Can magic items be bought and sold? How easy is it to do? If I have 2,000 gp and want to buy a +1 Sword, can I just walk into a store and pick one up? What if I want to sell the same sword? Do I get half price like in a video game? Are there any rules covering this sort of thing, or is it pretty much DM fiat? If so, how do you recommend I handle it?
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Market for Magic Items?
- Thread starter lamproswc
- Start date
Ask your DM. In my campaign, I generally gloss over buying and selling of stuff; most things you can get, but it may have to be a commission job (you can get healing potions over the counter, but a +5 sword would be crafted specially for you and you have to wait the full 50 days).
Arkhandus
First Post
Entirely up to the DM.
The specifics of the campaign setting you use may have something to do with it, but ultimately, these kinds of decisions are entirely, purely, indisputably, wholly up to the DM's fiat.
Of course, if he doesn't provide you with the means to acquire DMG-suggested wealth by level, in terms of magic items primarily, then he can't rightfully expect you to handle everything of equal or higher Challenge Rating (unless he makes other arrangements or alters the monster CRs). That said, you're not entitled to receive such wealth by level, the Core Rules just assume you will have it for purposes of dealing with monsters and magical threats (and if you do not have somewhere close to the expected amount of magic items, then the Dungeon Master's Guide infers that the DM should adjust enemy CRs appropriately or choose his encounters carefully).
If you're playing in the setting of the Forgotten Realms (Faerun, aka Toril, aka Abeir-Toril), then you can probably just waltz into any Thayan Enclave, or temple of Gond (I think), or temple of Tempus, or the guildhalls of certain wizards' guilds (but not all; only some do business in magic item crafting and trading), tell the guy what kind of item you're looking for, and purchase it with the proper amount of gold.
The DM still decides if the merchant has that exact item, and whether or not he charges you the DMG-listed amount of gold for it, probably based on the region, its laws pertaining to magic, whatever rules the guild has regarding magic item trade/profits, and whether or not the merchant likes you.
Similarly, if you're playing in the setting of Eberron, you can just walk into an appropriate shop run by House Cannith or somesuch and ask for the magic item you want, pay the requisite amount of gold, and be on your way with the item. You might need to wait a few days or weeks though for them to custom-craft it, if they don't have a copy on-hand.
And unlike Forgotten Realms, Eberron has few mid-level or high-level Non-Player Characters, so there's not a lot of them around to craft magic items (especially not many ones beyond cheap scrolls and potions), so you'll have a tough time finding anyone around who has the item you want, or even just the capacity to craft that item on commission. So again, it's entirely up to the DM whether or not you'll be able to find the item you want.
If you play in the World of Greyhawk (Oerth) or other such place, it'll be tough to find and purchase any magic items in most places, beyond minor scrolls and potions.
The specifics of the campaign setting you use may have something to do with it, but ultimately, these kinds of decisions are entirely, purely, indisputably, wholly up to the DM's fiat.
Of course, if he doesn't provide you with the means to acquire DMG-suggested wealth by level, in terms of magic items primarily, then he can't rightfully expect you to handle everything of equal or higher Challenge Rating (unless he makes other arrangements or alters the monster CRs). That said, you're not entitled to receive such wealth by level, the Core Rules just assume you will have it for purposes of dealing with monsters and magical threats (and if you do not have somewhere close to the expected amount of magic items, then the Dungeon Master's Guide infers that the DM should adjust enemy CRs appropriately or choose his encounters carefully).
If you're playing in the setting of the Forgotten Realms (Faerun, aka Toril, aka Abeir-Toril), then you can probably just waltz into any Thayan Enclave, or temple of Gond (I think), or temple of Tempus, or the guildhalls of certain wizards' guilds (but not all; only some do business in magic item crafting and trading), tell the guy what kind of item you're looking for, and purchase it with the proper amount of gold.
The DM still decides if the merchant has that exact item, and whether or not he charges you the DMG-listed amount of gold for it, probably based on the region, its laws pertaining to magic, whatever rules the guild has regarding magic item trade/profits, and whether or not the merchant likes you.
Similarly, if you're playing in the setting of Eberron, you can just walk into an appropriate shop run by House Cannith or somesuch and ask for the magic item you want, pay the requisite amount of gold, and be on your way with the item. You might need to wait a few days or weeks though for them to custom-craft it, if they don't have a copy on-hand.
