Decanter of Endless Water

[Bad Paper]

The Decanter of Endless Water seems really underpriced for its effect. Am I wrong? Thoughts?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Why?

 

[IcyCool]

Why?

Echo. Why do you think it's over underpriced?

 

[apesamongus]

In D&D, magic items are priced by utility, not by magical "power".

 

[AuraSeer]

I don't think so. Its only combat effect is to deal 1d4 damage to one target within 20', which is slightly less effective than throwing rocks. Even worse, the holder must make a Strength check or be knocked on his butt.

The item already costs more than a +2 weapon. Why do you think it's underpriced?

 

[Henry]

Probably because in the hands of a good/bad DM, you can totally alter or destabilize whole economies with that thing.

 

[Doom3524]

I guess it would depend on what additional uses you can find for it. I would imagine in the hands of a Cleric or Paladin they could beat the living (or unliving) daylights out of many many undead by blessing the water as it erupts from the decanter. Thats about it that I can think of.

 

[William_2]

I think I am saying much the same thing as one post above: it is priced relative to usefulness for a small group of people predominantly engaged in slaying other creatures, but usually either near water or with the magical ability to create it in sufficient quantities.

The fact that a supply of that particular item, for example, could revolutionize a society, change settlement patterns, and allow a whole host of hygiene problems to be skipped over as cities modernize is not really considered at all. Such an item could easily be priceless, so regardless of the cost to produce it, you would expect it to be at the high end of the “magic market”. The idea that any sword, no matter how powerful, could possibly be of more significance than the decanter is ludicrous if you use a perspective emphasizing the impact of magic on a society. The prices, and even the bulk of the items commonly made, show zero interest in this approach, though. It is weird, I agree completely. It requires far more suspension of disbelief to me than simply accepting monsters, magic, even undead. I would guess most players don’t particularly care, though. Nobody is playing for the purpose of experiencing the free market effects of magic, after all.

 

[Crothian]

The economics of how magic influences the world is never addressed in D&D or d20, there are lots of utility ityems like this that would revolutionize the way things are done but none of the writers or publishers seem willing to take anything like this into effect when they design things.

 

[Krelios]

I think I am saying much the same thing as one post above: it is priced relative to usefulness for a small group of people predominantly engaged in slaying other creatures, but usually either near water or with the magical ability to create it in sufficient quantities.

The fact that a supply of that particular item, for example, could revolutionize a society, change settlement patterns, and allow a whole host of hygiene problems to be skipped over as cities modernize is not really considered at all. Such an item could easily be priceless, so regardless of the cost to produce it, you would expect it to be at the high end of the “magic market”. The idea that any sword, no matter how powerful, could possibly be of more significance than the decanter is ludicrous if you use a perspective emphasizing the impact of magic on a society. The prices, and even the bulk of the items commonly made, show zero interest in this approach, though. It is weird, I agree completely. It requires far more suspension of disbelief to me than simply accepting monsters, magic, even undead. I would guess most players don’t particularly care, though. Nobody is playing for the purpose of experiencing the free market effects of magic, after all.

I do, actually. But then, I enjoy thinking out the long term effects of seemingly minor alterations to economies and way of life when I DM. My poor players have wreaked havoc (unsuspectingly or otherwise) on several nations in our last campaign.