2014 starting gold by class
The 2014 Player's Handbook gives each class a starting wealth roll. If you use it, you give up all the starting equipment from your class and your background, and buy your gear from the equipment lists instead.
| Class | Starting gold | Average | Range |
|---|
| Barbarian | 2d4 × 10 gp | 50 gp | 20-80 gp |
| Bard | 5d4 × 10 gp | 125 gp | 50-200 gp |
| Cleric | 5d4 × 10 gp | 125 gp | 50-200 gp |
| Druid | 2d4 × 10 gp | 50 gp | 20-80 gp |
| Fighter | 5d4 × 10 gp | 125 gp | 50-200 gp |
| Monk | 5d4 gp | 12.5 gp | 5-20 gp |
| Paladin | 5d4 × 10 gp | 125 gp | 50-200 gp |
| Ranger | 5d4 × 10 gp | 125 gp | 50-200 gp |
| Rogue | 4d4 × 10 gp | 100 gp | 40-160 gp |
| Sorcerer | 3d4 × 10 gp | 75 gp | 30-120 gp |
| Warlock | 4d4 × 10 gp | 100 gp | 40-160 gp |
| Wizard | 4d4 × 10 gp | 100 gp | 40-160 gp |
The Monk is not a typo. Monks roll 5d4 gp with no × 10 multiplier, so a Monk who rolls for gold starts with very little.
The Artificer isn't in the Player's Handbook; its own sourcebooks give it 5d4 × 10 gp.
Roll it with the dice roller: roll the d4s, add them up, and multiply by 10.
Where this comes from: the dice table is in the 2014 Player's Handbook (Chapter 5, Equipment). The free 2014 SRD 5.1 doesn't print the table, but it does confirm the trade-off. Its background rules say that if you use the optional rule to spend coin on gear, you don't receive the starting equipment from your background.
2014 starting gold from backgrounds
If you take the normal starting equipment instead of rolling, your background's equipment package includes a pouch of coins. These are the amounts for the 2014 Player's Handbook backgrounds:
| Background | Gold in equipment |
|---|
| Acolyte | 15 gp |
| Charlatan | 15 gp |
| Criminal | 15 gp |
| Entertainer | 15 gp |
| Folk Hero | 10 gp |
| Guild Artisan | 15 gp |
| Hermit | 5 gp |
| Noble | 25 gp |
| Outlander | 10 gp |
| Sage | 10 gp |
| Sailor | 10 gp |
| Soldier | 10 gp |
| Urchin | 10 gp |
Only the Acolyte is in the SRD 5.1, where its equipment includes "a pouch containing 15 gp." If you roll for class gold, you don't get this coin either; it's part of the background package you give up.
2024 starting gold by class
The 2024 rules (SRD 5.2) drop the dice. Each class offers a choice: take the equipment package, which includes a small amount of gold, or take a fixed amount of gold instead.
| Class | Option A (equipment + gold) | Option B (gold only) |
|---|
| Barbarian | Equipment + 15 GP | 75 GP |
| Bard | Equipment + 19 GP | 90 GP |
| Cleric | Equipment + 7 GP | 110 GP |
| Druid | Equipment + 9 GP | 50 GP |
| Fighter | Option A: equipment + 4 GP, or Option B: equipment + 11 GP | Option C: 155 GP |
| Monk | Equipment + 11 GP | 50 GP |
| Paladin | Equipment + 9 GP | 150 GP |
| Ranger | Equipment + 7 GP | 150 GP |
| Rogue | Equipment + 8 GP | 100 GP |
| Sorcerer | Equipment + 28 GP | 50 GP |
| Warlock | Equipment + 15 GP | 100 GP |
| Wizard | Equipment + 5 GP | 55 GP |
The Fighter is the only class with three choices: a heavy-armour package (chain mail, greatsword, flail, 8 javelins, dungeoneer's pack, 4 GP), a ranged package (studded leather, scimitar, shortsword, longbow, 20 arrows, quiver, dungeoneer's pack, 11 GP), or 155 GP.
2024 starting gold from backgrounds
The SRD 5.2 rule is simple: each background offers a choice between a package of equipment and 50 GP. That applies to every 2024 background. The four backgrounds in the SRD have these packages:
| Background | Option A (equipment + gold) | Option B |
|---|
| Acolyte | Calligrapher's supplies, book (prayers), holy symbol, parchment (10 sheets), robe, 8 GP | 50 GP |
| Criminal | 2 daggers, thieves' tools, crowbar, 2 pouches, traveler's clothes, 16 GP | 50 GP |
| Sage | Quarterstaff, calligrapher's supplies, book (history), parchment (8 sheets), robe, 8 GP | 50 GP |
| Soldier | Spear, shortbow, 20 arrows, gaming set, healer's kit, quiver, traveler's clothes, 14 GP | 50 GP |
Other backgrounds in the 2024 Player's Handbook follow the same pattern, with a package or 50 GP.
