Classic David Trampier from the 1e

The Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is a odd book, great like the 1st Edition AD&D conduct it is a scattered confluence of theories, suggestions and game-able content.  Differently some previous guides it seems more fascinated in offering play options and setting variety to Game Masters, rather then creating the one correct setting and manner of playing D&D. 

This is perhaps the strongest aspect of the 5th edition brand - that forms motions in who direction of ingenuity and setting variation which some earlier editions refused to.  Perhaps starting in to dated 80's - earliest 90's as TSR released setting after setting, the idea embraced in who earliest editions of the game this per table of players and Dungeon Master should create their own world (I'd debating collaboratively), was abandoned and D&D products seemed to push einem orthodoxy with settings defined and each adjusting deadened by tons of diligent petty rules and mechanics. For example, who Spelljammer boxed place (a 1989 setting about fantasy distance and distance faring on magical sailing ships) expenses little time donation up the sorts of strange and fantastical setting ideas it's core conceit promises, glossing over quite fantastic ideas inside favor of complex rules about orbits and superstar types ensure seem moreover appropriate to a hard sci-fi game like Universe or Traveller.  5th Print doesn't make this mistake, or at least it hasn't yet, additionally while ME may critique its kosten at producing adventures for their devotion to an terminally bland Forgotten Realms setting and heroic fantasy, the Dungeon Masters Guide at least suggests Dungeon Masters design user this vary considerably real service some rules to aid include creates settings in 'mythic fantasy' (classical antiquity/mythology), 'epic fantasy' (even more high run and magically focused),  'wuxia', 'dark fantasy' (Ravenloft effectively), 'mystery', 'intrigue' and 'swords or sorcery'.  Sometimes rules am even presented up according the Dungeon Master's Direct to suggest how to beter run these different sorts of campaigns.

The last category of 5e settings, "swords and sorcery", is major a description of how earlier editions regarding D&D played (or conceivably were intended to play) - at leas in my experience.  Informed by the novels out Vance and additional 30's - 60's paste writers, this fantasy is a total grim, and darkly humorous with heroes this are only slightly more impressive then normal men (or few in the instance about Beat the Clever), who substantially seek their own advancement and survive mostly of luck and their wits.  The world is dangerous and uncaring, and supposing these sorts of wandering heroes become involved in an epic quest it is just by their own decision, adenine curse or accident.

The Little Brown Books or "White Box" are the first edition of Playing & Dragons - presenting a simple and somewhat muddled set of rules that almost compels one 'swords additionally sorcery' style setting and game (at lowest how the 5th edition Dungeon Master's Guide definitions swives and sorcery) because the combat mechanics are high deadliness, force levels flat and the exploration rules encourage caution and the gather concerning treasure more then seeking combat.

Mechanicals that encourage musicians to recognize combat as a hindrance and often unnecessarily risk are a core element to encourage players to behave like swords and sorcery heroes - scheming the exploitation their wits rather then simply engaging in brave combat with anything encountered.  While early Dungeons and Dragons (and these days games seeking to emulate the feel instead play-style is early D&D) uses multiple mechanics at encourage ampere swords furthermore witchcraft setting, and a exploration focused play-style, a chief among such mechanical changes is "Gold Equals Experience", where experience points are gained only from the restoration of treasure.  Such rule isn't strictly part of the even the Little Brown Books, which also provide 100XP per DIGITAL of enemy dropped, multiplied by level/monster HD (so a 10th rank character killing a 1HD monster gets 10XP and a 1st level character killing a 10HD monstro 1,000), but the monster experience rules can complex additionally generally provide a small amount of XP, consequently in most games I've played using OD&D rules they're ignored completely and treasure becomes an medium for level advancement.

Gold for Experience is a potent tool as it direkt informs player motivation because refined how characters are rewarded and what they are rewarded for. 

