Low level PCs with a LOT of cash...

[Spiritchaser]

Due to some timely aggression, a number of lucky death saves and a Decent plan, a party of level 6 characters has come into possession of a previously captured imperial war galley... a VERY expensive item.

They’re currently on an island and have the means to tow this monster (weather permitting) to an imperial port , where standard imperial policy would be to pay th PCs half the ships value for its return in good condition. The PCs have previous experience with the empire, and currently bear letters of marque. They have the contacts in the right places to avoid shenanigans unless I get really evil. Since they earned this, I don’t feel I should.

The problem is... that’s a whole LOT of gold really early.

Has anyone previously put themselves in a similar situation?

I’m tempted to have the empire offer something else instead of the gold which I’m sure I could do easily enough, though that would limit their freedom to spend... a whole whack of gold.

[ProsecutorGodot]

I gave a loot table roll to a character and they got a deck of many things at level 1. They were also continuously lucky using it and got a large amount of gold and magic items. You either roll with it, adjusting things accordingly but not so much as to invalidate their success or constantly try to take it away and risk the players becoming fed up with your antics.

However, there aren't actually a lot of uses for Gold in 5E through the base rules. XGtE added the ability to search out and purchase magic items, but ironically a Galley is probably the only expensive thing worth buying in the PHB. Those wearing heavy armor can get Plate, sure, but that doesn't change a whole lot.

[Sigreid]

You could offer them minor nobility. Something on the order of knighthood. After all, Sir Francis Drake got his knighthood basically for sharing his pirate treasure with the crown.

[MilkmanDanimal]

You could offer them minor nobility. Something on the order of knighthood. After all, Sir Francis Drake got his knighthood basically for sharing his pirate treasure with the crown.

I'd go with this, as it has the additional advantage of giving you all sorts of plot hooks. You're nobility; you need to help the empire with something, or the players get involved in some kind of court intrigue and get set up by a rival, or they have to uncover a conspiracy of some sort. Lots of places you can go from that plot point.

[nickl_2000]

You could offer them minor nobility. Something on the order of knighthood. After all, Sir Francis Drake got his knighthood basically for sharing his pirate treasure with the crown.

This^, you don't need to give them the gold for the item. Something suitably similar in cost that could give them more RP opportunities would be just as satisfying. Even something like a letter demarking a favor owed by the crown to the PCs could be very interesting later on in he campaign.

[Stan]

If they've earned, let them have their money. As ProsecutorGodot said, the usefulness of money for gear tops out relatively quickly. You could even cut the payout by a couple of thousand and give each of them an uncommon magic item that would be helpful - it wouldn't throw the game off that much. Let them have some time to spend their many. Maybe they'll get a villa and servants. Or jewelry. If they dress better, they will be more acceptable to nobles and the target of more thieves. Most players love this on occasion so it doesn't feel like they are toiling for nothing.

If it fits into the rest of the game, you can make it slightly complicated. Maybe the government is low on hard currency, so they give most of it another way. Like now they own a farm and 1,000 sheep. Or they can buy the rights to a fabulous item - not the item itself, just the legal rights to possess the item if they were to attain it, somehow.

[Sigreid]

If they've earned, let them have their money. As ProsecutorGodot said, the usefulness of money for gear tops out relatively quickly. You could even cut the payout by a couple of thousand and give each of them an uncommon magic item that would be helpful - it wouldn't throw the game off that much. Let them have some time to spend their many. Maybe they'll get a villa and servants. Or jewelry. If they dress better, they will be more acceptable to nobles and the target of more thieves. Most players love this on occasion so it doesn't feel like they are toiling for nothing.

If it fits into the rest of the game, you can make it slightly complicated. Maybe the government is low on hard currency, so they give most of it another way. Like now they own a farm and 1,000 sheep. Or they can buy the rights to a fabulous item - not the item itself, just the legal rights to possess the item if they were to attain it, somehow.

A PC of mine who got hold of a lot of money basically spends most of what he gets on public works projects for his home town. Aquaduct, wall, that sort of thing.

[iTreeby]

Just give them their three hundred pounds of gold and see what they want to do with it. Maybe they want to open up a luxury bathhouse or something. Maybe they want to loan it to a struggling tribe or buy mercenaries. Whatever they do only has as much effect as you let it.

The best advice I can give is... Track weight capacity.

[NaughtyTiger]

If Adventures League (I assume not) then the boat isn't listed as treasure, can't be taken.
That said, last few years, AL started offering land for 5000...

