OOC : Shopping for magic items in...

[JoeNotCharles]

Off the top of my head:

Streetwise DC 5+Item Level for consumables, 15+Item Level for standard items, 25+Item Level if it's part of a set or otherwise special. +5 or maybe +10 if you want it within the hour.

 

[Velmont]

The di Senzio's Magical Shop was a viable option only because:

A) A player was willing to run it
B) Save money to do it (I had, at some moment, over 10k gp in store, unavailable to Rinaldo during his adventures)
C) Created a Prestige Class that allowed him to buy and sell items on the market at 90% of the price. The goal of that PrC was to create a more living world, and also create a class that was weak in adventure by itself, but that his higher capacity to buy and trade magical items would compensate for his weakness.

In the end, it work and gives some flavor to the world, and Rinaldo have never been seen as a broken character, and maybe it is because of of how I played him.

Anyway, I don't think we will see such character in L4W just because of the whole money system we are using.

But I must tell that was a nice achievement for me to have been able to run that shop for a few years.

 

[elecgraystone]

Quite honestly I'd go with JoeNotCharles's post if you're looking for the ITEM. If you are looking for the person that enchants then, I'd say their level as a streetwise DC if they want. It's not like they are trying to hide or it wouldn't be common knowledge who can use the enchant.

As far as a recommended fee for NPC's service, I'd say none. The only way the 4E economy works is if NPC don't use the same system as PC's. I suspect that they don't pay full price for rituals, much like they don't pay full price for mundane items. As such, they most likely only a fraction of the PC cost in materials, pocketing the rest for themselves. The only 'charge' I see is for something like a transfer enchantment because it's not added into the cost already and this would only be an issue if you couldn't find someone high enough to make the item outright.

 

[Velmont]

Here a new class:

Ritualist

Class ability: You gain the Ritual Caster Feat
At-Will: Use ritual without cost
At-Will: Close shop before PCs show up. (To prevent any PC abuse)
Encounter: Bargain with PCs (Customers must pay the full price, no negotiation possible, last until the end of the encounter)
Daily: Annoy PCs (Automatic fail on his ritual roll and the PC must pay the bill, even without any result in the end. All PC are Stunned (to not leave without paying). Last until PC pay.)

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Quite honestly I'd go with JoeNotCharles's post if you're looking for the ITEM. If you are looking for the person that enchants then, I'd say their level as a streetwise DC if they want. It's not like they are trying to hide or it wouldn't be common knowledge who can use the enchant.

I would say PC's usually just say they want to obtain the item, they don't specify how - so it's up to the DM whether their Streetwise roll means they find it for sale in a bazaar somewhere, or find a wizard who's willing to cast Enchant Item at short notice, or find thieves willing to sell it on the black market, or what.

 

[elecgraystone]

I would say PC's usually just say they want to obtain the item, they don't specify how - so it's up to the DM whether their Streetwise roll means they find it for sale in a bazaar somewhere, or find a wizard who's willing to cast Enchant Item at short notice, or find thieves willing to sell it on the black market, or what.

As I said, that only really works if you are looking for the item. If you've made your roll in the past and have found someone that does enchantments, why are you wandering around the bazaar and not going to them? Magic is pricey enough that I can't really see having to wait any length of time to get an enchant.

Short notice only matters if someone is churning out magic items and hoping someone buys them. If you're going to someone that makes heroic items, is he making +1 rods and hoping someone will buy them or is he going to wait until someone comes in and asks for a fire staff and make it then and there? I'm guessing the latter.

 

[renau1g]

I really don't feel it's necessary to limit the purchase of magic items or penalize PC's with low CHA (no streetwise) so they can't buy an item. I feel one central point of purchase is good though, like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, or something like that. So we can have a thread where PC's can RP out their purchase as required.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

As I said, that only really works if you are looking for the item. If you've made your roll in the past and have found someone that does enchantments, why are you wandering around the bazaar and not going to them? Magic is pricey enough that I can't really see having to wait any length of time to get an enchant.

Because the person you know is out of town searching for reagents, or locked away in their lab not taking calls, or busy making a huge load of items that was ordered by the Mayor for the defense of the city and has higher priority than your request, so you need to find an alternate.

Short notice only matters if someone is churning out magic items and hoping someone buys them. If you're going to someone that makes heroic items, is he making +1 rods and hoping someone will buy them or is he going to wait until someone comes in and asks for a fire staff and make it then and there? I'm guessing the latter.

Ok, so I, the player, say, "I want a firestaff" and I make my streetwise check, and you, the DM, say, "You find a mage who is willing to enchant you a firestaff, and he does so." Works out fine. I don't see why I should have to phrase it as, "I want a firestaff, so I'll look for a mage to enchant me one." The Streetwise skill should cover knowing whether I can find something for sale or have to have it made.

So I guess you're just arguing that my DC's are too high? Maybe, I just pulled thme out of the air. I wouldn't want it to be too easy.

 

[elecgraystone]

I really don't feel it's necessary to limit the purchase of magic items or penalize PC's with low CHA (no streetwise) so they can't buy an item. I feel one central point of purchase is good though, like Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, or something like that. So we can have a thread where PC's can RP out their purchase as required.

The only way I'd see a low CHA (no streetwise) an issue is if there are time constrains and the person hasn't done the leg work before. Given some time and luck they should be able to find an enchanter. If they've found a place before, like 'Daunton's Magical Emporium', no additional rolls are needed.

This is under the assumption that the party only has a limited amount of time before the adventure starts, however. Taking that into account, I can see a person that has a low CHA (no streetwise) and has never shopped in town before for magic having a rough time getting it done under the time constraints.

JoeNotCharles, my main argument is that you have different DC's based on the item and level. It should be based on the enchanter and his level really. I'm thinking that people that sell rituals like to make money so it's not very hard to find out who does that. In fact, they WANT word of mouth, so when someone wants to put down 2000+gp, they come looking for them.

If something has come up and the person you know can't do it, that'd be a check but again it should me MUCH easier than the DC's you have. It's in their best interest to 'put the word out' that they aren't available and it wouldn't surprise me if they'd have a replacement [friend, apprentice ect]. You don't want your customers going to the enchanter down the street because you were out of town on a shopping trip.

 

[CaBaNa]

Why is this an issue?

It's making extra work, for no mechanical reason...

This is all fluff.

If a person wants the item mid-adventure, let them have it. As a DM, set up a situation in which they lose the requisite amount of cash, and find said item.

Hole in your purse... lost 360 gp, how sad... On the upside, as you sifted through the floor boards, +1 magic amulet! Yay!

Wandering merchant caravan passes by, one time use magic chest that converts gold into items you wish for, A demon appears through a hole in the abyss to make a deal, any number of solutions present themselves outside of limitation.

No need to limit. No need to force other DM's to wait until adventure's end.