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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 9488183" data-attributes="member: 6677017">I have magic shops in big cities. I think there are 2 or 3 in Waterdeep (if you count the one that is only for written things).Magic shops are small but well guarded. You won't see most of the protections, but there might be a golem just standing there to make the point.The majority of what they sell are "wizard supplies". This means spell components and the generic magic ink/etc component costs to copy spells into a spellbook and make scrolls. Also, arcane foci and blank spellbooks.They also have pre-made spellbooks with some spells in them (I probably need a rule for learning to use another spellbook). Some of those are spellbooks that they purchased, while some may be starter books.Some shops will allow you to purchase the right to copy a spell into your own spellbook (this is supervised and they have books for this, you aren't borrowing the proprietor's book like a library loan).Only then do actual magic items come in, and these are usually random. I typically say the chance is really high they will have 1st level scrolls of common spells. But they might not. They aren't going to keep a lot of copies, and someone may have just bought their comprehend languages scroll. 2nd and 3rd level scrolls are less likely to be found, with anything higher moving into the general magic items category.Most likely they have multiple potions of healing.For the rest, they might have one or two items I think are interesting, and the rest are completely random. I'll decide or randomly roll both how many they have and what they are.You can get the better deal on the items they have in stock--and it's often the best deal if you have something to trade the proprietor wants.If you want something they don't have in stock they can look into locating such an item for you, but it will be more expensive because of that. They also may or may not be able to find it.I'm not a big fan of saying anything under a certain rarity is available, because it implies a lot of stock laying around and casters making items for sale. The feel I go for is that it's not very profitable to make magic items to sell, so the vast majority of items have been and are made for personal/ally use. That's why you can't assume even low level stuff is lying around. The bigger profit margins are in selling spellbooks, charging to copy spells, etc. I've set prices to make that true. (One of the principles I have for world design, is decide what you want to be true and make mechanics and setting reasons that make it plausibly be so.)Shops will usually buy magic items. The cost of items is set to a large extent (selling or buying) and variance is a relatively small percent, but we are talking about large values so those numbers are not insignificant. That said, if they aren't terribly interested in what you are selling, you either won't get the best deal or they won't buy it at all.This way makes magic shops actually exciting treasure chests. You get to see what goodies they might have, just like a treasure hoard. Our party picked up multiple bags of holding in Sigil, by visiting multiple shops. At least one wasn't even a generic magic shop, but an expensive clothing store that carried a small number of magical items. Each bag of holding is visually different (color, material, design), so we can visualize how things look in our party's inventory.Of the random items in one of those shops there was a ring of fire elemental command available. One of the characters hopes to be able to afford it years in the future if it's still available. Another character would really like gauntlets of ogre power in the actual form of gloves (he's a non-martial wanting to shore up a weak Strength, but not wanting to throw off his style by wearing actual gauntlets) but didn't find any in the few shops in Sigil. Maybe when he has more cash he can pay to commission someone to make them, or get high enough level to do it himself.This also means stores shouldn't overshadow the usually random magic goodies they find during their adventures. For most magical items other than scrolls, shops are an unreliable supplement and place to unload unwanted stuff rather than a primary source for magic items. (One of the characters is a treasure hoarder, and never wants to sell anything, so that part rarely happens with this party.)</blockquote>

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