Excerpt: Economies [merged]

[pawsplay]

It shouldn't be that hard to come up with reasons why the PCs can't sell magic items. For instance, they COULD sell an item in a big city, provided they get a license for the sale of "magical heirlooms" (which is expensive), bribe the right people for an audience to apply for the license (also expensive), and then pay taxes on the sale.

... and still come out way better than 20%.

 

[FireLance]

Or they could just carry around the items, until they meet a non-insane, moderately wealthy adventurer NPC. A flaming sword is a better way to carry wealth than jewelry, and less sensitive to dwarven gold market manipulations than coin.

Not a bad idea, and gives the DM the option to use it as a plot hook (perhaps an NPC that the PCs want to get on the good side of is looking for a flaming sword).

 

[FadedC]

Or they could just carry around the items, until they meet a non-insane, moderately wealthy adventurer NPC. A flaming sword is a better way to carry wealth than jewelry, and less sensitive to dwarven gold market manipulations than coin.

And there is really nothing wrong with that if they want to do it. It may work out, netting them some extra gold. Or it may not work out, netting them 0 gold until they finally sell it in town. Creates an interesting decision for the players......take the gold now and use it right away or wait hoping for more gold later, but running the risk that you won't get that extra 3,000 gold until your so high level that 3,000 gold is no longer relevent.

I disagree about flaming swords being better then coin though......anything that can take months to find a buyer for is by it's very nature not better then coin.

 

[AZRogue]

... and still come out way better than 20%.

Only if you let it. And even so, who's to say they'll always want to go to the trouble? Having to put their names down alongside a description of the item and the date of the sale may discourage them even further, once they realize they may be liable for the sale and who they sold it to.

And, if all else fails, as the DM you hand out the money. Just give them less treasure down the road to make up for whatever profit you allowed them to get on an item sale. Same thing in the end.

 

[pawsplay]

I disagree about flaming swords being better then coin though......anything that can take months to find a buyer for is by it's very nature not better then coin.

Yeah, who needs one of those? I'm just baffled by the notion that NPCs are so attached to their magic items they will never sell them at a reasonable price, yet the PCs have extra items just lying around gathering dust.

 

[Sir_Darien]

Only if you let it. And even so, who's to say they'll always want to go to the trouble? Having to put their names down alongside a description of the item and the date of the sale may discourage them even further, once they realize they may be liable for the sale and who they sold it to.

And, if all else fails, as the DM you hand out the money. Just give them less treasure down the road to make up for whatever profit you allowed them to get on an item sale. Same thing in the end.

The problem is that if you don't let it, its something you're doing for the sake of game balance that flies in the face of reality. That leads to disbelief in the setting and the game. And agian inventive players can get around the signed names thing with forgery and other devices.

And doling out less treasure is certainly the best option, but I don't like the fact that I have to punish ingenuity. That points to a flaw in the system.

 

[AZRogue]

It's funny because in AD&D we never allowed the selling of magical items at all. They were given to henchmen, trusted friends, or used as a bribe. Selling them just wasn't allowed. And it never was a problem.

 

[Family]

The 4e PHB is $40 Canadian, the best price I can find online is $21 (S&H included). I'll assume a standard 50% markup so the book costs ~$11 to produce with about 15% of that being profit...or 2$ of each sale.

That means the magic 4e PHB that WotC "found" was worth $40 but they sold it for $2.

I'll take my 20% and slip out the back before they let the accountants "review" their in game "ecconomy"

/PS I'm a local store supporter

 

[Sir_Darien]

It's funny because in AD&D we never allowed the selling of magical items at all. They were given to henchmen, trusted friends, or used as a bribe. Selling them just wasn't allowed. And it never was a problem.

It may not be a problem, but it isn't very realistic. Its a basic fact that people want cool stuff, and if people have cool stuff they don't want, there are other people willing to part with money to acquire it.

 

[AZRogue]

And doling out less treasure is certainly the best option, but I don't like the fact that I have to punish ingenuity. That points to a flaw in the system.

You don't HAVE to punish them. If you like you can let them have all the treasure they want. It just depends how much you want preserve game balance. The system is fine.