The Economics of Magic Items (RE: Naked Adventurers)

[Nightfall]

I would say though for those guys looking for extreme magic power, (like minor artifacts) perhaps negiotations are needed with planar forgers. After all, time IS different there AND they can have access to spells MUCH quicker than some. Just a thought for those wondering "Gee can I get that Holy Avenger? "

 

[jgbrowning]

Hammerhead said, "How many permanent magical items get destroyed in your game? Adventurers probably make more permanent items than they ruin on their adventures. "

A lot get destroyed if you use big magic. quick example..... assuming material is iron, if mithral or adamantive example is different

40hp fireball (or red dragon's breath) does 20damage to longsword, if longsword saves (use wielders save, or item save.. i use whichever is better) it take no damage (hardness of 10)... but if it fails its slag.... very expensive ex-magic slag.

now cloaks, boots, backpacks, potions (even in iron flasks), spears, bows, handaxes, greataxes, arrows, quivers, shortswords, daggers, scrolls, wands, sunrods, torches, lanterns staffs, rods, belts, pouches.. etc.... all up in flames. Lightning reflexes seems a little cooler now, huh?

makes having a rogue nice... no damage from save

joe b.

 

[jgbrowning]

Working up a treatment of "the Economy of Magic Items" but let's take a real quick look at a couple of things here. Posting from work, without the DMG, so had to rely on Jamis Buck's generators - took the MAXIMUM found in each with 10 runs and rounded up... if you're easily bored, skip to the last 5 paragraphs.
--The Sigil

to quote the DMG page 137...

"To determine the amount of ready cash in a community, or the total value of any given item of equipment for sale at any give time, multiply half the gp limit by 1/10 of the community's population. For example, suppose a band of adventureres brings a bagful of loot (100 gems, each worth 50gp) into a hamlet of 90 people. 1/2 the hamlet's gp limit times 1/10 of its population equals 450. (100/2=50, 90/10=9, 50x9=450)"

Small town, pop 1000..... 800/2=400, 1000/10=100, 400x100=40,000gp. you can sell most of your stuff in a small town, as long as you dont mind copper, and dont keep coming back. I'd rule the pricyest single sale a player could make would be about 1/10 of this to a single buyer... so around 4000gp. my ruling, of course is mine....

Large town, pop 3000.... 3000/2=1500, 3000/10=300 1500x300= 450,000gp, so even with my 1/10 idea, 45,000gp is almost any item.

So for a Large city, pop of 15,000..... 40000/2=20000, 15000/10=1500, 20000x1500=30,000,000
You could sell anything in a large city.

joe b.

ps. Agback, considering the disparity between the purchasing power and the production ability of magic.. magic would sell like hot-cakes in a 8,000 or so greater population. No need to worry about that ring sitting on the shelf... and given my experiece in third world countries, the idea that somthing may sit on a shelf for five or so years is not unusual.... (even food items there really is a different mentality about business outside of the "developed" countries

 

[Vaxalon]

A lot get destroyed if you use big magic. quick example..... assuming material is iron, if mithral or adamantive example is different

40hp fireball (or red dragon's breath) does 20damage to longsword, if longsword saves (use wielders save, or item save.. i use whichever is better) it take no damage (hardness of 10)... but if it fails its slag.... very expensive ex-magic slag.

now cloaks, boots, backpacks, potions (even in iron flasks), spears, bows, handaxes, greataxes, arrows, quivers, shortswords, daggers, scrolls, wands, sunrods, torches, lanterns staffs, rods, belts, pouches.. etc.... all up in flames. Lightning reflexes seems a little cooler now, huh?

makes having a rogue nice... no damage from save

joe b.

Not if you actually use the rules as written. Attended objects only take damage if the wielder rolls a 1 on his save, and even then it's only one item.

Care to try again?

 

[kengar]

augmenting enchantments

This is related, but slightly OT.

