How do wandering merchants survive?

[Yaezakura]

+1 sword - 0 (magic threshold for a level 5 char) = +1.

Er... I actually think you've got it wrong.

If a level 8 Ogre only gets a +1 from a +2 weapon because it's Magic Threshold is +1, then a level 5 enemy (with it's Magic Threshold of +0) doesn't get any bonuses at all. The Magic Threshold doesn't make items even more powerful (such as causing that +2 weapon to give the Ogre +3) but rather as a limiting factor to reduce the power of magic in the hands of enemies, so you can give them equipment your players may want without drastically increasing their power over their baseline stats, which already include equipment.

A level 5 enemy with a +1 weapon certainly uses it... but the +1 is considered "rolled into" his normal stats. He doesn't fight mechanically different than if he had a mundane weapon.

This only really applies to pre-generated enemies though, which you later tack a magic item onto. If you really do want a fully functional NPC, perhaps with a PC class, it's perfectly fine to give him a full set of equipment including any and all bonuses from his magic gear.

The Magic Threshold is simply a way of helping cut DM prep time. With the threshold, the DM knows an enemy can have a +X magic item without making the enemy significantly more powerful, because they potentially don't gain the full benefit. If an already fully statted enemy, balanced properly for, say, level 6, had the full benefit of his +2 Greatsword and his +1 Full Plate, he suddenly becomes something far more threatening than a normal enemy of his level. But with the Threshold, the impact of the magic items on his overall power is limited to manageable levels.

 

[Scribble]

Conceptually, I don’t see the problem with heavily/powerfully armed merchants travelling from PoL to PoL. In fact, it’s a great adventure hook. Merchants are interested in money, not doing good, which makes the world a dark place for more than one reason – not only are there monsters, cultists and brigands in the dark world, but those who are capable of fighting them (merchants and their armies) would rather swap coin, perhaps even with the very evil people fear so much.

Yeah... you can even have scenerios where the merchant has made a deal with the Orcs... You stay here and let me through and keep the people from venturing too far out of their village... I get to be the sole merchant that dares brave the roads to deliver much needed goods... of course the premium is only fair though I DID risk my neck getting there... In return I give you orcs some supplies or food or money...

 

[pemerton]

There's nothing wrong with a gamist attitude in the rules, but economics has everything to do with the campaign setting.

No. "Economics", as the excerpt uses the term, is all about rules for handling reward mechanisms. Its gameplay, not gameworld design.

I see this as a compromise between 1) the world is a scary, dangerous place; and 2) being able to convert your bling into powerups.

Agreed. It's obviously so. Treasure is a funamental aspect of D&D gameplay, and this is just part of the treasure rules.

Considering all we've learned about 4e in the past eight months or so, why oh why is anyone surprised to learn that 4e concepts are not based in world building? Considering the strongly gamist bent of pretty much each and every bit of flavor or crunch, why do people insist on trying to shoehorn new previews into a simulationist preconception?

Maybe if enough of us say it often enough someone will listen!

 

[hong]

Level pre-reqs? Where? Or do you mean the rings?

That, yes. So you can extrapolate the general principle and say that not everyone can use everything.

 

[Rykion]

Er... I actually think you've got it wrong.

If a level 8 Ogre only gets a +1 from a +2 weapon because it's Magic Threshold is +1, then a level 5 enemy (with it's Magic Threshold of +0) doesn't get any bonuses at all. The Magic Threshold doesn't make items even more powerful (such as causing that +2 weapon to give the Ogre +3) but rather as a limiting factor to reduce the power of magic in the hands of enemies, so you can give them equipment your players may want without drastically increasing their power over their baseline stats, which already include equipment.

The Magic Threshold is subtracted from the gear's bonus. If you hand a level 8 Ogre, with a Magic Threshold of +1, a +3 sword it becomes +2 in use because 3-1=2. A level 1 enemy would get the full +3 because its Magic Threshold is 0, but a level 1 enemy shouldn't be toting powerful magic items anyway.

The article on Magic Threshold is here. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418a

 

[hong]

If you see playing the game with your friends to be equal to watching porn, I really, really pity you.

Ahem.

 

[Yaezakura]

The Magic Threshold is subtracted from the gear's bonus. If you hand a level 8 Ogre, with a Magic Threshold of +1, a +3 sword it becomes +2 in use because 3-1=2. A level 1 enemy would get the full +3 because its Magic Threshold is 0, but a level 1 enemy shouldn't be toting powerful magic items anyway.

The article on Magic Threshold is here. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080418a

Oohh... okay. >D My bad, then. I totally missed the part where it said to subtract the threshold number.

Of course, that just makes it confusing to say subtract the number, but the thresholds are listed in pluses...

 

[Hussar]

If you see playing the game with your friends to be equal to watching porn, I really, really pity you.

I believe you should reread what I wrote, because, well, that's not it. I meant that world building is a separate game from what is played at the table. It's largely a solitary endeavor, with only the DM as the audience. It serves very little purpose at the table, other than to make the DM happy. It's like CSI - which is basically science porn. The music starts up, they fiddle with test tubes and whatnot, we get close ups on the goodies and then they get the release of finding an answer.

Only, with world building, you usually don't have a sound track.

 

[Jack99]

That, yes. So you can extrapolate the general principle and say that not everyone can use everything.

Good thing you weren't trying to argue reasonably here...

 

[Vigilance]

Maybe the merchants are canny enough to use a carrot and stick approach:

Tough bodyguards to make the monsters think twice about an attack, coupled with some generous gifts the local orc chieftain would find valuable.

Heck, a merchant on good terms might have the orcs in the ruins to collect things for him, and not care whether they or the PCs return to him successfully with the goods.

Chuck