Finally you can buy a mule

[malraux]

A horse costs 75 gold. Does a Mule cost 75 gold? Say Newbie GM declares a mule to be just like a horse and costs 75 gold. No, Level 1 character would ever buy one.

Would any party above 1st level balk at paying 75gp? Do first level characters have so much equipment that a mule is important?

 

[MrMyth]

So you want, what? A complex algorithm to sort out the cost of any item in the world based on... current market price?

Or do you actually want a giant tome with the price of every single possible item?

Every single possible item? Of course not. I'd love a few sections in the new magic item book to contain a list of various commonly purchased items and their cost, though. It would be useful in my current campaign. I can live without it, sure, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice.

 

[Scribble]

Yeah I don't really have any problem with common mundane items being included, but I also don't see a pressing "need" for them.


The whole thing with the Mule amuses me... I don't think the Mule serves the same role as it did back in the 1e days.

 

[Riastlin]

Heh, our group decided that you couldn't get a mule but you might be able to find the mule. The reason mules couldn't be bought was because they were so rare and thus, so valuable, that they were essentially level 30 artifacts. Mules became the ultimate treasure.

 

[WillOH]

Yeah I don't really have any problem with common mundane items being included, but I also don't see a pressing "need" for them.


The whole thing with the Mule amuses me... I don't think the Mule serves the same role as it did back in the 1e days.

Agreed. In 1e you were worried about carrying huge quantities of coins, coppers, silver, electrum, etc. Also most PCs collected the arms and weapons of their fallen foes. In 4e, the amount of coins are less with the parcel system, and the equipment of the fallen is often ignored or considered of little value.

Also in 1e the use of miniatures was much less common, so foes could be defeated without worrying where the party's mule was located and the mule wasn't targeted by monsters unless the DM was ticked at you. In 4e, would you have to place the mule on the map and would it be slaughter by Aoe attacks, etc? Makes it less useful in 4e.

If someone wants a mule, charge 20 gp, and don't give it combat stats.

 

[Scribble]

Maybe Mules are the minion version of a horse.

 

[tuxgeo]

. . .

Although True Grit did it awesome!

Besides you don't need a lot of rules for a mule. Just a line entry.

"In the world of mules, there are no rules."
( -- Ogden Nash, verses for Saint-Saëns' "The Carnival of the Animals.")

 

[Doombybbr]

Agreed. In 1e you were worried about carrying huge quantities of coins, coppers, silver, electrum, etc. Also most PCs collected the arms and weapons of their fallen foes. In 4e, the amount of coins are less with the parcel system, and the equipment of the fallen is often ignored or considered of little value.

Also in 1e the use of miniatures was much less common, so foes could be defeated without worrying where the party's mule was located and the mule wasn't targeted by monsters unless the DM was ticked at you. In 4e, would you have to place the mule on the map and would it be slaughter by Aoe attacks, etc? Makes it less useful in 4e.

If someone wants a mule, charge 20 gp, and don't give it combat stats.

The mule needs to be able to carry a lot of items and react to nearby enemies (not all the time though) for it to be worth it, otherwise charge a bit more for a horse which has all that but can also be used as a fast mount (3 hp-each time a player is knocked off by taking damage while riding the horse takes 1 hp damage) so the player has to be careful about using the horse as a steed during battle(butgive them combat advantage while doing so.)

 

[Imaro]

Ok.

Let's say I want to play a Prince or an ex-prince or a Noble. Where's the Reputation score that says how much cred I have with my countryman? Or how I should have more resources than others since my dad's loaded?

Reputation rules are in 3.5 Unearthed Arcana pg. 180
The Noble Scion background is in PHB 2... Why would an ex prince or noble be rolling in the dough?

What if I want to play an information broker or a politico - where's my Contacts score, that shows how many favors people owe me or how many NPCs I know who are in the know who might have what I'm looking for?

There are Rules for contacts in DMG 2 pg. 153 and alternate rules are also in Unearthed Arcana pg. 179

If I want to play a cleric, where's the skill that shows my status in the Church hierarchy?

That would be covered under the rules for affiliations in PHB 2 pg. 163

if I want to be a mercenary captain, how big is my company, how many followers/soldiers do I get at x level?

They are hirelings... and rules for hirelings can be found in DMG 1 and DMG 2...

If I want to build a keep, or create a colony, where are the resources rules to address how to do this? Say, why is the economy rules favoring adventuring and not running a business or a castle or feeding a population?

Rules for running a business are in DMG 2 pg. 180
The cost for building a Keep, is 150,000gp (DMG 1)

You're right, some people like RP. Rules to facilitate that RP are nice. But the craft score or prices for mundane items doesn't scratch the surface. And prior editions (aside from say, making keeps or handling followers in 2e) didn't address any of these issues either.

Apparently certain prior editions (3.5) did.

 

[Pentius]

What's the difference between handwaving crafting and handwaving combat? Where you think it's boring someone else might love the idea of being a blacksmith turned chosen one.

Why is it such an issue when people who love 4e wants to see a bit more focus on the rp side? It's not like we are saying that it's such a horrible game without this stuff. It's not we want to replace turn based combat with haggling sessions with a horse dealer. Although True Grit did it awesome!

Besides you don't need alot of rules for a mule. Just a line entry.

Combat inherently involves conflict resolution. Crafting does not.