This is just my 2 cents.

I think the major party quests rewards are a tad bit low. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's just the party I travel with.

I hardly make any profit. Even when purchasing cheaper healing potions, I more or less end up spending more than gaining profit from questing. This is coming from a ranger/rogue character who spends most of her time in the back shooting arrows.

The only quests that help me balance my losses are the fed-ex quests.

Maybe the problem lies in the player base. Because we only have so few regular players and their main characters, there's the problem of missing classes. In my case, I can hardly find pure 'fighters' (tanks) in my level range because all of those characters are much higher level now and past the level cap for some of the more 'dangerous' low level quests.

Also, perhaps it's because the base is so small, when someone goes questing, usually they'll take up to 8 people with them and that's almost half the average player base. So 150 - 300 gp by 8 people results in very very very low money reward. Most of these quests also involve lots of poison and diseases and ability decreases hence making our abilities crippled and harder to survive (Yet again, more money gone to getting ourselves restored at the end of the quest.)

Now on to the suggestion, perhaps add scripts to reward a fixed number of gold to each member in the party. Like for example, 200 gp each, so at the end of the quest, whether 3 people or 8 people go on the quest, everyone gets 200gp each.

As for quest XP, I think it's fine. It's just the gold rewards that're bugging me. :?

I second this.

I understand it's supposed to be a struggling refugee camp or something, but I still think upping the gold reward wouldn't be a bad idea.

As it is, the only way I can really make a profit is if I find a DM quest.

Otherwise, I do quests where I end up paying out of my pocket to go. It has nothing to do with the group's sucking, it's just that in the end, the amount of gold I spend keeping myself alive (with few to no mistakes) is more than the reward.

I have lots of gold actually, although I'll admit most of it is from DM quests. I don't actually do many scripted quests, I just killed lots of rats and got lucky on DM quests. I have noticed that some specific quests have really low payouts, but some are worthwhile.

I'm actually at the point where I have so much gold though, I don't have anything to spend it on. So I'm not sure what you'ld do with more and higher rewards.

For me it has been there and there. I have not quested that much, not scripted quests nor DM quests. It has taken me quite some time to get enough money, so that I could finally put something in the bank too (and that sum is very low also). Luckily I have my pay that gets me med bags every now and then.

But I agree that some of the scripted quests reward could be changed so that it sets itself by the number of the people doing it, so that each would get a certain amount no matter how many are on the quest.

after hitting a level where I couldnt do fed ex quests life was hard. I was down to a few gold when I stumbled upon a little DM hole and got back on my feet. As a frontliner with no real special items I take a beating. I dont really ever get aid from others, a rare herb kit here and there. So I tend to go through most of my potions regularly. Thats where my money goes...I've even had to sell some items I would have liked just to get by. Thtas life in the underdark I guess.

Well, after reading the replies and thinking about it. I suppose life is supposed to be hard. I suppose I can accept that and RP along. But lets not forget newcomers. The idea of a game is to have a sense of 'reward' after working hard playing it. So if the reward doesn't match the work, new players will feel cheated.

Well, I suppose it's up to the DMs now. We've given feedback like you asked, Howland. :wink:

Granted there are not many healers on the server, or at least not many devoted to healing instead of buffing, but if you go out with the right party you can see this problem drop a bit. Maybe this is the reason why people keep bringing my character along with them, despite how useless he is in combat. It does, however, always surprise me when someone walks by me to buy a potion to cure their disease, or restore their health.

I know in combat things get hairy and people get jumpy, but it also surprises me when someone breaks combat comes right next to me and drinks a cure potion often while I am in the middle of casting one on them. Or after combat when people use their own healing kits when I RP having a huge bag full of them slung over my shoulder and are better with them then they are.

I don't know what I'm saying. I know its tough, thats why I made the character I did. My first character was a frontliner who was always broke because of this problem. Back then, though, there were very few clerics on the server, now they make up a good portion of it. I guess I'm saying quest smart. If its costing you too much, find IG methods to reduce these costs. Healing crystals are a godsend, my guess something the dms added to reduce this problem. Thing is people who only run the scripted quests don't take the time to go look for them. Put a party together and wander out there a bit. You may find nothing, but you never know when a dm will be watching and take pity on you.

Also, be patient. It will take a while, but as characters start climbing levels, there are only going to be more ways to reduce this cost. Soon you will see more potion brewers and wand crafters and magic items on the server, in time costs will go down while rewards go up.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I guess thats just my thoughts, feel free to chew me out about it.

