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How do you stock merchants?
- Thread starter adamc
- Start date
Ryujin
Legend
My current Epic campaign is pretty much open. I have my players vet an item prior to purchase, because there are some I simply don't want in the campaign and that don't fit the game world, but they're given pretty free rein.
At lower levels merchants in my game world typically don't have magic items, as I tend to reserve that sort of thing for patrons to provide; payment in magic items, or item creation. These items can be uncommon or rare. On the rare occasion that they do come across a 'magic merchant', the stuff tends to be pretty limited.
At lower levels merchants in my game world typically don't have magic items, as I tend to reserve that sort of thing for patrons to provide; payment in magic items, or item creation. These items can be uncommon or rare. On the rare occasion that they do come across a 'magic merchant', the stuff tends to be pretty limited.
Ferghis
First Post
It depends a lot on the setting, but I often feel that merchants selling powerful magic items is just not realistic.
Hero: "Here's a small country's economy in cash. Do you have the kind of sword that heroes use to kill huge, ancient dragons?"
Merchant: "Wow, wouldn't you rather erase famine and disease from the known world with that kind of money?"
One possible solution give the party the Create Magic Item ritual, and give them free reign over most magic items. Give the party stuff that they can use as components instead of gold. Instead of hundreds of astral diamonds, they find a scale of Io, which they can use to make [item they want]. This has the added benefits of doing away with player wishlists (which are a pain in the ass for players to keep updated) and trying to place items from the players' wishlists in adventures in some kind of balanced, semi-realistic manner (since players are in charge of doing hat they want with the cash-value of the component).
Hero: "Here's a small country's economy in cash. Do you have the kind of sword that heroes use to kill huge, ancient dragons?"
Merchant: "Wow, wouldn't you rather erase famine and disease from the known world with that kind of money?"
One possible solution give the party the Create Magic Item ritual, and give them free reign over most magic items. Give the party stuff that they can use as components instead of gold. Instead of hundreds of astral diamonds, they find a scale of Io, which they can use to make [item they want]. This has the added benefits of doing away with player wishlists (which are a pain in the ass for players to keep updated) and trying to place items from the players' wishlists in adventures in some kind of balanced, semi-realistic manner (since players are in charge of doing hat they want with the cash-value of the component).
the Jester
Legend
What, like magic items?
I rarely have merchants with magic for sale, at least above the level of a few consumables and maybe a low-level common item or two. A merchant with an unusual or rare magic item is a target for theft by powerful monsters, skillful rogues and other dastards.
I rarely have merchants with magic for sale, at least above the level of a few consumables and maybe a low-level common item or two. A merchant with an unusual or rare magic item is a target for theft by powerful monsters, skillful rogues and other dastards.
The average merchant doesn't have magic items in my campaigns, other than consumables. Magic items however can still be purchased, ordered from, or traded with certain powerful organizations or beings (for services or for coin). Temples, arcane magistrates, thieves' guilds, dukes, viziers, shahrazads, witch covens, fey queens, sorcerer ghosts, dracoliches, and all manner of other powerful beings and organizations are out there, open for a trade of some sort.
Not 4e, but in my Yggsburgh campaign the Great Church sells healing potions to those in favour, while I'll make rolls on the magic items tables to see what potions & scrolls are available from the Wizards; Elite Arms and Armour may have +1 weapons and armour; if a PC had good connections (4e Streetwise) then I might give them some random rolls for minor wondrous items to see what merchants had for sale.
In my 4e Loudwater game, you only see the occasional item on sale, and they may well be the same ones for weeks or months. The PCs could make their own items with Rituals, but have shown little interest in doing so. They have Inherent Bonuses so their basics are already covered. In fact they rarely seem to use the items they *do* have.
In my 4e Loudwater game, you only see the occasional item on sale, and they may well be the same ones for weeks or months. The PCs could make their own items with Rituals, but have shown little interest in doing so. They have Inherent Bonuses so their basics are already covered. In fact they rarely seem to use the items they *do* have.
aco175
Legend
I tend to have merchants have the things that make the adventure better. If they party needs it, then they should be able to get it. Maybe they need to go somewhere and do something for it, but it gets done. Magic is a bit harder. On one hand, I'm not a fan of how I hand out items durring the adventure. I mostly say you find a X level item and let the players decide who gets it and what it is. Wish I had more time to come up with a better way. In a town or city, I tend to have the person roll for something and adjust the chances based on level, size of town, and whim.
Some of this may be skimmed over. Say the 15th level party wants a +1 hand ax for a throwing weapon- he can find it. He is not going to find super healing potions or +4 weapons. Although if they are in a city with enough time and he rolls a 20 on his check I may allow them to get in contact with a guy who owns one and may sell or trade or barter- instant adventure idea.
Some of this may be skimmed over. Say the 15th level party wants a +1 hand ax for a throwing weapon- he can find it. He is not going to find super healing potions or +4 weapons. Although if they are in a city with enough time and he rolls a 20 on his check I may allow them to get in contact with a guy who owns one and may sell or trade or barter- instant adventure idea.
