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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ar'Salan" data-source="post: 1988953" data-attributes="member: 27595">Here's how an old DM I played with did it:Work out the GP value of all items in Ye Olde Magic Shoppe, and then look in the DMG to figure out what level the shopkeeper has to be to own that amount of stuff. A +4 rapier alone is valued at 32,000 gold and a bit, which places the owner at around level 9. Assuming they have other stuff as well, you're looking level 10-11. That's just for one item, remember. An entire shop will have at a wild guess anywhere between 100,000 to 1,000,000 gold worth of stuff -- placing the owner, be they shopkeeper or merchant's guild, at between 13-22 level. These people aren't to be messed with. Your local Magical Item Merchant Guild's Total Net Worth would be in the multi-millions, and so could call on the aid of a half dozen or so epic NPCs (or equivalent) to laugh at your PCs and squash their heads between forefinger and thumb.I remember this hitting home clearly when another PC in an old party wanted to roleplay the 'annoying arrogant bastard' type. When the Magic Shoppe owner gave him a low quote on a +1 sword he was trying to sell, he got angry and after exchanging heated words, picked up said blade and threaten the shopkeeper with it. The shopkeeper laughed, told him to put it away before he hurt himself, and when he failed to do so, the shopkeeper reached out with a bare hand and snapped the sword in two, smiling all the while. The offender was then informed that he should leave the shop immediately and his name would be blackened at magic shops across the kingdom.Anyway, point is: think economics, work out the power levels.</blockquote>

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