Limits for magic items PCs can buy when starting at high level

[XO]

Pointless Exercise (imnsho)

Much ado about nothing since the 11th lvl characters would normally be able (when equipped) to challenge CR15 and thus, have (had) a good chance of acquiring major items.

The net effect on the campaign, except for having wracked your brains and wasted your time, is next to nothing.

The net effect on your players is likely much frustration for really no good reason.

The doctor's prognostic is "slightly afflicted by control freakishness".

To each his own...

PS: it's your campaign.

btw, consumables (such as potions) are hardly much of an issue at that level.

 

[Victim]

One big item is generally less efficient at the start. Consider the +5 armor mentioned by the op: it provides +5 AC (plus whatever the armor costs) for 25k (5k per AC). Now consider the same character with several smaller items: +2 armor (4k), +2 natural armor (8k), +2 deflection (8k). Now he's got a +6 to AC for 20k - more AC, less money spent. If you start paying 50% more for secondary properties to conserve on item spaces, things look a bit more even, but the general edge in efficiency still goes to multiple smaller items.

Another simple rule of thumb guideline is nothing that a non artificer crafter of your level couldn't make. 11th level PCs could make +3 stuff (except for stat items). It also prevents people from loading up on high level scrolls and such.

Rigid categories tend to screw certain classes since their demand for types of items changes. A wizard probably doesn't want any weapons or armor, but probably does want more wonderous items (bigger stat boosts, magic spellbook) and scrolls (to write into his book). Similarly, a monk pretty much only wants wonderous items - especially lots of stat boosts to make up for his MAD.

 

[seans23]

Less than ideal for many character classes.

I have to spend 30% of my gold on armor for my Wizard?

-Stuart

Iin Bad Paper's campaign, my cleric is the only character who needed to be rolled at a higher level. When my monk died (for ridiculously lame reasons) and couldn't come back, Bad Paper told me that no item could be worth more than 1/3 of my total treasure. Which seemed pretty reasonable.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I am a big fan of making replacement characters choose 1/3 or 1/2 of their items, and then randomly (mostly) rollingthe rest. I roll till I get soemthing they can use and would have been likely to keep if found in some hoard, but not optimal stuff.

 

[Longbow]

Much ado about nothing since the 11th lvl characters would normally be able (when equipped) to challenge CR15 and thus, have (had) a good chance of acquiring major items.

The net effect on the campaign, except for having wracked your brains and wasted your time, is next to nothing.

The net effect on your players is likely much frustration for really no good reason.

The doctor's prognostic is "slightly afflicted by control freakishness".

To each his own...

PS: it's your campaign.

btw, consumables (such as potions) are hardly much of an issue at that level.

Well, you may be right and this all was pointless. We play tomorrow so if someone wants to have something more expensive I may allow it.

Good advice, guys. Thx.

 

[Legildur]

I think the 20,000 gp cap is good. It allows for +4 stat items, +4 armors and +3 weapons. All of those should be fine at 11th level.

Agreed.

 

[Wish]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. For one thing, the DMG wealth values are often a little on the low end anyway, since they assume a rather large chunk of wealth gained at previous levels has been lost (either in consumables or selling of unwanted items). That depends somewhat on your playstyle though - if your players use a lot of consumables and swap out gear a lot, it's probably ok. If they don't, then letting the new PCs apply their money efficiently is proably a good thing.

 

[Jack Simth]

One big item is generally less efficient at the start. Consider the +5 armor mentioned by the op: it provides +5 AC (plus whatever the armor costs) for 25k (5k per AC). Now consider the same character with several smaller items: +2 armor (4k), +2 natural armor (8k), +2 deflection (8k). Now he's got a +6 to AC for 20k - more AC, less money spent. If you start paying 50% more for secondary properties to conserve on item spaces, things look a bit more even, but the general edge in efficiency still goes to multiple smaller items.

At first, yes.

There are, however, campaign dependancies; if crafting isn't viable (e.g., time constraints, chancy allies for a non-crafter, et cetera) and you can't buy magic items, then the +5 armor has a long-term advantage: You still have slots for found stuff.

If you have a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor, a +2 Ring of Deflection, a +2 Large Shield, +2 Full Plate, and a +2 Defending Shortsword, when you run across a +4 Amulet of Health, you have a hard choice to make (+2 AC or +2HP/level and +2 Fort?). When you run across a +3 Ring of Deflection, that +2 Ring of deflection has just become worthless.

If you have a +5 Armor, the +6 Amulet of Health is a sweet bonus. As is the +3 Ring of Deflection.

Mind you, that's entirely campaign-dependant; if you can sell for half, and buy for full, that problem mostly goes away... but the +5 Armor still has a bit of a conservation advantage.

 

[Victim]

At first, yes.

There are, however, campaign dependancies; if crafting isn't viable (e.g., time constraints, chancy allies for a non-crafter, et cetera) and you can't buy magic items, then the +5 armor has a long-term advantage: You still have slots for found stuff.

If you have a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor, a +2 Ring of Deflection, a +2 Large Shield, +2 Full Plate, and a +2 Defending Shortsword, when you run across a +4 Amulet of Health, you have a hard choice to make (+2 AC or +2HP/level and +2 Fort?). When you run across a +3 Ring of Deflection, that +2 Ring of deflection has just become worthless.

If you have a +5 Armor, the +6 Amulet of Health is a sweet bonus. As is the +3 Ring of Deflection.

Mind you, that's entirely campaign-dependant; if you can sell for half, and buy for full, that problem mostly goes away... but the +5 Armor still has a bit of a conservation advantage.

True enough, hence the "at the start" provision in my post.

 

[bestone]

I played (very shortly as one could guess) where the players would randomly do stupid thigns to get thier characters killed, while the others in the party gathered up their magic items, then the player would make a new character, and insist on getting his old gear, plus the tens of thousands of gold in new stuff he just bought.....

It left a very sour taste in my mouth towards starting characters off with large amounts of coin