[Shopping] Item Availability?

[RedFox]

Is there some guideline somewhere for determining item availability in a city? Next session of my game is coming up next week and the party's returning with the usual horde of treasure to spend in town.

I know there's a gp limit, but is that it? Is there any way to determine whether, say, an exotic weapon or a magic item would be on hand or how many? I seem to recall earlier editions having some sort of percentage chance you could roll, but I'm not seeing anything in the SRD or DMG that could help.

Is it pretty much "if it's under the gp limit you can buy it"?

 

[Crothian]

Ya, the GP limit is all the books really give you. It is not a good system and as DM you should just choose if its there or not.

 

[Deekin]

Also, what is the highest level caster in town? That can help set limits.

 

[SiderisAnon]

Is there any way to determine whether, say, an exotic weapon or a magic item would be on hand or how many? I seem to recall earlier editions having some sort of percentage chance you could roll, but I'm not seeing anything in the SRD or DMG that could help.

Is it pretty much "if it's under the gp limit you can buy it"?

"A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe" by Expeditious Retreat Press has a system for determining chances of items being available. I'm not sure that the chapter on this is worth buying the whole book, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the book as a gaming resource.

 

[RedFox]

Also, what is the highest level caster in town? That can help set limits.

Well the thing is it's a trader city set at the crossroads of a large elven empire and a silkroad through a wasteland to the equivalent of Persia.

So it's A) a large city and B) has a higher gp limit than usual due to being a trading center. So I figure the possibility of finding most anything there is pretty high, I just wish I had some better guidelines.

 

[Treebore]

Well the thing is it's a trader city set at the crossroads of a large elven empire and a silkroad through a wasteland to the equivalent of Persia.

So it's A) a large city and B) has a higher gp limit than usual due to being a trading center. So I figure the possibility of finding most anything there is pretty high, I just wish I had some better guidelines.

I base it on a percentile chance of availability, plus GP value of the town in the DMG, and if I even want the party to be able to get it this way.

If its a really powerful item (based on your perception as the DM) and I am OK with them buying it I'll give a 1% chance of it being there. I even make the player roll the chance, in front of everyone.

Things like various potions of healing and low level scrolls I roll a d4, d10, 2d6, etc... to determine how many are currently available in the town. Again determined by what range I think I'll be happy with them obtaining.

Other magic items that are of an OK power level for me I'll give a 5 to 10% chance based on the town/city.

In the crossroads town like your talking I would go with 5%, to represent the highly mobile nature of the products going through the place. A large but stable market in a city is where I would give the 10%.

Irregardless, they don't get to roll unless I agree there is a chance to begin with. So if I don't want them to be able to buy it, they won't find it. IE DM always has ultimate control of such things.