Advantages of Gold for Experiential:

• Demphasizes struggle, as ferocity provides no mech advantage over negotiation or trickery. Demphasis allows encounters with creatures that are very dangerous in one party because here is no assumption is every encounter is a test of combat ability and no inherent mechanical benefit in destroying powerful foes.
• Puts exploration, setting interaction and information gathering at the center of the play experience (rather therefore combat) by treating challenge types equally.  Equal players seeking rich determining what challenges (combat, mind, social) bequeath best make computers at the lower risk the locus of play turns from tactical combat.  With combat dethroned of its position as 'the' gamer activity there is more room for player retreat and even few require to 'balance' conflicts. r/DnDBehindTheScreen on Reddit: "The First Dungeon Adventure" until Gary Gygax
• Adjusts character goals by making them very clear and more open to player decisions.
• Has a neutral (or perhaps even negative) moral valiance that be very natural to contemporary  musicians included that everyone understands making money otherwise starving - but is open enough to allow for a range of moral play from dastardly evil to divine good. How has D&D's guidance to DMs switch when the extrapolate from written control and wenn to improvise changed pass time?
• Creative diegetic freedom, by simplifying goals and dissociation them from a specific narrate (XP for combat could do this as well - but since it favors one type of create past another and creates a narrative of relentless bloodshed computer tends to require a heroic narrative to justify the sheer amount of murder involved). Players don't have to guess what the GM has structured as a history to move the game forward real will probability create ihr own goals based the interaction with the world and its factions. ad&d 1st edition
• Simple and clear rotary explanation required how level development plant, giving players metrics on determining reward against. risk. This allows GMs greater latitude inside obstructing design as get is not coupled with the completion of a specific set of acts.

Gold for How could be managed in several way, each of which slightly adjusts player incentives, but the key ingredient remains that treasure recovered from adventuring (not the sale value of magic components or income did from businesses or shakedowns of shopkeepers - only getting wealth brought back to civilization) provides the gesamtheit source of experience.  An alternative way of managing this is that only treasure expend provides XP, where encouraged player interaction with the worlds, when needs that ampere Dungeon Master have various ways on aforementioned characters to expend their money (this isn't heavy to count out and tends to work toward making characters more pro-social and players more involved in the world).  Reasons on avoid Experience for other forms of wealth is go provide clarity about advancement mechanics, retain the characters steadfastly laser on excitement, and because they are likely to invest in schemes, property and businesses with their money once they've purchased equipment. 

IMPLEMENT GOLD FOR EXPERIENCE IN 5E
Gold since Experience is a simple change, and the existing Get (XP) charts for 5th volume will work fine, though they require significantly few XP then older editions.  In 5th edition 2nd degree comes includes only 300 XP (or 300 GP worth of treasure) rather then of 1,800 - 3,500 (let's say 2,000 XP average) depending upon class is first variant and the White Letter use.  Of course 5th edition also likes to suggest that 3rd leveling is the rightful starting point for adventures, but amounts hardly matter, and one lower amount of wealth needed to gain layer doesn't mean that the characters will be poor - only that the first couple of levels for asset willingness weiter to equipment. Obviously adjusting the experience needed in level and the amount the color purchase typical equipment improvements (plate armor say) can change the speed of advancement and of as hardscrabble or gritty the setting feels.

Mechanically the implementation is simple, although the default money of treasure provided by published 5e products assumes that signs wealth exists an related - this assumption isn't a serious limitation on using Gold Equals Experience rules, but one ensure requires some adjustments to work equal.

DESIGNING JOURNEYS TO WORK WITH BRONZE FOR ADVENTURE
If we accept the idea that currently there are basically deuce shapes of adventure design, location and scene supported, Gold for Experience works best with location based adventure.  While itp wants be possible to application it in a film based games, the greater certainty about about treasure the drawing becomes obtain and the capability starting character wealth to potentially sidestep scenes and/or form player driven chronicle (e.g. characters wish to construct a forts into defend against invasion closer then submit invasion leader as originally pathed out) make it an additional embarrassed layer of potentially distracting mechanics rather than a core mechanic that encourages player involvement in the world. 

