DMs against the Magical Wal-Mart
- Thread starter Syntallah
- Start date
Kae'Yoss
First Post
Well, I let them, at least in a magic-rich setting, like the Realms. As soon as they can teleport to a big city, I'll cut the details away. I don't care explaining how they run through 20 shops to get a +2 rapier. If it's available in the city, and they spend enough (in-game-)time and use (character-)intelligence, they eventually get the item. Sometimes I even give them a shop that has tons of magic items. It's just that I like to "cut to the chase". The game's about heroism. I don't let them run through a city, wasting 3 hours of real-time, to let them get a magical trinket. When I start that, I can as well roll for disease when they use the jakes in the tavern. I like to spend the time with them solving problems, negotiating things, beating up enemies.
On lower levels, in smaller cities, or in other settings (like Midnight), it's something different, of course.
On lower levels, in smaller cities, or in other settings (like Midnight), it's something different, of course.
lukelightning
First Post
In a "real" medieval/feudal world, there wouldn't be weapon shops either. Weapons were made by smith who worked for their lord, or made specifically for the army. There was no "free market" of swords.
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
My own take on this is as follows:
Only cheap and commonly used potions would be available in a trading post. A potion of healing is relatively cheap and is usable by everyone. There's enough of a market and a low enough cost that you can buy one and count on selling it to someone else very soon.
About the only other items that would fit that would be some low level scrolls (it would need to be a big merchant counting on going to a large market because most people can't use scrolls) and wands of cure light wounds (again, it has to be a big merchant going to a large market but such items are in pretty high demand).
For everything else, you need to find it, make it, commission it, or find someone else who is selling it.
The last is what will often happen. Another group of adventurers goes to the mountains of infinite kobolds and gets a cloak of resistance +1. Since they want to split the treasure evenly and that's the only item they got, they decide to sell it and split the proceeds. So, they pay for a reputable wizard to identify it, Arcane Mark it, and sign a notarized certificate of identification. Then they do some legwork, talking to people who might be interested in such a thing and generally publicizing the fact that they have it and want to sell it. They might contact a broker of such items to use his contacts. Then they meet the buyers, negotiate a price and sell the item.
Of course, the list of people who might sell you item X also includes people who don't have item X but know where they could get one. So, a rogue might end up in hot water if he tells his guildmates "I'll give 4000gp for a +2 cloak of resistance." He's likely to get the cloak but the previous owner might come looking for it.
In practice, however, you don't want to regularly have adventures about selling magic items, so you'll just assume that it works properly until you want to run such an adventure.
Only cheap and commonly used potions would be available in a trading post. A potion of healing is relatively cheap and is usable by everyone. There's enough of a market and a low enough cost that you can buy one and count on selling it to someone else very soon.
About the only other items that would fit that would be some low level scrolls (it would need to be a big merchant counting on going to a large market because most people can't use scrolls) and wands of cure light wounds (again, it has to be a big merchant going to a large market but such items are in pretty high demand).
For everything else, you need to find it, make it, commission it, or find someone else who is selling it.
The last is what will often happen. Another group of adventurers goes to the mountains of infinite kobolds and gets a cloak of resistance +1. Since they want to split the treasure evenly and that's the only item they got, they decide to sell it and split the proceeds. So, they pay for a reputable wizard to identify it, Arcane Mark it, and sign a notarized certificate of identification. Then they do some legwork, talking to people who might be interested in such a thing and generally publicizing the fact that they have it and want to sell it. They might contact a broker of such items to use his contacts. Then they meet the buyers, negotiate a price and sell the item.
Of course, the list of people who might sell you item X also includes people who don't have item X but know where they could get one. So, a rogue might end up in hot water if he tells his guildmates "I'll give 4000gp for a +2 cloak of resistance." He's likely to get the cloak but the previous owner might come looking for it.
In practice, however, you don't want to regularly have adventures about selling magic items, so you'll just assume that it works properly until you want to run such an adventure.
Kelek72
First Post
I am employed by Walmart and have yet to see any magical items items for sale where I work. :\ The boss is pretty mysterious though so there may be a secret trade of goods after hours or something like that...
I don't have anything for sale in my games except potions and very minor items. In fact, my NPC's drool over the PC's items and frequently move the plot along with the PC's items in mind!
I don't have anything for sale in my games except potions and very minor items. In fact, my NPC's drool over the PC's items and frequently move the plot along with the PC's items in mind!
Trainz
Explorer
Old Mercenary NPC to PC wizard:"Say suh, that sure is one fine looking wand you got in your hand."Kelek72 said:
Wizzy:"Yup !"
Merc:"What's it good for suh ?"
Wizzy:"It casts magic missiles !"
Merc:"Does it now ?"
Wizzy:"Yup ! And it's mine !"
Merc draws sword:"Not anymore it isn't..."
I'm curious about those DMs who allow no sale of magical items whatsoever. Don't your players ever find a magical item they don't want? What do they do with them? Throw them in a lake or something? If no one sells magical items, no one buys magical items either. Unless your group happens to be the -only- adventurers in the world.
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