Scarcity and World Design

[Carpe DM]

I've been thinking recently about world design in terms of scarcity. This is one area that a GM influences greatly, but the rules have no particular take on.

Scarcity has, I think, an immense impact on characters. Characters with access to customized equipment play a different game than those who have to make do with equipment they find or make.

There are two approaches: enforced scarcity and natural scarcity. My thesis is that because GMs do not use the tools of natural scarcity, they damage their campaign worlds and their games by using enforced scarcity.

Enforced scarcity: Artificially lowering treasure amounts; artificially restricting what magical items can be made with what feats.

Natural scarcity:

1. enforcing (little used) gold-piece caps on communities;

2. using true random treasure generation (and not placing that +2 greatsword there just because you *know* the party would love to have it);

3. restricting NPC item generation (how many PCs do you know that sit around and manufacture magical items for sale to NPCs?);

4. (question here) -- 3.5 doesn't permit collaboration in item creation anymore, does it? This would drastically reduce the number of items (and make some items impossible, I think).

Thoughts?

Carpe

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

What about legal restrictions on magic items? I mean, few governments will want to let just anyone run around with a Weapon of Mass Destruction (i.e. a fireball wand). While minor defensive items (items that give bonuses to saving throws or energy resitance, healing potions, and so on) are probably okay, anything that has a direct use in combat is likely to be restricted.

And if there is a restriction on owning them, you can bet there is a restriction on selling them! Most manufacturers will only do jobs for official representatives of the government - it's safer than getting charged for treason for selling your merchandise to the wrong people (i.e., anyone the local government does not approve of)!

Frankly, too many D&D settings treat the magic item business like commerce in the modern-day USA, where many items - even some staggeringly dangerous ones - can be bought by anyone if merely the price is right...

 

[Carpe DM]

Legal systems are another interesting area. I've been trying to come up with a "metasystem" that permits GMs to create the simulation of full law codes in different areas without (obviously) writing them up.

The DMG legal "metasystem" isn't bad: Pick a wierd law for each jurisdiction, to give it flavor, and then let the rest of the regular rules apply.

But, yes, I like that a lot. In FRCS, Thayan Enclaves won't make anything that (1) is likely to cause massive collateral damage (e.g., fireball), or (2) anything that will likely be used for fraud or theft (potions of invisibility, or wands of charm person).