Where did our loot go?

[Veneficus]

So our party had been doing pretty well and found itself in possession of of a lot of loot. Great we think, time to cash in and get some better gear at the next town we come to. The very second the party starts making shopping plans something dreadful happens. The gold quite literally disappears when we leave the cave network we were in. Now I know DM's don't like PC's with lots of money but we hadn't even had the chance to spend any of it on equipment and stuff.

Is this liable to happen again? Anyone else experienced anything similar?

[Starbuck_II]

So our party had been doing pretty well and found itself in possession of of a lot of loot. Great we think, time to cash in and get some better gear at the next town we come to. The very second the party starts making shopping plans something dreadful happens. The gold quite literally disappears when we leave the cave network we were in. Now I know DM's don't like PC's with lots of money but we hadn't even had the chance to spend any of it on equipment and stuff.

Is this liable to happen again? Anyone else experienced anything similar?

Wait, what?
Is it Drow gear? In 2nd edition Drow gear when it left underground disentegrated. He may be carrying that over to 3.5.

[Fax Celestis]

Sounds like a poorly orchestrated plot hook: much like Who Moved My Cheese?, just instead Who Moved My Treasure?

[starwoof]

Did you get this loot in a dungeon infested by Leprechauns?

[holywhippet]

Illusion magic is the most likely cause. I suppose you could also use some kind of teleport effect but that is less likely.

Hmm, actually it could also be an illusion in reverse. You might still have the gold, but the illusion makes you think it has vanished. Try disbelieving.

[Veneficus]

The loot belonged to a TON of goblins and orcs.

I suppose it could be an illusion of some kind, though wouldn't our party wizard know this? Or would that have required her to cast detect magic or similar?

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Cast detect magic anyway. ANY spell, even illusions, leave an aura where they were active, sometimes for days after they stopped working or were cast. If the loot moved due to magic, you should learn how strong that magic was and what school of magic it was (transmutation, conjuration, illusion are good bets).

[snoopy13a]

If you physically threaten the DM, the loot might magically reappear

[Veneficus]

Cast detect magic anyway. ANY spell, even illusions, leave an aura where they were active, sometimes for days after they stopped working or were cast. If the loot moved due to magic, you should learn how strong that magic was and what school of magic it was (transmutation, conjuration, illusion are good bets).

Okay, detecting magic is definitely something we should do more often. Its kinda embarrassing that our hard won loot just went poof

[monty]

Hmm, actually it could also be an illusion in reverse. You might still have the gold, but the illusion makes you think it has vanished. Try disbelieving.

I disbelieve the nonexistence of the gold.

Only a bit more ridiculous than the air, I guess.

[Riffington]

Is one of your party members a gnome?

[Veneficus]

Is one of your party members a gnome?

Yep, resident party barbarian (please don't ask)

[Thurbane]

Spoiler

Show

Didn't something similar happen in Tomb of Horrors - all the gold turns to lead, and all the gems to glass?

[Texas Jedi]

I remember there being some cursed gold that would vanish as soon as it left the area it was placed. I think it was 2E dnd though and was not transfered over in any of the books that I have in it.

[Edit] What exaclty vanished? Was it just the gold or was it all of the treasure you found in the cave? How did the DM describe it? Was it just a poof your loot is gone or did he describe it more detail.

It might have been a plot hook by the DM to start your next adventure. If you are really that upset you should talk to the DM outside of the game and tell him so.

The DM might have thought it was a great way to quarantee you would go on his next quest idea. [Edit] Heck I can't think of a better way to get a party motivated to do anything than by denying them loot.

[Vrok]

I've DM'd alot before and I've actually done the same, albiet it was when I was a beginner and didn't want the PC's to have much money. I did the SAME thing to my party. They raided a Demon lair and found thousands of Platinum coins, but I messed up and they were suppossed to find it later. The party Wizard was going to take them back to the town to cash it in for tons of magic items, so next game I just said it vanished. Problem solved right? No. Players were unhappy. So Tell your DM to try what I did (Yes, it invovles another quest, but its only a side quest). I had to make something of how thier hard-earned loot dissapeared. I said one of the Demon magi's hid during the raid. After the PC's discovered the loot, the Magi teleported away, with the loot into another Demon lair, its bosses lair. Then the PC's get more slaughter and twice the loot earned. Then they have the gratification of playing a fair game and more than enough gold. And The DM keeps its players and more importantly, his/her RESPECT!

