half price magic?

[kolikeos]

our dm has decided that all items the pcs sell are only sold at half price, including magical items. im not sure where i read it (i think it was in the dmg) that all mundane items are sold at half price, but does that also apply to magical ones? soon i will be able to create magical items (i can already create scrolls) and it seems to me to be pretty stupid if the items i create for half price plus xp will only be sold to npcs at half price (where's the gain?). obviously, me and the other players object to this method of commerce.

is it correct rules-wise?
what is your opinion of our dm's marketing?

 

[Khairn]

Unless the players are taking the time to establish and work in their own "Magic Items" shop, they need the services of a merchant (or fence if the goods are contraband) to sell their items for them. How is that merchant to make a profit if he buys and sells items at the same cost?

The rule we use (and I believe its in the DMG) is that every item the party wants to sell is sold at half price. This includes both mundane and magical items.

Now I do throw in modifiers to that rule depending on the party's status with the merchants and the town they are in, but it is never more than +/- 20%.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

All items the party sells are at 50% if done in the normal manner.

Now selling trade goods, gems, and jewelry/art still gets you 100% back when selling.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Your DM is correct about the rule....to a point. That rule is meant for "used" goods ("Loot"). The stuff you make yourself should be sold at or near the full price for such items (depending on if you make special arrangements with your client or not).
If your DM insists on even PC created items selling for half price, it looks like you should stick to only making items for the party (and maybe cohorts).

 

[Mortellan]

I am not sure if it's a written rule but as a DM I think it's smart. D&D should be about adventuring not commercial enterprise. Making players pay full price for magic items is intended to discourage the 'magic shop mentality' while on the flipside, half price for selling should discourage players from propogating the magic item shop culture of 3.5 rules. Ideally every item of magic obtained by the 'heroes' should be cherished and kept, not used to turn a profit. For this, previous editions were superior in stemming the tide of magic item creation and making their possession more appreciated.

 

[shilsen]

I am not sure if it's a written rule but as a DM I think it's smart. D&D should be about adventuring not commercial enterprise.

Why can't it be about both?

Making players pay full price for magic items is intended to discourage the 'magic shop mentality' while on the flipside, half price for selling should discourage players from propogating the magic item shop culture of 3.5 rules. Ideally every item of magic obtained by the 'heroes' should be cherished and kept, not used to turn a profit.

Again, why not?

For this, previous editions were superior in stemming the tide of magic item creation and making their possession more appreciated.

More appreciated till they found a better possession that could replace it. Why is that better than selling the possession for a better possession that can replace it?

I understand that your tastes lie in a particular direction, but stating that it's the way the game "should" be played is a little presumptuous, IMNSHO.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

The gain in creating magic items is not making money by selling them, but by getting them at half price (plus XP expenditure) - and getting what you want when noone has any to sell and noone can create them for you.

As others have said: In order to sell items at full price (or even nearly full price), you can't just walk into a town and flog them for that. In order to sell it for full price, you'll have to find a buyer who actually wants the thing. Otherwise, all you'll find is a shop who'll give you half price (on average), the rest being their profit and other expenses.

So if you want full price, either try and find a buyer, or set up a shop.

We did that once in a campaign: Instead of flogging everything we found, we put it on the shelves of our own shop (we liberated from some evildoer). We already were high-level at the time, so we were getting a large amount of items in our adventures.
It will take time to sell the stuff, and you'll have expenses (rent for the shop, salary for the personnel), but you'll get more than 50 percent. Eventually