Magic availibility and Magic shops

[Arksorn]

Artificers' Guild

The Artificers' Guild controls the buying and selling of most magic items in my campaign world. The guild is the most powerful guild in the entire multiverse; they buy and sell magic items after all. There are members of the Artificers' Guild in most towns and while they might not have many magic items on hand, they have powerful resources to get an item if the price is right. Crossing the Artificers' Guild is not a good idea, they have some of the most powerful adventurers, wizards, priests, kings, queens, emporer's, etc. as friends and allies. I provide my players with a list of magic items that can be purchased through the guild which I generate using a version of Jamis Buck's treasure generater which I have on my website.

Here is a copy of a normal list:
Artificer’s Guild
The following items may be purchased at any Artificer’s Guild building (found at castles or larger settlements). It will take 2 days per 1,000gp value for the item to be made or for it to arrive. Only one copy of each item is available. Items on the list come and go, so if you do not see what you like, come back later. If you do see what you like, do not wait too long.

Player’s Choice (PC) Definitions:
COMMON ARCANE: Made by wizard or sorcerer using only items/spells from Core Rules.
COMMON DIVINE: Made by cleric or druid using only items/spells from Core Rules and no domain spells.
ANY: Made by any class using items/spells from any source listed in the house rules.
LEVEL (L1, L2, etc.): Maximum caster level of any spell needed to make item. L1 and L2 items can only be charged or single use items.
PRICE: Maximum value for enchantment only (so 2,000gp would be enough to make a weapon +1, you pay for the masterwork weapon separately).

Special Material (SM) Definitions:
PRICE: Maximum value of the finished item. You cannot buy raw materials only finished items. The finished item will not be magical.

