Does your campaign have magic shops?

[Doug McCrae]

The idea that every soldier, nobleman, rogue, tavernkeeper and priest has magic items makes no sense, and defies logic more than my opinion.

No one on this thread so far has argued that every tavernkeeper should have magic items.

Magic item shops does not imply cheap magic items.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Do you really think that casters have nothing better to do than craft magic items for sale? Wizards (for example) have better things to do... studying, rivalries...etc than sit at a desk churning out items for profit.

No matter what you want to do, it's easier to do it if you have money. If a wizard wants to do research he requires money for books, exotic materials, lab equipment, servants etc

 

[Doug McCrae]

Having an item custom made is always a quest. Even finding a magic user powerful enough is difficult (those with such power dont like to be bothered by every punk warrior who "desperatly needs a magic sword to defeat my enemies!!" Once found they have to be bargened with, and those with such power a chest full of gold is meaningless.

Why on earth would money be meaningless to a wizard of any level, let alone the 5th level minimum required to make magic weapons? Wizards need money to copy spells into their books, research new ones, make their own magic items, pay for material components, pay their retainers, put a roof over their heads and for a pint of ale at the local inn.

 

[Altalazar]

Yes - but mostly potions and scrolls, and minor items - anything else is more uniquely roll played, and I do do power items, as well, for crafting.

If there is magic in the world, inevitably, it will be traded. Unless your world is magic-dead, there WILL be magic sold, it is just a question of how many shops there are that sell it.

Heck, if the PCs want, at some point THEY could open a magic shop. If it is a world that supposedly has no such shops, they'd found the industry and they'd get SUPER RICH in doing so because of the lack of competition. That's the bonus you get for being the founder of a new market.



EDIT:
Ok, I just had to go back and say this, after reading the poll again. The concept of things NOT being traded for "just gold" I think is ridiculous - learn some economic theory and what money really is for and represents. If something can be sold, it can be sold for gold. Period. See, that's why an economy based on money is far superior to one based on barter. That's why you can have smooth transactions - instead of person A who has item A who will only trade for item C, and buyer B who has item B, not C, but can trade C for item C with B and then can trade with A with item C, etc. etc. etc. - see, with this thing called "money" you DO NOT NEED TO DO THAT. You just buy direct from A, for gold, and then A can buy from C, or not, at A's liesure. Any objection you can give about A not wanting to part with item A for "just gold" is really just dickering over the price. Heck, if it is truly the case that A could never buy item C from person C, but A really wanted it, if they sold item A for enough cash, they could just HIRE someone to go TAKE it from C. The free market always finds a way. And with money much more easily than barter.

 

[Ibram]

Why on earth would money be meaningless to a wizard of any level, let alone the 5th level minimum required to make magic weapons? Wizards need money to copy spells into their books, research new ones, make their own magic items, pay for material components, pay their retainers, put a roof over their heads and for a pint of ale at the local inn.

because there are cheaper ways to get such things without waisting time creating a magic item, and because the sort of materials that a wizard needs rarely cost gold (or the gold used is a small part of the price).

Some wizards pay for food with the tried and true methiod: "Not setting you on fire." This methiod can also help with having a roof over ones head and having servants as most people consider not being set on fire as a good thing. Its because wizards have a reputaion for such things that even those who do not use "Not setting you on fire." would have a hard time living in a town.

Many wizards live several days travel from a town (as magic is greatly feared) and as such they usualy produce their own materials rather then just buying them from the townsfolk. If actual money is neede a wizard can always work for the local lord (this is rare however because then the lord starts getting ideas about the wizard being his servant). Gold can also be aquired from tombs/ruins looted by the wizard. After a few decades most wizards have a large amount of gold on hand, so much so that a few thousand gp is beneath their notice.

Wizards who are easy to find and take gold in exchange for magic items would quickly be swamped by requests to make such items. As well as becoming a target for robbers and rivals (who would be after his magic items as well).

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Do you really think that casters have nothing better to do than craft magic items for sale? Wizards (for example) have better things to do... studying, rivalries...etc than sit at a desk churning out items for profit.

That is demonstrably incorrect. That is the equivalent of saying that people have better things to do than to watch TV, play D&D, go to work, find signifcant others, or take showers. Everyone, everywhere, makes choices that others think are stupid.

Some wizards might think that getting tanked at the local tavern is a better idea than going adventuring. Some might think that making magic items for other people for money is actually a very good idea. Others may think that it's really cool to get money for items that they're never going to use.

I don't think it defies game logic and feel to assume that items are rare, and fairly difficult to get hold of even if the default level of the game.

Um...okay. I fail to see how that statement is logically supported. NPCs come equipped with items. Characters of certain classes' effectiveness depends greatly on what magic items they have. For items to be difficult to get ahold of, the game would have to be much different.