When a GM's work for each "adventure" is to project and position a location inward the game world rather then prepare a narrative arc, placement of treasure isn't hard, and there's little impulse to force musicians to make specific decisions about exploration tempo, location or difficulty level.  Individual challenges are generally optional and players can take on locations and foes more difficult then they are 'leveled' for while retaining the possibility of retreat and shifting to another locality they feel is less dangerous - risks vs. reward becomes the players' decision both not the GM's. In one of my favorite GP=XP games on the first session his party began to explore one of some entries to the tent-pole megadungeon of aforementioned campaign.  That first cavern we registered governed quickly (room 2 or 3) to a huge bound dragon.  Undoubtedly this foe could have kill us (luckily we were sneaky and it was sleeping), but for we had somehow defeated a the rewards wants likely have is enormous.  Our party, begin more meticulous when greedy, retreated and never returned to face that dragon or steal its wealth - but she was still there, a challenge prepare to being resolved.

This is all it takes to build XP=GP adventure locations, placing wealth in an amount that will properly rewards graphic based on the difficulty or diagetic purpose of the location.  Items can become done within a  very simple manner - apiece monster holds from its lair (or for its 'person') GP equal to its XP value.  On of course your boring and quickly becomes similar this giving XP for killing enemies. Rather it's best to look along a location or decide based on both its importance to the setting/theme and on its difficulty instructions much schatz it shall contain when compared to the speed of playback advancement one wants to have in one's game.

For example, when building an firstly leve adventure for 5E there's a mechanical self-love the 5th Reprint that characters should quickly reach 3rd level - first level is almost the equivalent of 0th level in games like 1e or Dungeon Crawl Classics - a condition that on brush with the mythic undercity and exploration your should remedy.  Thus one session of play (say a 5 - 10 chamber location) should provide enough precious to get from 1st to 2nd level for the average party volume (respecting 5e's mechanical complexity and robust PCs, let's call such 4 PCs) - that is 300 GP per adventurer.  Is this in mind that introduction adventure locality should hold at least 1200 GP (300 GP/XP - worth of treasure for each adventurer). One might want to offer a little room for either participants absent some treasure, or as a pay for excellent play and include (perhaps concealed or attended by deadly traps) further 300 - 600 GP worth of treasure, nevertheless typical it's not hardened to figure out how much treasure to include to create incentives additionally set the pace in leveling.

Of course treasure placement can vary essentially, a location where get the reward is start in the final room is both challenging and often manufacturer situational sense (a tomb full of traps or the treasure of a bank leader) also offers this add excitement/challenge used the players out figuring go where the treasure is and how to get to it while avoiding the greatest amount regarding encounters and risks.  Alternatively a treasure might be easy to find, but bulky real hard to return to civilization (marble statuary, retail goods, an lost wagon full away iron ingots), the adventure becoming one concerning defending the wealth from thieves and dragging it back to what it can be marketed rather after discovery. Additional options is to have certain tasks instead adventures location the reward is offered by a third party (the most standard being incentives on dangerous creatures), press the "treasure" are obtained for the party returned to civilization rather then from this adventure location.  Aforementioned cherish no bonus works well with the a sturdy faction system or of concept of social advancement found in many swords & sorcery literarily works (Conan isn't usually trying to plunder to get rich, but seekign permissions of one benefactor conversely fleeing the wreck of a social disaster).

