Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
Other than scrolls & potions I have no "magic stores" in my campaign. Seems to cheapen magic quite a bit to have "Earl's Magic Emporium" with +3 weapons for sale.
Do you let players buy Magic items?
- Thread starter Flexor the Mighty!
- Start date
Furn_Darkside
First Post
Salutes,
I go the same route- most low level potions and scrolls are available (though the price changes on location).
Other items can occasionally be purchased, but it depends on where they are- a large city is more likely to have a place that sells some basic magic items.
FD
I go the same route- most low level potions and scrolls are available (though the price changes on location).
Other items can occasionally be purchased, but it depends on where they are- a large city is more likely to have a place that sells some basic magic items.
FD
Donatello
Explorer
I allow most things with a market price of 25K or less to be available in big cities (I run FRCS, so Waterdeep and Silverymoon have good resources of magic items for sale), and sometimes more expensive thigns can be found, but more often, they have to find someone to make the item for them.
I use the generic term "Artificer" to describe people that make magic items, and artificers generally charge 125% to 150% of the market price to have something custom made.
Potions, Scrolls and Wands are considered "Common" items in big cities, and are readily available for 110%-125% of market.
I use the generic term "Artificer" to describe people that make magic items, and artificers generally charge 125% to 150% of the market price to have something custom made.
Potions, Scrolls and Wands are considered "Common" items in big cities, and are readily available for 110%-125% of market.
Certainly anything can go too far, but the general notion of magic for sale to me does not cheapen it.
Does having a longsword for sale spoil them?
Does having a suit of plate mail for sale spoil the mystery of armor?
Not hardly.
In "standard 3e" its pretty much expected that HALF your party will be spellcasters, typical "standard" of a mage and a cleric.
MAGIC has no luster, mo mystery, no "rarity to be cheapened if thats true.
Assuming no epic levels, just the normal 20 levels...
By the time you are a neophyte at say 5th or sixth level, about 25% down your way, you have people in your party who can routinely....
Heal wounds, cure diseases, paralyze people, enchant weapons to +2 and summon elemntals all on the spur of the moment... thats the cleric...
throw booming fireball, lightning bolts, turn people into mist, fly, become immune to normal arrows, walk on walls and ceilings, go invisible, etc etc etc... those are the mages...
by 9th level at a whim you now can RAISE THE DEAD and toss out 9 hour long +3 enchantments at the drop of a hat, much less teleport, stone walls, scry, etc...
The "mystery" of magic, that which is cheapened by having items sold, does not exist when its commonplace for you and your friends to do it.
The "ohhh ahhh magic item thing" does not compute when the item is something you can do yourself at a whim.
The "ohhh ahhh" of myth and legend... lets see who was it who got the helm of invisibility and sandals of flying in greek myths from the gods.... and a reflecting mirror... are not all of those parlor tricks to a 5th level mage?
Hey wanna eliminate spellcasters and then run a "magic items are mysterious and wondrous" and it will work... but frankly no matter how much salad dressing you put on it, for a mid level group a +3 sword isn't that important... they can spell their own at the drop of a hat.
Does having a longsword for sale spoil them?
Does having a suit of plate mail for sale spoil the mystery of armor?
Not hardly.
In "standard 3e" its pretty much expected that HALF your party will be spellcasters, typical "standard" of a mage and a cleric.
MAGIC has no luster, mo mystery, no "rarity to be cheapened if thats true.
Assuming no epic levels, just the normal 20 levels...
By the time you are a neophyte at say 5th or sixth level, about 25% down your way, you have people in your party who can routinely....
Heal wounds, cure diseases, paralyze people, enchant weapons to +2 and summon elemntals all on the spur of the moment... thats the cleric...
throw booming fireball, lightning bolts, turn people into mist, fly, become immune to normal arrows, walk on walls and ceilings, go invisible, etc etc etc... those are the mages...
by 9th level at a whim you now can RAISE THE DEAD and toss out 9 hour long +3 enchantments at the drop of a hat, much less teleport, stone walls, scry, etc...
The "mystery" of magic, that which is cheapened by having items sold, does not exist when its commonplace for you and your friends to do it.
The "ohhh ahhh magic item thing" does not compute when the item is something you can do yourself at a whim.
