Table of Contents
Dividing the Spoils
It isn't always possible to divide the spoils equally. In the case of cash (gold coins, gems etc) you may be able to divide them somewhat evenly, but even then, the numbers might not be easily divided by the number of party members. For these occasions, it is advisable to have a separate “bag” (sheet of paper) to hold the extra items, which can later be sold and divided when possible.
Another major consideration is that not all items are equally useful to all characters. The GM has probably spent a lot of time and energy figuring out cool items for you guys to find, and some of them are specifically designed to be really great for a CERTAIN CHARACTER. Please be considerate and respect the integrity of the campaign by discussing special items with the GM to determine who may best wield them, instead of just greedily grabbing all the cool stuff for yourself. For example…
the Ring Of Extra Stealth
Was designed specially for the character Charlie, so it would really suck if Alice or Bob grabbed it first. Charlie is designed to be a sneaky thief character and his player likes to send him off into dangerous dark tunnels ahead of the party to scout it out. This role provides essential protection to the whole party. The whole party benefits when he is able to do his job to the best of his ability. The Ring of Stealth muffles sounds in a 1 meter radius, which makes Charlie harder to hear while he is sneaking around. It would be wasted on Alice or Bob, since they are not going to be doing nearly as much sneaking.
The same principle applies to special weapons, enchanted items, power gems, etc. Think about how the party can best utilize the device, not how much it might be worth at the pawn shop. If you have a character with high archery skills, give him the best bow. Optimize your team's existing strengths by making them even better.