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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 9518211" data-attributes="member: 4937">I can only tell you what I do which is play 3e D&D like it was 1e AD&D.a) Magic shops basically don't exist.  Weak magic items that could be produced by 6th level or lower spellcaster are available once you achieve a friendly relationship with a spellcaster and commission the work.   Potions and scrolls are available "off the shelf" in small amounts usually randomly generated.b) The assumption is that all magic item creation uses rare reagents and a recipe and that the gold price is an abstraction of the cost of obtaining this recipe and reagents.  For low level PCs in large cosmopolitan metropolis, it's generally fairly easy to go to a reagent store and buy the necessary ingredients to make your own sword +1 (for example).  But to manufacture impressive magic items (requiring 5th level or higher spells) often requires sourcing your own "power components" and doing your own research to obtain a recipe.  XP expenditure to create magic items is assumed as a balancing factor on the global trade in such items.c) I use my own cost tables for the value of magic items, which among other things typically transforms most 'always on' items into items that allow for a spell-like action to be taken to produce the spell 3 times per day.  'Always on' items in my game other than weapons and armor are very rare and expensive.d) I also somewhat slow down the rate of XP gain typically at a rate that increases with level in order to stay in the sweet spot.e) Wizards have to find and copy spells.  There are no automatic learned spells by level.  They also require spell components.f) Clerics have limited numbers of spells known.g) Magic items and other gear can be destroyed.  If someone disintegrates you, a lot of your stuff probably turned to dust too.  If you are caught in a fireball, your cloak of protection +1 might go up in flames as well.  And so forth.WARNING: There is an assumption in my game that the largest amount of money spent on magical item creation is on items to protect people from magic.  So for example the single most common magic item in the universe is a set of scales that chime or otherwise give a warning when something magical is placed on them.  Beware a low magic setting with high magic PCs.  The setting has to be aware that PC wizards exist and reacts to them accordingly.</blockquote>

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