Is it ever better to take gold instead of starting equipment

[The Jack]

Outside of multiclassing, where you might need that cleric budget to take some arcane equipment, or your monk's too poor. It just seems the most economically effecient to just take the starting equipment rather than buy it yourself. Most tidbits (chains,ball bearings, oil) you'll want especially will be covered by the background gold if you didn't otherwise get them. -any martial weapon- is marvelously up to 75 gold (or 50 if you actually want a proper weapon, 20gp is still good).

Dors anybody actually feel buying their own stuff is a better option for a single class? Is there a class where you're better off with starting gold? I feel it should be buffed, or class starts should be nerfed. Handaxes can go to hell, and ringmail might as well not exist.

[Sigreid]

I've done it rarely due to wanting specific equipment. I don't think there's a real benefit and rolling for wealth my give you a noticeably worse result.

[JackPhoenix]

Hexblade warlocks are generally better with taking gold and buying what they need. Melee clerics may want different weapon than the selection available. Bladesingers may want to buy better weapon or armor if they start at level 2+. And dex-based paladins will want things that aren't default equipment for them too, but may possibly grab the default options, resell it for half, buy what they want and actually turn a profit.

Note that if you go with the gold option, you don't get gear and gold from the background... if you choose the most expensive options and re-sell them, you may end up with more than the average starter gold. Someone did the math for the purposes of AL already.

[Tanarii]

Hexblade warlocks are generally better with taking gold and buying what they need. Melee clerics may want different weapon than the selection available. Those are the first two that leap to mind for me. Especially Dex-Clerics.

Also Archer Fighters, or Dex fighters in general. They don't really need a Longbow and a Light Crossbow, and the alternatives (Chainmail & 2 Handaxes) aren't particularly useful to them.

Also Mountain Dwaves that want to start with Medium Armor.

Of course, if your DM lets you sell off some of your starting package for 1/2 price and buy new equipment before your first adventure starts, it's a whole different matter.

[Foxhound438]

Anything that wants to use light armor (rogues, warlocks, bards, rangers, sometimes fighters) would do well to have studded leather out the gate. 1AC isn't huge, but it can make the difference at level one when you're living on a knife edge.

Another thing that comes to mind is if you take a race that gives weapon proficiency beyond what your class gives, such as rogues getting longbows from elf weapon training.

One more thing to consider, while taking starting gear might give you more aggregate value in stuff, it might largely be junk you don't need. A light domain cleric, for example, doesn't care at all for the mace or the light crossbow the starting equipment gives. They can instead roll for gold, and assuming they don't get trashed with a pile of 1's, get splint (50) , a shield (10), a holy symbol (5), and an explorer's pack (10), and possibly have enough gold left over to buy a potion of healing and a dagger.