[thread on XP for gold] #DnD is a game about burglary, and this is apparent in the older rules. The reason I like "XP for gold" is that it downplays the focus on combat, and the game becomes more about making smart decisions. A fantasy heist game, if you will.

This does not mean you won't be fighting, or at least need to be very much prepared for combat. A good party won't actively seek out combat though, since it increases risk significantly and the rewards are uncertain at best.

Gold = XP is also a suitable way of symbolizing how wealth equals power in a semi-medieval fantasy world. Characters increase in power both from leveling, as well as from the wealth (i.e. resources) they amass from adventuring. Gold is both.

Gold = XP increases the perceived value of treasure. Coins and non-magical treasure is regarded as quite mundane in later editions (it's just currency, after all), while in old-school games it's invaluable. Gold is power, and "the race of men, who, above all else, desire power".

This explains why dragons and other monsters hoard gold, and why some people are suicidal enough to risk *everything* by attempting to rob their lairs.

Because #DnD is a game of burglary.

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