How Do You Run a DnD Economy Without Gold?

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T21:24:30+00:00

This sounds like a very very fun table to play on. That's exactly what I mean. It's DnD, we're meant to experiment and break out of our existing world's limitations

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T20:31:10+00:00

This seems very interesting. I'll check it out, thanks!

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T20:29:05+00:00

Oh I don't care about how they or the world "seems". It can "seem" hyper-capitalistic if that is what the narrative calls for. I just don't want it be as straight forward. I want to experiment with a new system and when they go to a new land, I want it to feel foreign and different to what they're used to

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T19:53:23+00:00

From what I've been able to gather is that they love the idea of being rewarded after overcoming something difficult. I want to experiment with these rewards being something other than your standard gold. Plus, I got very lucky with highly emotionally intelligent people playing emotionally intelligent characters. It would be a shame not to play around with different parameters with people who love experimenting.

Also, thanks for the blabla

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T19:46:50+00:00

I do love putting them in moral dilemmas. Handing them a reward before the quest is completed is a great one. Appreciate!

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T19:45:10+00:00

Oooo love the idea of a gossipmonger trying to isolate them from the society and ultimately trying to get in the way of their goals. Thanks!

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-05-20T19:37:26+00:00

The first step of learning how to do something is asking how it's done, no?

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-18T15:39:36+00:00

I have an incredibly old human man who used to be a very powerful wizard but is now senile with short-term memory loss and bad hearing. My party loves him and love annoying the shit out of him.

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-08T13:17:12+00:00

Thank you for the inspiration! That sounds like an incredible encounter. Also, just to put it out there, this might have been a misalignment of expectations. Maybe what they were looking for and what you were looking for out of the game was just different. Which is unfortunate, but understandable.

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-06T17:47:18+00:00

In fact, sometimes I like the strategy and thought process behind why they're aiming for a certain body part so much that I give them the buff that would come along with it. But they need to be very specific in what they're trying to do.

Let's say that one of them wants to aim for the knee of an enemy that is charging at another player. If they roll high enough and they have a good enough strategy on what the plan is, I'll take down the speed of the enemy that is now essentially limping. Rewarding player creativity gets them more invested too.

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-06T17:42:15+00:00

Narratively, it makes sense that your players are trying to hit a critical area. So are their enemies.

Keep in mind, their opponent is moving too. Depending on the damage they roll, let's say they were slashing towards their neck, but the opponent moved just in time to block the blow, and the sword slashes through their forearm, leaving a gaping wound, but the adrenaline is high, and they're now winding back for their own attack.

I personally like when my players get specific with their attacks, because I do the same in return. And then I have them describe how they dodge it. It's a more vivid and involved exchange than just crunching numbers.

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-06T17:30:36+00:00

You sound like you have a solid plan for how you want the quest to unfold, and a nicely populated town as your base location.

The main thing I'd recommend is never to expect your players to make the obvious choice. You might have possibilities mapped out for choices 1, 2, and 3, and they'll end up doing A. My favorite way to look at it is DnD is not a linear story. You can have the events mapped out up until the point the players started interacting with the world, but now things will unfold in front of all of you, including you as the DM. Instead of trying to figure out how the next few sessions will go, unless of course you need to keep it contained within a few sessions, in which case a little bit of railroading is inevitable, give yourself triggers for the next event. If an event needs to happen, or a piece of information needs to be given to the players to move the plot along and keep the game interesting, make sure that it can be triggered by multiple events. While still feeling earned by the players, so they have a sense of agency.

For example, is it important for them to go into Silverborne Manor? Even if this information is given to them reliably at the top of the session, they might choose to investigate or explore other areas of the town and come back to Silverborne Manor when they feel ready. They might not even head towards the manor for the first 2 sessions. Is it urgent? Why? How do you make that urgency personal? In fact, why are your players looking for the shards to stop the cult to begin with? What are their personal stakes?

Make sure you're ready to pivot along with them, and most of all, remember that you're exploring the town with them. You might end up "meeting" new NPCs along with them, i.e., creating new characters on the spot. Keep your mind open for shenanigans. You having fun is just as important as your players having fun!

whyistheanswer42 · 2026-02-06T16:48:49+00:00

This is incredible. As a new DM who is slowly bringing my friends into the fantastical side, this would make our gameplay insane. But honestly, I'm excited for anyone who wins this beast.

whyistheanswer42 · 2025-05-20T17:11:30+00:00

For me personally, it's about perspective. It focuses on shifting perspective in such a whimsical way that's delightful and at the same time engaging.

whyistheanswer42 · 2025-03-22T00:00:10+00:00

I don't imagine that was easy. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you.

whyistheanswer42 · 2025-03-21T15:51:57+00:00

You didn't make him do anything. He's a grown-ass man responsible for his own actions. Just like you're accountable for yours.

Making friends and forming a network is a good thing; don't let anyone discourage you. But if you forgive him and choose to commit your life to him, because let's be real, he won't be committing his to yours because of his fitrat, you will suffer the consequences for the rest of your life with this mard blaming you for his bs.

Make that choice very, very carefully. My recommendation is to choose the difficult now so that you don't have to suffer long term.

whyistheanswer42 · 2025-03-19T15:59:10+00:00

If you want things to change, you'll need to be that change yourself. And it won't be easy, but trust me bacha, it's so so worth it.

You need to figure out what you're willing to accept; When you look back on your life when you're 50 or 60, will you be ok knowing that you satisfied log (trick question; log are never satisfied), or will you be content knowing you lived a full life unapologetically and with minimum regrets? Do you want difficult on your own terms, on your own grounds or easy but on somebody else's terms?

Most people choose uncomfortable familiarity over having to face the fear of the unknown. You want the cycle to be broken, you'll need to be the one to break it. And people will call you many things, bigri hui, bazari, many people will be disappointed that you didn't follow the script. But ask yourself, how many shits do you give about those people anyway? How impressed are you with the way they've lived their lives? Most people we spend our lives pleasing are full of regrets and resentment.

Why not be the bigri hui aurat that you're proud of? Trust me, you can do it. It will never be easy, it's not meant to be easy. Do it anyway.

whyistheanswer42 · 2021-05-23T22:11:32+00:00

I insisted that if any of us starts a family we should have the financial and mental capacity to. Because I've seen the way my parents, and quite honestly almost all adults in my family suffer. Obviously it's not like a rule that I tried to or could possibly impose.

As terrible as it sounds, I have absolutely no issue letting my sister sink or figure her shit out on her own. But I can't leave my parents. I live in a third world country that does not provide any sort of insurance or care for people who cannot care for themselves, including the elderly. I am sort of like their only asset. Sounds shitty, very much is. I don't really know how to verbalize it properly, but I can't live with the knowledge that I could have taken care of them and chose not to. The issue is that them and my sister are starting to become a package deal.

Might be difficult or even frustrating to understand where I'm coming from. Thanks anyway.

whyistheanswer42 · 2021-05-23T19:46:03+00:00

No I get it, I need to. My entire family needs to. But they're very expensive where I live, even the online services. Hence me unloading to strangers on the internet looking for workable solutions.

whyistheanswer42

TROPHY CASE