How do you buy and sell magic items?

[painandgreed]

Depends on what sort of game I'm running. If I'm playing just for the fun of it hack and slash, then I just let them open the book and buy and sell (at half price). In my more serious campaign, there are NPC wizards who make them and charge according to what they are able to make and how willing they are to make it. Said wizards and a few merchants also act as brokers for buying and selling magic items and have a list of buyers and sellers of prospective items and complete the deals for a cut. There are two wizard colleges that have a decent supply and might actually act as "magic stores" but they are picky as to who they sell to and what they are willing to sell. For the vast majority of items above 1000 GP or so, it involves finding a person who can make it and then having it made for you.

 

[kigmatzomat]

The answer IMC is "not quickly."

Like many other DMs I use the "craftsman" approach. In most cities of appropriate size the players can find someone capable of making the item. Like any significant NPC (and what NPC isn't significant when you start talking thousands of gp's?) I figure out class, alignment, race, etc and assign some general motivations, keeping in mind the fact they are a crafter.

The players then approach said NPC and make diplomacy/negotiation checks to arrange for the items. In most cases a bad roll won't result in refusal but you will be put on the bottom of the "to do" list and may be waiting a while.

Additionally I roll up treasures equal to the CRs of the top 2 or 3 NPCs and treat that as the stuff that's in the city and up for sale. Any decent gather information check will determine it's existence and who the selling agent is (often a temple, a noble, or a guild).

 

[hexgrid]

The question is, How do you buy and sell magic items [in you campaign world].

I keep it abstract, because role-playing the details doesn't make for exciting game sessions. The economics of it fall into the "don't think too hard about it" category.

Usually the way it will work is that the players are in a large city, and they have some stuff they'd like to buy. Everyday they make some sort of ad-hoc roll for each item to determine if they found someone selling it. If they didn't, they can try again the nextday.

In the meantime, it's entirely possible that in-game events will interrupt the search, in which case the players willl have to wait until they have some more free time to go shopping.

Alternatively, they can commission someone to create the item, and wait however long that takes. Again, in-game events won't necessarily wait for the item to be completed.

Selling works pretty much the same way.

 

[Pbartender]

I'm actually sending out an email to my players explaining this, since we jsut started a new campaign, and they've just collected their first haul of treasure.

I'm treating magic items in my campaign in a similar manner to artwork today.

"Minor" disposable magic, like low-level scrolls, potions and wands are widely available and easily purchased. Almost every hamlet has a witch or hedge wizard with love potions, cure-alls and lucky charms for sale. Even minor enhancing items, like Cloaks of Resistance or Amulets of Natural Armor might be found there.

Most other more powerful items are nearly unique, and are jealously collected and guarded by those who cherish them. They rarely come up for sale, though buyers are easy to find, if you know where to look. A quick sale, however, will greatly reduce the price. It takes much time and advertisement to find those who value your Magic most highly. Finally proveing to anyone that your item is what you advertise it be can be decidedly tricky.

Values in the DMG are only a guide, much like the suggested values listed for used cars in a Kelly Blue Book. Do not rely on them. Actual value will greatly depend on who you sell it to.

There may, of course, be the occasional lucky find. A blacksmith, for example, may be unknowingly using a Hammer of Smiting +2 to shape your horseshoes. A Dagger of Returning +1 may be hidden at the bottom of a Two-For-One bargain bin of hunting knives. A Flying Carpet could be used at the door mat for the local Lord's castle. Who knows?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Varies.

I run a fairly high magic FR campaign but most swords of high enchantment simply aren't made due to the XP investment that would cost the caster. Lots of little things around but not a lot of the big stuff. For that they have to go a hunting or have a really good trade that could convince someone to do it.

 

[Crothian]

IMC they have to track down people to buy and sell stu8ff to. People with that kind of money just don't advertise. There is lots of role playing and great risk, as the party has gotten ripped off, set up, and robbed for announcing they have money/magic items to the wrong people.

 

[Storm Raven]

IMC they have to track down people to buy and sell stu8ff to. People with that kind of money just don't advertise. There is lots of role playing and great risk, as the party has gotten ripped off, set up, and robbed for announcing they have money/magic items to the wrong people.

That sounds to me like a campaign world with a market opportunity just waiting to be exploited. It seems like a powerful group of people could become quite wealthy by arranging to link up buyers and sellers of magic items (and other expensive things) and provide guarantees of the safety of the resulting transactions.

 

[Undead Lincoln]

How do you purchase a heavy crossbow? Cost: 50gp
[a potion of cure light wounds costs 50gp]

How do you purchase a good lock? Cost: 80gp

How do you purchase a composite longbow? Cost: 100gp
[a potion of mage armor and shield of faith +2 costs 100gp total]
.
.
.
How do you purchase a sailing ship? Cost: 10,000gp
[a +2 greatsword costs 8,350gp]

How do you purchase a good sports car? Cost 200,000$
An origional painting from a well known artist costs less.

The key is how common transactions involving the item are, and how specific the demand is.

I see +X versions of common weapons as the car. Consider a +4 longsword. There are a reasonable number of them on the market at any one time. In addition there is relativly little difference between them. They might have different guards. hilt decorations, or slightly different blades. Just like the sports car may be a different color, or have different options. Provided these minor differences don't matter, a sword of such power is there to be found with some legwork in a major city, just as a sportscar is to be found with some legwork in a modern major city.

However more exotic items are more like the painting. Consider a +2 undeadbane, shocking great scimitar. There might be only one in existance at any one time. There might be zero and it needs to be comissioned. It might be owned by someone who wouldn't part with it for mere money. The owner might be willing to sell it, but because of the low likelyhood of there being a buyer isn't trying. Finding this sword would take a comission,luck, theft, travel and/or exhorbitant prices even in a major country, and it might not be possible at all; Just as finding a painting of a scene of type X by artist Y would in the present day US.

 

[Ibram]

lets look at this way... instead of saying "buying" magic items lets call it aquiring magic items.

IMC You have two choices when seeking a new magic item... find an old one that meets your needs or commision a new one to your specifications, both methiods have risks and benefits.

New magic items: assuming that you have a spell caster on your side to be present during the creation you can be reasonably asured that there are no supprises in the enchantments. You also can get something custom made to your specifications (getting the features you want). On the downside you have to find a spell caster capable of casting the appropreate spells and a craftsman capable of creating the base item (not always the same person, most wizards dont have ranks in craft (weaponsmith)). Then you have to aquire the materials to create the item, which may attract the attention of the Law (creating magic items is illegal IMC unless you are sanctioned by the Church).

Old magic items: through researching legends you can usualy find a weapon close to your needs, though not perfectly matched. Once you have a specific weapon in mind you can seek it out and retreave it; sometimes this is a simple as finding the owner and paying her a very large sum, it could also be bartered for, most of the time it has to be stolen (either from a tomb or its present owner). Old magic items can be dangerous to own however; not just because the possibility that some of its properties can be unknown but that it might be recognized (which brings other to try and bargan/steal the item).

 

[Crothian]

That sounds to me like a campaign world with a market opportunity just waiting to be exploited. It seems like a powerful group of people could become quite wealthy by arranging to link up buyers and sellers of magic items (and other expensive things) and provide guarantees of the safety of the resulting transactions.

Well, there is that sort of thing already in existance, but the players nver found it. They were really expecting more of the "magic shop" idea instead it was a few people who knew the right people and could pass on messages. But the palyers were very casious so they rarely went that route and did things the hard way.