2024 total starting gold by class
Because class and background choices are separate, a 2024 character can take gold from both. The SRD says any coins you gain at this step can be spent on equipment right away. Here's the most gold each class can start with:
| Class | Class gold option | + Background 50 GP | Maximum starting gold |
|---|
| Barbarian | 75 GP | 50 GP | 125 GP |
| Bard | 90 GP | 50 GP | 140 GP |
| Cleric | 110 GP | 50 GP | 160 GP |
| Druid | 50 GP | 50 GP | 100 GP |
| Fighter | 155 GP | 50 GP | 205 GP |
| Monk | 50 GP | 50 GP | 100 GP |
| Paladin | 150 GP | 50 GP | 200 GP |
| Ranger | 150 GP | 50 GP | 200 GP |
| Rogue | 100 GP | 50 GP | 150 GP |
| Sorcerer | 50 GP | 50 GP | 100 GP |
| Warlock | 100 GP | 50 GP | 150 GP |
| Wizard | 55 GP | 50 GP | 105 GP |
Most players mix: take the class package (for the armour and class tools) and the background's 50 GP, or the reverse.
Starting gold above level 1
If your DM starts the campaign above level 1, the 2024 SRD gives this guide for equipment and money:
| Starting level | Equipment and money | Magic items |
|---|
| 2-4 | Normal starting equipment | 1 Common |
| 5-10 | 500 GP plus 1d10 × 25 GP, plus normal starting equipment | 1 Common, 1 Uncommon |
| 11-16 | 5,000 GP plus 1d10 × 250 GP, plus normal starting equipment | 2 Common, 3 Uncommon, 1 Rare |
| 17-20 | 20,000 GP plus 1d10 × 250 GP, plus normal starting equipment | 2 Common, 4 Uncommon, 3 Rare, 1 Very Rare |
The SRD notes that the GM decides whether characters start with more than the standard equipment, and that some gear (its example is firearms) may be available to buy at higher levels. The 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide has its own table for starting above level 1, which varies by how magic-rich the campaign is. Use the magic item rarity calculator if you need help picking items.
Gold or equipment: which should you take?
Take the equipment if:
- •You're new to the game. The packages are built to give each class what it needs.
- •Your class needs expensive gear, like heavy armour or a spellbook, that the package includes.
- •You want to start playing quickly.
Take the gold if:
- •You know exactly what gear you want and the package doesn't have it.
- •You're building around a specific item, like a particular weapon or a tool kit.
- •In 2014, you're happy to gamble on the roll. The 2024 gold amounts are fixed, so there's no risk.
Either way, check what things cost before you shop. The shop price calculator and currency converter help (1 gp = 10 sp = 100 cp), and the encumbrance calculator tells you if you can carry it all.
What 2014 vs 2024 changed
| 2014 (PHB) | 2024 (SRD 5.2) |
|---|
| Gold instead of class gear | Optional rule, roll dice by class | Built in, fixed amount by class |
| Background gold | 5-25 gp inside the package | Package with gold, or 50 GP |
| Mix and match | Gold replaces class and background gear | Choose separately for class and background |
| Random? | Yes | No |
| Highest possible at level 1 | 200 gp (5d4 × 10 maximum) | 205 GP (Fighter 155 + background 50) |
Tracking gold after character creation
Starting gold is the easy part. Once the campaign starts, the party splits loot, buys supplies, owes money to an NPC, and forgets half of it by the next session. Agree at session zero on who tracks the party's gold, and write down loot and purchases at the end of each session. The free session notes template has a loot section for this. The treasure generator and party XP splitter cover the DM's side.
If nobody wants to be the party accountant, Loreify records your sessions and writes up the notes afterward, including the loot and who promised what.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much starting gold do you get in 5e?
In the 2014 rules, it depends on your class roll: 2d4 × 10 gp for Barbarians and Druids, up to 5d4 × 10 gp for Bards, Clerics, Fighters, Paladins and Rangers, and 5d4 gp for Monks. In the 2024 rules, you get a fixed amount: 50 to 155 GP from your class if you skip its equipment, plus 50 GP from your background if you skip its equipment.
Do you get starting gold and starting equipment in 5e?
In 2014, you choose one: the class and background equipment (which includes some coin from the background), or the rolled gold with no equipment. In 2024, you choose separately for your class and your background, so you can take one package and one gold option. Every equipment package in 2024 also includes a few GP.
What is the Monk's starting gold in 5e?
In the 2014 rules, the Monk gets 5d4 gp, with no × 10 multiplier, for an average of 12.5 gp. In the 2024 rules, the Monk can take 50 GP instead of its equipment package, or the package plus 11 GP.
Do you get background gold if you roll for starting wealth?
Not in the 2014 rules. The SRD says that if you use the optional rule to spend coin on gear, you don't receive the starting equipment from your background, and the background's coin is part of that equipment. In 2024, class and background choices are separate, so you can take gold from both.
Which class gets the most starting gold?
In 2014, Bards, Clerics, Fighters, Paladins and Rangers tie with 5d4 × 10 gp (125 gp on average). In 2024, the Fighter gets the most: 155 GP, or 205 GP with the background's 50 GP.
How much starting gold for a level 5 character?
Under the 2024 SRD guide, a character starting at level 5 to 10 gets 500 GP plus 1d10 × 25 GP, plus normal starting equipment, one Common magic item and one Uncommon magic item. Your DM has the final say.
Related: D&D 5e conditions list · How to DM for the first time · Best DM tools