpretation of the spell.
Board_Rider
08-24-05, 11:08 PM There can be no yea or nay because it is all dependent on both the DM and players.
Me? I run it a tad lean as far as items go. Got a couple of 5th level PCs right now without magic weapons and are low on cash. I would say that as long as the PCs do not come up short in the battles and encounters that you come up with then it shouldn't be a problem.
Oh, I too remember pancakes and wisha sandwiches as a young guy.
Hairfoot
08-25-05, 12:05 AM For some (dare I say it, younger) players, it's all about the magic items. And why not? It's always fun to have a new power-up to throw around.

Personally, I like a lean game. The challenges of a campaign are there to be overcome through the character's abilities and the player's ingenuity. Plus, it makes the rare find of a magic item that much more precious.

Remember that what you give can always be taken away. If the players like to be loaded up, then let them, but don't be afraid to denude them of their precious baubles for the odd adventure so they remember to play the character and not the items.

Of course, some groups go into revolt when you restrict or take away their items. It's one of the most boorish and obnoxious habits a player can have, but sometimes it has to be catered to for the sake of the group.
Messer
08-25-05, 10:00 AM It's one of the most boorish and obnoxious habits a player can have, but sometimes it has to be catered to for the sake of the group.

Oh, they burn me, the boorish, and obnoxious, but, I am learning how to deal with it. I am learning that there are many habits of players that are ugly, including (and I dont wanna open a can of worms) people who dont understand the use of alignments. example, the parties Wizard thinks it's completely CN to use Vampyric touch on his comrades in combat instead of asking for healing, or using a Beer-lite wounds.

so, no rants about alignments, but, the boorish habbits do exist, and are frequent in every game.

ha, I think I found the solution, and that is, "Encumberance" .... hahaha, how to you move a metric tonn of materials through the desert with no mules, or wagons? I got all the players so worried about it. Every solution they come up with runs into problems, and I have to explain why a Wagon can only carry 600 lbs, and a Wheel-Barrel can't carry 400 lbs like those steal jobs we have today, (like anyone could lift them)....

