Running Shops

[gjnave]

How do you guys handle shopping? Do you make a list of items that players can buy? Or do you let the look through the PH and ask for what they want?

I had one DM who had us make a list (while still in the Inn) and someone "went out to look for it". Bringing back whatever he could find (whatever, the DM wanted to allow).

What are some other ideas?

 

[SoulsFury]

Regular mundane items I just let them get them for the most part, unless there is a specific reason they can't. Magic items must be found or given to. Potions and scrolls can be purchased in some place.

 

[huank]

I was just about to post almost the same question, but I also had this other doubt: Does the available shop items count as part of the treasure parcels? I mean, if you have a 5 level party and they go to a shop where they can buy a level 8 magic item, does it mean that parcel 2 is taken?

What do you think?

 

[Dice4Hire]

I see parcels as "free" stuff, not stuff they need to buy

But it might be reasonable to say a shop ha level X treasure so you know what level of magical items are available.

Of course, a lot of people are very against magic item shops.

For the OP, I usually allow them to buy anything in the PHB lists unless the town is really small.

More expensive things need DM approval and larger towns or cities. I am generally stingy about letting players buy high-level magical items.

 

[Dungeoneer]

My first campaign I tried having shops stock specific items. It was super time-consuming, both on my side where I had to spend time picking out the items, and on the game side where the players would spend half the session bickering over who needed a magic sword most and trying to haggle with the shopkeeper.

Don't do that.

Either have shops not sell any magic items or have shops sell all magic items. Personally I think the former is easier and 'fixes' the economy of the game as an added bonus.

 

[Ryujin]

In previous editions I wouldn't make things like magic shops easy to find, nor particularly well stocked. The players might find an apothecary or herbalist, who could make basic things like healing potions for them, but items themselves were generally found or made (at great difficulty), not bought.

In 4e, given that the game requires a magic economy in original form, I permit items to be bought. The mechanics of item creation make such things trivial. A party member, who has the appropriate ritual, can make darned near anything up to his level in an hour. There are feats that would allow him to make things up to 2 levels higher. For this reason I threw the idea of controlling what items they buy out the window, though I do occasionally veto specific items.

As to the concept of treasure parcels, that's already handled in the game mechanics. The money, that they receive, is part of the parcel system and so doesn't need to be accounted for.