Really? What's the point in money? [3.5]

[Perducci]

That is if you don't want to deal with anything magical at all. Is there anything useful to spend hard earned gp on that isn't a magic...whatever? Also, at approximately what level do mundane items become useless?

Just curious is all.

[AslanCross]

There are a whole bunch of alchemical items that can be quite useful even until much later. See Dungeonscape.

Mundane items become useless as soon as their respective effects are duplicated by spellcasters.

[derfenrirwolv]

Mundane items become useless around 5th level. At that point you have so much wealth that you can just buy the entire PHb section of goods without making a dent in your wealth (if you leave out the telescope)

And you NEED to deal with things magical. D&D assumes certain wealthy by level guidelines. Magic items are as important as level. If you don't have them, your party will be underpowered for fights as suredly as if they were lower level.

[warrl]

That is if you don't want to deal with anything magical at all. Is there anything useful to spend hard earned gp on that isn't a magic...whatever? Also, at approximately what level do mundane items become useless?

Just curious is all.

Start with the obvious:

Food.

Ammunition.

Better non-magic armor and weapons.

Repairs or replacement of damaged armor and weapons.

Transportation - mounts, passage on a ship, buying a ship and paying its crew.

Paying for information.

Bribes, if you don't have a paladin in the party. Donations to helpful religious and charitable figures, if you do.

Taxes.

[Quietus]

Mithral armors.
Adamantine/silver/cold iron weapons.
Castles, and all the related costs.

[loopy]

I remember using those 'bags full of 6000cp' to ensure we always got warm welcomes and big crowds whenever we entered a city.

Hooray for impromptu rent-a-crowds!

[Devils_Advocate]

Is there anything useful to spend hard earned gp on that isn't a magic...whatever?
Hirelings. Strongholds. Supplies for your many followers.

[Dark Herald]

Start with the obvious:

Food.

Ammunition.

Better non-magic armor and weapons.

Repairs or replacement of damaged armor and weapons.

Transportation - mounts, passage on a ship, buying a ship and paying its crew.

Paying for information.

Bribes, if you don't have a paladin in the party. Donations to helpful religious and charitable figures, if you do.

Taxes.

Gonna have to disagree there. Assuming a high magic setting in line with Greyhawk, cause that does seem to be what he asked, then.

Create Food and Water, not even any cost on it, fifteen people for 24 hours.

Ammunition. At 20 per 1 Gp, it's safe to say that gold won't need to go to this too much.

THere is no nonmagic armor that is "better" than magic armor. The price for fullplate pales to even a +2 armor, most of the price for a magic weapon is the MASTERWORKING, which is only 300 GP.

Teleport is cheaper than dirt (500 gp), and should be readily available in any setting, since it is in the PHB not the DMG.

Zone of truth is a level 2 cleric spell, and Intimidate is a skill for precisely that reason. besides, anyone who can be bribed probably hasn't seen more than a couple hundred gold in their lifetime, otherwise they would be an adventurer. or not need your money. It's like paying someone with a million dollars a million more for information.

Any spellcasting services or quests the party can do are much more useful than a few thousand donated gold. And this is hardly a real use for money, even gods probably wouldn't care if someone rich gives money from time to time. What sweat is 2000 gp if your wealth by level is 10000? and wouldn't the gp be better spent upholding the deities plans than keeping the priests fat? Religions with temples get money regularly, or they wouldn't have temples.

Taxes. Sure, maybe if your campaign is high magic with some way to account for each citizen's wealth. The DMG specifically says that Taxes are ignored by Adventurers, because they move around too much. And if you have that powerful a government, they should have better things to do than take half the money from a level 7 ranger. </rant>

Not that those ideas are bad, but they don't apply to a standard DnD game, which is presumably what he asked about.

[mistformsquirrl]

A stronghold. They can be both magical or non, depending on your preference. (Magic are far more expensive of course; non-magical ones are more easily taken from you however.)

They're not going to help you in the vast majority of combats though >.> the only thing they're good for is RP or if you really hope the DM takes the bait and lets you have a castle siege.

Well that or in some cases you can (at high levels) turn them into airborne death ships with enough magic.

*edit*

I should add - I left in the examples of magic ones simply for completeness; but you can most definitely build an entirely non-magical stronghold and pour a good amount of loot into it.

[Saph]

Mundane items never become useless. Check out Tidesinger's Test of Spite if you want to see a demonstration of this. Despite the PCs being highly optimised 12th to 13th-level characters going into an incredibly nasty dungeon, all of the smart players have been bringing mundane items - and using them, too.

- Saph