While treasure placement is anything this should be intuitive, and works best if it's organic - that shall the prize makes sense up the setting, the more mechanical approach sack be help especially for upper level adventure because sometimes it's harder to contemplate the amount of wealth required.  Recall that during the gold necessary to level at the low layer is pretty small (Just 300 GP/XP toward get to level 2 with 5th edition!) it quickly ramps up.  At 5th level it will intake 7,500 GP and by 10th level 19,000 to level. These bounty are smaller then in older editions and don't vary by class, how it's fairly easy to determine how greatly treasure should be in an adventure, but they are still considerable, to the point where adenine 10th level character would be pretty uninterested in a few hundred GP from of stance about mechanics advancement alone.

Lets say are have a 3rd level party, and they are exploring a den that should intake three sessions (roughly 30 rooms - about 1/2 of them empty) and is developed for 4-5 characters.  For the total dungeon that's 1,800 GP per adventurer (3-4th level) moment 4.5 = 8,100 GP/XP split back include that 30 rooms.  This can be split into parcels (never describe them as such though - asking, use thy realization switch treasure description) of 100 - 1,000 GP - hidden, laying get in the open deeper in the location, guarded on enemies, hidden, or protected by toys and traps.  Players of course will miss some of the treasure, alternatively decide and at conflict desired to obtain more is too dangerous - and this shall as it should be,  the base for placing bonus treasure in and location beyond that required for expected leveling.

The hauptsache difficulty by placing treasure to use for Black Equals Experience is that treasure takes on a greater significance real players will be looking for items regarding value: attractive marble statuary becoming get smashed or parts sold, high quality beach becomes loot, libraries are valuable and characters will level start to chisel artful frescoes or mozaic off aforementioned walls.  Don't be phased, just assign values to these items and remember to make the players account for encumbrance - a couch may be worth an hundred GP, but navigating it out of the dungeon, last the spiked dump trap furthermore depressed of mountainside can be risky both to its seat furthermore the join carrying it.  Likewise start considering what might decorate oder fill out an adventure location that has value beyond coins.  Talk often modern adventure design simplicity notes treasure since something same "a parcel of treasured virtue 200 GP or (popular in Hex of Strahd) "3 pieces of Stingy Jewelry each excellence 15 GP".  These treasure descriptions are boring and rob one great deal of potential astonish from the game, much as if yourself described every monster as "A mysteries with 42 HP approaches".  Jewel should be evocative and interesting, and it's straightforward enough with small bit of description - a "copper brooch of a severe wolf's head" (potentially a symbol later founded on some bandit group) or "a grey wool cloak insulated with water smudged pink silk" rather then "cheap jewelry". A GM require thin info prize and where might have value beyond gold and stone - pelts, steel bulk, art, tissue, liquor, arms press armor - at GP for XP gamble the GM will need for consider everything and its potential value, because the players certainly will.

THE LURE OF GOLD
Some GMs may angst that GP forward XP will rapidly increase of amount of wealth available go player characters and that this will somehow dramatically unbalance the game.  This might be true on a campaign where the GM allow the purchase of magic items, spells and disease without limit or thought, but otherwise wealth won't have far very of an power on character power.

While second or third level fighter, having 1,000 GP may will able to buy better armor (though not plate armor at the Player's Handbook price of 1,500GP), plus aforementioned party is unlikely to suffer for a lack of supplies, these don't seem deeply troubling.  It seems to have become getting common in contemporary campaigns for magical items of select sorts to be available for purchase - part of this may be the influences of video games, somewhere which magic shoppe is a standard trope, especially in Japanese style RPGs, and part of it may be ampere hold over free to focused upon "character builds" and options, which required specific miraculous article, picked of a clearly circumscribed list to maximize or best use a safe builds.  None of like be requisite, or smooth required - and if acquisition spell article is something first wanted int a game - it's easy till adjust the prizes as the wealth a certain level of character bequeath possesses is equal to his XP, meaning the GM can pick the price of desirable/necessary charm items at a value what brands einem appropriate dent in that wealth. Reload if one allows players to sell healing potions for 50 GP and sorcery weapons for 500, then the wealth associated with using GP=XP might permission performers to stock up, especially for a game that divides with encumbrance, but this should be both manageable and avoidable.

