Researching New Spells and Powers

[Thanee]

Anyway, I appreciate the comments and will probably try to ease up on my stinginess.

That's the right spirit.

I feel as though I need a working economic model in order to determine whether a given power/spell is readily available on the market at any given time.

Well, you could just assign a probability and roll the dice to see, if it is available at that time.

You could base the chance on the availability for spellpool spells (there is at least a rule based on spell level in the Magic of Faerûn book, maybe also in Complete Arcane; I think it was something like 65% - 5% x spell level). Rare spells (i.e. those not in the core rules) could have a lowered chance (-10% or half chance).

A simple and fair system, which is easy to use (the wizard player just states a few spells he/she is looking for and you roll, whether they are available).

Bye
Thanee

 

[gizmo33]

The stingy DM says no self-respecting greedy high-level wizard will share. So they try to buy a power stone or scroll, but again the stingy DM says that none are available for sale. So they try to seek out the power/spell through adventuring, but the stingy DM only populates the adventures with potions and magic swords. What can they do?

IME DMs are stingy when they haven't thought a situation through for all of the potential ways that PCs can use it to become godlike. You first need to consider whether PC wizards will become godlike if they have access to a wider range of spells. Probably not, considering they can still only cast those of the appropriate level. Then:
1. make sure you're happy with the wizard spells in the book - remove spells you consider "broken" from your campaign or change them
2. remember you can only carry so many spellbooks

Re-evaluate your standard response to the various approaches to getting spells:
1. High level wizards - IMO it makes sense that they would be nervous about handing out a fireball spell to a potential rival - wizards are pretty easy to kill with their own magic IMO. Prices charged by nervous wizards may be fairly high. Also - if you think gun-control is an issue, just imagine "spell-control" laws. In especially lawful realms you might have to get a writ to trade spells. Of course there's always the black market.
2. Trade in scrolls is probably governed by the same issues as (1)
3. If potions and magic swords are in the dungeon because they used to belong to dead adventurers, then it makes sense that spellbooks are there in equal numbers. Add more spellbooks to your dungeons! Of course they can decay pretty fast, so perhaps only a few pages are legible. Infestation by bookworms (do they have them in 3E?) is also possible. Books can be trapped (explosive runes, etc.)

I have house rules for spell research. IMC many spells were originally created through research, and tons of books exist on the general subject of magic that helps. A library, time, materials, and spell craft roll are required - all based on level of spell. IMC you can also research and "discover" spells that already exist in the rules.

 

[Ozmar]

You could base the chance on the availability for spellpool spells (there is at least a rule based on spell level in the Magic of Faerûn book, maybe also in Complete Arcane; I think it was something like 65% - 5% x spell level). Rare spells (i.e. those not in the core rules) could have a lowered chance (-10% or half chance).

That's a cool idea. I like that. And to highlight the advantages of being in the Arcane Order, the chance could be slightly less on the open market. Maybe 50% - 5% per spell level or something like that.

Still working on the economic model...

Ozmar the Amateur Economist