Anyways.... more stats to look up, gotta work with the players to keep them happy! Thanks for your posts!
DarknessEternal
08-25-05, 11:35 AM I see no reason to second guess the wealth levels set forth in the DMG. If it says a level 14 guy should have 150,000 gold worth of stuff, then it's totally acceptable for that guy to have 150,000 gold worth of magic items.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Messer 08-24-05, 11:39 AM	Sure, I was raised the victim of peverty, I had to eat pancakes for breakfast and dinner for months, and icky school lunches while all the other kids had bologna sadwiches. And when I went to college to get a worthless piece of paper, I had to play charactors that suffered my same affliction. Sure it was cool to play a swashbuckler, and be all smart and sly and cool. It was also fun to play a mage, and outsmart my DM with witty little tricks, but the down side was poverty. How can a 'wand of Identify magic' be put to any good use at all of there are almost never any magic items in the game? Ugh, so, I run the game a little different. I randomize everything. I roll up treasures, if the guys want some fun ( I only say guys, because the are so scared to add girls that the one time I did add girls, the fighter up a quit, and everyone else complained..... I dont know whats wrong with my players ) I let them roll up treasures. Thats great fun and all, it's wonderful. Anyways, I got to the problem just the other day. I added a new player. he never played a high level campeign before, and these guys have been playing now for onto 8 months solid, and I have been having fun learning with them, and we are now at about 13th level, some higher some lower. Anyways, I had the new guy roll up a charactor, and I handed him out a completely random treasure that fit (a little) his concept, and he looked at it, and told me. "Wait, this seems all wrong, I mean, I dont want to insult your game, but isnt this over the top?" And that sentence right there gave me the biggest guilt trip. After looking at all the prices (yes, I control the charactor sheets) of thier eq, and treasures, I found that (while it is true that some of them are seriously having issues with encumbrance, but to quote the sorceror, "I can summon a mount, or two if I want") they all fall in the appropriate 'estimated Charactor wealth per level' chart that can be found on page 135 of my favorite book. Now, I have no problems giving them an intersting adventure, and I found that there are some things that I can sneak past them that they would never know, example, none of them rolled a 25 search to find the +3 dagger I took from the treasure I generated this time and hid in a pile of debries in a cell. Anyways. I am curious, and this posting is about your opinions. basically, I am wondering this: Poverty Campeign, Yea, or Nea? Do you run it? Do you like it? Do you think that anything that is not poverty is twinkish? I stand by the book on this one and say, "If my monk thinks having a Cloak of resistance +5 is the best thing for his charactor, then so be it. I'll still fight him like normal, and hit him with blunt force if need be, its his money, let him spend it." What do you think?
revnk 08-24-05, 12:00 PM	I was raised on Gygax, and even 'though I've heard he was really the biggest hypocrite in the world when it came to "Monty Haul" campaigns, I've always tended to be stingy with the goodies. (Allegedly Gygax would dole out the magic items like he was Santa, but I have no personal knowledge and only have hearsay to that effect--could be nothing to it but lies and slanders.) It's fun to have the goodies out there, but I've always worried about game continuity and logic--if magic wands are as common as TVs, does that mean every peasant in the land has one? That kind of thing. But if people are having fun, What The Hey? Tell the new guy that you know the whole thing's kind of silly, but everyone has a good time with it and maybe you'll run the gritty-survive-with-nothing-but-yer-skin-an'-wits campaign when this one wraps up.
Illion the Red 08-24-05, 12:04 PM	It's all a question of what you and your players are comfortable with. If the PCs have items that allow them to walk over every encounter you throw at them, then most would say that they have too much stuff. I say...as long as it's still fun for them and you as well, who cares? It's your game, not mine. Some might even suggest that wealth is the "difficulty" setting for the campaign. If there is low wealth, the "difficulty" is increased. Conversly, if there is high wealth, the "difficulty" is decreased. (This, of course, is prefaced on the idea that wealth is expendable in the acquisition of magical items and similar things to increase character power).
VirgilCaine 08-24-05, 01:14 PM	I found that (while it is true that some of them are seriously having issues with encumbrance, but to quote the sorceror, "I can summon a mount, or two if I want") What do you think? I think your PCs need to buy some mules to carry their treasure. :rolleyes:
Messer 08-24-05, 08:25 PM	I think your PCs need to buy some mules to carry their treasure. :rolleyes: yeah, this is the funny part, I must have told the magic users 5 times already in charactor that they are wasting spells by casting things like mount numerous times, I think this next time I'll make sure they can't get the rest they need so they run out of spells.... that would make it all the more fun.
VirgilCaine 08-24-05, 10:21 PM	Have every other adventuring party use mules and such. Put mules and horses where logical... NPCs they meet on the road comment on their lack of pack animals or mounts. Using spell slots for mount is shamefully wasteful.
Calibron 08-24-05, 10:47 PM	Have every other adventuring party use mules and such. Put mules and horses where logical... NPCs they meet on the road comment on their lack of pack animals or mounts. Using spell slots for mount is shamefully wasteful. Especially since it'd only cost 1800 gold to craft a slotless command word activated wondrous item imbued with mount. Unlimited uses of Mount per day, hell you could probably make enough Mounts for the whole party to ride all the time with this one item depending on your interpretation of the spell.
Board_Rider 08-24-05, 11:08 PM	There can be no yea or nay because it is all dependent on both the DM and players. Me? I run it a tad lean as far as items go. Got a couple of 5th level PCs right now without magic weapons and are low on cash. I would say that as long as the PCs do not come up short in the battles and encounters that you come up with then it shouldn't be a problem. Oh, I too remember pancakes and wisha sandwiches as a young guy.
Hairfoot 08-25-05, 12:05 AM	For some (dare I say it, younger) players, it's all about the magic items. And why not? It's always fun to have a new power-up to throw around. Personally, I like a lean game. The challenges of a campaign are there to be overcome through the character's abilities and the player's ingenuity. Plus, it makes the rare find of a magic item that much more precious. Remember that what you give can always be taken away. If the players like to be loaded up, then let them, but don't be afraid to denude them of their precious baubles for the odd adventure so they remember to play the character and not the items. Of course, some groups go into revolt when you restrict or take away their items. It's one of the most boorish and obnoxious habits a player can have, but sometimes it has to be catered to for the sake of the group.
Messer 08-25-05, 10:00 AM	It's one of the most boorish and obnoxious habits a player can have, but sometimes it has to be catered to for the sake of the group. Oh, they burn me, the boorish, and obnoxious, but, I am learning how to deal with it. I am learning that there are many habits of players that are ugly, including (and I dont wanna open a can of worms) people who dont understand the use of alignments. example, the parties Wizard thinks it's completely CN to use Vampyric touch on his comrades in combat instead of asking for healing, or using a Beer-lite wounds. so, no rants about alignments, but, the boorish habbits do exist, and are frequent in every game. ha, I think I found the solution, and that is, "Encumberance" .... hahaha, how to you move a metric tonn of materials through the desert with no mules, or wagons? I got all the players so worried about it. Every solution they come up with runs into problems, and I have to explain why a Wagon can only carry 600 lbs, and a Wheel-Barrel can't carry 400 lbs like those steal jobs we have today, (like anyone could lift them).... Anyways.... more stats to look up, gotta work with the players to keep them happy! Thanks for your posts!
DarknessEternal 08-25-05, 11:35 AM	I see no reason to second guess the wealth levels set forth in the DMG. If it says a level 14 guy should have 150,000 gold worth of stuff, then it's totally acceptable for that guy to have 150,000 gold worth of magic items.