Purpose of the Wealth Guidelines

Please note that the Wealth Guidelines are designed to give DMs a  reference wealth range for a given PC at specific quantities of experience. The guidelines do not entitle PCs to receive more wealth if they are below average, nor does it require that above average PCs be reduced in wealth. In practice, only a PC beyond the Warning Cutoff level will need to see formal action taken by HDMs or the Admin.

For simplicity, the Wealth Guidelines are divided into two parts. Part One explains how PC Wealth will be monitored and the procedures for unusual wealth levels. Part Two provides further reference information for DMs and builders should they be interested. Only the guidelines in Part One will be regularly monitored by HDMs and the Admin.

Part One

How to Monitor PC Wealth

• Log in with DM Client.
• Open the "Inventory Manager" from the short row of icons
• Read values from the display
• Compare both values to Table 1 below.

PC Wealth by Experience

The following will serve as the expected distribution of player character wealth on ALFA Live servers.  The following definitions will apply:

• Average: The expected median and mean value of PC wealth on Live servers; given distribution of PCs across servers, this becomes impossible to enforce and remains only a theoretical target
• Low End: An expected minimum value of sustained PC wealth on Live servers; see below for procedure regarding characters whose sustained wealth lies below this value
• High End: An expected maximum value of sustained PC wealth on Live servers; see below for procedure regarding characters whose sustained wealth lies above this value
• Warning Cutoff: A value of wealth that distinguishes which values of wealth above the High End are “actionable”
• Warning Condition:  PC with wealth between the High and Warning levels
• Action Condition:  PC with wealth over the Warning Cutoff
• Uncounted Wealth: Catch-all term describing assets whose value is not immediately or easily transferable to coins or magical gear; see below for more details
• Extenuating Circumstances: Catch-all term describing situations which will temporarily inflate or deflate a player character’s wealth value 

TABLE 1 - Total Wealth by Experience

This table is meant to include only adventuring wealth (i.e., gear) and liquid wealth (gems, tradebars, coin).  "Uncounted" wealth is not included.  Uncounted Wealth is meant to primarily emphasize RP-value assets.  It is considered the “accepted” form of infinite wealth acquisition, as opposed to obtaining better and better magical gear.  Many of these assets, such as businesses, have the potential to be a recurring revenue stream for player characters and should be monitored carefully.  Some common forms of Uncounted Wealth include: non-magical clothing, housing, licenses and permits, businesses (within limits), retainers and employees (with limited capabilities, e.g. no assassins), and memberships in exclusive clubs.  Other seemingly inappropriate ones, for example a gem collection, can be considered as long as there is a clear code of behavior the PC will follow to avoid its liquidation.  HDM discretion dictates whether a given piece of wealth falls into this category.  A DM wealth tool will be available to allow DMs to make a quick assessment of the total carried wealth of a PC. 

Procedures for Unusual Wealth levels

1. PCs below the Low end could receive up to 1/3 above the standard DM wealth award, at the DMs discretion. 
2. PCs in a Warning or Action Condition
   
   1. Notify the PC of their status; give player opportunity to explain their wealth.
   2. Go to the Wealth Review forum.  If a thread for the PC is not in existence, please create one noting the PCs wealth level and their explanation for their wealth.
   3. If there is a pre-existing thread for the PC, please follow any instructions from admin contained therein regarding the PC.
   4. Otherwise, the DM should reduce standard awards to the PC.  PCs in a Warning Condition should get at most 1/3 of the standard DM wealth award, excepting Uncounted Wealth.  PCs in an Action Condition should get no reward.
3. Players with unusually high wealth levels may reduce their counted wealth voluntarily.  DMs are advised to make this as IC as possible - PCs buying property, making gifts, etc.. 

Admin decisions regarding exceptions to the above standards will be where any accommodation of exceptional circumstances will be made.  ARs will be involved in any circumstance where admin recommend reduction of a PCs wealth through extraordinary means to ensure transparency and fairness to the player. 

Part Two

Wealth Award per DM run Session

Since ALFA uses a slower XP advancement curve than canon, the typical connections between encounter levels and wealth do not apply.  Instead, the best connection that exists is between average wealth and XP, which tends to be consistent within four separate bands – levels 1-8, levels 9-12, levels 13-16, and levels 17 and above.  As long as that consistent ratio is maintained, a simple relationship between XP and wealth will allow an easy way to aim for average wealth:

Total Wealth Value per Session = Average XP Awarded * Number of Party Members * Avg. PC level Factor.
Avg. PC level Factor: 

• Lower of Mean or Median Character Level between 1 – 8: Factor = 1.25 (see Table 4)
• Lower of Mean or Median Character Level between 9 – 12: Factor = 2.5 (see Table 5)
• Lower of Mean or Median Character Level between 13 – 16: Factor = 5.0 (see Table 6)
• Lower of Mean or Median Character Level above 16: Factor = 10.0 (see Table 7)
• Average XP awarded:  This refers to all sources of XP for a session, including combat XP and special rewards.  It is the average across all party members.

