Wealth

Money has importance in many aspects of a person's life, and it is no different in D&D. While most player characters quickly move well beyond the standard concept of wealth that most NPCs experience, it's still valuable to understand their perspective, particularly as much of a player's gold will be used to purchase goods and services from NPCs. This article will cover some of the broader concepts of just what a gold is worth, and how much of it one might expect to spend on various activities.

Earning Income

Most everyone, whether it be adventurers, craftsmen, artisans, or nobility, needs a steady source of gold to live. Player characters typically receive this in the form of loot obtained through adventuring or payment for services rendered in such acts, but they can also earn it the same way most NPCs do: through a job. Profession, Craft, Artistry, and Perform all have built in rules for earning income, typically performed when a character is given Downtime. NPCs follow a similar set of rules for their day-to-day labor, and typical earnings for different types of NPCs can be found in the following tables:

Profession Laborers

bookkeepers, cooks, farmers, herbalists, hunters, scribes, etc.

NPC Class Level	Per Day Rate	Per Cycle Rate
1	10 gp	50 gp
2	11 gp	55 gp
3	12 gp	60 gp
4	13 gp	65 gp
5	14 gp	70 gp
6	16 gp	80 gp
7	18 gp	90 gp
8	20 gp	100 gp
9	22 gp	110 gp
10	24 gp	120 gp

Crafting Laborers

smiths, alchemists, gemcutters, carpenters, leatherworkers, etc.

NPC Class Level	Per Day Rate	Per Cycle Rate
1	10 gp	50 gp
2	12 gp	60 gp
3	14 gp	70 gp
4	16 gp	80 gp
5	18 gp	90 gp
6	20 gp	100 gp
7	22 gp	110 gp
8	24 gp	120 gp
9	26 gp	130 gp
10	30 gp	150 gp
11	35 gp	175 gp
12	40 gp	200 gp
13	45 gp	225 gp
14	50 gp	250 gp

Fighting Mercenaries

Soldiers, guards, men-at-arms, mercenaries, etc.

NPC Class Level	Per Day Rate	Per Cycle Rate
1	5 gp	25 gp
2	7 gp	35 gp
3	10 gp	50 gp
4	15 gp	75 gp
5	20 gp	100 gp
6	40 gp	200 gp
7	80 gp	400 gp
8	120 gp	600 gp
9	160 gp	800 gp
10	200 gp	1,000 gp

*Fighting mercenaries may charge more for work in hazardous conditions.

Unskilled laborers (those without NPC classes or without points in any marketable skills) earn an average of 2 gp per day of labor.

Cost of Living

The cost of living varies greatly by how conservatively one lives, but will be divided here into five categories: Destitute, Poor, Average, Wealthy, and Extravagant. Player characters must choose what form of lifestyle they lead, and are subject to the benefits and cost of their choice. As with anyone, this choice is not permanent, and can be changed as the availability of gold and willingness to spend it changes. The cost of each lifestyle is the amount that must be paid by a player character monthly to maintain it.

Destitute (0 gp/month)

A destitute person is homeless and lives in the wilderness or on the streets. A destitute player character must track every exchange of gold, and may need to resort to Survival checks or theft to feed themselves. A destitute player is limited in their Downtime activities as much of their time is spent on their base needs, and such a lifestyle typically has a negative impact on a character's well-being, imposing a -1 penalty on all Saving Throws while in this state.

Poor (30 gp/month)

A character living a poor lifestyle lives in common rooms of taverns, with their parents, or in some other communal situation. This is the lifestyle of most untrained laborers and commoners. Player characters living poor lifestyles need not track purchases of meals or other living expenses that cost 1 gp or less. Such a minimalist lifestyle carries with it a negative impact on a character's well-being, imposing a -1 penalty on all Saving Throws while in this state.

Average (100 gp/month)

An average lifestyle means living in your own apartment, small house, or similar location. This is the lifestyle of most trained or skilled laborers, guards, and men-at-arms. A player character living an average lifestyle can secure common non-magical items worth 10 gp or less from their home in 1d10 minutes, and need not track purchases of common meals or other living expenses that cost 10 gp or less. An average lifestyle has no positive or negative impacts on a character choosing to live in this way.

Wealthy (1,000 gp/month)

Wealthy characters have a sizable home or a nice suite of rooms in a fine inn. They can secure any common non-magical item worth 50 gp or less from their belongings in his home in 1d10 minutes, and need only track purchases of meals or living expenses in excess of 100 gp. Such a well cared for and pampered lifestyle inevitably has a marked effect on a character's health and well-being, providing a +1 Circumstance Bonus on all Saving Throws while living in this state.

Extravagant (10,000 gp/month)

A character living an extravagant lifestyle lives in a mansion, castle, or other extravagant home. They might even own the building in question. This is the lifestyle of most aristocrats. They can secure any non-magical item worth 250 gp or less from their belongings in their home in 1d10 minutes. They need only track purchases of meals or other living expenses in excess of 1,000 gp. Such a well cared for and pampered lifestyle inevitably has a marked effect on a character's health and well-being, providing a +1 Circumstance Bonus on all Saving Throws while living in this state. Additionally, such a lifestyle inevitably leads to a character rubbing elbows with other rich and powerful individuals: A character living an extravagant lifestyle gains one associate point (see Past Associates) for each month they live this way (to a maximum of the character's level + their Charisma modifier).