Fixing the WBL system: How to balance cash.

[Nytemare3701]

Current problems I'm seeing with the WBL system:

1. WBL is skewed in favor of high level characters
2. WBL is easily thrown out the window by artificers or mages.

Proposed Fixes:

1. Replace the 1/3 wealth item guideline with a more strict system concerning item types. % Wealth on Wondrous, % on armor, etc. That would remove a lot of the mage-mart issues that tend to crop up in games that start at high levels.
2. Add restrictions to the crafting feats/economy system to keep the WBL relatively intact.
• Items crafted by the character are bound to the character, and only function for them or someone they know personally.
• Items lose % of value per sale (denting the supply/demand system, and requiring time to regenerate)

I don't really like either of the fixes for #2, so add your own!

[wotmaniac]

Games that start above, say, 5th level do need to have some structure to how you purchase starting equipment.  Something I starting doing a while back was: 1 item no more than 1/3, 1 other item no more than 1/4, and no other item more than 1/5.  Seems to have worked out fairly well.

As to the rest ....
Well, the Tome's "wish economy" was a valiant effort; however, it just seems a bit too contrived for my tastes (never mind that in order to patch the holes, you have to implement stuff that is arbitrary and even more contrived).

You basically have to nerf/remove the spells that allow PCs to toss WBL out the window.  What that looks like in each individual case definitely warrants some discussion (but since *this* post is just a nebulous musing, I'll dive in to the specifics a little later)

/twocents

[oslecamo]

Veekie once sugested a pretty neat idea I've been trying out in one my campaigns. Basically, you pick up WBL, and turn it into hard-coded spirit points, that decide how much magic equipment you can use. So even if you get lots of gold/magic items, you can only use a certain amount at any time.

In more detail:

-Basic item creation rules all gone.
-Because of the above, there's no artificers in existence.
-All characters have a number of spirit points equal to the original Wealth By Level.
-Characters may attune equipment up to their capacity of spirit points, attuning an item being a free action, but releasing attunement being a full day. You can attune something that someone else is attuned to, but it takes a full day to break the other person's attunement.
Any attuned equipment can be used, regardless of who attuned the item.
-Expendable items costs spirit points equal to the value of the charges used.
Lost spirit points(i.e. via expended items or destroyed equipment) recover at the rate of 1% of the character's WBL per day, up to a maximum of his WBL.
-A character can turn any equipment he has used regularly for at least a week into any standard magic item of the same type by expending it's new value in spirit points. He can convert a lesser magic item into an enhanced version of itself this way. Major Artifacts cannot be altered in this manner unless specifically stated otherwise. Lesser Artifacts can be so modified if the character is capable of creating artifacts and is at least as powerful as the original creator.
-Equipment can be attuned for less than their maximum value, if they have a lesser version. If a character invests the value of a +2 Belt of Strength into a +6 Belt of Strength, he gains only the benefit of a +2 Belt of Strength.
-You cannot cast spells from scrolls, they just exist to teach wizards and archivists.
-Wands/staffs/other items with charges must be always fully charged when you make them.
-Expensive spell components must be supplied by this method as well.

[Nytemare3701]

Sounds like it's hybrid time!

Permanent item fixes:
• Affinity system: ECL x to determine the total caster level of items you can attune.
• 1/3,1/4,1/5 system mentioned above.

Consumable fixes:
• "cooldowns" on drinking potions to keep people from chugging them.
• 10% increase/decrease to consumable costs for each one bought/sold. Supply and demand keeps the WBL from getting out of whack.

[PhaedrusXY]

I have a system somewhat similar to Veekie's that I use, which is an extrapolation of Frank and K's "Wish Economy". It involves pretty extensive house-ruling for WBL (basically getting rid of it entirely) and restrictions on magic items (attunement rules). I also scrapped crafting feats entirely, and let anyone "craft".