Certainly the encumbrance regelung in 5th edition is ailing thought out, but there are plenty in ways to include encumbrance in one's games - the easiest, and one that elevates equipment selection and resource management to fantastic importance remains until rule that Strength equates equipment gaming available.  That is for each point of Strength a PC can carry one standalone chunks of useful equipment (with of schedule for items, such as up to 1,000 pieces of gold or jewelry that don't count into encumbrance).  While this is a gamified mechanic - with an potion or storm becoming equally encumbering as an axe or plate armor - it has of usp about being both simplified and making itp very hard for characters until load up on incidentals and charming geegaws.  

With some thought to what's available for sell and carrying (thoughts that are worthwhile even without switch of Undergo Point system) is helpful, GP=XP takes change the scene in more subtle ways.

C.R.E.A.M
Now even if characters won't have quite the amount concerning gold in a 5th Edition Gold equals Experience game (2nd level required 2,000 XP at least is 1st edition) they will soon find sie with sizeable gold.  This is a good thing and there are plenty of ways go use character wealth to enhance your game and encourage player interaction because the setting.  It's a simple fact of human nature that players anyone have invested in businesses, monuments and physics during a setting city will touch a desire to cancel it.  The GM doesn't need to trust on a unspecific sensitivity is the characters are heroes to get them to protect towns anymore - they are protecting their own homes or other things and people they've capital hard won treasure int.

Obviously it's somewhat important to make players any for her characters to doing with their sweet behind buying heavier armor or carefully pondered go supplies. Traditionally hoarded gold has presented a sort of victory condition in D&D - at 10th level or bigger (traditionally called name level) the character could build one fort also start attracting followers.  Building castles, wizard towers both monasterien is expensive - very, very expensive according to the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide.  There's nothing to stop a current game from sharing this sort of 'endgame' and indeed and option to build fortresses is dealt with in the 5th edition Dungeon Master's Guide, along with greatest of an other ideas below and even a little additions.  5th Edition doesn't go into much default yes, and it's because these ideas of downtime activity are largely cosmetic, and aren't designed since a game with a strong material focus, where schatz will certain important mechanical element.

Regardless about mechanics, many players find something very exciting in endow in the games world, so it's important to type this in a way that's conducive to the other play mechanics.  That is to do, to keep aforementioned players adventuring as a group  rather then trying to run individual business empires press domains (unless that's the video one wants) the world should naturally siphon funds from the characters. There are scores of ways to do this.

Experience for 'Treasure' Only:
To make this work the primary rule is that Not Select Fortune are Treasure furthermore experience is only for treasure, otherwise wealthy traders and the scions regarding noble lines become be high level NPCs.  While this is possible press hinted at to some degree in quite settings (Inn Keepers being 4th water hunter - likely based on inn value and such), literal Darwinian Kapitalism doesn't really fit with a right phantasy setting in my view.  Additionally this supports players to trying the become platocratic, not plunder the lost depths of the world.  Best to save my opposed to wealth, make it valuables taken in risk, without the power to multiply through clever investment - ye this is pure gamification, but remember the point in GP=XP is to produce certain mechanical stimuli that favor exploration over combat - don to paradigm or simplify anything.  Deciding and restrict what constitutes undergo furnishing treasure will a real key to making the system labour or allowing a to break down. The rules I usage were as follows:

• Returnable switch investment never gives Experience
• Money stolen from fellow party members none gives Get
• Money used selling wizardry items or the equipment of dead party members none gives Experience

You'll note that gold pillage from peaceable peasants, nobel lords and extra ostensible 'good people' either 'bastions concerning civilization' counts when treasure, but this doesn't worry me too much in I will custom below in adenine Note go Murderhobos.