potion: mage armor (ph 223) (sl1, cl1) (D) (50 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- mage armor (ph 223) (sl1, cl1)
- see invisibility (ph 248) (sl2, cl3)
- Melf’s acid arrow (ph 227) (sl2, cl6) (D) (475 gp)
PC: COMMON ARCANE MAGIC ITEM (L2) (100 gp)
misc: amulet of natural armor +1 (dm 207) (F) (2,000 gp)
potion: endure elements (electricity) (ph 199) (sl1, cl1) (D) (50 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- color spray (ph 185) (sl1, cl1) (D) (25 gp)
PC: COMMON ARCANE MAGIC ITEM (L3) (500 gp)
misc: reading snuff (dr291 51) (F) (315 gp)
misc: lens of detection (dm 221) (F) (3,500 gp)
scroll (Rgr)
- shade’s sight (r&r 108) (sl1, cl2)
- entangle (ph 200) (sl1, cl2) (D) (100 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- enhance ability (hr) (sl2, cl3)
- see invisibility (ph 248) (sl2, cl3) (D) (300 gp)
potion: resist elements (fire) (ph 246) (sl2, cl3) (D) (300 gp)
weapon: +1 greatsword (15 lb) (ph 98) (F) (2,350 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- keen edge (ph 219) (sl3, cl5)
- Tenser’s floating disk (ph 265) (sl1, cl1)
- change self (ph 183) (sl1, cl1) (D) (425 gp)
scroll (Pal)
- delay poison (ph 191) (sl2, cl4)
- prot fr evil (ph 240) (sl1, cl2) (D) (250 gp)
misc: cloak of displacement, minor (dm 213) (M) (25,000 gp)
potion: prot fr evil (ph 240) (sl1, cl1) (D) (50 gp)
weapon: +1 greataxe (20 lb) (ph 98), mentally audible (F) (2,320 gp)
PC: COMMON ARCANE MAGIC ITEM (L1) (50 gp)
potion: endure elements (acid) (ph 199) (sl1, cl1) (D) (50 gp)
stone (Psychic Warrior)
- painful touch (psi 91) (sl2, cl5)
- feel sound (psi 75) (sl1, cl3)
- painful touch (psi 91) (sl2, cl5) (F) (575 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- mirror image (ph 229) (sl2, cl3)
- feather fall (ph 203) (sl1, cl1)
- continual flame (ph 188) (sl2, cl3) (D) (375 gp)
misc: goggles of minute seeing (dm 218) (F) (1,000 gp)
potion: resist elements (fire) (ph 246) (sl2, cl4) (D) (400 gp)
potion: prot fr law (ph 240) (sl1, cl2) (D) (100 gp)
scroll (Clr)
- cure light wounds (ph 190) (sl1, cl1)
- shatter (ph 250) (sl2, cl3)
- silence (ph 252) (sl2, cl3) (D) (325 gp)
scroll (Brd)
- locate object (ph 223) (sl2, cl4)
- tongues (ph 265) (sl2, cl4) (D) (400 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- mending (ph 227) (sl0, cl1) (D) (13 gp)
PC: COMMON DIVINE MAGIC ITEM (L1) (50 gp)
weapon: +2 rapier (3 lb) (ph 98) (M) (8,320 gp)
potion: prot fr evil (ph 240) (sl1, cl2) (D) (100 gp)
weapon: +1 rapier (3 lb) (ph 98), parrying (psi 127), light-emitting (M) (8,320 gp)
potion: darkvision (ph 190) (sl2, cl3) (D) (300 gp)
armor: +1 full plate (50 lb) (ph 105) (F) (2,650 gp)
potion: prot fr law (ph 240) (sl1, cl2) (D) (100 gp)
wand: animate rope (ph 174) (sl1, cl1) (42 ch) (F) (630 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- change self (ph 183) (sl1, cl1)
- ray of frost (ph 243) (sl0, cl1) (D) (38 gp)
potion: cure light wounds (ph 190) (sl1, cl1) (D) (50 gp)
armor: +1 chain shirt (25 lb) (ph 105) (F) (1,250 gp)
PC: COMMON DIVINE MAGIC ITEM (L4) (1,000 gp)
dorje: body adjustment (ml4) (38 ch) (4,560 gp)
PC: COMMON DIVINE MAGIC ITEM (L1) (50 gp)
scroll (Sor)
- charm person (ph 183) (sl1, cl1)
- disruption missiles (spsp 18) (sl2, cl4) (D) (225 gp)
potion: cure light wounds (ph 190) (sl1, cl2) (D) (100 gp)
PC: COMMON ARCANE MAGIC ITEM (L1) (50 gp)
potion: virtue (ph 269) (sl0, cl1) (D) (25 gp)
PC: COMMON ARCANE MAGIC ITEM (L1) (50 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- obscure object (ph 232) (sl2, cl3)
- Tenser’s floating disk (ph 265) (sl1, cl1) (D) (175 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- keen edge (ph 219) (sl3, cl5)
- dispel magic (ph 196) (sl3, cl5)
- confusion (ph 186) (sl4, cl7)
- secret page (ph 248) (sl3, cl5) (F) (1,825 gp)
armor: +3 buckler (5 lb) (ph 105) (M) (9,165 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- mind over matter (r&r 91) (sl4, cl7)
- wall of ice (ph 270) (sl4, cl7)
- vampiric touch (ph 268) (sl3, cl5) (F) (1,775 gp)
misc: ring gates (dm 225) (M) (40,000 gp)
wand: womb of the earth (dr279 35) (sl1, cl1) (15 ch) (D) (225 gp)
scroll (Wiz)
- dismissal (ph 196) (sl5, cl9)
- keen edge (ph 219) (sl3, cl5)
- shrink item (ph 252) (sl3, cl5) (F) (1,875 gp)
scroll (Drd)
- spike stones (ph 255) (sl4, cl7)
- mass resist elements (t&b 93) (sl3, cl5)
- dispel magic (ph 196) (sl4, cl7) (F) (1,775 gp)
potion: water breathing (ph 271) (sl3, cl5) (F) (750 gp)
misc: robe of blending (dm 225) (M) (10,000 gp)
weapon: +1 mighty (+3) composite longbow (3 lb) (ph 98) (F) (2,700 gp)
PC: ANY MAGIC ITEM (L8) (10,000 gp)
rod: withering (dm 198) (M) (17,000 gp)
staff: eyes (magof 150) (47 charges) (M) (29,610 gp)
staff: healing (dm 204) (44 charges) (M) (19,360 gp)
ring: elemental command, fire (dm 193) (O) (200,000 gp)
scroll (Drd)
- cure moderate wounds (ph 190) (sl3, cl5)
- stone shape (ph 257) (sl3, cl5)
- greater magic fang (ph 210) (sl3, cl5) (F) (1,125 gp)

