Interesting math in the economics of 4e

[Asmor]

Mods, feel free to move this. I didn't think it really belonged in the rules or house rules forums, but it doesn't feel like it fits here either. <shrug>

Anyways.

Say for the sake of argument that a level 0 magic item costs 200 gp.
Now, if you compare the cost of a level N magic item to the cost of a level N-1 magic item, you'll find that the ratios repeat like the following:

1/0: 9/5
2/1: 13/9
3/2: 17/13
4/3: 21/17
5/4: 25/21

This pattern then repeats every five levels, all the way to 30. For example,

21/20: 9/5
22/21: 13/9
23/22: 17/13
24/23: 21/17
25/24: 25/21

This leads to some interesting conclusions. First, a point on notation. When I say level ~1, I mean "All levels equivalent to 1 modulo 5". For example, ~1=1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26 and ~0=5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30.

Note that the first level of every tier is ~1. Also note that a level ~1 magic item is worth 80% more than the previous level's magic item. Compare this to level ~2, which is worth just 44% more than level ~1, and level ~0, which is worth just 19% more than ~4. Level ~1 items are worth a LOT of money.

According to the DMG, every party with at least 2 people is supposed to get an amount of treasure equal to the value of two magic items of their current level over the course of each experience level. You also get items of level +1 to +4, relative to your current level.

If we ignore the item's intrinsic value for the moment and just look at it's gp value, that means that in essence over the course of each level, a level ~N party will get the following:

Twice a level ~N item's value +
A level ~N+1 item's value +
A level ~N+2 item's value +
A level ~N+3 item's value +
A level ~N+4 item's value.

My conclusion thus is that at level ~1, you're getting a significant boost in overall wealth, especially compared to level ~0. Interesting considering that level~1 is also the level when the next point of enhancement bonus starts popping up.

Now, another interesting thing. A level N+5 item is always worth exactly 5 times a level N item. (Note that if you multiply the entire series of ratios, 9/5 * 13/9 * 17/13 * 21/17 * 25/21, most of the numbers cancel and you're left with 25/5=5).

Put another way, a level N item is worth 1/5 a level N+5 item. The number 1/5 seem at all familiar? That's how much items sell for, and how much residuum you get for disenchanting! In other words, disenchanting an item is equivalent to turning it into an item of your choice 5 levels lower, barring extra gold investment.

I wish WotC put this much thought into some of the other math of 4th edition *coughskillchallengescough*

 

[small pumpkin man]

Note also that level ~1 is when you get magic +blah items, with the intention of making the flashy items a better option.

 

[Asmor]

I was wrong about getting the most wealth at level ~1. You actually get the most wealth at level ~2. I guess that's because you're still getting twice a level ~2 magic item's value in gold (+44%), and you're also getting a much more valuable magic item +4 (which would be a level ~1 magic item, as opposed to level ~0 magic item at level ~1).

You do however get the most liquid wealth at level ~1, for what it's worth, but consequently the least magic item level wealth.

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

This isn't anything new. They explained all of this in one of the previews. It's done this way so that when you sell or disenchant an item for 20% of its value, you can buy or create a new item that is 5 levels lower. You might lose power but you gain utility if the original item wasn't one that you could use.