DMs against the Magical Wal-Mart

[VirgilCaine]

I DM for a group that happens to like a medium to high magic campaign in the new D&D3.5 system, and I am generally OK with that (this is NOT a discussion on low vs high!). However, I am very much against the whole "magical Wal-Mart" idea wherein the PCs can merely go into a shop and spend their gold to get whatever they want.

How do some of you DMs out there handle this sort of situation?

Simple.
In my campaign, all aboveboard magic item sales are supervised and guaranteed by a continental union of Mage's Guilds. All follow the same basic rules and have the same purpose, and were instituted for the same purpose--to control wizardry.

All wizards take an Oath--one part fo this Oath is to always present oneself as a seller of a service NEVER a product.
Another rule is that "High Magic"--spells above 3rd level cannot be sold for coin or common methods of payment--payment must be arranged through service or barter.
That means quests for power components, monster-capturing, and doing the wizards scut work--giving his apprentices the day off.

For example--the PCs want to have an enchanted sword upgraded, and a few minor items made, say, like a Boccobs Book, and a few Cloaks of Resistance +2.
Okay, that'll take hunting down a certain item from a Feystag*, finding the Feystag, persuading him to give the PCs the item, and getting back to the wizards tower.
Then, the PCs have to patrol the surrounding area and make sure nothing new appears and makes trouble while the local wizard is working on the items.

(* think a deer with crude hand-like appendages, but it can manipulate and activate magical items, and has a massively trapped lair and intimate knowledge of the surrounding terrain and it's enhabitants)

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Does anyone ever use the GP Limit Rule for towns and cities? I know it was in 3.0 but I don't have my DMG with me to see if it made it into 3.5. Anyway, you set a GP Limit which sets a cost limit for the most expensive item in the town/city. If it costs more than that then too bad, they don't have it. If it barely has it then great, they can buy the item but not much else. There was also a rule that established the maximum amount of ready cash that a town/city would have. If the party decided to sell a potent item there may be nobody that can afford it. They couldn't just bring in a bunch of gems and cash out their value. They also couldn't bring in a bunch of copper or silver to a city and cash it out for gold because there was a maximum amount of coin that the town has for such transactions. You can't imagine a small hamlet to be able to turn 1000 gp into 10 pp. The town would be lucky to have a single platinum piece at all.

 

[Altalazar]

I never did "walmart". There were shops, mostly for potions and scrolls. Anything else was in a specific list of items a particular shop had, and that would change over time. Actually finding a specific item basically never happened, and to tell the truth, my players in 3E never really looked. They were generally happy with the magic they had found - or been given for rewards - so didn't feel the need to look much.

I do allow commissioning of items, though again, this never actually happened either.

Part of this may be due to my own crafting of treasure based on what I know the various PCs might need or want, though I do it rather subtly. I alter what is in modules, when I use modules, to make sure I stick to this. I've found it actually adds to the wonder and rarity of items to give players more of what they want and need - there are fewer items floating around, and there is much less tendency to think of any magic item as just "junk" that needs to be sold or traded for something better.

 

[EricNoah]

Buying on commission is a good option, as others have stated. Individuals may have a supply of common potions or scrolls on hand for their own use but might be willing to part with them on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Arnwyn]

However, I am very much against the whole "magical Wal-Mart" idea wherein the PCs can merely go into a shop and spend their gold to get whatever they want.

How do some of you DMs out there handle this sort of situation?

Uhhh... by not having shops?

There are no shops IMC - if the PCs want a magic item, they either find it or make it themselves. (However, there are circumstances where they can get an item made on commission, but they must have made contacts first.)

This works for us.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I just use the rules.....gp limit on things sold, and ready cash for things the PC's want to sell........

Of course, I also like using the Cave Hermit to annoy PC's deep in the dungeons, and he adds a bit of verismilitude to some of the stuff found in shops...

 

[Quasqueton]

Why does the "magic item Wal-Mart" concept ever even get discussed?

Does anyone think of "mundane item Wal-Marts"?

Full plate armor costs as much as many magic items -- do PCs find shops with such armor hanging on maniquins?

Are masterwork weapons kept on wallracks behind the counter?

Is there a department where adventurers can pick up vials of acid, alchemist fire, and holy water?

Are there clothes racks of cleric's vestments, courtier's outfits, or explorer's outfits?

Is silk rope in the sporting goods department, or with the negligee?

"Do you need a cart for that battering ram, sir?"

Isn't it assumed that when an Player buys (marks the gold off his sheet, and writes down the item) the above equipment, the PC goes to the relevant business or craftsman or guild or broker? So why is it thought that when purchasing a magic item, there has to be a magic item store?

The DMG has a perfectly use rule for the availability of magic items (and mundane items) -- the gold piece limit of villages, towns, and cities. Why should a cloak of resistance +1 be any more difficult to acquire than a suit of masterwork full plate armor, so long as the location's gold piece limit is high enough? And why does everyone think that purchasing the cloak without a lot of in-game hulabaloo means has to come from a Wal-Mart-type store, whereas no one blinks at the thought of "just buying" full plate armor?

Quasqueton

 

[Trainz]

"Don't rush me, sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles. You got money?"

 

[Hjorimir]

IMC, crafting anything other than a scroll or potion takes seven times as long (days become weeks). I also charge xp to 'attune' a magic item for use (I will spare you the philosophical and crunchy details).

I am the kind of DM that gives out fewer magic items while making those items a little more powerful or rare. Less is more for me.

 

[Shallown]

I worked it all into my campaign so that such places don't exist. About the only place to find items is at the local wizards college and at various churchs. If the players want minor potions and scrolls they are fairly easily aquired. Anything under say a 1000gp can be gotten with no real problem. The characters have worked tomake contacts with people in the main city to aquire items of more value. One player has Thief guild contacts, Another is good friends with the Wizard colleges "magic shop" operator (Their friendship is more based on the fact thier Toad familiars are lovers than the fact they get magic items from him). Another has high placed contacts among the elven royalty. More or less they role play aquiring items when they have money to spend. And at 12th-13th level like they are now most items are commisioned to be made. Seldom do they find items that they want just sitting around.

This has been a chance for them to role play. Now as to why people will make things for them is more a matter of the economic recovery of the recent war torn world the players live in. The wizards college was fairly badly damaged not only its grounds and buildings but agreat loss of personell to the war so they are looking to make money.

I tried to design my latest campaign around all the faults or possible speed bumps in 3.0-3.5. I designed divination to be useful but not overpowering, I made sure teleport and the like was not too powerful but still very, very useful as such high level magics should be.

I know I didn't design a perfect system but I tried to explain why magic items could be gained easily and by whom from whom. It takes a little forethought and a little stretching of the imagination/believability but if you look at 3rd ed over all that is true.

later