D&D 5E [DM Help] Flexible vendor system for magic consumables *PLAYTEST READY*

[AaronOfBarbaria]

@AaronOfBarbaria:

You aren't helping me. Stop pretending you are. You know I don't care for your "help".

In no uncertain terms - stop "helping" me. Capiche?

That you don't like my help does not mean my intention to help isn't genuine, so I'm not pretending anything.

And because we are equals here, for so long as you are posting your issues in public, I shall offer any suggestion I have how you might find a satisfying resolution to those issues - I shall not insist you stop complaining, and you in turn will not insist that I stop trying to be helpful.

It would also be appreciated if you could stop accusing me of ill intent or misbehavior just because you happen to not like some of my opinions.

 

[CapnZapp]

That you don't like my help does not mean my intention to help isn't genuine, so I'm not pretending anything.

And because we are equals here, for so long as you are posting your issues in public, I shall offer any suggestion I have how you might find a satisfying resolution to those issues - I shall not insist you stop complaining, and you in turn will not insist that I stop trying to be helpful.

It would also be appreciated if you could stop accusing me of ill intent or misbehavior just because you happen to not like some of my opinions.

No.

You don't get to harass me.

Stop replying to me.

Your input is not appreciated.

You need to find a way to express your opinions without any reference to me.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I'm not harassing anyone. My statements on this forum are made without malice or aggression, without intention to intimidate, and without intention of anything other than discussing a game I enjoy and trying to help others increase their enjoyment just as others here have, from time to time, helped me increase my enjoyment.

Of course, if anyone thinks otherwise - I hear there is this button they can click that will make my posts invisible to them, which sounds a large measure better to me than someone attempting to censor me, when the issue is their inability to hear a dissenting opinion without vilifying the person expressing it.

 

[Ketser]

My suggestion would be complying a random table with various consumables and rolling it every time the players return to the fortress or once per ingame month.

If the players want a specific consumable, have them to order it and then roll another table to see if there are any complications with the order. Some can come up right then, like the alchemist telling the characters that a certain reagent has become pretty rare and as such he needs to raise the potions price or something happens when he is crafting it and as such it isnt ready when the PCs are returning.

Also i would add an option to upgrade the stores and workshops to have more items available or have a better chance go produce specific items.

Speaking about magic item availability in general, i agree with CapnZapp that a bit more through guidelines for it are needed. The rarity system is nice and i like it, but it suffers from a serious issue of trying to combine narrative and mechanical rarity and not doing it well

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I guess the perfect system would take these things into account:

1. the number of days resting = earning points for creation.
2. the difficulty of items crafted = higher scroll levels require more points.
3. a mechanic that prevents exploiting (e.g. if they want to craft 10 scrolls of bless while resting, because it is only a level 1 spell).

Does anybody have an idea about that? Or would you simple say: If you are there, roll 1D4 and that's it?

In addition: What's about availability of scrolls/potions at other vendors (in towns)? How would you rule that?

Would be really glad! Thanks in advance!

Peter

If I could offer an alternative suggestion:
Perhaps just a single employee, or small group, using the rules for the Artificer Wizard subclass in the Eberron Unearthed Arcana.

They can make both potions and scrolls, including healing potions. However, these potions are created by use of spell slots which can't be regained until the potion is used. Thus the supply is limited, and they can't be stockpiled.
Likewise the scrolls have a similar limit due to how they are created, and they need to be scrolls that the artificer knows.

Let the Artificer level up as the party does/when you think it appropriate, so the amount and power of potions and scrolls available to the party increases.
Perhaps let the party specify one out of the two spells the artificer will learn when he levels. If they want scrolls of spells that he doesn't know, they will need to use their own resources to teach him that spell.

You could even give him a limp, a lisp, proficiency in Medicine, an obnoxiously subservient attitude, and call him Igor.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

I would be really glad about feedback concerning both vendor types!!


Thanks in advance!
Peter

Looks pretty simple and straightforward mechanically. You might want to change "build points" for fortress vendors into gp values so that everything runs on the same values. Its probably not necessary to introduce a new term.

I can't really comment on the prices or the balance issues since we haven't really dabbled too much in 5e consumables, but the overall system should work.

 

[lkwpeter]

EDIT: I copied the content of this post to Post #1 to retain a better overview and avoid double content.

 

[lkwpeter]

EDIT: I made several adjustments. Added them to Post #1.

 

[77IM]

I love this idea. I think you could probably streamline the presentation a bit more.

 

[77IM]

Here is a compressed version of your tables above.

	Small Village	Large Village	Small Town	Big Town
Total value	200 + (1d4 x 50 gp)	400 + (1d4 x 50 gp)	800 + (1d4 x 100 gp)	1000 + (1d4 x 200 gp)
Common	75% chance of 1 item	1 item	1d4 items	1d4 items
Uncommon	10% chance of 1 item	25% chance of 1 item	75% chance 1d4/2 items (minimum 1)	1d4 1 items (minimum 1)
Rare	Not available	5% chance of 1 item	25% chance of 1 item	50% chance of 1d4-2 items (minimum 1)

I think this contains all the same information you have above, but it's probably quicker for use as a reference than looking up on multiple tables. But, it's easier to understand the system by looking at three tables.