Do you include all equipment that enemies have as pick-ups for the PCs when they have defeated them? Even if it states they have 'no treasure'?
I mean is it just assumed that any equipment, such as weapons etc. will automatically be available for the PCs to grab - it doesn't seem to say anything about this in the DM Guide from what I can tell. It only talks about treasure as in coins, gems, and art objects etc.
My predicament is with skeletons - they're supposed to have no treasure - I suppose mundane weaponry isn't exactly treasure, but all the same, would you include it as pick-ups for the PCs?
For instance, using the Skeleton sub-type I've created Dwarven Fighter Skeletons, which are CR 1/2, yet have masterwork weapons worth over 300 gp - if I used them all the time the PCs would become far too rich (especially if they were a level 1 party) if I used enemy equipment drops
I don't know, maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but I'm sure there's other instances where this really wouldn't work - do you guys all include equipment from everything as drops, or only for some creatures... or not at all?
Thanks
IOW, yes, if a monster has an item of value, it is treasure. When they say 'no treasure' they mean 'no items of value', so that excludes masterwork greataxes.
Of course, as a DM, you could just make the axes worthless regardless of their quality (i.e. they are cursed, tainted, etc).
Also note that if you give a creature a benefit, their CR may rise.
increase in items, means increase of CR. I don't really carry about wealth. If they can handle it, they can keep it. Although one thing you could do if it was to add more to hit... just say they were created in an unhollow area, give them non masterwork equipment and be done with it... and they would get more buffs too. and if they were created by a necro with corpse crafter they would be even more...... funner.
I reinstituted the old encumbrance rules and let the other players handle him when all that noise from clattering junk made them monster magnets.
My higher level players now tend to ask me to describe the evil baddy's bedroom furniture and book collection...
It gets kinda silly sometimes...
The obvious solution would be to not to give dwarven skeletons masterwork weapons....
of course, but what I mean is things like that don't add up with the general rule of 13.33 encounters of the correct EL giving the correct amount of wealth gain.
All I really wondered was if that idea is just a fundamental expected rule of the game or whether it is something ignored for being too awkward...
Haha don't worry anyway, I realised this issue a while ago and have forgotten my main points about it - if I remember them I'll get back to you on it
My higher level players now tend to ask me to describe the evil baddy's bedroom furniture and book collection...
It gets kinda silly sometimes...
-Hey, that's the stuff that nets you some decent money. I know my own character recently "stole" (He said it was 'repirations' for being interrogated and held unlawfully) a fine silk carpet worth about 1,000 GP. Mind you, we are only 1st Level, so that's some serious coinage.
-Hey, that's the stuff that nets you some decent money. I know my own character recently "stole" (He said it was 'repirations' for being interrogated and held unlawfully) a fine silk carpet worth about 1,000 GP. Mind you, we are only 1st Level, so that's some serious coinage.
I can attest to that! I witnessed it!
I had a lot of fun that night.
I seriously was afraid we were going to wind up dead.I can attest to that! I witnessed it!
-See, there you go, folks. You mess with a Chaotic character of mine, and I'll bite you. :D
I had a lot of fun that night.
-Technically, I think we really should have, but...You know. DM disgression and al. I'm perfectly fine with things working out as they did, though.
I had plate barding for my warhorse and eventually put my coins towards purchaseing a magical trinket or two that helped my character and the party in our adventures together which was nice.
The DM quickly learned not to give out too much coinage thanks to many of my get rich quick schemes...muahahahahahha...
Through experience I realized that this increases the wealth the PC's can amass. So to counter this, sometimes I'll give the monsters weapons the PC's can't use or sell. For instance, Large sized monsters holding two-handed weapons no PC will be able to lift, or a fallen paladin holds an unholy sword that no good PC would dare wield or could legally pawn off. Exotic weapons help too. For instance, one of my Sharran clerics was proficient with a +1 returning Chakram, the PCs thought it was a pretty cool piece of loot, but no one was willing to take the Exotic Weapon feat to use it.
That's a good idea actually Laerekh - I could give some of mine broken weapons and armour etc. to keep their wealth down. Thanks for your input
I like the idea of Orcs and Goblins using broken weapons and scrap pieces of armour as equipment they are proficient with. Just tell the PCs that the sword they just picked off the body is rusty, dull, and poorly crafted and that might deter them from picking it up to sell later. But knowing my PC's, they'd cast detect magic on the sword to see if theres more to it.
And I'm big on breaking equipment to keep the wealth down too. In the past, I've had to build NPC fighters with the Improved Sunder feat just to take away a couple magical swords from the groups main tank. Or on the reverse side I'll have the PC's break the NPC's gear, such as if the fighter is using power attack to finish off a foe, I'll say something like, "his greatsword sundered right through the Ogre's shield and armour, biting deep into his flesh, delivering a mortal wound". My players love battle details, so the glory of smashing through all of an NPC's defenses in order to deliver a killing blow is so much more rewarding to them than finding loot on the body at times.