knightofround
First Post
You know, I've always thought that it was a mistake for WOTC to use gp values for magic items. I mean, we already have residuum, which is what the currency for magic items should be.
Attaching a link from gp to residuum is annoying because magic items fill such niche needs. Remember in 3E that container of everlasting water? Utterly worthless in a campaign with ample water supply, which is why it's so dirt cheap, but on Dark Sun it would be the most heavily-sought after ever.
The same goes for magical weapons. A +5 regular broadsword might be pretty, but the rich are going to be much much more likely to buy 2-3 mansions to show off. And even if you sell it at 20%, that's still going to be enough to buy an entire city. You could lower the price even further...but that removes the whole point of making magic items that have a unique need. You're never going to find an magic fullblade because of the few people who can even afford it, fewer are going to be able to use it effectively.
I'd much rather that there would be a fixed amount of residuum in the world at any given time. And then lower the cost to transfer enchantments (and things that increase item cost, like additional abilities) immensely. Nobody can buy "new" residuum, they have to go out into the world and take whats already out there. Because its so incredibly rare it would be very unlikely for residuum to have an exchange to gold. Even if it did, I think thats something a DM to decide.
Really, the main reason why we have gp values for magic items is to make it easy for DMs to balance how much magical items a player needs at any given level necessary to achieve balance vs. NPCs. Units of residuum (with a +1 sword base) would serve the same purpose, and mathematically be easier to deal with compared to the high level million+ gp items.
This way party advancement would be linked to the amount of residuum the party has. Not the gp value. Otherwise you get ridiculous scenarios where epic level PCs become millionaires just for killing one minion with something ridiculous like cloud of daggers.
And this way players can have fun with a "magic item economy" and yet still have to worry about "normal" stuff like paying for food, family, shelter too.
Also, I am very amused that so many of us Minnesotas are interested in ingame economy. Probably because we understand very well how much it sucks to be on neither east nor west coast, or as badass as the south
Attaching a link from gp to residuum is annoying because magic items fill such niche needs. Remember in 3E that container of everlasting water? Utterly worthless in a campaign with ample water supply, which is why it's so dirt cheap, but on Dark Sun it would be the most heavily-sought after ever.
The same goes for magical weapons. A +5 regular broadsword might be pretty, but the rich are going to be much much more likely to buy 2-3 mansions to show off. And even if you sell it at 20%, that's still going to be enough to buy an entire city. You could lower the price even further...but that removes the whole point of making magic items that have a unique need. You're never going to find an magic fullblade because of the few people who can even afford it, fewer are going to be able to use it effectively.
I'd much rather that there would be a fixed amount of residuum in the world at any given time. And then lower the cost to transfer enchantments (and things that increase item cost, like additional abilities) immensely. Nobody can buy "new" residuum, they have to go out into the world and take whats already out there. Because its so incredibly rare it would be very unlikely for residuum to have an exchange to gold. Even if it did, I think thats something a DM to decide.
Really, the main reason why we have gp values for magic items is to make it easy for DMs to balance how much magical items a player needs at any given level necessary to achieve balance vs. NPCs. Units of residuum (with a +1 sword base) would serve the same purpose, and mathematically be easier to deal with compared to the high level million+ gp items.
This way party advancement would be linked to the amount of residuum the party has. Not the gp value. Otherwise you get ridiculous scenarios where epic level PCs become millionaires just for killing one minion with something ridiculous like cloud of daggers.
And this way players can have fun with a "magic item economy" and yet still have to worry about "normal" stuff like paying for food, family, shelter too.
Also, I am very amused that so many of us Minnesotas are interested in ingame economy. Probably because we understand very well how much it sucks to be on neither east nor west coast, or as badass as the south
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