? on buying magic items

[Vexed]

How do you (As a DM) deal with your players purchansing (within reason) almost any magic items in large cities? Recently my players began the city of the spider queen campaign, and decided before they start they should teleport to waterdeep and "stock up" on some magic equipment. Since they had a large amount of gold to spend they grabbed the DMG and began tallying up what they wanted after stating they went to a local mage school, merchant, etc. like it was wal mart. Also, realzing in a place like waterdeep they could get whatever they want, because if person A doesnt have it, then... I go to person b, and c, d until i find someone who does sell it to me. etc... just give me the +3 keen chaotic icy burst great sword already ok?

Anyone else experience this? The only thing i make them do is actually "role play" the scenario out. (I dont want to waste two hours over it though. Especially if they are determined to get what they want. And if they have the rescources, and are in a place such as Waterdeep they should be able to find magic items, etc.) But i cant help feeling like any time a character over 10th level in my game wants something they can virtually run down to the 7-11 via teleport and get whatever they want.

 

[Firzair]

Hi Vexed,
IMC I have a list much like that in the DMG for generic items. I let them buy what they want, but if they try to purchase too much, they find the prices double or even triple due to their money spending frenzy. In addition I have a gold piece limit for items to be bought, e.g. no item with standard base price over 25.000 gp in Waterdeep can be bought or ordered.
If they want some items, I let them create them themselves (my wizard player hoards his xp like a dragon so almost no items where created by him).

Oh, and perhaps try to give them a little less gold

Greetings
Firzair

 

[Robbert Raets]

Generic +1 or +2 swords are likely very common in the Realms. Flaming and Holy swords are probably easy to find if you know a mage or two. Anything else is either a one-time offer or has to be custom-made for you.

 

[Murrdox]

Just because a city's economy is big enough that it CAN have everything doesn't necessarily mean it DOES have everything. Even Waterdeep.

A lot of my fellow players do this as well, and I admit I'm guilty of it too... rooting through the DM's guide and customizing a weapon to "buy".

Hmmm... okay... I have 10,000 GP... I'll buy a +1 keen scimitar and Boots of Flying, kay?

Sometimes there really isn't anything you can do to curb this, aside from denying your players equipment. I agree that in the Realms, +1 and +2 weapons of most types will be readily available in Waterdeep. However, once you get higher than that.. and you start in with special abilites... the chances that a Merchant is going to have your +1 keen Icy Burst Orc-Bane longsword is pretty slim.

I generally roll percentage dice based upon how specific an item they're looking for, and whether or not its a common weapon (you're more likely to find a +1 keen longsword than a +1 keen sickle, just because longswords are so common). I don't have a clear formula for this... but if the economy can support the cost of the weapon, I usually start at 80%, and subtract 20% for every "special ability" on a weapon.

What does this mean for you? Well, it might mean that in order to get that +1 Keen Icy Burst Orc-Bane longsword... you are NOT going to simply find it on a shelf. However, they might find a +1 Icy Burst longsword... at that point, simply tell them that they come across a really cool looking longsword or whatnot that has SOME of the enchantments they want on it. Then, it's up to the players to track down a wizard who is willing to place additional enchantments on the weapon.

Does this really MATTER in terms of the game? Well, most often it doesn't. As you say, a determined player will figure out a way of getting it, unless you just simply say "no". Sometimes it could matter in terms of TIME though... searching all those shops and paying wizards to enchant items can take weeks.

Even in Waterdeep I usually make characters do Gather Information checks to find shops that sell any weapon over a +2, or any Wonderous item over 8000 gp or so in value.

 

[hong]

How do you (As a DM) deal with your players purchansing (within reason) almost any magic items in large cities?

...

Anyone else experience this?

Yes, and it's never bothered me that much. The emphasis of my game is on what you do with that equipment, not so much how you get it.

 

[Steverooo]

Old-School

Apparently, I do things very differently than most other GMs... I do it the "Old School", 1e way. I simply say No. "Magic Shops" do not exist!

You may find some potions, scrolls, or magical ammo for sale in any large town, maybe even some +1 weapons in a major city, but anything else? You find a Wizard to enchant it, or you gain it through adventuring.

No shopping trips, no using the DMG as a Sears catalog. Just "No".

Adventures are where the goodies are gotten. Players leave the adventure to go to town for supplies and healing between adventures, or when the adventure takes them there.

I don't have these kinds of problems, except with new players. If starting out above first level, I do allow them to select items. If they've been adventuring for a while, they'd have amassed some goodies. After that, what they get is up to the GM.

 

[Fenes 2]

You don't buy magic in my campaigns. You may manage to commission a magic item, or get one as a reward, but there are no magic shops imc where magic weapons and items are in stock.
My FRs are low on magic items.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I'm also of the "no way" school of thought. Magic is kept rare and difficult to obtain. The easiest way is to commision the item direct from someone capable of making it, and there's usually more than a bit of gold involved. Various house-rules prevent PC casters from becoming Magic Item factories (presumably NPCs are under the same restrictions, keeping them from becoming Magic Item Wallmarts as well).

On the other hand, in the Realms and playing an published WotC adventure, I wouldn't suggest deviating from the standard fare since the adventure was likely designed with such an environment in mind.

Of course, that's why I don't buy adventures/modules unless it has some decent OGC to go with it.

 

[anonynos]

Personally, I don't much care how my palyers do it. I've told them tiem and again, that I don't neccessarilly give them what they want, but what they need. If they don't liek it, they are more than welcome to try and sell/barter thier items and then find someone to enchant new ones. Any city with a mage school (Like Silverymoon where I base this) is goig nto have plenty of mid level mages (plenty being relative) who are willing to part with some XP for cash, especailly for low to moderatley priced items. Potions, scrolls, +1 or +2 weapons, Wonderous Items under 10k, are all likely to be found with a few days search, or at worst, someone willing to craft it for you in a tenday or two...

Like was said, items are secondary, it's what the players do with them...

 

[ichabod]

How do you (As a DM) deal with your players purchansing (within reason) almost any magic items in large cities? Recently my players began the city of the spider queen campaign, and decided before they start they should teleport to waterdeep and "stock up" on some magic equipment. Since they had a large amount of gold to spend they grabbed the DMG and began tallying up what they wanted after stating they went to a local mage school, merchant, etc. like it was wal mart. Also, realzing in a place like waterdeep they could get whatever they want, because if person A doesnt have it, then... I go to person b, and c, d until i find someone who does sell it to me. etc... just give me the +3 keen chaotic icy burst great sword already ok?

I don't know if that last example was an exaggeration or not, but if it isn't you might point out to them that by the assumptions of that DMG they are looking through, .000047% of all medium magic weapons are +3 keen chaotic icy burst great swords. So, in a town of 1,000,000 people, with 1% of them being wizards, and half of them having magic shops, and two thirds of them being able to make medium or better items, they have a 1 in 600 chance of finding that item. Let them roll a d6 and two d10s, if they all come up all ones they find one, after spending two solid weeks looking through all 3,334 magic shops at two minutes a piece during eight hour days.