Brad

 

[Doug McCrae]

Some wizards pay for food with the tried and true methiod: "Not setting you on fire." This methiod can also help with having a roof over ones head and having servants as most people consider not being set on fire as a good thing. Its because wizards have a reputaion for such things that even those who do not use "Not setting you on fire." would have a hard time living in a town.

My view of wizards is that, apart from being more intelligent and learned than the average person, they are pretty normal. Which is to say they tend not to be evil, nor insane and are much more likely than not to work within the rules of society. Thus they are much more likely to legally earn a living by casting spells for money than by illegally threatening to set people on fire.

I should also point out that servants who work for you only through fear for their lives are not going to be the most loyal servants in the world. Indeed they're liable to kill you while you sleep.

 

[VirgilCaine]

because there are cheaper ways to get such things without waisting time creating a magic item, and because the sort of materials that a wizard needs rarely cost gold (or the gold used is a small part of the price).

Some wizards pay for food with the tried and true methiod: "Not setting you on fire." This methiod can also help with having a roof over ones head and having servants as most people consider not being set on fire as a good thing. Its because wizards have a reputaion for such things that even those who do not use "Not setting you on fire." would have a hard time living in a town.

Many wizards live several days travel from a town (as magic is greatly feared) and as such they usualy produce their own materials rather then just buying them from the townsfolk. If actual money is neede a wizard can always work for the local lord (this is rare however because then the lord starts getting ideas about the wizard being his servant). Gold can also be aquired from tombs/ruins looted by the wizard. After a few decades most wizards have a large amount of gold on hand, so much so that a few thousand gp is beneath their notice.

Wizards who are easy to find and take gold in exchange for magic items would quickly be swamped by requests to make such items. As well as becoming a target for robbers and rivals (who would be after his magic items as well).

You don't need gold to make magic items? Gee, isn't that the whole of the base cost? Materials to make the item from? Or to perform rituals on the item with, same difference? XP, yes, but you also need gold (money) to buy materials with--metal, cloth, etc.

Gee, must be some pretty stupid wizards who let just any power-hungry person become a wizard and give them all such bad names...

Swamped by requests? Lots of money to be made, sitting at home, working in a relatively safe environment, as opposed to being in the weather and shot at while adventuring? Sounds great to me!

Robbers? "Not setting you on fire"--gee, wouldn't that deter robbers?

 

[DragonLancer]

That is demonstrably incorrect. That is the equivalent of saying that people have better things to do than to watch TV, play D&D, go to work, find signifcant others, or take showers. Everyone, everywhere, makes choices that others think are stupid.

Some wizards might think that getting tanked at the local tavern is a better idea than going adventuring. Some might think that making magic items for other people for money is actually a very good idea. Others may think that it's really cool to get money for items that they're never going to use.

So by your book, every wizard in the world sits there churning out magic items?

I do see your point very well, that you will have casters who do make items for sale in order to get rich, but I don't think they should be commonplace enough to have magic shops.

Um...okay. I fail to see how that statement is logically supported. NPCs come equipped with items. Characters of certain classes' effectiveness depends greatly on what magic items they have. For items to be difficult to get ahold of, the game would have to be much different.

Brad

Again, by core book standard. But do you honestly think that everyone of them has +3 weapons, armours, rings of protections, bracers, bags of holding...etc? Assuming that they all do is daft.

The problem as I see it, is that with the advent of third edition D&D, magic has become everything. Its taken the idea that magic replaces a lot in the setting. As I said before, magic as technology. That spoils the feel of the game. What I am suggesting is to make magic and magical items special again, instead of being commonplace.

 

[Ibram]

That is demonstrably incorrect. That is the equivalent of saying that people have better things to do than to watch TV, play D&D, go to work, find signifcant others, or take showers. Everyone, everywhere, makes choices that others think are stupid.

I never said that NO wizard ever took gold for a magic item, just that 99% of those who can have better things to do with their time then churn out +1 longswords for every punk kid who comes along.

Some wizards might think that getting tanked at the local tavern is a better idea than going adventuring. Some might think that making magic items for other people for money is actually a very good idea. Others may think that it's really cool to get money for items that they're never going to use.

A Wizard who spends all his time in the tavern is never going to gain any serious power, and there are far more efficient ways to earn money then creating a single sword.

Um...okay. I fail to see how that statement is logically supported. NPCs come equipped with items. Characters of certain classes' effectiveness depends greatly on what magic items they have. For items to be difficult to get ahold of, the game would have to be much different.

Brad

my current party is 7th level, they have two fairly powerful magic weapons and one slightly powerful one. they have no magic rings/bracelets/ect... and they get along fine IMC. And which class NEEDS magic items to be effective?