If not AL (I assume) then ... 1/2 is not guaranteed, it depends on free market and persuasion rolls.
Plus, they can't carry that much gold (heavy and target for thieves, plot hook?), so you have to store it somewhere (not easily accessible, taxable by local govt, plot hook?)

[solidork]

I would offer them opportunities to invest it if the players are interested in that kind of thing. Tying your characters tightly to the campaign setting with something like that is always great for everyone involved.

[Unoriginal]

PCs getting a lot of money early on isn't a problem, unless getting this amount of money was precisely their only goal.

Let them get their fortune, spend it as they can, and fight to keep it from the various people who want to take it.

That being said, as others said, giving half the price of a ship in cash is probably not considered practical, so alternative rewards should be considered.

Why not give them a brand-new, if smaller, boat?

[the secret fire]

They earned the gold; I say give it to them.

Assuming magic items are not available for sale, giving players a fat pile of gold tends to reveal quite a lot about a character's true goals and motivations. Some PCs will buy a keep and title and set themselves up as nobility; some will use it to further some very important cause or other; some will keep it in reserve and use it for bribery, establishing contacts, and generally funding cloak-and-dagger activities; some will take care of their family/village/nation; some will start businesses, legal or otherwise; some will simply waste it on women and wine.

The point here is: give your players the choice. Simply issuing them titles rather than paying them is an unnecessary constraint on player autonomy in this situation. You can certainly give them the option to accept title (and a tract of land) in lieu of their share of the booty, but this option should not foreclose all the other possibilities of what a player might choose to do with a windfall of gold at 6th level. Artificially reducing their options here is a form of railroading, and railroading sucks.

[Galadhrim]

What are their goals in the campaign. I like the ideas given above of giving them some money but mostly paying in favors from the empire and or land. That is traditionally how empires worked anyway, and land owners typically are the power class in an imperial society. You could give them rights to a keep that is in a contested region for the empire. that way if they take it, the empire profits, and if they don't, the empire doesn't lose much. That's just savvy empororing. If they aren't in to that, find out what they are in to that can tie in to plot hooks.

[Spiritchaser]

A few more notes, certainly not AL

The empire has a very sophisticated banking and payment system. Letters of credit could be issued against the gold, or within the military a payment chitty could be redeemed for the value throughout the empire (within reason of course, minor centres won’t have this much on hand and so on). Of course, outside the empire it’s quite a different story.

It really comes down to what it’s going to do to the way the campaign feels with that much cash vs limiting player freedom.

The empire could easily trade them a smaller vessel, something faster than their current boat which they took from pirates.

Granting minor Nobility is a great thought. At least one PC has a strong motive to backstab the empire in a serious way at some point and this could open some doors.

But they limit the magic of, “here’s a massive chest of gold, go absolutely nuts”

[Sigreid]

Because I'm a nerd I looked it up. Apparently salvage in the real world is typically 10 to 25% the value of the ship or boat. Depending on the level of success and danger in the saving of the boat. If it helps to just give about half what you thought.

[Unoriginal]

Because I'm a nerd I looked it up. Apparently salvage in the real world is typically 10 to 25% the value of the ship or boat. Depending on the level of success and danger in the saving of the boat. If it helps to just give about half what you thought.

Given it's an important ship, the Empire might give a bunch more gold to spare themselves the public embarassement

[Sigreid]

Given it's an important ship, the Empire might give a bunch more gold to spare themselves the public embarassement

Definately true. Or, if it's the evil empire it may accomplish the same thing by trying to murder them.

[Waterdeep Merch]

I'd totally give it to them. Let it be a big, powerful, neat thing. That'll make them talk about how they salvaged a warship and brought it back for a mountain of money at level 6 forever.

They'll tell their friends, they'll tell everyone in your Friendly Local Game Store. They'll go to conventions, they'll brag about it. It'll be a favorite story.

That's absolutely worth possibly being a bit unbalancing.

[JNAProductions]

Money does not equal power in the same way it did in 3E and 4E.

It'll let the heavy-armor folks upgrade to full plate, and the light-armor folks get studded leather (if they didn't already have it).

And... That's about it. They can stock up on healing potions, I guess? But in terms of strict mechanical power, that's about it. So if you're worried about it being unbalanced in a STRICTLY MECHANICAL sense... Don't.

Now, if you're worried that the characters will say "Well, we have oodles of cash. Time to retire!" talk to your players, and ask them what they'd like to see to ensure they stay adventurers.

[Spiritchaser]

Definately true. Or, if it's the evil empire it may accomplish the same thing by trying to murder them.

Evil? Well...

Commercially hyper aggressive, environmentally unaware/negligent/exploitive/destructive and militarily expansionist... and they really love their paperwork.

