Treasure Division - Book value or Sale Value?

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

With nine players this usually isn't an issue with us as I don't give out tons of magic to them and they are already pretty good about dividing it up. We use the creation cost (1/2 of the market price) when necessary. Why would anyone 'buy' an item (i.e. in regard to their share of the take) at full market price when they could pay 1/2 that to create a new one themselves?

 

[genshou]

I've personally always ruled that the "sale value" is the price you can get out of an item when unloading it on someone who has no immediate need for it (ie, selling to a magic item broker). When trading with other adventurers (including amongst themselves), items use their full price. Of course, first you have to convince the other party that they'll ever have a chance of trading or selling that item. Nobody wants an item they can't use and can't pawn off on someone else later...

 

[LostSoul]

We played it where the guy who keeps the item is treated as taking 75% of its book value out of the party treasure.

That's because a good magic item is worth more than 50% of its book value.

The fair way to do it would be to sell everything and distribute the cash equally; but then you'd end up with less loot. This seemed like a good trade-off. I could be wrong about the numbers though.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

During treasure divisions, in determining equal shares of the total share - do you use the book value of magic items (etc) or the sale value (typically half in D&D)?

Sale value, of course. Using the book value would make no sense.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

That's because a good magic item is worth more than 50% of its book value.

Only if you can find someone willing to pay more than 50% of the book value for it.

Seriously. That's what the word "worth" means.

 

[fafhrd]

Only if you can find someone willing to pay more than 50% of the book value for it.

Or if say, magic items aren't commodities.

 

[LostSoul]

Only if you can find someone willing to pay more than 50% of the book value for it.

Seriously. That's what the word "worth" means.

Exactly. Like one of the PCs. If you find a pair of Gloves of Dexterity +2, and you were going to buy them for 4k once you got back into town, those Gloves are worth 4k. So why do you get them for 2k? Yeah, you were lucky, but what about the other PCs who have to sell that +2 Monkey Bane Halberd in order to buy more spells, a pearl of power, armour, etc.? You get the break, they don't.

 

[shilsen]

Neither. The items just get divided up based on who can use them and (to a lesser extent) who got more stuff earlier.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Or if say, magic items aren't commodities.

So a magic item that's worth 50% of book value is a commodity, but one that's worth 75% isn't? Weird definition of "commodity" you have there.

 

[fafhrd]

So a magic item that's worth 50% of book value is a commodity, but one that's worth 75% isn't? Weird definition of "commodity" you have there.

I wasn't addressing any particular percentage, but it seems reasonable that in certain campaigns there would be different valuations.