Consumable item pricing: A method to the madness?

I'm posting here in the hopes that there's something obvious I'm missing...

A level 15 potion in the PHB costs 1000 gold-- exactly 1/25th what a non-consumable level 15 magic item costs.

Further, since a level 25 potion costs 25 times as much and a level 30 potion costs 5 times as much as that, those all hold the same 1/25th relationship with non-consumable items.

But then there's the level 5 potion. It costs 50 gold. It should, logically, cost 40 gold.

A quick check on DDI and the first level 5 alchemical item I checked also costs 50 gold.

But here's the real kicker. The first level 5 "other consumable" I checked (specifically, life shroud) costs 40 gold!

So am I missing something or did someone at WotC seriously break the beautiful (and simple to work with) mathematical system of the economy just so a potion would cost a "round" 50 gold? And then not even implement that consistently?

Looks like it. I can think of more troubling things they've done.

The magic item level formula breaks down in the beginning levels. At higher levels, a consumable can also be considered a level-10 item. A level 30 potion is worth a level 20 magic item, level 29 potion is level 19 magic item, etc. This breaks down as they rounded all the magic item levels to make them look nice.

They actually did this quite often. Just take a look at the XP progression.

Dalzig said:

They actually did this quite often. Just take a look at the XP progression.

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I try not to think about the XP progression... Gives me headaches...

The magic item prices, though, are consistent from level 1 all the way to level 30. It's only consumables where it breaks down, and the really annoying thing for me is that they weren't even consistent with that.

Asmor said:

It's only consumables where it breaks down, and the really annoying thing for me is that they weren't even consistent with that.

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Oh! Fear Not! There is a very simple and standard formula. However, that formula includes a variable that stands for randomness.

I believe, at the design sessions, they referred to it as the Annoy-Asmor-and-his-excellent-programs variable.




(apologies to 4e designers for the presumption stated for the sake of the joke)

The XP progression actually makes a lot of sense. It follows a formula with an exception for levels 10 and 20 (the tiers)

Dracorat said:

The XP progression actually makes a lot of sense. It follows a formula with an exception for levels 10 and 20 (the tiers)

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I don't have the table on me but 10 and 20 are not particularly important levels 11 and 21 are.

Yup - but if I recall correct (no books here) it's on 10 and 20 where the math breaks down. (They force you to "earn" the next teir by artificially inflating the next level goal)

Dracorat said:

Yup - but if I recall correct (no books here) it's on 10 and 20 where the math breaks down. (They force you to "earn" the next teir by artificially inflating the next level goal)

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Exactly. The monster xp/level also take these bumps into account.

Asmor said:

I It's only consumables where it breaks down, and the really annoying thing for me is that they weren't even consistent with that.

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fba827 said:

...at the design sessions, they referred to it as the Annoy-Asmor-and-his-excellent-programs variable.

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BTW, Asmor: great programs on yer site! Thanks!