 

[Steverooo]

I was just curious to how you determine what kinds and how many magic items show up in your magic shops in your campaigns.

There are no "Magic Shops" in my campaigns. You can visit a Wizard and contract to get something made, or you can find things adventuring. You can almost never find anything for sale in a shop, unless it is a scroll, potion, or ammunition.

Thus, magic items are entirely under control of the GM... He is responsible for seeing that the party has what they need. If the GM is me, then magical weapons and armor are common, less so as the power increases, and other types less so. "Expendibles" are the most common.

 

[Trainz@work]

Magic Availability System

I am at work and not too busy, so I came with that:

Magic Item Availability System

Mage guilds and Temples have items under 1000 gp value, according to the following guidelines:

Potions, Scrolls, and Wands that cure or remove an ailment can be accessed at a Temple. Availability depends on the size of town. Roll a d20: if you roll equal or lower, the item is available. Substract the base number by the number ater the slash ( / ) and reroll. If you roll under the new adjusted number, another one of the item is available.

Repeat until you fail, which means that the item is out of stock (or you bought all that are available for sale) and the target number is now 0. The target number increases by 1 each day if the PC's want to stay in town until an item is available, but remember that if they go check and fail, the target number is reset to 0 again. They're better off either visiting another town, or waiting until the target number is reset to close to it's original value.

Potion Scroll Wand
Hamlet: 12/3 9/3 6/3
Village: 15/3 12/3 8/4
Town: 18/3 15/3 12/4
City: 18/2 18/3 18/6

Any item under 1000 gp (including those found at temples) might be found at a Mage Guild (or lone arcanist that is in his base of operations, be it sorcerer or mage). The system is different however.

First, it takes 30 days before an item can be checked again (it doesn't reset the target number at one per day). Also, only a certain number of items can be checked at a given place:

Arcanist level 1-9 1d3 items
Arcanist level 10-15 1d4+1 items
Arcanist level 16+ 1d6+1 items
Small mage guild 1d4+2 items
Standard mage guild 1d6+2 items
Large mage guild 2d6 items

After this many attempts have been tried, the place is out of stock.

Item under 1000 gp value

One shot item Item w/ charges Permanent item
rcanist level 1-9 12/4 8/4 6/6
Arcanist level 10-15 16/4 10/5 8/8
Arcanist level 16+ 15/5 10/5 6/6
Small mage guild 16/4 12/6 8/4
Standard mage guild 18/3 14/7 10/5
Large mage guild 18/2 16/8 12/6

Item under 10000 gp value

One shot item Item w/ charges Permanent item
Arcanist level 1-9 8/4 6/6 4/4
Arcanist level 10-15 10/5 8/4 6/5
Arcanist level 16+ 12/6 10/5 8/6
Small mage guild 10/5 8/4 6/3
Standard mage guild 14/7 12/6 10/5
Large mage guild 16/8 14/7 12/6

Item under 50000 gp value

One shot item Item w/ charges Permanent item
Arcanist level 1-9 2/4 2/2 2/2
Arcanist level 10-15 4/4 4/4 4/3
Arcanist level 16+ 6/4 6/4 6/5
Small mage guild 4/2 4/2 4/2
Standard mage guild 6/4 6/4 6/4
Large mage guild 8/6 8/6 8/6

Item OVER 50000 gp value

One shot item Item w/ charges Permanent item
Arcanist level 1-9 1/1 1/1 1/1
Arcanist level 10-15 2/2 2/2 2/2
Arcanist level 16+ 3/2 3/2 3/3
Small mage guild 2/2 2/2 2/2
Standard mage guild 3/2 3/2 3/3
Large mage guild 4/3 4/3 4/4

 

[Trainz@work]

Come to think of it...

