Something I could do without...

[Andor]

The more I think about it, the less I like using cash as a balancing mechanism as levels advance. It smacks of video games where halfway through the game you're in towns where the local woodsman are chopping down trees with axes worth more than the entire village you started the game in.

The senselessness of it is most apparent in magic items. A high level mage might pay 70,000 gp for 'components' to make a magic staff. Who even has that much magic fluff stored away, and why doesn't the purchase destabilize the economy of the kingdom? For that matter, why isn't sale of magic fluff controlled by law and managed by the kingdom? That'd put a damper on those pesky necromancers and their magic items of doom.

A fighter who wants his handy longsword +2 turned into a longsword +3 spends 10,000 gp with his local enchanter. Why? For that much money he can hire a unit of heavy calvalry for the year, with enough left over for a square of archers. That'd probably put more of a hurt on his foes, don't you think?

There are plenty of other mechanical ways to balance magic items across levels without exponentially increasing prices and cash rewards. I'm not saying D&D needs to become an accurate economic modelling system, but there's no need to make Adam Smith cry every time you pick up the DMG.

 

[Crothian]

A high level mage might pay 70,000 gp for 'components' to make a magic staff. Who even has that much magic fluff stored away, and why doesn't the purchase destabilize the economy of the kingdom? For that matter, why isn't sale of magic fluff controlled by law and managed by the kingdom?

THis is all campaign and setting specific items and no reason as a DM you can't include it in the game.

That'd probably put more of a hurt on his foes, don't you think?

Who are his foes? Again campaign specific that calvary is usless in a dungeon.

There are plenty of other mechanical ways to balance magic items across levels

Like what?

 

[catsclaw227]

I have often wondered this as well. Do those campaigns that state that they are built with the D&D rules in mind handle this in a specific way? I'd like to get Monte's take on this.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah like what exactly? More XP?

Time = money in the real world. And the more time you spend, the more money it should cost.

That's life. That's why I don't use American express!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

A phalanx and a square of archers don't fit in a 10' wide corridor, plus they'll probably all get dropped by the first fireball.

This game is for heroes! Blow that 10k on the +3 longsword!

 

[Nightfall]

Olgar,

That's the spirit!

 

[Andor]

Like what?

XP costs are already a good one.

Specifying monster bits as material components. So instead of 10,000 gp of magic fluff, Bob may need to bring his wizard the body of a cr 14 Abberation to enchant his sword. This also make monsters intrinsically valuable without requiring an explanation of where every single bloody Monster of type blah just happened to aquire cr appropriate loot.

Having the personal power of a character be a prerequisite for the use of powerful items. Soulburner may be a +4 Flaming, keen, wounding, ghost touch spork but it's just a utensil in the hands of the unworthy. Or it incinerates them. Remember Aragorn claiming that Anduril would kill any other man who touched it? Maybe he wasn't fibbing.

Providing the GM with power level/ability guidelines without tying everything to wealth. Most people after all would be hardpressed to actually tell the difference between a Masterwork Sword and a +1 Sword. Why should everyone know one is worth more?

 

[Nightfall]

So...you want every magic item ever made, from the lowly +1 shortsword to the mightiest Sword of Kaz to be like a historical artifact of sort huh?

 

[Shadowslayer]

A fighter who wants his handy longsword +2 turned into a longsword +3 spends 10,000 gp with his local enchanter. Why? For that much money he can hire a unit of heavy calvalry for the year, with enough left over for a square of archers. That'd probably put more of a hurt on his foes, don't you think?

Methinks thou thinketh too hard.

 

[Nightfall]

Shadow,

Nah he just thinks too often is more the problem.