The latest Role Playing Tips newsletter has some really great advice for running a game where the PCs own or operate a business. In 5e's implied setting there are no magic item shops (except maybe if you travel to the fabled City of Brass on the elemental plane of fire). This got me thinking: What if the PCs ran a magic item shop??? This would give them a good excuse to raid dungeons for treasure, and allow them to buy and sell magic items! They'd also function as magic item "brokers" which could lead to some good quests and social interactions. I win at campaign design!
So I started thinking, magic items probably sell very slowly. So what does the store do to meet its day-to-day expenses? Probably sells arcane supplies, like component pouches, arcane foci, books of lore, herbalism kits, alchemy supplies, and maybe some rarer items like spyglass, calligraphy inks, and exotic foreign goods.
Then I got thinking, those are all supplies for magic-users, but what kind of magical doodads would ordinary non-adventurers want? The only magic item common enough to be listed in the PHB is the potion of healing, and that's useful, but when I think about folk magic throughout history, it seems like there's a lot of other stuff that would be sold to the superstitious. I imagine in a world of magic people would still buy that stuff, but it would WORK.
Please let me know what you think of these -- are they balanced, and is there any way to streamline the rules for them? Can you think of any others? (I don't want the list growing TOO huge but I may have missed some popular consumer needs.)
Potion of Healing (50 gp)
A character who drinks the magical red fluid in this vial regains 2d4 + 2 hit points. Drinking or administering the potion takes an action.
Common Use: Nobles might have a few of these on hand in case of hunting accidents. Even in small towns, the village reeve or local priest probably has some potions of healing to help seriously injured peasants.
Potion of Fortune (50 gp)
The effects of this sparkling golden potion last 24 hours. Once during this time, you can add +1d4 to the result of a single ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You can choose to add the bonus after you've seen the initial result of the roll. Drinking or administering the potion takes an action.
Common Use: This item is strictly illegal for use when gambling or at contests and tournaments. At larger tournaments, the winners are subject to identify spells to detect this potion (which lasts for 24 hours regardless of when the bonus is used). Potions of fortune are also taken just before a battle, important performance or negotiation, or childbirth.
Good Luck Charm (100 gp)
These charms come in many shapes and sizes. While you bear this charm can add +1d4 to the result of a single ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You can choose to add the bonus after you've seen the initial result of the roll. Once the charm has been used, it will not function again for anyone for a year and a day.
Common Use: These are often family heirlooms, passed down to favored children or given to loved ones who are going on a journey or engaging in some risky endeavor such as starting a new business or apprenticeship.
Love Potion (250 gp)
This foul-smelling brew is a weak imitation of the true philter of love. When you drink the potion, make a DC 9 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you are charmed by the next creature you see within 10 minutes. While you are charmed, if the charmer is of a species and gender you would normally be attracted to, you experience strong feelings of romantic love for them; otherwise, you feel platonic friendship.
The effect lasts for up to an hour, although you can repeat the saving throw after every 10 minutes. When the potion wears off you may immediately make a DC 9 Wisdom (Insight) check to realize your emotions had been affected by magic.
Common Use: Desperate and lonely people will try anything for love, including buy this expensive potion on credit. Sometimes young nobles will blame their indiscretions on this potion whether it was involved or not.
Talisman of Protection (1000 gp)
While you wear this amulet you are protected from certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elemental, fey, fiends, and undead. Once activated, such creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you, and you have advantage on saving throws against the spells and special abilities of such creatures.
The talisman may be activated as an action, or as a reaction to such a creature targeting you with an attack, spell, or special ability. If activated as a reaction, the talisman's effects apply to the attack, spell, or special ability which triggered it. The talisman's effects last 10 minutes. At the end of this time the talisman burns out and becomes useless.
Common Use: These are family heirlooms, sometimes passed down for centuries without ever needing to be activated. New ones are commissioned by wealthy nobles who fear evil spirits, or sometimes gifted to rich children who are travelling abroad in dangerous lands.
Symbol of Bounty (100 gp)
This small trinket or mystical rune that can be placed to affect an outdoor area of no more than 10 acres or an indoor area of no more than 3,000 square feet. Placing the symbol properly takes 1 hour and a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Within the area, plant and animal health and growth are stimulated, worker productivity and craft quality increase, and overall success and well-being are magnified. Creatures in the area get a +2 modifier to any ability checks made to practice a craft or profession.
Common Use: Nearly every guild-hall, forge, dockside, and major farm has such a symbol, often placed generations ago. They are so prevalent their influence is already included in the downtime rules for Crafting and Practicing a Profession.
Word of Truth (250 gp)
This small clay tablet, about 6 inches across, is inscribed with a mystical rune. While you have your hand on the rune, you have disadvantage on any Charisma (Deception) checks you make. If you intentionally tell an outright lie while your hand is on the tablet, make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the tablet cracks in half and becomes useless.
