D&D 5E Teleportation circles costs *how* much?!

[WolfDM32]

I don't have any players in my campaign high enough yet to worry about that. I hadn't seen that before. We had initially stated at the beginning spell components are not consumed. I'll need to amend that to say unless the spell says otherwise. Hehe. That makes a teleportation circle very expensive and impractical. One of the things I saw to spend money on is to commission a fortification to be built. even a basic fortification costs 10,000 to 50,000 gold. To put a permanent circle in it costs nearly as much as the fortification itself plus a year of time. Something when / if the characters get to that point I'd have to consider options.

 

[Reynard]

I see the high cost of such a thing as a bonus. If the group wants to add a teleportation circle to their HQ, they need to go out and acquire the funds necessary to do it. It's a good excuse to get back out the door and into the dungeon, IMO.

 

[Dausuul]

Here's an "ask your DM" question.

An Enlarge spell cast on a material component magnifies its weight x8 temporarily. Does that magnify its value in proportion? Seems to me it should, but it creates a loophole.

Well, it's always up to the DM, but my ruling would be "No way in hell."

The object's increased size and weight aren't the result of more physical material being added; if that were the case, there would be no need to concentrate, and the object would not revert when the spell ended. The object has been magically altered so that it takes up more space and weighs more, but it's still the same object under the magic.

A merchant who is aware of the magic won't pay more for such an object than for its un-enlarged version, and neither will reality.

 

[Inglorin]

In my game a permanent circle is constructed right into the ground. You inlay it with precious metal and all the other stuff. This means, you don't have to pay those 50 GP for every casting from inside this circle. Those components are only needed, when you cast it "on the fly", meaning outside in the wilderness to return home.

So the average wizard constructs that circle in his basement, set the secret code to 12345 and can make THIS circle permanent by casting the spell once eacht day for a year without the components.

This may be homebrew, but I like it.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Well, it's always up to the DM, but my ruling would be "No way in hell."

The object's increased size and weight aren't the result of more physical material being added; if that were the case, there would be no need to concentrate, and the object would not revert when the spell ended. The object has been magically altered so that it takes up more space and weighs more, but it's still the same object under the magic.

A merchant who is aware of the magic won't pay more for such an object than for its un-enlarged version, and neither will reality.

It would have to be situational. An expert wouldn't fall for it, but you could probably convince a goblin that it was legitimate. But, no, it wouldn't work for the price of a material component.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

I think Magician was literally based on a DnD campaign.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_E._Feist

Feist acknowledges that the Tekumel setting from M. A. R. Barker's Empire of the Petal Throne was the source for much of Kelewan. The original D&D campaign which he based his books on had an invasion of the Midkemia world by Tekumel.

 

[thalmin]

The permanent circle is less for teleporting out and more for an easy way to get back home when you are too beat up to travel with your loot.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Here's an "ask your DM" question.

An Enlarge spell cast on a material component magnifies its weight x8 temporarily. Does that magnify its value in proportion? Seems to me it should, but it creates a loophole.

For example, if I have a packet of "rare chalks" and some flasks of "inks infused with precious gems" worth a paltry 7gp and my assistants cast Enlarge on each of them, maintaining their concentrations for the 1 minute it takes me to cast Teleportation Circle, is that okay? By my reckoning, they are worth at least 50gp all the time while the TC spell is being cast.

Asking for a friend

In my game, the answer is "No, it doesn't affect spell component value." The underlying reason is "The magical operating system that runs my D&D universe keys spell components off of actual monetary value, and it's not a dummy; it knows no one is going to pay extra for a gemstone which is Enlarged for one minute."

 

[Saeviomagy]

The PHB gives the cost of casting a 1st or 2nd level spell at 10 to 50 gp. The cost a 3rd or 4th level wizard commands could very well be 50 gp. A wizard twice that level and even more rare is likely to command an even higher rate.
There are hundreds of plumbers and auto mechanics in the world and anyone can become one. In a fantasy world, wizards are potentially ten times as rare and not everyone can master their skills, let alone to 5th level of potency.

Wizards can ask whatever rate they want.

Well, in that case teleportation circles are common as hell, because every single spellcaster of an appropriate level who isn't an adventurer can fund the creation of one by casting commonly needed low level spells for outrageous sums of gold.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

Well, in that case teleportation circles are common as hell, because every single spellcaster of an appropriate level who isn't an adventurer can fund the creation of one by casting commonly needed low level spells for outrageous sums of gold.

Unless nobody wants their services, particularly for the price they charge for said services.

THE MARKET FINDS A WAY!