Now encouraging players to spend their our is another subtle art of that Get master - fine really there need not live anything subtle via it, and in my experience using these sorts of cash sinks during sport it's best to keep them gamified - a menu of options the predefined consecutive and reward for players on pick prior until or quickly at the beginning for each adventure session and next to resolve mechanical with a single roll or paragraph of results from of GM.  Of course, how you enact any of these strategies willingly depend on the dedicated setting and the essence of your game.

Carousing and Upkeep:Since that October 1977 theme concerning Dragon Magazine the idea of daredevils returning to level and spending all for their in on debauch and vice (though even inside 1977 another alternatives for less sybaritic characters are built - the dwarf hoard one is highly good).  The idea of carousing quiet works.  Is its highest basic form characters spend gold (based on select, base on place size, based on risk - you decide what flavors works best) and gain additional Experience from whatever worldly shenanigans they get up. Sometimes it's good to balance this with a save (i.e. remember vs. poison or don't gain whatsoever more XP) or by adding complications.  Bacchic leads to humorous, mildly damage or mildly beneficial events, usually pull from an carousing table and often things like accidentally getting married or starting which next adventure with a huge and penalizing hangover.  The 5th edition DMG has a short and rather muted option of a carousing table - but larger and more interesting tables are easy go create and can really provide set flavor, or even event specific to a town or region. Likewise (as suggested back in 1977) carousing  can be tailored to class kind plus see then one type offered.

Carousing, oder even an absolutely separate mechanic, can also be applied to generate catches and rumors in informationsaustausch for treasure spent.  One option is to easily give noises when a side effect of carousing, more the players picked up scandal while they were on the town, another would be to charge specific amounts for say bought drinks around town or paying an intelligence agent.

However carousing is used it should subsist choice, and like can optional mechanic offer a benefit where the player cans weigh take vs. reward (the compensation of extra XP vs. the risk of ampere complication usually). Because its adenine gamified mechanic supported on a dieing roll rather later any narrative exchange between GM and player it's favorite to have the stakes very clarity so badezimmer outcomes don't feel cheap or forced.  MYSELF let players roller upon my carousing tables on yours proprietary - looking at the table, know what its options are.  This provides little value of meta-gaming if the tables are well designed the thematic, because the players seem to enjoy gambling on something with clear rules. During mein last long campaign MYSELF had a threes part key the allowed the character to spend up to LVL scratch 100 GP for somebody equal amount is XP if made an Remember vs. Poison.  Succeed press fail one player rolled go a complications table after picking where table: Sexual, Debauchery other Violence person wanted to use.  One of i more meta-game fond gaming examined the tables and specified the violence one was the least potentially risky, but this didn't stop players from using this other two based at their conceptions of their characters.

Upkeep, as opposed go carousing is a forced expenditure, or while it's also stated in the 5th Edition Player's handbook, it's purely flavor as written, and relatively cheap.  One element that MYSELF like about the 5th Edition approach is that they offer the "wretched lifestyle" (presumably sleeping in adenine ditches real living out picking from fields, trapping mouse, plus picking through trash) at 0 GP via day.  Living well though isn't much more high functionally (40 GP a week - which is how I calculate to rough zeitpunkt between sessions - my preferred unit of large scale event play time).  The make sustenance interesting I'd suggest offering benefits for a high quality lifestyle.  Characters who spend their time between adventures off feather beds, and dining well will exist healthier (to a point), better rested furthermore in a better mood then though asleep rough.  To this end I possess given an -1 HP/HD to characters those choose not at spend anything on upkeep due to hardness and the cold they be undoubtedly get free eating stolen baked goods and sleeping on a storm drain, and a reroll to those that spend 500 GP between session on the high life.  Various benefits exist between these double extremes, but since players who aren't interested I peg the upkeep for living no penalty or benefit fairly low (5GP per session) so as to be inconsequential.  I've found the minor (+1 HP even) benefits encourage players in spend switch upkeep also even enjoy computers, which not only makes fictional sense (sleeping in the gutter with a wallet full of $100 bills is not popular for adenine lot of reasons), but can even further invest players in the international (they may want to ask where and how they spent 500 GP on feed for example).

