How To Make Money As A High-Level Character In DND

Summary

• Offer spellcasting services for quick gold: make thousands with a spell in a single afternoon!
• Use bastion facilities and implement Trade or Craft orders to earn a decent amount of GP based on your special facilities.
• Seek treasure-hoarding creatures like dragons for hefty rewards.

Finding ways to earn gold in Dungeons & Dragons can always prove tricky, especially depending on your DM’s playstyle and campaign flavor. Plus, as you play through a higher-level campaign, you’re going to need a decent amount of money to replenish your stock of Potions of Healing, ammunition, and more.

But, what are the best ways to earn money as a high-level character? For this list, we’re going to break down some tips and tricks that should work universally in any campaign, no matter what your DM’s style is. Here’s how to earn gold quickly and efficiently in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

10

Offer Spellcasting Services

Put Those Spells To Use!

One of the easiest ways to make money as a high-level character with access to a lot of spells is to cast these spells while passing through settlements. Depending on the level of the spell you intend to cast, you can easily make thousands of gold pieces in a single afternoon.

Of course, be careful who you’re offering this service to. You never know when your DM might have the central antagonist trick you into casting a spell they need to complete their malicious schemes.

9

Craft Items To Sell

Feelin’ Crafty?

Crafting is another great option for high-level characters, particularly after the introduction of a new ruleset for crafts brought about by the 2024 Player’s Handbook. You can, of course, craft magic items, but because this tends to take a long time, it’s not the most efficient way to make money.

However, it’s a lot faster to craft standard items and pieces of equipment as long as you have the right tool sets. Consult Chapter Six of the 2024 Player’s Handbook to learn more about crafting rules, and remember, you can combine your efforts with other players!

8

Use Bastion Facilities

Home Is Where Your GP Is

Once you’ve reached a certain level, your character should have a bastion that has a decent number of basic and special facilities at its disposal. Depending on which types of facilities you’ve chosen, you should be able to take either the Trade or Craft Order whenever you have the opportunity to make a bastion turn.

These actions can easily earn you a decent amount of GP depending on what types of facilities you have. Consider special facilities like the Stable, Workshop, Amory, and Arcane Study for some excellent ways to both Trade and Craft.

7

Sell Magic Items

Everyone Wants One

Whether you’ve crafted a magic item in your bastion, or you’ve happened to find a magic item nobody in your party can use, selling magic items is a great way to earn a lot of GP. If you’re in an established city with a bustling interest in arcana, selling even an uncommon magic item can earn you a lot of gold.

Of course, before you do so, make sure there’s absolutely no way your party can make use of this item. Who knows, a player-character may die, and their replacement character may be able to use an item you held onto.

6

Explore Diligently

Leave No Stone Unturned

Any Dungeon Master worth their salt will leave a ton of magic items, treasure, and other items of note lying around every nook and cranny, particularly if your party is going through a dungeon crawl. While you’re going to want to make sure you focus on your primary objective, don’t rush.

Make sure when you’re in an area that’s bound to have treasure, like a dungeon or a fortress, that you spend time examining hidden areas and looking for treasure. Leaving a dungeon without a new magic item at your disposal just doesn’t feel right.

5

Ask Your DM About Side Missions

It’s Not Just For Regular RPGs

Great Dungeons & Dragons campaigns will often have downtime activities, or smaller arcs in between larger confrontations. When a period of downtime comes about, ask your DM about whether or not this is a good time to take on some hired work, or whether there are some tasks your party can complete for familiar NPCs.

Depending on how your DM responds, side quests or smaller stakes missions with specific parameters are more likely to offer monetary rewards. After all, no one’s going to be able to pay you for taking down a random troll you find in the forest.

4

Seek Out Treasure-Hoarding Creatures

Preferably Dragons

In the 2025 Monster Manual, there are new features incorporated into stat blocks that incorporate treasure and treasure hoards. Creatures like dragons, for example, are well-known for guarding large amounts of treasure.

If your party hears tell of a creature like a dragon, or other powerful creature that you know has a treasure stat block, encourage your party to seek them out. Depending on their challenge rating, you may be able to secure a hefty amount of treasure.

3

Look For Businesses

Dungeons & Dragons, Inc.

Some Dungeons & Dragons modules like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist offer players the opportunity to operate a small business, like a tavern or inn. While this might not be available in every campaign, if you’re spending a lot of time in cities or large settlements, ask your DM what it might take to operate a small business.

This could, ultimately, end up looking just like a bastion. But, depending on what your DM says, there’s no reason why you couldn’t invest some of your GP in a tavern or inn in a city, thus negotiating for some passive income while you adventure elsewhere.

Maybe Save That Wish One Though

For high-level spellcasters, spending your downtime scribing spell scrolls is a great way to earn some GP. The only downside is that this can prove time-consuming depending on your class, features, and more.

However, if you’re willing to put in the time, or your DM tells you you have a month or so of downtime in between adventures, spending 20-30 days scribing a spell scroll can easily net you over 1,000 GP in no time flat, provided, of course, you have the right materials.

1

Provide Muscle

Become A Fantasy Bouncer

Fanciful nobles or important rulers and NPCs may want to hire adventuring parties to be their muscle. For non-spellcasters, and particularly for high-level fighters or barbarians, ask your DM if you can spend your downtime as a mercenary or bodyguard for an established NPC.

This might not rake in a ton of GP at first, but the more you make a name for yourself during downtime missions, the more likely it is that you can increase your fee. Talk to your DM about the best ways to roleplay taking on side jobs as muscle.