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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Keifer113" data-source="post: 2916569" data-attributes="member: 41266">Price Gouging...just what is that? Its an assumption that goods you wish to buy are overpriced for the sake of making a profit....but isn't that what capitalism is about? I offer goods or services for a price, and you are free to search around for the best value. I used to run a medical clinic, and we had a device called a flexible laryngoscope, that was an easy to use microscope that could look down throats. If we didn't have that, we would have to bring a patient back, put them under sedation, and use a rigid laryngoscope, costing the insurance companies thousands of dollars.Instead we charged 250 for the flexible. But we had several patients complain that their insurance companies were being charged for a 3 minute office visit. These patients, all of them had Medicare and supplemental insurance...they were not paying a dime. But they complained we were overcharging them. So in the interest of customer service, we killed the charges. Were we gouging? Nope. The laryngoscope enabled us to provide better service to our patients. It required upkeep, training to use, and like all medical procedures, entailed a small risk which meant the doctors needed malpractice insurance.So our fee was reasonable, and included in the charge was the expertise of the doctor.So when Fel the mage charges 300 gp to identify a magic item, he's spending 100 GP for the pearl, more for the scroll making, some more for the roof over his head so he can provide the service, his "secretary/servant" so he'll have time to make the scroll and not have to do his laundry, and be able to put some gold away for rainy days and retirement. And have some pocket money. Why shouldn't he get rich? Is there some law or rule written that its wrong to make money? In addition he takes a risk if the item is cursed or explodes or summons Orcus. He also would, through his expertise, tell the players anything significant about the items....this sword was carried by LoneHawk, the mighty knight who rode through 12 rings of fire to save his wife, the Lady Serlena. So in the end, 300 GP sounds reasonable to me, and isn't gouging at all.</blockquote>

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