The above equations, and the values in tables 4 through 7, are not meant to imply that every session must be rewarded according to these charts.  The primary goal is to establish the connection between experience and wealth will best maintain folks near the average wealth target.  These tables are not meant to defy common sense – a session spent hunting rabid wolves is not likely to produce significant monetary gain, for example.  As an alternative, XP can be “banked” towards larger rewards, typically middle- or end-of-plot rewards.  It may also not necessarily be appropriate to reward directly towards the average, such as when a character already exceeds the high-end.  Some factors to consider when adjusting rewards from the above tables:

• Wealth of Individual PCs: If most of the PCs in the session lie below the average for their level, a small positive adjustment can be made.  If more PCs are above the average for their level, perhaps a negative adjustment is more appropriate.  DMs should be provided with a tool (see below) to let them evaluate party members quickly.  Typical adjustments would be plus or minus 0 – 50%.
• Wealth of Server: Individual server HDMs can establish independent “targets” for their server, as not every zone will be similarly wealthy.  To target the Low End stat, for example, reduce rewards from the above tables by 50%.  To target the High End value, increase rewards by 50%.  A very strong recommendation is to not target higher than plus or minus 25%.
• Buyback Adjustment: If a significant fraction of gear/equipment awards (such as mundane clubs or bows) are unlikely to be used but instead sold off, consider small adjustments in the range of plus 0 – 25%.
• Danger Level: Typically, this should be accounted for by the “Importance Factor” adjustment to Quest XP, but in cases where PCs were outright required to use significant amounts of consumables to survive (not just to make the fights easier), a small upward adjustment in the range of 0 – 25% should be considered

Maximum DM-Awarded Item Value

While Table 1 references the total wealth of a character, some attention must be paid to the makeup of that wealth.  Typically, some nontrivial percentage of wealth is tied to consumables (scrolls, potions, etc.) or non-gear (housing, etc.).  With what is left, some care should be taken with regards to how individual items might dominate a character’s wealth total.  While random happenings such as gifts or players looting PC corpses cannot and should not be stopped, DM awards should aim towards a more controlled power curve.  The following table governs those awards:

TABLE 2 - Maximum DM-Awarded Item Value by Level

See table below in comments.

Note:  The "example" items are only examples of single properties with the relevant value.  In no way should the examples be construed as any sort of recommendation as to what sorts of items a PC of a given level should have.

The table makes the distinction between ‘DM Awards’ and ‘Extreme Cases.’  As only four of the ‘DM Awards’ will immediately take a character to their average wealth, it should be considered that a character would only have at most a couple items at the power level described for a given level, with weaker items rounding out the character’s gear.  DM Awards are intended to refer to planned awards as a result of an individual session or a long-term plot.  In the case of parties where characters have different levels, maximum reward values should be structured around the median level.

Extreme Cases refers to PCs could unexpectedly come into contact with very powerful items, such as PCs defeating a named NPC unexpectedly; magic awards should be reduced down to this value for the highest-level party member involved in defeating the challenge. 

Items that are commissioned by player characters can be handled at the discretion of the DM.  Since the “schedule” or motivation of crafters is left entirely to the DM, the recommendation is the “DM Award” value as a limit for what will be made on commission for the PC, with a hard cap at the “Extreme Cases” value (as in, DMs should not make available such items to PC under any circumstances).  As an alternative, involved or lengthy plots may be structured to begin a commission process but not complete until the character reaches an appropriate level.  This is an interim recommendation regarding crafting - expect this to change in future as crafting guidelines for ALFA are refined. 

Player Characters seeking to purchase common items from static merchants (refer to Phase I wealth standards) should not be limited by this chart.  Similarly, crafting performed by player characters is recommended to adhere to these values, but is otherwise considered acceptable within the bounds of “twinking” issues.

Overpowered Items

An item is considered overpowered for a PC if the item would exceed the greater of:

• the Maximum DM-Awarded Item Value on the table above for a character five levels above (or two items valued four levels above, or four items valued three levels above), or
• the DM session award value for a 10th level PC on that table (or two items valued at 9th level, or three items valued at 8th level, etc.). 

Overpowered items should be reported in the Item Compliance forum.  HDMs may at their discretion confiscate (but not destroy) such items if deemed excessively overpowered.  DMs should consult with the player to determine their willingness to replace overpowered items with non over-powered items with properties as close as possible to those of the overpowered item.  Should the player prove uncooperative, decisions regarding the fate of the item will be made in the Item Compliance forum under the direction of Admin.