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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Masada" data-source="post: 4495251" data-attributes="member: 19339">Well one aspect of most RPG games is control of items.  I suppose a really good DM knows exactly how many healing potions and other misc magic items to allow in his/her game.  But what if you're not a good DM yet, a mechanic helps you understand how rare an item should be.  You don't see similar issues about castles because you can't haul them in to a dungeon and most RPG's assume the characters are going to be fairly mobile.Part of this stems from the idea that someone should be able to make kickbutt gear.  If you've got a hot shot Wizard, it seems weird that he can't make anything... or that there are no bounds on what he can make.  It begs the question of "who's making all this stuff?"Next issue is about buying goods... Do you always want every town to have a "Majics R Us" store of fully stocked goods?  As soon as you tell the players they can't buy Healing Potions here, the next question is going to be, "Can I make one?"  So, again, handy to have a mechanic as a guide for allowing some player benefits without unbalancing the game or just saying No.  Even if you do have a lot of stores around... I've always found the notion of toting around 10,000 gold coins fairly far fetched as well.To answer your question directly... Do you *need* a mechanic? Well, no you don't.  You just have to be keenly aware of what power you're introducing.  But the better question is... Could anyone benefit from having a mechanic? The answer is still, "Yes, newer DM's/players might benefit from a guide to help adjust what level of power to introduce."It's just a game... I suppose you could hand wave and say items made at the magic factory can be bought anywhere and purchased with an international standard currency.  I mean it is just stuff... but I dunno... makes the world seem sorta flat and unbelievable.  Yeah, I know it's a fantasy game.Of course, knowing players, the next question will be, "When does the magic delivery wagon arrive? What route does it take? Any good spots for ambush?"</blockquote>

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