PanamaLane Granted there are not many healers on the server, or at least not many devoted to healing instead of buffing, but if you go out with the right party you can see this problem drop a bit.

As I mentioned earlier, because of the small playerbase currently, It's hard to find the right classes to party up with. Perhaps like you said, in time, this problem will resolve itself.

I most certainly to not think payouts on quests should be higher.

I have two chars, one good at fighting, one hopeless at it, and neither have had problems aquiring funds. Moreso, I like the idea that you have to save up your gold to get an item of value. If we double rewards, everyone will be stacking quality/magical items in bundles.

Xp is a different matter, but I know the DMs like it as it is, so what I think on that is irrelevant.

I would rather mind increasing the rewards in the form of gold. Instead, to accentuate the survivalist feeling and still give the players the feel of their efforts being rewarding, how about more of various trinkets and baubles found during a quest (and preferrably marked as plot items so that they won't be just sold for more gold). Ideally that could stir up the barter market.

Sure, gold is far more convenient, but in the Underdark you shouldn't be able to find everything as easily as you are in Sanctuary at the moment. Need a potion of invisibility? "Sure, but the price is horrendous." - then brew it or steal it or cheat someone who doesn't know its real value. Just buying one in a well equipped store for a reasonable price is IMO too convenient.

I would not like scripted questing to become the (so to speak) only source of income, but there is no other stable way to get resources as it is since crafting is still in its beginnings. However much I prefer doing expeditions and inventing ways to keep the other players entertained, I am forced to start doing scripted quests because the non-supervised expeditions seldom bring any tangible reward and thus eventually become unsustainable per se. "Just" the RP value and fun.

It always surprises me at picking up PC corpses how much loot do some others have - the inventories are virtually teeming with potions, brews and trinkets, resembling more the inventory of a well equipped surface adventurer.

However, please mind that this might apply only for a certain type of PCs or playing styles and others probably feel differently.

I think it is just fine how it is. For example, me colin and josi saved a punch of med bags, possibly potions even, when we all used ranged weapons on certain quest. Amazingly we all were rather good with ranged weapons so it worked perfectly. Perhaps took a little more effort and time, but it was still much more easier and cheaper.

You just need to find out a more careful way to go with it.

I'm constantly adjusting rewards, and absolutely would love to know which quests are far too low in reward and which are too high. I certainly don't want a server where tedious fedex quests are the only way to make money.

It is true that I want survival to be difficult and becoming rich a challenge. It can be hard to balance a quest so that it becomes appropriately challenging for every kind of group.

I make an effort to sprinkle plenty of supplies and Underdark trinkets that can help with survival throughout the game world. So I am definitely aware of the challenges of keeping a character supplied.

I might add, there are characters out there who are really rather wealthy. But you can expect balancing on reward to continue to a point where all quests are appropriate for the risk.

I think fedex quests provide quite an ample amount of gold early on. Yes, once those quests are gone, it is considerably tougher to maintain steady income. However, I feel that with a little money management, you can make it just fine. It is a struggling community so I think more people should keep eyes on the future and tuck some coins away for trouble down the road. I've had three characters all with varying abilities and specialties. I was surprised to find that all three have managed to earn enough gold to finance survival as well as getting outfitted with some decent items.

Maybe it's not in your characters design to be frugal or save gold or use the bank even. I still think you should keep in mind that Sanctuary can be a "today you have it...tomorrow you don't" kind of place. So tuck some coins away in your boots!

In regards to the healing aspect, I understand and sympathize with several of you. Panama for example, many times I was in the same position being a rather skilled healer carrying quite a lot of medicine bags in my pack. It just comes down to making that initial impact and making it stick. Now, some heads are thicker than others and they will not remember that you restored their abilties, removed their disease, or healed them for quite a few points with your bags. Many characters are looking out for themselves and when they go buy supplies...it's for themselves. It will take time, but you will see that people will begin to rely on your specialized skills. However, don't count out opposing character concepts. There are characters that will not accept your favors just because it is not the way they are. Don't take it personal. :D

If people continue to drink potions or fail to use kits right in front of you..well, keep reminding them what you do and how good you do it. If they still don't listen, there are other people in your party you can look out for.

colin, I know what you mean about party sizes. There are many times on the server when you are in or out of whatever is going on. Our player base is small, but it is growing. :) At the same time, I've seen parties scrapped together with nearly the minimum people and barely suited to the quest..yet they make it out and profit considerably. I suppose it depends on just who you are associated with and what they bring to the table.

So...Save some gold and be nice to the guys with like 15 heal skill. Clerics too :D