The "ohhh ahhh" of myth and legend... lets see who was it who got the helm of invisibility and sandals of flying in greek myths from the gods.... and a reflecting mirror... are not all of those parlor tricks to a 5th level mage?
Hey wanna eliminate spellcasters and then run a "magic items are mysterious and wondrous" and it will work... but frankly no matter how much salad dressing you put on it, for a mid level group a +3 sword isn't that important... they can spell their own at the drop of a hat.
Absolutely, although there's no such thing as Marvin's Magical Emporium.
Typically weapon shops will have a few magical weapons, although nothing more than +1 except on rare occasions.
Mage guilds will generally have any potion you could want, any scroll of up to about 4th level (there aren't that many high level wizards around), and a good selection of wands. In addition, mage guilds will have a smattering of other items (rods, staves, rings, wondrous items) that they are offering to sell. I usually roll randomly to determine the exact items offered.
If the party is seeking a specific item, they either need to commission it or go shopping. Oftentimes, a specific powerful item will not be available in a typical store, but may be available elsewhere (a noble, wealthy merchant, thieve's guild, etc.).
Obviously, the size and location of the community will have a dramatic impact on the availability and selection of items.
Typically weapon shops will have a few magical weapons, although nothing more than +1 except on rare occasions.
Mage guilds will generally have any potion you could want, any scroll of up to about 4th level (there aren't that many high level wizards around), and a good selection of wands. In addition, mage guilds will have a smattering of other items (rods, staves, rings, wondrous items) that they are offering to sell. I usually roll randomly to determine the exact items offered.
If the party is seeking a specific item, they either need to commission it or go shopping. Oftentimes, a specific powerful item will not be available in a typical store, but may be available elsewhere (a noble, wealthy merchant, thieve's guild, etc.).
Obviously, the size and location of the community will have a dramatic impact on the availability and selection of items.
Crispy Critter
Explorer
Whatever the GP limit of the town, large village, hamlet or city my players find themselves in dictates what they can buy and sell. Magic items are a commodity, just like anything else.
Here's how I deal with it.
Characters can buy items up to the town's gp limit IF there's some in stock. Not bloody much is in stock most of the time, only the most common items - wands and potions of healing, long sword and shield +1. For something fancy, you have to commission the work to be done and wait for the mage to finish it. They can also sell items for half market value - but the town mage only has about that much that he can use to buy something, no matter how much its worth.
If they want something truly valuable, say over 50k, it isn't so simple. The kinds of people that can make items like that are pretty rare - they certainly don't just set up shop somewhere.
They would then have to hire an agent to bid the project to other collecters or high level wizards. Assuming someone will take the job, work can begin. It also might not be a matter of mere money either.
So, there is a definate divide between the +1 or +2 sword and the potions and scrolls of low level characters and the truly wonderous.
Characters can buy items up to the town's gp limit IF there's some in stock. Not bloody much is in stock most of the time, only the most common items - wands and potions of healing, long sword and shield +1. For something fancy, you have to commission the work to be done and wait for the mage to finish it. They can also sell items for half market value - but the town mage only has about that much that he can use to buy something, no matter how much its worth.
If they want something truly valuable, say over 50k, it isn't so simple. The kinds of people that can make items like that are pretty rare - they certainly don't just set up shop somewhere.
They would then have to hire an agent to bid the project to other collecters or high level wizards. Assuming someone will take the job, work can begin. It also might not be a matter of mere money either.
So, there is a definate divide between the +1 or +2 sword and the potions and scrolls of low level characters and the truly wonderous.
I run a low-magic campaign where most of the magic is gotten through people the party knows or is working for/with. Currently, there are no spell-casters in the group (the Elven Cleric had to leave), so magic has taken on a bit more meaning for them.
The only place in my entire world where there are magic shoppes, so to speak, are in two huge port city-states, and in a couple of countries where magic is more common.
Otherwise, magic is treated as an intrinsic aspect of the setting, valued, and often unique (I have weapons whose powers grow in accordance to how the character uses them, etc.). Magic shoppes just don't fit my campaign millieux very well.
The only place in my entire world where there are magic shoppes, so to speak, are in two huge port city-states, and in a couple of countries where magic is more common.
Otherwise, magic is treated as an intrinsic aspect of the setting, valued, and often unique (I have weapons whose powers grow in accordance to how the character uses them, etc.). Magic shoppes just don't fit my campaign millieux very well.
