[Dungeon Fantasy] Starting consumables and expenses?

[mlangsdorf]

I'm trying to design some Dungeon Fantasy adventures. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how much a typical 4-5 person delving group is going to spend on consumables?

My own group seems to have averaged around $5000 apiece on personal equipment, with maybe 10% of that going to consumables other than food (potions, grenades, ammunition, etc). Is this reasonable? Should they expect to have to purchase more healing and utility potions?

Also, what's a sensible rate of return? I'm thinking a nominal 100% return per delve, so a 5 person group with $5000 in equipment apiece should expect to profit roughly $25000, recovering* a maximum of $45000 in total treasure value that they sell at 60% value (and spend about $3000 on consumables and cost of living). Would most people think that's too little or too much?

* Assuming they find most of the treasure and identify it but don't haul scrap or the equivalent. Not all of the treasure value would be sellable, of course.

[Xenophile]

Characters has a few notes on food in the beginning of the chapter about equipment. I think it has the cost and weight of the average meal, though I don't have it in front of me right now.

[mlangsdorf]

Food is $2/meal for average rations, or $5 for dwarf bread or essential food. I already know that.

I'm more curious in how much the typical starting group is spending on equipping themselves, how much of that is consumables (ammo, potions, and such), and what most people would consider a reasonable profit for delving.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Food is $2/meal for average rations, or $5 for dwarf bread or essential food. I already know that.

I'm more curious in how much the typical starting group is spending on equipping themselves, how much of that is consumables (ammo, potions, and such), and what most people would consider a reasonable profit for delving.

Well, obviously it must cover costs, and living expenses during any time spent on shopping, R&R, & etc. I'd say that the minimum average return (including successful and not so successful forays) would be adventuring expenses, plus $150 per week in an adventure cycle (including town, wilderness, and delving). That gives someone indulging in dungeoneering primarily for thrills the same average living standard as your average Status-0 freeman, though it's split between really bad living (while adventuring) and rather good (while in town), or some money for better gear if they live at $150/week in town. Less than that and there's just no point.

Aside from that minimum I think the question is "How fast do you, as GM, and the group, as a whole, want the PC's to gain cool kit?".

As for consumables, how many a party buys depends on how much they use them and, IME, that's dependant on perceived value for money. This perception is usually formed quite early, so a good experience with burning oil and rats, for example, means burning oil will be considered good value for money, while a series of poor rolls from a batch of over-priced healing potions will make them unpopular. As a result it's within the power of a GM to influence the players' desire for consumables by adjusting prices and opportunities for use early in a campaign.