How does your group divide up the treasure?

[Vocenoctum]

Magic Items are valued as full value in our campaigns. If you are only get half price for a magic item then something is wrong. Even in actual economics your percentage per dollar goes up as the cost of product goes up (this is in economic equilibrium, not counting in monopolies, hording and other business practices). So I don't see why a 2000 GP item would only be worth 1000 gp the same as a 2 CP pot being worth 1 cp on the market.

Anyways doing actual value helps keep magical items balanced in the party. They may only be able to sell it at 75 - 90% of value but i guarantee that those magic items are worth more while you travel then a bunch of gold or art or jewelry.

This brings up another question. Do you value magic items as half their price because that is the cost in GP? I am sorry but if none of you are familiar with the cost model, Price = Margin + Cost of materials + Cost of labor + Cost of Overhead, then you may need to wake up. I don't think the wizard who burned off 320 XP plus 8 days of his life and 8000 gp of material is really going to want to sell it for 8000 GP. Value items as they are, because they really do cost that much. You don't value the Gold as half value or the art or jewelry (and I don't know anyone who can get full price from jewelry) so don't value the items.

Rant mode off.

No one is selling a magic item for what they have into it. They're selling items they found in a dungeon. If the players buy a magic item it costs full price, if they sell an item, it nets them half of selling price.
It's a fixed price for convenience, that's true. The group doesn't make magic items to sell, so it doesn't matter.

Since that's the price they would get if they sold the item, that's what comes out of their share. It's a matter of convenience. There is no Economic Model for magic items, because there is no set in stone market for them, so your rant is misplaced IMO.

 

[bret]

A question for those who 'charge' for magic items: Do the wizards tend to end up with less magic?

The reason I ask is it takes a lot of money to scribe spells in a spellbook. If the wizards have to allow magical items to pass them by in order to buy ink for spell scribing, that could cause problems.

 

[loviatarfrostbringer]

"How we divide treasure in my group?"

Only PCs get a first round pic. Then if there is a second round, NPCs get a pick as well. If there is enough for a third, PCs only. Ad infinitum.

"Do wizards have less magic items?"
Maybe I am unique around here, but I charge my fellows full price, unless I feel it is a worthy item that will allow me to mem other spells instead of their buffs. In that case I get a lot of gold, which I respend into making items at cost for me.

 

[tburdett]

If the wizard in our group tried to charge my character full price for an item, he'd better make sure that he wasn't counting on me for protection.

"No, actually, I'll skip the AoO and let him go right on by. Say hello to the wizard for me before you eat him!"

The cleric get the protection no matter what, the wizard better give a little to get a little.

 

[Shade Murphy]

I once was in a group that had an all-out brawl to see who got what. The person who was left standing got what ever he wanted. Then as people started coming too they would take a share. It was interesting to say the least.

 

[Ravellion]

Anyways doing actual value helps keep magical items balanced in the party. They may only be able to sell it at 75 - 90% of value but i guarantee that those magic items are worth more while you travel then a bunch of gold or art or jewelry.

This brings up another question. Do you value magic items as half their price because that is the cost in GP? I am sorry but if none of you are familiar with the cost model, Price = Margin + Cost of materials + Cost of labor + Cost of Overhead, then you may need to wake up. I don't think the wizard who burned off 320 XP plus 8 days of his life and 8000 gp of material is really going to want to sell it for 8000 GP. Value items as they are, because they really do cost that much. You don't value the Gold as half value or the art or jewelry (and I don't know anyone who can get full price from jewelry) so don't value the items.

You've never bought a new car now have you? 2nd hand items sell for less, often half. Check Ebay if you don't believe me.

Besides, having studied economics, those business models are incredibly anachronistic, to the point of being ridiculous. Most economies in medieval times had prices determined by a guild. Today such cartel pricing is illegal throughout almost the entire free world.

So yes, the wizard who creates a new item probably will sell the item full price, but 2nd hand items sold by a non professional party (such as an adventurers group)to a professional party(such as a wizards guild) will get no more than hal market value for the item. The wizard does indeed have to make a living.

Rav

 

[Petrosian]

In the game i currently run, the party teds to divide monetary (coin, gems, jewelry) evenly and decides on magic items by "who can best use". However, an item that no one can use or wants is sold and that mo0ney goes into "money" and is split.

As time goes on, they will hand items around the party whenever it seems appropriate. Its pretty much lime magic items kept are community property. if an item is later sold it becomes money and is divided.

So far it has done wonderfully. also, the benefits from not thinking of "MINE MINE MINE" when it came to reshuffling items to meet the needs of the scenario has proven a strong benefit.

I think the few times it came down to two equally useful claims for items it turned into a dice off unless there were obvious reasons ("you just gt the spear") of fairness involved.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I have to say the PHB method works fabulously well in my opinion. The only sticky point is that it basically depends on having reliable prices on items. The DM agrees this pick method goes smoothly so he is cooperative on that point.

The idea of bidding starting from 50% of full price for bidding works well. It discourages very strange, expensive, worthless items from lingering in the party, they get cashed out. This benefits the party as a whole because it injects funds for potions, scrolls, spells, etc. With the easy availabilty of minor magic items in 3e, this works out well.

Our experience so far is that players are happy to pick up most odd items for 50-55% of full price. They can always be cashed out later, so it is actually an encumberance helper in a way; don't have to carry around so much coin.

We'll see what happens when we get a cursed item...

 

[Shard O'Glase]

If the wizard in our group tried to charge my character full price for an item, he'd better make sure that he wasn't counting on me for protection.

"No, actually, I'll skip the AoO and let him go right on by. Say hello to the wizard for me before you eat him!"

The cleric get the protection no matter what, the wizard better give a little to get a little.

I'm with you there. I wouldn't expect to buy the item at cost since the wizard is blowing exp and time making me the item, but full price, screw you for not using some teamwork. ets see how you like it. Though I probably wouldn't let him get killed, just banged up a bit too make my point.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

It's only far if the Rogue doesn't come running to the party when things don't work out, or expect the party to help or heal him if he gets himself in a bind. Why should they help him when he's just trying to line his own pockets?

Here's a little scenario that springs to mind.

The Rogue bravely (or is that greedily) scouts ahead of the party. He sees a chest around the corner and motions for the group to stop. After all, if they can't see the chest they won't know how much treasure he hoards for himself. He studies the lock and misses the poisoned needle. Ouch! Crap! Barely able to keep his feet he stumbles back to the party for help. What happened they ask? I tried to open a chest and it bit me. I'm hurt bad (2d6 CON loss) and I don't feel well (he knows that secondary CON loss is coming). Hey, little buddy, that's tough. We know you were going to keep that treasure for yourself, so you can kiss my codpiece if you think we're going to help you. Now be a good little fellow and die over here where the light is good. Dibs on his sword! Dibs on his boots! Dibs on his ring!

Again totally with you here. I always hear from rogues on these boards I'm taking extra risks I deserve an extra reward. FAH, like the fighter gets an extra reward for the extra risk of stepping between the party and one really big bad monster of doom, like the wizard gets extra reward for the extra risk of stepping into a dungeon with you with his d4hp etc, etc. No one is taking extra risks, they are jsut taking the risks that their class contirbutes to the party normally, which is roughly equal for everyone.