How do folks tend to rule on "stacking" enchantments? By that I mean when the fighter says something like "I get my masterwork longsword enchanted to +1 for 2000gp, since that's all I can afford right now. Later, when I have the cash, I'll have flaming and another +1 added." I know it's allowed officially, but personally, I don't like it. It promotes the idea of gp= magic too much for my taste.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Re: augmenting enchantments

This is related, but slightly OT.

How do folks tend to rule on "stacking" enchantments? By that I mean when the fighter says something like "I get my masterwork longsword enchanted to +1 for 2000gp, since that's all I can afford right now. Later, when I have the cash, I'll have flaming and another +1 added." I know it's allowed officially, but personally, I don't like it. It promotes the idea of gp= magic too much for my taste.

It is a Good Thing. The alternative is much, much worse.

Here is my great-great-grandfather's sword. Awarded to him personally by the Duke of Southumbria when he was promoted to the Duke's personal bodyguard after remarkable bravery displayed at the Battle of Acerak Plains. A Dwarven smithy enchanted it for my grandfather after delving into Kazahdum as a favor for the King of Kiraz. It saved my father's life once in a fight with a gnoll vampire.
How much is it worth? I want to cash it in plus this jewelry and buy a better sword.

 

[The Sigil]

Re: Re: The Economics of Magic Items (RE: Naked Adventurers)

to quote the DMG page 137...

"To determine the amount of ready cash in a community, or the total value of any given item of equipment for sale at any give time, multiply half the gp limit by 1/10 of the community's population. For example, suppose a band of adventureres brings a bagful of loot (100 gems, each worth 50gp) into a hamlet of 90 people. 1/2 the hamlet's gp limit times 1/10 of its population equals 450. (100/2=50, 90/10=9, 50x9=450)"

Sell, yes. Buy, no. I hadn't contemplated selling stuff (though perhaps I should have). OTOH, I have a tough time thinking that the populace will be spending all of its disposable income on things like potions - especially when other, more pressing items (such as food) are competing for the almighty silver piece.

Small town, pop 1000..... 800/2=400, 1000/10=100, 400x100=40,000gp. you can sell most of your stuff in a small town, as long as you dont mind copper, and dont keep coming back. I'd rule the pricyest single sale a player could make would be about 1/10 of this to a single buyer... so around 4000gp. my ruling, of course is mine.... <snip>

Again, I'm not talking "selling items" so much as "buying items" - i.e., "how easy is it to go from money to magic?" Going from "magic to money" should be easier (and is). I hadn't really tried to contemplate adventurers selling off stuff - this was more of a "if I want to buy a magic item, what can I get?" In my experience, players tend to be at *least* as interested in "what can I buy" as "what kind of money can I get for this sword?"

That said, your notes on what you can SELL in various size population centers are definitely interesting and helpful to my continuing workup on the economics of magic - and economics of towns in general...

--The Sigil

 

[kengar]

Re: Re: augmenting enchantments

Here is my great-great-grandfather's sword. Awarded to him personally by the Duke of Southumbria when he was promoted to the Duke's personal bodyguard after remarkable bravery displayed at the Battle of Acerak Plains. A Dwarven smithy enchanted it for my grandfather after delving into Kazahdum as a favor for the King of Kiraz. It saved my father's life once in a fight with a gnoll vampire.
How much is it worth? I want to cash it in plus this jewelry and buy a better sword.

ooo! Gnoll Vampire! I'm gonna USE that!

Seriously, though. Maybe I should've elaborated on my post by saying I don't like the idea of readily available enchanting or the buying/selling of magic items in general.

 

[The Sigil]

in Simpsons comic guy voice: "AHEM! What you are looking at is a vintage Keen longsword of Sure Striking Ghost Touch. Elminster only made TWO before moving to his 'Mithril armor' style. Do NOT breathe on it! I only allow such lowly adventurers as yourself to gaze upon it so you know what you shall never obtain. Now BEGONE! Slay a goblin or something..."

ROFLMAO!

I can just imagine the PCs touching it and getting "banned for life" from the magic shop...

--The Sigil

 

[Nightfall]

Well in that case, I'd say, make it so that such enchantment requires a higher level caster than the one that enchanted it AND the caster must also have the notes from the original caster as well to improve it.