I don't totally like what I came up with, so here is a revised system (it is VERY slow at work today):

Magic Items Availability

Mage guilds and Temples have items under 1000 gp value, according to the following guidelines:

Potions, Scrolls, and Wands that cure or remove an ailment can be accessed at a Temple. Availability depends on the size of town. Roll a d20: if you roll equal or lower, the item is available. Substract the base number by the number ater the slash ( / ) and reroll. If you roll under the new adjusted number, another one of the item is available. Repeat until you fail, which means that the item is out of stock (or you bought all that are available for sale) and the target number is now 0. The target number increases by 1 each day if the PC's want to stay in town until an item is available, but remember that if they go check and fail, the target number is reset to 0 again. They're better off either visiting another town, or waiting until the target number is reset to close to it's original value.

........... Potion Scroll Wand
Hamlet:.... 12/3 9/3 6/3
Village:.... 15/3 12/3 8/4
Town:..... 18/3 15/3 12/4
City:....... 18/2 18/3 18/6

Any item under 1000 gp (including those found at temples) might be found at a Mage Guild (or lone arcanist that is in his base of operations, be it sorcerer or mage). The system is different however.

First, it takes 30 days before an item can be checked again (it doesn't reset the target number at one per day). Also, only a certain number of items can be checked at a given place:

Arcanist level 1-9 1d3 items
Arcanist level 10-15 1d4+1 items
Arcanist level 16+ 1d6+1
Small mage guild 1d4+2
Standard mage guild 1d6+2
Large mage guild 2d6

After this many attempts have been tried, the place is out of stock.

Item under 1000 gp value

One shot item Item w/ charges Permanent item
rcanist level 1-9 12/4 8/4 6/6
Arcanist level 10-15 16/4 10/5 8/8
Arcanist level 16+ 15/5 10/5 6/6
Small mage guild 16/4 12/6 8/4
Standard mage guild 18/3 14/7 10/5
Large mage guild 18/2 16/8 12/6

Anything at 1000 gp or over is not readilly available at a "shop" or somesuch. These must be searched individually, through inquiries. Here is a system...

A character must make a check with either Information Gathering, Knowledge Religion, or Knowledge Arcane (not important). A fee is also paid depending on the skill used: Information Gathering is for drinks, bribes, and tips; Knowledge Religion is for church tithes and contributions, Knowledge Arcane is for Guild fees and simply to grease someone's palm. If the check is failed, half the cost is paid.

The DC, cost, and time it takes is set by the gold piece value of the item:

1,000 gp to 4,999 gp: DC 15/ 1d4 hours/ 4d6 gp
5,000 gp to 19,999 gp: DC 20/ 1d10 hours/ 10d6 gp
20,000 gp to 49,999 gp: DC 25/ 1d4 days/ 8d20 gp
50,000 gp to 99,999 gp: DC 30/ 1d10 days/ 10d100 gp
100,000 gp and +: DC 40/ 1d4 weeks/ 5d1000 gp

If the check is successful (and the cash is paid, of course...), then the PC's know where such an item is. That doesn't make it readilly available though.

Roll 1d12 (Yay ! A use for the d12 !)
1- Someone has one such item available and for sale at regular price. His location is within 100 miles.
2- Someone has one such item available and for sale at regular price. His location is from 100 and 500 miles.
3- Someone has one such item available and for sale at double the price. His location is within 100 miles.
4- Someone has one such item available and for sale at double the price. His location is from 100 and 500 miles.
5- Someone is ready to craft the item at regular price. His location is within 100 miles.
6- Someone is ready to craft the item at regular price. His location is from 100 and 500 miles.
7- Someone is ready to craft the item at double price. His location is within 100 miles.
8- Someone is ready to craft the item at double price. His location is from 100 and 500 miles.
9+- It is rumored that such an item is in a certain creature's lair. There is a 75% chance that the rumor is true, and the creature's CR is equal to the inquiring character's level plus 1d6-2. The creature's location is within 300 miles.

