[DF] - Party wealth disparity

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Whyte

Cash is Points, IF you can transform your cash to items that grant you bonuses to your skills/stats/other.

That's a big "if," though. DF is careful not to make this easy. DF 8 is the first volume to offer numbers on such items, and it makes it clear that the GM doesn't have to sell such gear. Wealth works indirectly, providing abilities that points can't normally buy in DF, like DR: Sure, a barbarian or a martial artist can get tougher – a little – but serious DR, as from armor, costs $. The same goes for lots and lots of other goods available for cash. Fundamentally, while there's crossover in places, some capabilities require points and others require cash. Somebody who decides to focus on money is going for the latter.

Healing rods, DX amulets, etc. are generally rare finds – treasures – and not for sale. Every PC has equal odds of finding such things down the dungeon. On the other hand, Mr. Moneybags can buy finer gear that weighs less and breaks less often. This makes him useful, but the quantification is difficult because these factors show their value over a very long time scale, not turn-by-turn in combat, say.