BUT

Uniquely democratic on its world and generally strong with rule of law. Laws apply mostly eaqually across class and race, though there will be some legal advantage to the wealthy in some cases. Strong with public health support and well developed sanitary engineering. Sophisticated education system. Public service mostly allows rise by merit, particularly the military where promotion for the able can be quite swift.

[Sigreid]

Evil? Well...

Commercially hyper aggressive, environmentally unaware/negligent/exploitive/destructive and militarily expansionist... and they really love their paperwork.

BUT

Uniquely democratic on its world and generally strong with rule of law. Laws apply mostly eaqually across class and race, though there will be some legal advantage to the wealthy in some cases. Strong with public health support and well developed sanitary engineering. Sophisticated education system. Public service mostly allows rise by merit, particularly the military where promotion for the able can be quite swift.

Sounds kind of Athenian. I was thinking more Darth Sidious evil. And not promoting it, just pointing out murder can be a pretty cheap way to guarantee silence on an issue.

[Spiritchaser]

Sounds kind of Athenian. I was thinking more Darth Sidious evil. And not promoting it, just pointing out murder can be a pretty cheap way to guarantee silence on an issue.

The players requested Greco-Roman so...

There are certainly individuals in the empire who have their own ambitions and agendas, but so far (with one exception) the PCs have gone out of their way to avoid them...

It’s early days yet though.

In any case, thanks all for the suggestions.

I think I will give them the cash and let them decide.

[Cybren]

Sounds kind of Athenian. I was thinking more Darth Sidious evil. And not promoting it, just pointing out murder can be a pretty cheap way to guarantee silence on an issue.

Unless there's rampant slavery and poverty and intense gender discrimination it... sounds nothing like Athens.

[Sigreid]

Unless there's rampant slavery and poverty and intense gender discrimination it... sounds nothing like Athens.

Sounds plenty Athenian if you're talking the idealized image.

[Demonslayer666]

That's not that much gold for level 6 IMO.

If you want alternatives, I like the previously mentioned title suggestion the best and have it come with benefits in the city or empire. Magic Items are another good alternative, if you have those in your game.

There's also land grants and or housing, businesses (bar or tavern), monuments (statues, streets named after the players, etc), a party (feast), trade goods/livestock, henchmen and hirelings, mounts and or animal companions, blessings (long lasting or permanent low level spells).

[MeeposFire]

Do they want a sea campaign? Let them work for the empire as the new captains of the ship. Keep the ship and the empire repairs it to set them against their enemies.

[Spiritchaser]

Do they want a sea campaign? Let them work for the empire as the new captains of the ship. Keep the ship and the empire repairs it to set them against their enemies.

They’re very much in a sea campaign, their “leader” (disputed) is a sailor, as is the NPC ex pirate, but...

A war galley is simply too large. I can easily see them trading in some/most of there gold for a nice xebec though

[Blacky the Blackball]

They’re very much in a sea campaign, their “leader” (disputed) is a sailor, as is the NPC ex pirate, but...

A war galley is simply too large. I can easily see them trading in some/most of there gold for a nice xebec though

Why not cut out the money entirely, and have the empire give them a smaller ship (and a mission or two!) as the reward?

[Spiritchaser]

Why not cut out the money entirely, and have the empire give them a smaller ship (and a mission or two!) as the reward?

I generally like to give the PCs as much freedom as I possibly can without totally mucking things up.

[Unoriginal]

I generally like to give the PCs as much freedom as I possibly can without totally mucking things up.

Giving someone a ship is giving them plenty of freedom.

[SirGraystone]

Once they get that ship back to port the first thing the empire would do is take the ship back with everything in it since it was theirs anyway. Then the red tapes begin, they need to evaluate the current value of the ship which can take weeks unless maybe they put some coins in some noble's hand. From the rewards you may remove the cost to repair the damage done to the ship, specially if the PCs did it. After that there's of course taxes to pay on the reward (noone get away from taxes). If they have let say 20,000 gp left, well the treasury is a little short at the moment, so they can be pay 12,000 gp now, or 1,000 gp a month for the next 20 months.

Or just have the emperor personally thanks them and offers his gratitude, shakes their hands for saving his war galley, and just leaves without offering any coins.

[Spiritchaser]

Giving someone a ship is giving them plenty of freedom.

It certainly does let them move around a great deal (weather permitting)

They currently do have a small ship ... but it is unarmed and far too slow for much of what they want to do.

It is easy to handle with a small crew however, and with only two skilled sailors in the party, that's a big deal.