Now THIS system I like. It also reduces the "magic shop" effect while still giving the PC's a chance to acquire an item.

 

[Nephet]

If NPCs can have item creation feats and if all you need is gold and time to construct MIs, there will be magic shoppes.

If MC had magic shoppes (it doesn't - not in this sense), here's how I decide what's present.

- GP limit of town -- this usually limits most non-charged items to small cities or larger.

- Availability of security -- to protect a magic item depository usually requires a level of security that outstrips the average mage. This limits the availability of such shoppes even more. Such shoppes will probably be guilds of some sort with multiple mages and elaborate security arrangements. In these places all the common items would be present up to the city gp limit.

Other methods of procurement:

Auctions: choose a few items for a private auction - good RP op.

Custom Made: The safest and most likely means of getting a particular item. This of course takes time.

 

[alaric]

IMC the majority of magic items are restricted legally. You need permits and such to aquire them, which means most magic items are aquired through the black market. You simply get in touch with someone in one of the local thieves guilds and ask about availablility. Anything beyond the scroll and potion level (with the occasional wand of magic missile and +1 long sword thrown in) will need to be custom ordered. So they can get just about any magic item they want, as long as they are willing to wait 2 months for it to ship.

This also reduces the problem of people robbing the magic store because 1) In general they don't keep a large amount of items on stock (not much more than the personal magic items the wizard that runs the shop has) and 2) It's generally a bad idea to steal form the thieves guild, they tend to be big and will hold a grudge.

 

[Zappo]

I'm running two campaigns.

The first one is a Dragonlance campaign. You basically can't buy magic items; maybe, just maybe, you might find a magic shop which offers spell components and some scroll, potion or minor trinket in one of the major cities. You might be able to hire a wizard to make a custom item, or maybe not. Mostly, you take what you find and call yourself lucky. As for selling, you first have to find someone who won't run screaming at the idea of magic, and then perhaps you can sell.

The second one is a Planescape campaign. In Sigil, you can easily and quickly find any minor item such as most potions, low-level scrolls, +1 equipment, and low-level wands. You can also find most items of average power if you can take a day or so looking for them. You can usually find at least a bunch of major items for sale, though if you're looking for a specific item you'll need to find someone who can get it for you or find a wizard who'll create it for you. Both are viable options and generally only a matter of time and money. Items above 500 GP in value and bought in a reputable shop come with a government-issued certificate so that you know what you're buying. As for selling, it's about the same; you can usually find someone who'll buy any item eventually. If it's a powerful item, though, you might be unable to sell it for a good price unless you get it certified (which costs) or unless you find someone who really needs it.

So, you can see that the availability of magic is 100% a matter of the specific flavor of the setting. No option has more intrinsic worth than another.

 

[Umbran]

If NPCs can have item creation feats and if all you need is gold and time to construct MIs, there will be magic shoppes

Ah, but it isn't just gold and time. It's gold, time, and XP.

That's meaningful to the NPC who's making the item. It means that he's effectively taking some of the risks he took into that item, and if he wants to continue moving forward as a caster, he's gong to have to take more risks, or wait a very long time.

Thus, unless the NPCs are adventurers, with the fast track to XP, there's a limit as to how quickly items will be created.

 

[blackshirt5]

There are no magic shops in my world. At best, you can find an alchemist who'll brew you up some potions; other than that, you've gotta find them in dungeons, make em yourself, or find a mage who'll make them for you for a price.

 

[V_Shane]

Magic items in my world (for a particualr continent that the players are on now) are pretty much treated like contraban and illegal goods. When whispers appear that such and such has a magic item they are immediatly sought out by various clan/guild spys and attempt to locate it and take it or seek to assainate those who ahve them to maintain thier balance of their political world.

So Magic shops? No, and the locals treat such as a pariah.