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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hammerhead" data-source="post: 268493" data-attributes="member: 73">Yes, I hate the Magic Mart too.  I doubt that it could be defended well enough to defeat a very skilled thief all the time, and the value of its goods would attract such people.  Relatively cheap potions and scrolls would be the most common items, obviously.  Most items would have to be commisioned.  However, there'd be a few powerful items floating around for sale, just maybe not the ones you want.Even the oft- maligned FR setting doesn't have such unlimited selection magic shops.  The more powerful, and thus expensive, items are going to be too difficult to sell for them to be easily availible.  I much prefer a more self-sufficient party with some item creation feats.  Then you don't have to worry about buying items with subtle curses, or giving your enemies a list of your abilities.  Imagine a high level party that usually bought their items from Magic Mart.  A clerk there accepts a bribe and gives the party's rival a list of every magic item they've bought and sold.  Most of the group's abilities could then be deduced.  Talk about an information advantage!I don't think that having open magic selection helps the fighter that much.  For example, I recently started running a high level FR game while I'm home.  Some of them wanted a higher level game, and I wanted to try my hand at DMing.  I don't believe I vetoed a single item for the characters.  They made one Monk 15, a ranger 1/rogue 14, a fighter 2/pal 1/sorcerer 4/spellsword 8 with cleric cohort, and a single class ranger.  Guess how many can fly?  Only the spellsword, because he has the spell.  The Monk also can sometimes reach flyers, because he has Spiderman-like web items.  Guess how many can see invisible?  Only the spellsword.  Free magic item selection really helped them deal with their fighter type weaknesses, didn't it?  BTW, I built the character for the player who wanted a spellsword, otherwise, I doubt anyone could see invisible.Finally, I also don't like the dependency on magic items.  My new "great" idea is to set up some sort of place where characters can undergo lengthy, expensive training to develop quasi-magical powers.  By allowing themselves to be carefully pounded for many days, they could toughen their skin and gain natural armor bonuses.  Or work on developing their inner eye and learn to see invisible.  I don't think that such training would work well for magical weapons and armor, but it could probably work for some rings and wonderous items.  Then the characters are really good because of all their practice and training, and not because everything they wear, including underwear, is magic powerful enough to blind low level wizards using detect magic.</blockquote>

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