Fauchard1520
Adventurer
I've got a slightly longer write-up over here, but here's the crux of the argument:
I think that it takes more than power gaming to explain why players like magic item shops. Looking at the magic item lists like a Sears Catalog might not be especially interesting in RP terms, but it does represent an effort by players to have a demonstrable impact on the world. By contrast, building a temple or owning your own inn might be solid RP, but if it doesn't have mechanical consequences, it's going to feel a bit hollow.
This leads to a bit of a conundrum. If you want to include some kind of gold / power exchange rate in your game (read: a magic item shop), how do you balance that with gold-as-RP? In other words, if you can pay for magic items, new powers, or powerful minions who are willing to fight at your side, how do you balance those hard mechanical benefits against the guy that wants to build a city wall for the town?
I think that it takes more than power gaming to explain why players like magic item shops. Looking at the magic item lists like a Sears Catalog might not be especially interesting in RP terms, but it does represent an effort by players to have a demonstrable impact on the world. By contrast, building a temple or owning your own inn might be solid RP, but if it doesn't have mechanical consequences, it's going to feel a bit hollow.
This leads to a bit of a conundrum. If you want to include some kind of gold / power exchange rate in your game (read: a magic item shop), how do you balance that with gold-as-RP? In other words, if you can pay for magic items, new powers, or powerful minions who are willing to fight at your side, how do you balance those hard mechanical benefits against the guy that wants to build a city wall for the town?