Players don't provide wish lists... What would you do?

[UngeheuerLich]

I believe you should just note down, which items the players like to have some hints...

then you place items more or less randomly from your list... make sure you vary a bit from weapon to weapon... maybe put a really great weapon in fron tof them to have them retrain a bit^^

just make sure players have at least good enoug magic weapons and armor and neck items so that they don´t feel lagging behind...

also if you see one player suffer from beeing immobile, hand out some nice boots etc... keep the 20% Price as a baseline, but increase it if the players can find a reasonable buyer. Maybe you can find another adventurer who wants to exchange one of his items...

but i would stop asking for wishlists and i would tell them not complain when there is no reason...

 

[Kzach]

I just give them items I think are cool. They need the basic three attack/AC/NAD items so I have to provide them with something.

If they aren't happy with the options it's their own damn fault for being lazy.

 

[S'mon]

I hate wish lists as a metagame conceit, I keep it strictly in-game, eg:

1) The PCs find cash, they can use it to commission desired items from a friendly Wizard

or

2) The PCs are offered a reward, 1 item of Level X of their choice to be made for them, perhaps restricted to particular sorts. Eg a couple sessions ago the PCs saved some dwarves who crafted a 1st level weapon or armour for each of them.

If your players are refusing to craft/buy/commission items(?!) then option #2 looks best to me: "The Grateful Townsfolk/King/Priests/Merchant will reward you, their arcane crafters will fashion you each 1 level X item of your choice". You only need to do that about 4 times every 5 levels, with a PC level +2 or +3 item to keep game balance.

There is another option I also use:

3) Hand out *lots* of magic items, randomly chosen by you - blind stabbing with the blunt end of a pencil at the by-level lists at the back of Adventurer's Vault works well for me. *Assume* most stuff will be sold at 20%, that the players will keep only the choicest items, and give out around double the 4e standard, say around 8 items per 10 packets instead of 4.

 

[vagabundo]

Give them five times the amount of times. They will sell a lot of them and keep the ones they want.

There is a random magic item system in the house rules forum and that is one of their suggestions. Another is to give random items and allow 50% return in cash.

I'm going with the five-times rule and I'm kitting out the monsters with the items - hehe, that'll teach 'em.

My players don't give wish lists, but I haven't pushed the issue. I'm not sure if I've even mentioned it too them.

 

[S'mon]

also if you see one player suffer from beeing immobile, hand out some nice boots etc... keep the 20% Price as a baseline, but increase it if the players can find a reasonable buyer.

Yeah, I typically do:

Commissioned item: Base cost is either 140%; or 150% of creation cost minus a Diplomacy or possibly Streetwise check.

Sold item: Base sale price is either 20%; or 10% of creation cost plus a Streetwise or possibly Diplomacy check.

So you can auto-sell at 20%, or put some effort in and sell at 10% + Streetwise check result.

 

[delericho]

Give them nothing. When they complain, tell them that you've already given them everything on their wish lists.

Alternately, give them gold equal to the value of the item, and let them buy an item when they get back to town.

Or you could do what we did for years before 4e: just give them something you think might be cool, and let them keep it or sell it as suits them.

 

[Leatherhead]

My players never submit wishlists. Mostly because I know the game better than they do. So I just pick out something that would make the player go "I want that."

Normally I end up picking weapons, armor, and other items with the most dramatic, although not necessarily beneficial, effects. After all, the fun in magic items is using the weird stuff to save the day in totally unprecedented ways.

 

[avin]

I'm using a more pseudo-realistic approach.

For instance, an Ogre in a cave won't have a set of chainmail they could use due his size. Maybe he kept some magical kukri from som victim that, while players would never use, turn to be into a rare sentient jeweled kukri which they can sell and buy whatever they want.

Wish lists are too much into metagaming and therefore banned from our games.

The inherent bonus is a good idea.

 

[Starfox]

Simpler Treasure System with (mostly) Random Loot by eamon.

Basically, it outlines how to use 3E treasure dynamics in 4E. Hand out more loot and let the players take their pick.

Or do it like I do since I stopped caring; let the PCs sell back loot at 100%. It is not really a good solution tough, but it does save me the effort of the wishlists.

 

[Blackbrrd]

I would give them the basic +1/+2/../+6 items until the players bothered to show interest for anything more.

Alternatively do it just like you did in previous editions of Dnd.