D&D 5E Magic Item Costs in 5E

[sithramir]

I get the concept of magic items being rare and trying to balance the world of munchkins...BUT

Seriously someone can bottle up the power of the gods and create a potion that heals! And they can do this so often that PC's can somewhat easily obtain these items?? But when someone wants a +1 magical sword which is essentially an item of "masterwork" quality that won't rust or break (as easily)?

I think the concept of minor magic items (IE +1) should still be somewhat common. Wizards and craftsman with spells (for instance i'm a Bard with artisan backgorund) would be able to still do this?

Just make the much more powerful items extremely costly to create and i'm fine with no true "cost" associated with those items. I hope the DMG does it this way.

I just don't like that the hard line of magic is split at "rare" magic swords but "common" magic potions of healing.

*Edit: I love the concept of a fighter's sword that's being used so often BECOMING a magic item. I actually wouldn't mind if this is how magic armors and swords came to be. Basically becoming legendary from endless battles creating this magical set of gear seems awesome. I like the idea you could inherit your fathers gear or something and the magic of your sweat and blood on the armor re-igniting the gear into something more.

 

[Paraxis]

So if even the wealthiest of nobles can't afford to purchase a magic item, so one of my PC's decides to sell a +1 flail to a noble on the cheap for say a fleet of sailing ships and a title. Then some thieves guild realizes that these groups of wandering adventurers are walking around with multiple priceless items they could also trade or barter to rich merchants who want to impress the nobility.

The entire concept of not having a value on a physical object is insane.

Name something in the real world that doesn't have a price, now think for a minute and could you pay a team of thieves or mercenaries to acquire it for you, if so then there is the price.

If in the context of D&D a quest giving wizard is offering 5,000 gp for a group of adventurers to go to the underdark and bring back the Orb of Lost Visions, guess what you just put a price on a magic item.

I am not advocating for Spellmart Stores on every street corner with Robes of the Archmagi in a variety of styles, and a bucket full of Staffs of Power so you can get the carving on it you want. Just the acknowledgement that people will place a value on anything, and if it has a value you can negotiate a price.

 

[Thank Dog]

But then I realized I'd put a chain devil in the adventure, and she (the fighter) was using an oil to make her weapon temporarily magic. I just decided the chain devil's lifeblood reacted with the oil and bestowed a permanent magic on the weapon. Now it's a +1 flail where she can spend a bonus action to change its length, granting her reach at the expense of some damage.

That's really cool.

Seriously someone can bottle up the power of the gods and create a potion that heals!

Actually, it's a herbal concoction. Remember, hit points are an abstraction. For all we know, a healing potion could be little more than guarana, taurine, caffeine, sugar and cocaine

*Edit: I love the concept of a fighter's sword that's being used so often BECOMING a magic item. I actually wouldn't mind if this is how magic armors and swords came to be. Basically becoming legendary from endless battles creating this magical set of gear seems awesome. I like the idea you could inherit your fathers gear or something and the magic of your sweat and blood on the armor re-igniting the gear into something more.

I'd love to see rules for this. This is the sort of thing I do in my games but because there aren't rules for it, I never see it in other people's games.

The entire concept of not having a value on a physical object is insane.

Nobody is saying they don't have value. My argument is simply not to assign them a fixed gold price. Let the campaign, the players and the DM decide the value of a magical item.

 

[Paraxis]

Nobody is saying they don't have value. My argument is simply not to assign them a fixed gold price. Let the campaign, the players and the DM decide the value of a magical item.

But don't you think the DMG should give you suggested values of these items so you have some frame of refrence for your campaign, I mean if there is a gold piece value for warships, towers, castles, slaves, and all kinds of other things shouldn't the game system give you an idea of what a +1 sword is worth to a young noble, or a holy avenger is worth to a church, a crystal ball to the spymaster?

 

[Tormyr]

But don't you think the DMG should give you suggested values of these items so you have some frame of refrence for your campaign, I mean if there is a gold piece value for warships, towers, castles, slaves, and all kinds of other things shouldn't the game system give you an idea of what a +1 sword is worth to a young noble, or a holy avenger is worth to a church, a crystal ball to the spymaster?

