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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DSRilk" data-source="post: 4222403" data-attributes="member: 35212">I'm not real keen on the travelling merchant thing.  Then again, I've never been keen on the idea that there was a trade in magic items at ALL, nor on the idea that PCs rake in tons of gold.  I like it when a magic item is something special that a character would never consider giving away - it would be something that gets passed down in the family for generations, and when gold is something they get just enough of to get an occasional fancy meal.  My method for getting around balance issues and making the characters feel special and cool without the money is as follows:Instead of money, the characters earn fame.  They don't need tons of coin, because everyone wants to put them up and help them out.  This also fits the transient nature of the adventurer.  And when they go to a place that doesn't know of them, they get to dabble in that feeling of no longer getting what they want just because they're rich.Instead of hordes of magic items, I give powers.  Characters will on rare occasion get a magic item.  In 3.x I gave them special powers every level or two that fit with their "destiny".  In 4e this all becomes MUCH easier for me, which I'm REALLY looking forward to.  Magic items won't have +1 - +5, instead the characters will gain an extra +1 to their level bonus at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19 (that might change after I see the books, but its the current plan -- plus I don't plan on going into the 21+ zone).  Additionally, because items have actual powers now, each player will get a "weapon-like" power every other level to compensate for the lack of magic items (from their fate, destiny, training, what-have-you).Honestly, this is my favorite thing by FAR about 4e -- the ability to flex the magic item quantity really easily.</blockquote>

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