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Message: <blockquote data-quote="phloog" data-source="post: 4647563" data-attributes="member: 59219">Let's get weird....(warning, I have little experience running 4e - these are fairly 'general D&D' thoughts). Magic items in 4e can be intelligent, no? What if there is an intelligent/cunning item that doesn't LIKE to be sitting on the shelf in this shop, and is conspiring with the invaders? What if there are MANY animated objects that see this as the perfect time to rebel and seek their own personal liberty..."We will form a new land called Broomania!!!" - a battle is without and within. The shop is well-stocked, and in fact has more CURSED/annoyance items than items of value to deter thieves. During the battle, the owner has gone to his 'safe room' (he can't afford a whole teleport, but can afford a small place to hide in another dimension). The party is free to actually ENTER the shop (possibly via some kind of gating magic), and can opt to use items found there, but this injects a VERY wild element into it as they never really know what they're going to get. Inject an NPC into the plot - - try to do this one adventure ahead or so to build trust if you can, or make him an assistant to the owner. During the chaos of the raid, this NPC steals one or more items that he's had his eye on for some time. After the raid, they need to track him down. The owner is dishonest. He was hired to mend/polish/improve an item of incredible power by a mighty entity who expects it back. Either the entire town raid was created by the owner of the shop, or he exploits the chaos in order to have the item 'stolen' (which he then keeps or sells for huge profit)...even if the PCs think they have protected the shop, a few items (including this item) go missing. They might even be sent on a wild goose chase to recover it. Placed precariously on a high shelf by a foolish halfling is a jar of dehydrated Xorns (just add water!!!) As far as keeping the ally too good to be true, I would always tend to make him a gnome (oh wait...are they in 4e yet?) and part of the 'bargain' is not 10% off all stock...but maybe 1% of most stock, and a generous 10% off any item that...well...he hasn't really fully tested yet ("But the extraplanar entity swears it's the best thing ever!")</blockquote>

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