Regarding Loot and Consumables

[Bjarkmundur]

I've been reading up on magic items, treasure and loot for the past 6 hours, and I just get progressively more confused :'(

Can you guys help me a give me suggestions:

1. A couple of useful items in the 100-500 price range to have in the local odds-and-ends shop. This is to give my players a sense of how valuable gold is, and might give them incentive to save gold, and be happy when they loot gold.
2. A couple of useful spell Scrolls of 1st to 3rd level that the players can buy freely, but are useful enough that they might actually do so. This is meant to get the players to use gold regularly and get used to spending gold.
3. A couple of "Omg wow" rare items that I can put in my dungeon. This is so that I don't only have low priced consumables, but also so items that can be kept. However, the lists I've found are either full of "flavour items" or ridiculously rare and expensive stuff. I have no idea what's appropriate anymore. I'd love to give one or two flashy combat items.
4. Am I right to assume the avarage 1-10gp per creature for loot?

I've been looking at loot tables, many different price lists, crafting rules, rarity implications, and I've started seeing stars xD

We are in the 1-5 level range.

[MThurston]

Loot is always a nice thing.

The balance is risk vs reward.

Fighting 5 skeletons and getting a +5 sword is not how it's done.

And fighting 1000 skeletons to get a +1 dagger is not how it's done.

You can make your own items.

A +1 crossbow that can be fired within 5 ft of an enemy doesn't impose disadvantage.

Ring of Language - Once per say the ring can be activated to understand an unknown spoken language.

Many things you can do for loot. Remeber the story should be about the characters and not the +10 Battle axe of Dragon slaying.

[Unoriginal]

I've been reading up on magic items, treasure and loot for the past 6 hours, and I just get progressively more confused :'(

Can you guys help me a give me suggestions:

1. A couple of useful items in the 100-500 price range to have in the local odds-and-ends shop. This is to give my players a sense of how valuable gold is, and might give them incentive to save gold, and be happy when they loot gold.

Common non-consumable items are generally in the 100-600 gp range.



2. A couple of useful spell Scrolls of 1st to 3rd level that the players can buy freely, but are useful enough that they might actually do so. This is meant to get the players to use gold regularly and get used to spending gold.

I'm not sure what you're confused about here.



3. A couple of "Omg wow" rare items that I can put in my dungeon. This is so that I don't only have low priced consumables, but also so items that can be kept. However, the lists I've found are either full of "flavour items" or ridiculously rare and expensive stuff. I have no idea what's appropriate anymore. I'd love to give one or two flashy combat items.

Have you tried the treasure tables in the DMG?



4. Am I right to assume the avarage 1-10gp per creature for loot?

Why would this be the average? This wildly vary. Troglodytes don't have the same kind of riches than duergars who are mining an adamantium mine.



I've been looking at loot tables, many different price lists, crafting rules, rarity implications, and I've started seeing stars xD

Best crafting rules and magic-item-buying rules are in the Xanathar's.

[Demonslayer666]

You could use a random magic item shop generator:
http://donjon.bin.sh/5e/magic/shop.html

[DrKerosene]

1. A few potions of Spider Climb (50GP each) might be worth carrying around until flight becomes more common.
A few Clockwork Amulets (50GP each, 1/day) might also be nice if you have a Rogue Archer or Great Weapon Fighter, or anyone who occasionally wants to guarantee a decent attack roll for a mighty hit.
If you have a Druid/Ranger/Bard, a Hat Of Vermin (50GP, non-consumable) might make for an alternative to Wizard Familiars, or a minor source of food.
I think a few Mystery Keys (50GP each, consumable) could be cool, or it might just invite your players to spam them on any or all special doors.
Finally, a Pot Of Awakening (50GP) might be cute if your party wants their own chia-pet.

Things that are approximately 500Gp that might be cool, include:
The Sentinel Shield (combine with Expertise in Perception and the Alert feat to see almost all).
Potion Of Hill Giant Strength (consumable).
Javelin Of Lightning (I like to make it a Trident).
Gem Of Brightness (like a 3.5e Wand, very cost efficient).
Keoghtom’s Ointment (if your Healer ever needs healing).
Also, a Potion Of Animal Friendship lets you cast the spell At-Will for an hour (charmed animals lasts 24hrs), make all the barnyard animals, all the work horses, and all the guard dogs into your friends on one magical day.

2. Assuming the spells are on the class list for at least one of your Party members, I’d normally recommend perusing the online spellcaster handbooks yourself, but I think the following spells would be worth not having prepared every single day. Alter Self, Darkvision, Gentle Repose, Invisibility, Knock, Magic Weapon, Protection From Poison, Zone Of Truth.... I’m done guessing cool spell scrolls.

3. If you hand pick the patches, I think a Robe Of Useful Items (500GP) can be a really cool piece of loot. Alternatively, my Players have been having a lot of fun with a Wand Of Wonder (I let the Player roll twice and pick which effect they want) that is an intelligent (and cursed) magic item.



Why would this be the average? This wildly vary. Troglodytes don't have the same kind of riches than duergars who are mining an adamantium mine.

Looking at the CR 0-4 individual loot table, I get over 8GP in treasure per creature on average, if you kill enough stuff and ignore any other considerations like your context.

Edit: too hard to bold on mobile...

[Bjarkmundur]

Thank you so much for your help, this is exactly what I needed to introduce gold and trading to my group of first timers :)