Magic items and item creation are a very delicate subject that many players and DM's feel strongly about. If they had defined it more or even given more options then things could have very easily devolved into a situation that you see on the healing rates.
The concern is, would anyone actually make a potion of speed, invisibility, or flying, when it costs the same as a suit of +2 plate? Or even more blatant, a potion of storm giant strength and a belt of storm giant strength cost the same.
As a PC, I wouldn't even consider it. It would have to be some sort of save the world scenario where I couldn't think of any other possible way that all creation could be saved from being plunged into the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, except by creating a potion of invisibility. I'm going to bet that the random treasure tables also hand out more potions than +2 armors.
I'm in agreement that I think the rules should stay vague rather than codified. But this is a case where I think they could have said something like, "You may want to divide these costs by 5 (or more) for one-use items."
One of the old 3.5 books - I want to say it was the DMG2 - had guidelines for running a one-shot game. It suggested that, for balance, any sort of consumable would cost ten times as much, and any wand would only have one-tenth of the normal number of charges, in order to balance how a one-shot item in a one-shot game is essentially the same as an enduring item in an enduring game.
It was either 5 or 10, anyway. I'm fairly certain.
One of the old 3.5 books - I want to say it was the DMG2 - had guidelines for running a one-shot game. It suggested that, for balance, any sort of consumable would cost ten times as much, and any wand would only have one-tenth of the normal number of charges, in order to balance how a one-shot item in a one-shot game is essentially the same as an enduring item in an enduring game.
It was either 5 or 10, anyway. I'm fairly certain.
I found something on page 199 of the 3.5 DMG that says in a one-shot game single use items cost 5 times as much. Is that the place you were thinking of? I glanced through DMG 2 but didn't see anything.
I found something on page 199 of the 3.5 DMG that says in a one-shot game single use items cost 5 times as much. Is that the place you were thinking of? I glanced through DMG 2 but didn't see anything.
