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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deadguy" data-source="post: 1189586" data-attributes="member: 2480">What is it with DMs that they seem to fall apart at the thought of PCs being able to <gasp!> purchase magic items?!?! I know that it's a departure from the earlier position of D&D, where magic wasn't avaialble except as a 'gift' from the DM. And I appreciate that if you're still running a campaign that started back in pre-3e days, then retrofitting the campaign may be right out. But really, if you are starting afresh under 3e, then rather than just running scared from magic item purchase incorporate it into the setting! Think about who purchases magic items, and how. Think about how this affects the abilities of powerful people, of governments and organisations.   I agree that it's quite some work, and it's also a bit hit-and-miss as to adjudging it right. But I assure you that it can be done and still leave a world worth adventuring in. You just have to take a different tack with adventure design. Whilst you can still do adventures about 'get the holy sword', they must be at the appropriate level, and they must make internal sense (mostly 'why the PCs, and not someone else more powerful better equipped to deal with this threat?'). You also don't tend to do adventures whose sole selling point is 'find the magic goodies'; PCs do find that adventure less interesting under 3e. But there are still plenty of things to motivate PCs beyond just tantalising them with a magical doodad!  As for cheapening magic, I think you have to run a very low magic game indeed to avoid that. Standard D&D under 1e and 2e still had loads of magic items, and PCs still tended to accumulate plenty of 'toys' (just take a look through White Plume Mountain again, or tot up the magic in G1-3). It's just that under previous editions, PCs couldn't effectively create any magic items (and no-one in their right mind would even try according to the suggestions as to what was involved). So PCs were entirely beholden to the DM. That isn't mystical any more than purchase is; it just sidesteps player involvement and doesn't bother to explain where magic comes from.  The one thing I will say about 3e's approach to magic that I don't like. I don't think that they should have phrased availability as being just a matter of 'is the town big enough?'. For myself, I assume that magic items, as very expensive goods, are snapped up very fast. So PCs generally have to commission magic items that they want. That means finding someone able to make the item, and allowing them time to create it. That is, PCs must plan ahead. I find that the combination of planning and finding items creates a good motivation for action by PCs. And in the process you can dangle plenty of interesting adventure hooks in front of them. But I can sympathise why the 2e designers took a simpler line - all of the above takes rather more work to sort out. Still quite doable though.</blockquote>

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