support for variable magic levels

[S'mon]

In my games I never allowed the buying/selling of magic items. They were always special and always had story behind them.

Hopefully 4E will do away with the idea of "ye ol' magic shope"

While I strongly believe that players should be able to craft magic items (even non-wizards, such as a dwarf of any class) I don't think that ANY magic item should have a price listing. Selling of magic items need not be supported in the core rules.

I tend to think that the default magic level should be similar to the 'twice as rare' option in the 3e DMG, where the sale of magic items is a rarity in the economic system but does happen occasionally.

However, I would like a game that can function with a fairly broad range of magic availability, that can support both an FR type setting with magic shops and a Conanesque low fantasy world, or one like Middle Earth where items may be found or gifted, but rarely bought & sold. Likewise I'd like a system which works with Wizards being common, as common as other PC classes, and also with Wizards being very rare.

IME I think earlier editions handled variable magic levels pretty well, it's not rocket science.

 

[Li Shenron]

The next edition could sidestep some of these issues by giving magic items an approximate value in "power points" or some abstract measure. Then it could list campaign options for buying, selling, and creating magic items. In some campaigns, those power points would inform the DM's decision about how rare the material components would be to create the item; he could replace literal treasure with an equivalent value of the right components to make something. In other campaigns, one power point would simply imply a cost one gold piece at MagicMart.

That would actually be quite easy. The points are already there, just call them "spirit cost" instead of "gold pieces". For permanent magic items it would work, not so much for consumable magic items however...

 

[Li Shenron]

Hopefully 4E will do away with the idea of "ye ol' magic shope"

It won't. I agree with everything you say, but we're in the minority. 99% of the gamers just want to buy and sell stuff, because it's easy, feels more free from DM's will, and because we're used to it. In whatever edition, I'd always have to house rule something about it.