[RPG] the max starting gold I can effectively have in AL without using XGtE’s “This is Your Life” options or DM rewards

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I am trying to locate the MOST possible starting gold in AL for a level 1 new PC. Without using XGtE's "This is Your Life" options or DM rewards?

The Goal: Is to have excess of 200gp, even by a single sp, to allow the purchase of Splint armor & any weapon (although ideally a pike).

From my research, and best attempt so far, the below seems to be THE MOST GP, of any starting class & background combination

From my understanding of this text:

Prior to the start of any adventure (including your first), characters
can sell any of their unwanted equipment for 50% of its listed value,
and/or purchase new equipment. New characters can use this rule to
sell some (or all) of their starting gear, and use the proceeds toward
the purchase of better equipment

This details my best attempt, so far. The most I can get my hands on from class starting equipment seems to be:

Fighter PHB (option to take 200gp & no other equipment, including any given by background choice, I hope to exceed this amount by at least 1 silver)

Selling:

  • 2 hand crossbows (sells for 75gp)
  • light crossbow & bolts (sells for 13gp)
  • Chainmail (sells for 37.5gp)
  • Dungeoneer's pack (all contents sells for 6.15gp)

Class total: 131.65gp

The most I can get my hands on from background starting equipment seems to be:

Detective Rats of Waterdeep: Appendix A (Does NOT count as your +1)

Selling:

  • Magnifying glass (sells for 50gp)
  • Bottle of ink (sells for 5gp)
  • Quill (sells for 0.01gp)
  • Folded parchment notepad, (how many pages?..1…10?, sells for 0.1gp if 1)
  • Greatcoat (robe?, sells for 1gp)
  • Hat (trinket?)
  • Also a belt pouch containing 8 gp & Common clothes (keep)

Background Total: 64.11gp

Adding both together: 131.65 + 64.11 = 195.76gp

Even selling your common clothes & belt pouch you cant get to the ability of buying Splint armor for 200gp.

Did I miss any way of getting more gp, other than DM rewards and/or XGtE's "This is Your Life" options?

Please let me know if you know of a method to exceed 200gp without using XGtE's "This is Your Life" options or DM rewards, thank you.

Best Answer

Note: This should once again be legal for Forgotten Realms campaigns as of the most recent Adventurer's League guidance I am aware of. Briefly, I believe SCAG spent some time as a non-valid sourcebook for AL, but the linked site appears to list it as valid for character options now and I am not aware of more recent guidance stating otherwise.

I believe you can beat the question's amount of background gold by going with the Inheritor background.

The most recent AL guidance I am aware of on the Inheritor background says this:

The Inheritor background requires additional guidance. You may roll on the random table provided in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide as normal, but if you decide to choose your item, it must be a non­consumable item found in the Player's Handbook worth 75 gp or less. Whether you choose to roll randomly or pick your inheritance, you may choose to have your inheritance be entirely mundane or possess a minor magical quirk. If you wish your item to have minor magic quirk, you may choose to either have your inheritance glow with the light of a candle or you may select an option from the "What Quirk Does It Have?" table found in the Dungeon Master's Guide to determine what quirk it possesses instead. Also, under “equipment” substitute the phrase “any items with which you are proficient” for “any one gaming set or musical instrument with which you are proficient”.

So, from the Inheritor background, we can get a 75gp value inheritance, a 15gp pouch, and a musical instrument or gaming set of your choice.

By your quoted guidelines, assuming there are no further restrictions preventing this from working, you can obtain the following from the background:

  • Sell your inheritance for (75gp/2) = 37.5gp (Possible inheritances at that value: chain mail, hand crossbow)
  • Take a Lute as your instrument and sell it for (35gp/2) = 17.5gp
  • Use the 15gp in your starting pouch.

This would get you to 70gp from the background without needing to sell the shirt off your back, and adding that to the class gold amount you calculated in the question would bring you up to 201.65gp.

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