[Veneficus]

It was only the gold that disappeared.

It was pretty much a case of poof. We all had to role an alertness check or something before it vanished. Perhaps it was an goblin mage or something. I dunno.

I think the DM may be trying to lead us into the next quest. I wouldn't say I am particulary upset, just a little confussed. I thought the basic equation of any DnD campaign is:

Kill the bad guys and take their stuff.

I do however think its a little unfair that all the gold disappeared. It would have been nice to have some left. We didn't find much equipment in the cave.

[kingofelves]

Oh yes...I have heard of this before. The infamous homing coins. Essentially, they are coins with a magical effect that, when a command word is spoken, they, and the nearest 1000 coins that they are touching will teleport to the owner.
Was there more than 1 or 2 thousand coins in your total loot?
If this is the solution, then whoever did it would have been nearby as you exited the cave, because the coins are active until deactivated, and you said the loot vanished as you exited right?

[Thane of Fife]

Is one of your party members a gnome?

I believe that the better question might be "Is one of your party members a thief rogue?

[Veneficus]

The coins did disappear pretty much as soon as we left the cave.

I don't think our Rogue took it. I don't think even he could secrete approx 4000 GP on their person. I suppose next session we will have to search the rogue. Any suggestions on how to go about this task? I doubt he'll co-operate.

[Wckd]

Hm... A really fast npc with an undetectable invisibility spell cast on himself(or herself) and a high level of sleight of hand may be what cause this mysterious disappearance of coins.

or perhaps you had picked up coins created with prestidigitation or something like that?

Anyway feel free to enlighten us when you proceed in the adventure!

[Roderick_BR]

The DM might have thought it was a great way to quarantee you would go on his next quest idea. [Edit] Heck I can't think of a better way to get a party motivated to do anything than by denying them loot.

Or motivate players to stop playing, since all that work will give them no reward.
I second the plot hook idea, though, of either fake magical treasure to fool adventurers, or some magical thief stealing loot right under adventurer's noses. Either case is great to motivate the players to hunt down the smart ass behind i

[Veneficus]

So everyone definitely thinks its an NPC that took the loot?

Our Gnome loony will be happy. A super fast NPC that he gets to tango with. I shall report back on how it goes and what the deal with the loot actually is.

[FoE]

FoE: Quick! Kill the gnome while you have a chance!

Veneficus: Will that bring back our treasure?

FoE: Treasure?

[Oracle_Hunter]

Yeah, I declare shenanigans on this.

Poofing loot from the PCs is a lame plot hook IMHO, and a terrible way to drain wealth from the PCs. I would like to hear what the explanation is too.

[rayne_dragon]

It could be faerie gold... but then you'd have rocks and leaves and snails.

It was pretty much a case of poof. We all had to role an alertness check or something before it vanished.

This sounds like it was pickpocket to me.

I prefer to DM by the rule of don't give it to them if you don't want them to have it.

[Veneficus]

FoE: Quick! Kill the gnome while you have a chance!

Veneficus: Will that bring back our treasure?

FoE: Treasure?

I don't think killing the loony will get the treasure back but would be amusing. That said our DM is strictly against P v P. Next session is this Sunday and I will defiantly post about what the score with the loot is. I honestly think it was magicked away and our next quest is to find the person who did this and make sure they never do it again.

P.S what is FoE?, I suspect I am missing something

[FoE]

If you go straight ahead, it's FoE! When you walk through the door, it's FoE!

Actually, it's the acronym for my name. Face Of Evil. And my solution to any problem is just to start killing people.

[Veneficus]

If you go straight ahead, it's FoE! When you walk through the door, it's FoE!

Actually, it's the acronym for my name. Face Of Evil. And my solution to any problem is just to start killing people.

Ahh the solution to most problems in DnD. Hack and slash.

[Lappy9000]

What's worse is when the gold has a Scrying spell cast on it which will greatly benefit potential nemesis's in the future.

*shudder*

[Nonah_Me]

Perhaps an Ethereal Filcher stole it. They do like shinies.