Common Use: High magistrates have access to these tablets for use only in the most serious of cases. Often the accused must make a 250 gp deposit before testifying on a word of truth, in case it breaks. Royal intelligence agencies use these for interrogation. Occasionally merchants and diplomats may voluntarily offer to negotiate with one hand on a word of truth, but sometimes these tablets are forgeries.
So I started thinking, magic items probably sell very slowly. So what does the store do to meet its day-to-day expenses? Probably sells arcane supplies, like component pouches, arcane foci, books of lore, herbalism kits, alchemy supplies, and maybe some rarer items like spyglass, calligraphy inks, and exotic foreign goods.
Then I got thinking, those are all supplies for magic-users, but what kind of magical doodads would ordinary non-adventurers want? The only magic item common enough to be listed in the PHB is the potion of healing, and that's useful, but when I think about folk magic throughout history, it seems like there's a lot of other stuff that would be sold to the superstitious. I imagine in a world of magic people would still buy that stuff, but it would WORK.
Please let me know what you think of these -- are they balanced, and is there any way to streamline the rules for them? Can you think of any others? (I don't want the list growing TOO huge but I may have missed some popular consumer needs.)
Potion of Healing (50 gp)
A character who drinks the magical red fluid in this vial regains 2d4 + 2 hit points. Drinking or administering the potion takes an action.
Common Use: Nobles might have a few of these on hand in case of hunting accidents. Even in small towns, the village reeve or local priest probably has some potions of healing to help seriously injured peasants.
Potion of Fortune (50 gp)
The effects of this sparkling golden potion last 24 hours. Once during this time, you can add +1d4 to the result of a single ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You can choose to add the bonus after you've seen the initial result of the roll. Drinking or administering the potion takes an action.
Common Use: This item is strictly illegal for use when gambling or at contests and tournaments. At larger tournaments, the winners are subject to identify spells to detect this potion (which lasts for 24 hours regardless of when the bonus is used). Potions of fortune are also taken just before a battle, important performance or negotiation, or childbirth.
Good Luck Charm (100 gp)
These charms come in many shapes and sizes. While you bear this charm can add +1d4 to the result of a single ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. You can choose to add the bonus after you've seen the initial result of the roll. Once the charm has been used, it will not function again for anyone for a year and a day.
Common Use: These are often family heirlooms, passed down to favored children or given to loved ones who are going on a journey or engaging in some risky endeavor such as starting a new business or apprenticeship.
Love Potion (250 gp)
This foul-smelling brew is a weak imitation of the true philter of love. When you drink the potion, make a DC 9 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you are charmed by the next creature you see within 10 minutes. While you are charmed, if the charmer is of a species and gender you would normally be attracted to, you experience strong feelings of romantic love for them; otherwise, you feel platonic friendship.
The effect lasts for up to an hour, although you can repeat the saving throw after every 10 minutes. When the potion wears off you may immediately make a DC 9 Wisdom (Insight) check to realize your emotions had been affected by magic.
Common Use: Desperate and lonely people will try anything for love, including buy this expensive potion on credit. Sometimes young nobles will blame their indiscretions on this potion whether it was involved or not.
Talisman of Protection (1000 gp)
While you wear this amulet you are protected from certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elemental, fey, fiends, and undead. Once activated, such creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you, and you have advantage on saving throws against the spells and special abilities of such creatures.
The talisman may be activated as an action, or as a reaction to such a creature targeting you with an attack, spell, or special ability. If activated as a reaction, the talisman's effects apply to the attack, spell, or special ability which triggered it. The talisman's effects last 10 minutes. At the end of this time the talisman burns out and becomes useless.
Common Use: These are family heirlooms, sometimes passed down for centuries without ever needing to be activated. New ones are commissioned by wealthy nobles who fear evil spirits, or sometimes gifted to rich children who are travelling abroad in dangerous lands.
Symbol of Bounty (100 gp)
This small trinket or mystical rune that can be placed to affect an outdoor area of no more than 10 acres or an indoor area of no more than 3,000 square feet. Placing the symbol properly takes 1 hour and a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Within the area, plant and animal health and growth are stimulated, worker productivity and craft quality increase, and overall success and well-being are magnified. Creatures in the area get a +2 modifier to any ability checks made to practice a craft or profession.
Common Use: Nearly every guild-hall, forge, dockside, and major farm has such a symbol, often placed generations ago. They are so prevalent their influence is already included in the downtime rules for Crafting and Practicing a Profession.
Word of Truth (250 gp)
This small clay tablet, about 6 inches across, is inscribed with a mystical rune. While you have your hand on the rune, you have disadvantage on any Charisma (Deception) checks you make. If you intentionally tell an outright lie while your hand is on the tablet, make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the tablet cracks in half and becomes useless.
Common Use: High magistrates have access to these tablets for use only in the most serious of cases. Often the accused must make a 250 gp deposit before testifying on a word of truth, in case it breaks. Royal intelligence agencies use these for interrogation. Occasionally merchants and diplomats may voluntarily offer to negotiate with one hand on a word of truth, but sometimes these tablets are forgeries.
