I was reading up on interesting ways to do abstract wealth, treasure & spending today, and I came across many interesting interpretations, such as Bury Your Gold: On Abstract Wealth by Prismatic Wasteland. This is my take on the topic!
Image: Treasure Chest MtG Art from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms by Dan Scott
Basic Rules
A character (or a party) has a Wealth Level. They can afford anything of a lower Wealth Level within reason, up to the Warden/Game Master. Anything above their Wealth Level cannot be afforded straight-up, and might be open to favors or alternative means of acquirement.
Purchases
Any purchase of the same Wealth Level requires a simple coin toss. Get a nice big shiny coin at the table to heighten the monetary-gamble aspect. Call it correctly, and the Wealth Level of the buyer does not decrease. Fail, and the Wealth Level drops one tier.
When desiring to buy multiple items, resolve the items below Wealth Level first, and then sort items of equal Wealth Level by priority, as each will require a coin toss (and on a failed toss, the rest of the items can’t be bought!)
Increasing Wealth
Rate treasure from d4 to d10. When treasure is sold, roll the corresponding dice. If the roll is higher than the current Wealth Level, increase it by 1.
Reefufui on reddit had a really cool addition to treasure:
Evaluate treasures from d2 to d10. When the treasures are sold, roll the corresponding die. If the result is higher than the current Wealth Level, increase it by 1. Downgrade the die and repeat the procedure. So you can go up several levels if you found something really valuable at the low WL.
This system is meant as an abstraction and simplification of wealth, treasure & shopping, so of course it’s going to be, well, abstract. The general design idea is that anything below their Wealth Level falls in the category of “don’t worry about it”, and anything equal to their Wealth Level should be carefully considered. It’s way easier to lose a Wealth Level in a coin toss, than it is to gain one through treasure!
Wealth Levels
The tiers below serve as general inspiration of what one could buy. Adjust as desired.
Tier 0: Broke
- No money, reliant on charity or scavenging.
- Living in squalor, possibly homeless.
Tier 1: Handful of coppers
- Can afford: A meal, a drink, a night’s sleep in a tavern.
- Small purchases: Torch, simple handheld tools (e.g., a knife, flint and steel).
Tier 2: Pouch of coppers
- Can afford: Basic adventuring gear like rope, bedroll, simple one-handed weapons (dagger, cudgel).
- Small services: A day’s meal for a small family, a night’s stay in a better tavern room.
Tier 3: A purse with copper and silver
- Gear: Tent, longsword, shield, spear, light armor chest piece, basic reagents (holy water), simple instruments (lantern, basic musical instrument).
- Services: A day’s pay for a sellsword, simple spell components.
- Lifestyle: Modest living, can afford occasional comforts, secure basic needs and some desires.
Tier 4: A purse with silver, some gold
- Gear: Two-handed weapons, medium armor chest piece, delicate instruments (telescope, fine tools for crafting).
- Services: Hiring a skilled laborer for a few days, a week’s lodging in a good inn.
- Lifestyle: Comfortable living, frequent small luxuries, good quality of life.
Tier 5: A purse with gold
- Gear: Plate armor, high-quality weapons and armor, rare reagents.
- Services: Long-term hire of a skilled professional, commissioning custom items, minor magical items.
- Lifestyle: Affluent living, access to rare items and services, respected in the community.
Tier 6: Small coffer of gold and gems
- Gear: Expensive items like warhorses, rare magical items, high-quality craftsmanship.
- Services: Long-term hire of a small group of skilled professionals or mercenaries, significant bribes.
- Lifestyle: Wealthy living, access to exclusive items and services, influence within local society.
Tier 7: Large coffer of gold and gems
- Gear: High-tier magical items, luxury items (e.g., a finely crafted suit of enchanted armor, a rare artifact).
- Services: Patronage of artisans, funding minor construction projects, purchasing minor land holdings.
- Lifestyle: Very wealthy, substantial influence, can support large projects and ventures.
Tier 8: Small treasury
- Gear: Estate, small castle, large-scale magical items.
- Services: Employing a personal retinue, funding significant construction projects, influencing local politics.
- Lifestyle: Extremely wealthy, significant regional influence, can maintain large properties and numerous staff.
Tier 9: Large treasury
- Gear: Significant land holdings, multiple estates, large-scale enchanted items.
- Services: Maintaining a private army, influencing regional politics, sponsorship of large guilds or organizations.
- Lifestyle: Almost aristocratic wealth, major regional power, substantial influence over larger territories.
Tier 10: Vast fortune
- Gear: Great castles, fleets of ships, grand enchanted items of legend.
- Services: Shaping national politics, extensive patronage of the arts and sciences, large-scale societal influence.
- Lifestyle: Near-royal wealth, vast influence, capable of shaping the future of nations and cultures.