And unlike Forgotten Realms, Eberron has few mid-level or high-level Non-Player Characters, so there's not a lot of them around to craft magic items (especially not many ones beyond cheap scrolls and potions), so you'll have a tough time finding anyone around who has the item you want, or even just the capacity to craft that item on commission. So again, it's entirely up to the DM whether or not you'll be able to find the item you want.
If you play in the World of Greyhawk (Oerth) or other such place, it'll be tough to find and purchase any magic items in most places, beyond minor scrolls and potions.
TheGogmagog
First Post
Aside from what the others mentioned, setting and DM fiat.
There are rules in the DMG for available wealth of cities based on thier size. Even then, what items are available are still up to the DM.
There are rules in the DMG for available wealth of cities based on thier size. Even then, what items are available are still up to the DM.
TheGogmagog
First Post
Personally, I usually set some gp limit for a town, and anything under that limit is available to purchase (usually 1,000 to 4,000 gp depending on town size). Anything over that limit requires luck or role play. I also would consider a gather information (or profession merchant) check to determine how long it would take to locate a specific item. If someone wanted a ring of wizardry 1, they'd have to put the word out, wait a few days or weeks (depending on town size or region covered). On top of that it would open up possibility for plot hooks. Perhaps an NPC villan is also looking for the ring, or just a wizard wealthy enough to afford the ring.
The same limit would apply for selling things, if that limit is 50% of the sell value they can just consider it sold. If they really want the full 50% of that Mask of the Skull, well they will need to find a buyer.
The same limit would apply for selling things, if that limit is 50% of the sell value they can just consider it sold. If they really want the full 50% of that Mask of the Skull, well they will need to find a buyer.
Brother MacLaren
Explorer
However, there is a world of difference between "you have DMG-suggested wealth by level, in terms of magic items primarily" and "you have that level of wealth in terms of items that you pick and choose to fit your build." A DM that hands out treasure but does not have shops for buying and selling may still be following "suggested wealth by level."Arkhandus said:
A Ring of Regeneration does nothing to improve your survivability in a combat, and at best it supplants a Wand of Cure Light Wounds for between-combat healing, although it costs a fortune. A +2 throwing axe is generally nowhere near the utility of a +2 composite longbow or a +2 battleaxe. +1 half-plate or +1 splint mail are not as good as ordinary fullplate. Ooze-bane weapons are generally not as good as giant-bane ones. "Wealth by level" doesn't account for any of this.
lamproswc said:
In general, 3E says "yes". As others have said it is generally abstracted -- perhaps the sale is in a store, or from a private dealer, or at an auction, or designed by commission, etc.
- Rule for selling at half-price is in PHB ch. 9 (3.0 PHB p. 146).
- Limits on sales per town are in DMG Ch. 4 (3.0 DMG p. 137).
Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm actually going to be DMing a campaign and am trying to decide how to handle it. As MacLaren said, I'm wondering whether I have to make my guys trudge around with whatever weird stuff they get or if they can custom build their characters.
BTW, why is your name MacLaren? I've got some MacLaren ancestry, so I'm curious.
BTW, why is your name MacLaren? I've got some MacLaren ancestry, so I'm curious.
Brother MacLaren
Explorer
Brother MacLaren was the hard-drinking greatsword-wielding cleric of Kord that I played for a while. He trusted in luck, and brewed beer potions that had random effects. Seemed like he had to have a Scottish name.lamproswc said:
Yeah, as a veteran of earlier editions, I really liked the way that you would use the magic items that the DM gave you. Some fond memories. In 2e, before finding any magical weapons, the PCs found a staff that could do Feather Fall and Light at will, and counted as a magical weapon despite having no bonus to hit or damage. So in a fight with gargoyles the bard was grappling them, the cleric was flailing around with this staff... in 3e they'd have sold the staff for something more optimal for their build, and the bard's player would have kvetched that he was behind his suggested wealth per level.
Dross
Explorer
lamproswc said:
I have notes in my house rules:
not all merchants have all magical items in the books (that I/we use). A merchant in an farming region is unlikely to keep the greatsword +1 because who will buy it? He is likely to sell it to some traveling merchant to get $$ to buy stock that farmers will use. A merchant's clientel will usually decide whether it is feasable for certain items to be in a shop.
Not all people with the ability to create an item will sell it to you even if they have it (paladin only spells are the obvious example).
having said that, if someone chooses an exotic weapon, unusual wonderous item that aids role-play or something similar, I'll not make it too hard to obtain said item (and see about using obtaining said item as a plot hook).