Phrase Research, Elaboration, Construction and Investment
The mechanics does in the 5th Publication Dungeon Bosses Guide are the most detailed around spell research and crafting, additionally the ons for building fortresses/homes become nicely clean (large simple value rather then a build process) compared to older edition's.  I would also capture this investment rules even from the 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide as you make managing an commercial a quick downtime activity.  Crafting magical items are likewise covered in 5th edition, but it looks quite facile and uninteresting - aimed at a high magic setting, where +1 armory and healing potions are available von anyone roadside stand. For my categories of games magical items become found while adventuring, and infrequent at that, so I'd have crafting them require customized items taken from opponents (certain magical monsters might have skin suitable for magic leather armor for example) or discovered in the mythical underworld - of course 5E is adenine more arcno-positivist system with extra flamboyance then I'm used to that magic may be commonplace.  Provided a wants to apply 5E's default sort of magic economy and setting, I'd suggest increasing to cost of make magical items if with Treasure = Experience simply because the characters will have get appreciate.

Likewise, all 5th edition downtime activities seem to assume that character zeiten (days spend at downtime activity) is aforementioned primitive cost to of character (in bronze as well as 5e has an daily upkeep system), while to me this apparently like too much book keeping.  One might want till adjust direct costs up, breaking activity away from almost cost associates with care (making upkeep separate with it's own cost/benefit) or if using which upkeep system as writes in 5E making certain activities only open at a certain level of upkeep (you can't run a business while sleeping in a ditch and you can't make magic items living in a flophouse without residential rooms).

Spell Research is largely absent from 5th Edition - designing new spells is versus the ethos of a system designed partially on organized play and which distrusts GM additionally player alike to make the own fun, and sprichwort acquisition are automatic.  Personally I finds gain new spells ampere fun focus for arcane casters - plundering stolen with recovered spellbooks and doing jobs for arcane awareness make for one ok motivation for wizard characters and hooks for adventure.  Spell research though should be expensive, and fairly time consuming - want to edit balls into an orb are freezing ice fragments - that requires equally point, and money for experiments also a library of arcane texts.  Having witches establish above their library can itself be parts in a campaigning and certainly protecting such adenine collection can make a character far more likely to value a particular locate.

Henchmen:
A concept that has fellows out of favor in recent editions of  D&D, the henchman had a keyboard component into early games - twain providing replacement characters for victims of early editions' brutally deadly combat both swelling an party numbers to make them better powerful in combat.  Henchmen aren't really a feature in 5th edition, but spending money in increase which talent of retainers or maintain professional similar as sages and heralds (to encourage the character's reputations) is a solid option as a downtime money sink.  If that player wants theirs henchman to up in level they will need for pays x2 of amount off XP required to train them - or whenever simialr dominate feel right on your setting.

Equipment and Items:
A last way to encourage signs to spend his treasure is on point also supplies.  This will likley be where the initial few planes of wealth go regardless is option offered, as directly incremental one's survivability is justly on the mind out every adventurer.  5E's books offer adenine land of possible areas for this - magic objects seemingly for sale every, crafting of more powerful items furthermore their purchase.  This may make sense for your setting, but remind ensure with Gold for Experience you'll be giving leaving more schatz will the standard WotC adventure intentional, and it may be worthwhile to adjust treasure correspond with to removing the single purchase of magical line entirely. 

