Player input please on a couple of custom world rules...

[Holy Bovine]

It's not a bad house system per se but I know I wouldn't use it for one simple reason. I do not have, nor have I ever had, 'magic shops' in my games. Finding someone to sell you anything more than a +1 sword is nearly impossible in most mortal realms in my games. This is why I love the idea of Residium and the transfer enchantment ritual. Now my Orcs can have +2 greataxes (for example) and the party can slap a quick ritual on it and have their +2 longswords. Or whatever. Gold becomes much more the thing the party spends to build their headquarters (or blow on a fancy cruise as my one group is doing now!) or bribe their way into the King's Reception and stuff like that. I have also found that the PCs have a more 'lean and hungry look' as a result. They have a fancy sword and a magic cloak but barely 2gp to rub together and who is going to buy a "magic" cloak from some penniless wanderer?

 

[bobcat_grad]

But, the idea of fonts of power is a good one, altho personally, I'd make it level-specific. So once you, say, outlevel the item by 5 or so (an arbitrary number) then the power of the character is great enough that they don't need a font of power, as they've outclassed such mortal concerns.

But that's just me.

Actually, I like that idea a lot. I'll have to think about adding that in.

 

[keterys]

I think I'd be more tempted to do something like:

Every place has a maximum item level of stuff it can sell (ex: City of Brass is much higher than Hommlet) and a +0 to +20 bonus for item availability. Assuming you're looking for an item that level or below, roll a d20, add the bonus, your DC is 10 + Lvl of the item. If you succeed then your item is in stock. If not, you may be able to get it commissioned, hire someone to track one down legally or illegally, etc - all options generally at a 10-40% markup, giving an additional +0 to +20 bonus on top of the previous one and allowing a new roll. Otherwise you can make a new roll in a location once per month.

So I could know that Cauldron has max of level 15 items, gives a +5 bonus to rolls, and then list out a couple options for getting extra bonuses (say the local wizard can make up to level 5 items at a +20% premium, giving a +10 bonus (automaking it, the thieves guild charges 40% more if they find something and gives a +5 bonus, the local adventurer's shop only offers a +2 bonus but is only 10% extra and will waive that if you sold her something that month, etc)

 

[FireLance]

The game is pretty dependant on them getting the items they want and need for their characters as part of its design.

IMO, the only items the PCs really need are a magic weapon and/or implement, a suit of magic armor and a magic neck slot item. Even then, there is some wiggle room - as a rule of thumb, the PCs ought to have +1 items by level 5, +2 items by level 10, etc. but the game isn't going to be significantly unbalanced if the actual items they have are a point lower or higher.

Similarly, even if the PCs aren't fitted out in exactly the equipment they want, they will still be able to handle most challenges fairly well as long as the equipment they do have is of approximately equal power.

There are good reasons for giving your players the magic items they want, or allowing them to buy or otherwise obtain them: if nothing else, it makes the players happy. However, not giving them everything they want doesn't necessarily make their characters ineffective or make you a bad DM.

 

[DracoSuave]

Actually it's that 'All they need is the +x items' attitude that -makes- items feel unspecial.

There's some cool items outside those three lists, if anything, the DM should be making those items the more commonly found goods, and the +x items the mundane stuff the players buy/make for themselves.

Then items will seem more interesting, as items won't just be '+x to blah + whatever'.

 

[FireLance]

Actually it's that 'All they need is the +x items' attitude that -makes- items feel unspecial.

There's some cool items outside those three lists, if anything, the DM should be making those items the more commonly found goods, and the +x items the mundane stuff the players buy/make for themselves.

Then items will seem more interesting, as items won't just be '+x to blah + whatever'.

Now this is a philosophy I can wholeheartedly subscribe to!

 

[bobcat_grad]

IMO, the only items the PCs really need are a magic weapon and/or implement, a suit of magic armor and a magic neck slot item. Even then, there is some wiggle room - as a rule of thumb, the PCs ought to have +1 items by level 5, +2 items by level 10, etc. but the game isn't going to be significantly unbalanced if the actual items they have are a point lower or higher.

Similarly, even if the PCs aren't fitted out in exactly the equipment they want, they will still be able to handle most challenges fairly well as long as the equipment they do have is of approximately equal power.

There are good reasons for giving your players the magic items they want, or allowing them to buy or otherwise obtain them: if nothing else, it makes the players happy. However, not giving them everything they want doesn't necessarily make their characters ineffective or make you a bad DM.

Don't get me wrong - I'm going to try to give them items they want (found in treasure parcels). I'm not going to make them search over the entire world for a single item. This is just designed implement the "you can't find everything everywhere" suggestion in the PHB with a little more interaction from the player and leaving it up to chance.

 

[eamon]

I like the idea. I'm unsure as to the consequences for the game.

A few character concepts are heavily influenced by getting a few specific items. Almost all character can only usefully use a very small fraction of items. So, if you do this, you run the risk of player's ending up with junk - or being significantly more powerful than their peers, if they were lucky enough to get what they need.

Would you be using this random availability idea in conjunction with the normal buy/sell price ration of 1 to 5, and let the player's find items they "need"?

If you're aiming for believability, I'd randomize loot. Since most loot will then be useless, you'd need to distribute 5 times as many magic items to compensate (that'll be slightly too much, really, but it's a minor difference, probably more than compensated by the fact that to put "useless" items to good use by selling them, the party needs to wait a long time and lug them around).

Randomized loot is a complexity that might just distract from other gameplay for many groups - It's not for everyone, I'm sure.

 

[Jhaelen]

I don't care about the random item availability thing. As a player it probably wouldn't bother me, but I also don't see any need for something like this.

The places of power thing is interesting but imho too limiting if that's really the only way to enchant items. As one among several options it would be fine.

Did you have the chance to have a look at the alternative rewards in DMG2? I thought they were pretty neat and go in a direction you seem to be interested in.

 

[amerigoV]

2) Wait the stated 'restock' time for that settlement (anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks).

Can the players Camp the Vendor? Gank him, and see if he has the item when the Vendor respawns? That would be coooool

As a player, it would depend on the pace of the campaign. If we gamed every week, then sure, using things like streetwise and diplomacy to find the item in a city would be fine - you as the DM could throw in an occassional side adventure using these skills if the vendor roll is unsatisfactory. If we played once every 2 to 3 weeks, then I would hate to waste the time shopping instead of adventuring.

I think I would aim to target the cool stuff using parcels in an adventure and randomize/skill check some of the other stuff.