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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thasmodious" data-source="post: 4332322" data-attributes="member: 63272">On the actual subject of the economy, I think the magic item system makes good sense.  It's not really functionally different from the 3e system, 20% instead of 50%, and the change reflects the new editions changing importance of magic items.  From a "real world" standpoint, 10:2 is not an uncommon ratio when selling off used things (try to get any value on Friday out of a game you bought new on Monday and beat by Wednesday.All the trouble a merchant would go through in trying to move magic items leaves me feeling the exchange value makes sense.  Shops mean taxes, heavy taxes on something like magic items.  And how many local rulers are going to want you selling the Sword of a Thousand Deaths to just anyone who comes into the shop (including that sneaky baron who has that haunted keep in the swamp and is always trying to overthrow the local ruler)?  "Hmm, nope, best that I just confiscate that weapon now in the name of national defense."  If I was a local ruler, I would keep a tight watch on the weapons and magic trade in and around my area.  Of course, a shop is a great target for thieves (and unscrupulous adventurers) as well.  Really, all in all, a shop dedicated to magic items, that keeps thousands of gold on hand to buy the things adventurers come to town with, is just not really practical.  Now, some goods shops carrying the odd item or two makes a bit more sense.  But moving those is still going to have most of the same problems, so they have to be able to expect a large profit margin to make it worth the effort (otherwise, just sell those chains as Blake says).So, a magic item merchant needs to be on the road.  Gotta go find the customers.  This entails a tremendous level of risk as well.  Besides the standard problems from run of the mill monster attacks and bandits on the road, you would be a moving target for thieves, adventurers, and every BBEG in the land.  Why would the evil Lord Douche Bag buy one the items from your cart full of items staffed by a driver, instead of just killing you and taking everything?  Clearly, you are going to need a substantial security detail, a number of skilled guards.  Or you are going to have move low profile, with only an item or two, from city to city, staying off the radar.  After all, if you roll into town heading a caravan with 30 guards, laden with chests of gold and items, the local nobility are going to descend on you like a pack of hyenas.  Once you've dealt with the basic problems of even getting such an operation off the ground, how are you actually going to sell the items?  Hire a town crier to run through the streets shouting "powerful magic items in stock at Nevilles! Come get them!"  I bet they will...after hours.  No, between thieves, adventurers, and the local law "protecting their interests", you just have to keep it on the down low.  So, you've got to establish a network of contacts, get your name in the right people's ears.  Trustworthy bartenders, heads of guilds, militant clergy, local well to dos, the type of people who might be in the market themselves or who might discreetly discuss such things with those who are.  Such a network also carries a lot of risk, word spreads to the wrong people (either local law or local evil guys) and all your security and careful planning aren't going to help much.  It's a tough business, a dangerous business.  One that requires a high profit margin, because such merchants don't tend to live long.  I actually think a campaign based around PC magic item merchants would be a lot of fun.  The PCs spend a lot of time with sages and libraries tracking down legends of ancient troves, raiding dungeons and crypts for the loot, then facing the myriad of problems with being magic item brokers (those above and more).  Would be a lot of fun and I'd love to see the day that the group would give some adventurer, fresh from a dungeon with some trinket he doesn't want, anything approaching market value for it.</blockquote>

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