I think giving the PC’s an opportunity to find/earn/take a ship is something I’ll do again. It’s an upgradable moving home base with a huge cargo capacity, it’s a foil for 3D combat and it’s great for whale watching druids

[Magzimum]

Give them the cash. Allow them to buy some magic items and a keep.

Then increase the difficultly level a bit to compensate for the magic items.

[Sigreid]

Give them the cash and then have them robbed with no chance to avoid it.

Kidding of course. 😁

[nickl_2000]

Give them the cash and then have them robbed with no chance to avoid it.

Kidding of course. 😁

Give them cash, let them buy super powerful magic items at a reduced cost due to services rendered to the kingdom and then 1 session later have them robbed of those magic items with no chance to avoid it.

[Anonymouswizard]

Evil? Well...

Commercially hyper aggressive, environmentally unaware/negligent/exploitive/destructive and militarily expansionist... and they really love their paperwork.

The reward is going to be delayed for... how long is the ride to the nearest administration centre? Oh, a week with ideal conditions? Well it's going to take us a day to locate the form, so we won't be able to send it until Helmsday as our head courier takes every Pelorsday off and he's the only one allowed to use the stamp. Then it'll probably take three weeks for the form to be delivered, read, sent to the correct department, reviewed, authorised, copied in triplicate, and a reply issued. Once that's been done the central bank will be notified, and they'll transfer the funds into your accounts within a fortnight.


In all seriousness, for something like 15,000GP they aren't just going to get a letter of credit from the dockmaster, there's going to be a paper trail, the PCs will have to sign documents, and there will probably be a delay while it goes through beuracracy. Even if the ship isn't in decent condition they could probably argue for 5-10k, which a government is just going to hand over to them without proof that's where the money went (I'm assuming that the entire empire is being run on a national budget in the millions of gp, the loss of 5k with no record of where it went is the difference between somebody being promoted and losing their job).

[Spiritchaser]

the loss of 5k with no record of where it went is the difference between somebody being promoted and losing their job).

Actually the last person the PCs saw misplacing empirial funds (a well connected middle ranking officer) ended up with rather worse than a lost job

[Nidgit]

Give them the cash and then have them robbed with no chance to avoid it.

Kidding of course. 😁
This could actually work. Give them a few days to flaunt their new wealth and buy whatever they want, then introduce a high level master thief NPC who attampts to unburden them of the rest of it. I guarantee you they'll remember that ******* and want to hunt him down, giving you a nice plot hook to launch you into the next bit.

Makes sense in-universe too. People coming into wealth beyond their means and going on a spending spree are likely to attract attention.

[Stan]

In all seriousness, for something like 15,000GP they aren't just going to get a letter of credit from the dockmaster..

Thinking about, that's ~3,000 gp/PC, depending on party size. That's not that much. I was initially thinking it was ~10,000/PC. They couldn't even buy 1 rare magic each. They couldn't raise and train an army of any size. If they pitched in, they could buy a really nice house. Why worry that characters may not always be poor so much that some people would try to take it from them?

[Anonymouswizard]

Actually the last person the PCs saw misplacing empirial funds (a well connected middle ranking officer) ended up with rather worse than a lost job

My point wasn't about the particular severity, but that's enough that the NPCs will want a paper trail and for it to all be done right because they're the ones with their necks on the line.


Thinking about, that's ~3,000 gp/PC, depending on party size. That's not that much. I was initially thinking it was ~10,000/PC. They couldn't even buy 1 rare magic each. They couldn't raise and train an army of any size. If they pitched in, they could buy a really nice house. Why worry that characters may not always be poor so much that some people would try to take it from them?

15,000gp is probably enough to get a small country estate or use as capital for a business. If starting a mercenary company you could probably get through the better part of equipping and paying a couple of hundred troops for half the year. It's significantly better as a party sum put towards a home base or similar rather than being divided among the PCs.

[Sigreid]

My point wasn't about the particular severity, but that's enough that the NPCs will want a paper trail and for it to all be done right because they're the ones with their necks on the line.



15,000gp is probably enough to get a small country estate or use as capital for a business. If starting a mercenary company you could probably get through the better part of equipping and paying a couple of hundred troops for half the year. It's significantly better as a party sum put towards a home base or similar rather than being divided among the PCs.

Ale and whores all the way!

[Anonymouswizard]

Ale and whores all the way!

Nah, keep the Thor in Thursday. Wenches and mead!

[Angelalex242]

Well, after everyone buys their best armor out of the PHB...then what? The heavy armor guys are happy with their full plate, the medium armor guys are happy with their half plate, and everyone else has studded leather. The wizards need that money to copy spellbooks down...and then what?