Since there were guidelines in the September play test, I imagine there will be some basic guidelines in the DMG.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Magic Items. Selling magic items is problematic. Finding someone to buy a potion or a scroll isn’t too hard, but other items are out of the realm of most but the wealthiest nobles. Likewise, aside from a few common magic items, you won’t normally come across magic items or spells to purchase. The value of magic is far beyond simple gold and should always be treated as such.

So the ludicrous haul of magic items from the starter and HotDQ would make the party so fabulously wealthy after kings and queens hand over half their kingdoms they have literal armies (of bounded accuracy effective amirite) of soldiers to go out and procure them more. Sorry, that doesn't work. If the PCs are getting magic items thrown at them during their apprentice levels that "only the wealthiest nobles" could buy, then the system does not work. BZZZT, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

 

[Savage Wombat]

How about this - instead of saying "no one can buy magic items" - say "you can't buy magic items".

Because no one's selling them, because they're so valuable and rare that they have to hire you to get them. And then you can decide what you want to sell them for.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

How many GP does the average noble actually have? What about the wealthiest?

I'm guessing it's not nearly as much as many of us might think.

 

[Thank Dog]

But don't you think the DMG should give you suggested values of these items so you have some frame of refrence for your campaign, I mean if there is a gold piece value for warships, towers, castles, slaves, and all kinds of other things shouldn't the game system give you an idea of what a +1 sword is worth to a young noble, or a holy avenger is worth to a church, a crystal ball to the spymaster?

You sort-of answer your own question. What's a holy avenger worth to a young noble? Or to a spymaster? What's a crystal ball worth to a church?

All of these things would have different values to different people. DM's can assign whatever value they want based on their campaign parameters. But as soon as you put down a GP value in the book, all of a sudden it becomes a commodity that players will seek to attain through purchasing alone because, "It says it in the book! It's worth this much! I have that much! Now I want to go buy it, somewhere!"

Since there were guidelines in the September play test, I imagine there will be some basic guidelines in the DMG.

Play test. Hopefully they have seen the light on this issue and won't include it in the final copy.

So the ludicrous haul of magic items from the starter and HotDQ would make the party so fabulously wealthy after kings and queens hand over half their kingdoms they have literal armies (of bounded accuracy effective amirite) of soldiers to go out and procure them more. Sorry, that doesn't work. If the PCs are getting magic items thrown at them during their apprentice levels that "only the wealthiest nobles" could buy, then the system does not work. BZZZT, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Ludicrous?

Lost Mines of Phandelver

Boots of Striding & Springing
Gauntlets of Ogre Power
Ring of Protection
Spider Staff
Staff of Defence
Wand of Magic Missiles

Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Black Dragon Mask (legendary)
Hazirawn (legendary)
Insignia of Claws
Wand of Winter


Both have a few +1 armours and weapons added in here and there. The only thing I'd be hesitant about in that lot is the legendaries because they're so powerful. Then again, we don't know exactly what it means to be a legendary item. Maybe you can only ever have one for the character or maybe they're like artefacts and will be lost or stop working at some point. I don't know, do you? I still wouldn't call it ludicrous. They're not meant to be played together but even if you do, that's roughly seven or eight levels worth of XP. Is it really so ludicrous to have that many items split amongst five PC's and gained over 7-8 levels?

 

[fuindordm]

I just did this last night in my own game. Our fighter uses a two-handed flail (reskinned maul). I could never find a legit reason to have a magical two-handed flail lying around.

But then I realized I'd put a chain devil in the adventure, and she (the fighter) was using an oil to make her weapon temporarily magic. I just decided the chain devil's lifeblood reacted with the oil and bestowed a permanent magic on the weapon. Now it's a +1 flail where she can spend a bonus action to change its length, granting her reach at the expense of some damage.

Thanks for sharing. That weapon is sure to become a PC heirloom now!

I love it when opportunities for this sort of thing come up organically from the adventure. Of course, the reverse can also happen...

A few years ago I was running AD&D and the fighter managed to lose THREE +1 2-handed swords.
The first was broken fighting a caryatid column, understandable.
The second was eaten by a xorn, unlucky.
The third (and I really thought he was going to keep this one) was used to bar the gates between the party and a horde of angry hobgoblins. It certainly bought them enough time to get away!