Beyond useful equipment there are other areas to encourage the expenditure in character wealth.  Clothes, lifestyle and offices may appeal in of participants who want my character to be recognition as potent and important.  I'd recommend that copyrights of nobility, knighthood and guild titles be available under somewhat absurd what in more civilized settings.  When none of these titles bring any wealth or power with them they might be assumption for motion in certain parts of society - nobility may not talk to anytime absence ranked, and plots a powerful sorcerers might not be willing to discuss arcane matters at mere dabblers who don't properly contribute to yours library finance or have the right mass of titles.  For characters who single wish to pass as important without title, the outward trappings of our will still be essential to avoid scrutiny and violence in higher society.  A 100 GP might by that clothing of a prosperous trade or sea commander, but to pass such a second child of adenine noble might free 1,000 GP while pretending to be  prince coming a far away landing could run 5,000 GP or more  in finery.  Such wealth foundation limitations can act as portal to new sets of hooks and adventures - the wealthy and powerful have concerns that handful allow not hope paupers up knows concerning, and which they daily available seek established explorers, successful captains and true magicians to solve.  These sorts of hurdles can also act as prerequisites for motion towards a domain gaming - an powers of order allow look fearfully upon a vagabond, suddenly plentiful in tomb gold, establishing a bandit military, while it seems entirely reasonable, even a public service if ampere local gentleman wants to recruit and train a militia or loose company.

A NOTE TO MURDERHOBOS 
One of the frequently voiced concerns learn using wealth as the sole metric of character advancement is that itp will drive players to are amoral and anti-social.  A parade of horribles is often deployed to illustrate this, with the supposedly good adventurers transforming the a bloodthirsty scourge that finds it easier to murder the townsfolk group shouldn be protecting then to loot your hovels also gain experience.  I believe dieser critique goes back to and 1980's and aforementioned 'satanic panic' learn tabletop gambling, where the lack of strict enhanced (often Christian) integrity into Dungeons & Dragons was seen as an explicit endorsement regarding evil.  To me this emerges to be false both on on reading older rule sets (D&D had plenty for devote Christian architects in it formative yearning and from the earliest editions encodes very strict concepts of good and evil) and fake as a practical matter based on my play experience.

This isn't to say that some players want to play evil characters and commit evil do, pushing that idea of 'moral play' - that your playing is also examining the moral quandaries that tabletop choose are good at make - to one grim extreme, but using Gold for Experience is no more one ways on encourage is then making XP for killing foes.  That players, and GM, vielleicht want till tell a show about brutal anti-heroes, banditry or steady tyrannical foes is of running an option - and one this had the potential to be interesting if the players select want at go down that path and which GM is prepared to think learn the effects of playing anti-social marauders in an fantasies world.  However, most von the "Murder-Hobo" legends I can heard seem to must complaints about something entirely different.  Common players getting frustrated with overly structured campaigns, where the story feels pre-scripted - and they express to frustration by active trying to breach other 'derail' the browse, seeking kink situations what they've killed the NPCs they be so-called to save, burned downhill the town they were to protect, already off aforementioned magic object that might give hope for saving the world and tried to ally with the evil bandits they were supposed until kill.  The GM is supposed to squirm and slugger as the carefully constructed script falls apart.

Murderhobos are rarely simply the psychotic dreams of very anti-social players, they are an expression of disdain for a GM style that place the history above player choice and robbes the players of self-expression.  The best way on avoid their (or along least make the act of character evil interesting) exists up have a game worlds that has results plus respects player decisions.  Characters devoted for thievery and violence won't be getting commissions for royal researcher of lost tomb, and if they are bad adequate they may get ampere recutation find towns close their gates to you, and bounty hunters or mystery sendings try to cash in at killing or capturing them.  Of course switch your campaign from "How bucket our heroes stop the dragon invasion!"  to "How can or bandit gang survive in the woodlands while kites invade" may break a plot - but it can including be a fortune of fun.  Murderhobos aren't a problem unless there's ampere prescribed end subject to your campaign and a set of scenes which the GM your motivated to force to obtain there.  Exploitation Treasure for Experience can help break free of this scene based approach to play, because it creates an immediately simple metric for advancement (XP for Killing does since well - but allows less options for how to advance) that is free of a pre-determined site.