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Author Topic: Stance on Buying Magic Items  (Read 9031 times)

Zirunel

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #90 on: February 01, 2022, 02:49:30 PM »
   Other magic items are almost never sold, and when you do find one for sale it'll usually be almost
double the cost found in the DMG.  (for something like Magic Swords, Feather Tokens, things like that.)
Complete tangent, but I always wanted to run a campaign with only the weird magic items. None of those +1 swords or elven cloaks, just feather tokens and figurines of wondrous power from the DMG, eyes from EPT, de-orientized versions of magic items from OA, and so on.

yeah eyes are cool, and a nice departure from the stereotypical magical toolkit (wands, staves, rings, what have you). They can thus introduce a slightly exotic touch. You don't really have to commit on whether they are "magic" or "technology" so they are easily ported to any setting. I've done that. It helps if the players aren't familiar with the concept.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2022, 02:53:06 PM by Zirunel »

LagiaDOS

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #91 on: February 02, 2022, 12:19:09 PM »
Depends on the system, if its made with buying stuff in mind (such as PF1), yes, if not, (like 5e), then don't.

Pat
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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #92 on: February 12, 2022, 04:33:30 AM »
One thing I've done is have bookstores and alchemical shops that sell potions, and scrolls up to 2nd or 3rd level. Maybe even a few magic and curio shops with a few utility items, many trivial; or exceptional armories that sell +1 or at most +2 weapons or armor.

Anything beyond that requires working with collectors. Here, contacts are important. Knowing a fence or broker with contacts among the nobles and high level adventurers can really help. There may be auctions or bidding wars for key items, with plenty of room for stealth and intrigue. Typically, keeping an ear to the ground will give the PCs a chance to bid on a few random items. The other option is commissioning someone to find a specific item, which can be costly and take a long time.

I've always winged it, but a formalized version could work well with a lifepath-style system for what happens between adventures.

PsyXypher

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #93 on: February 12, 2022, 12:49:32 PM »
If we're talking a system where buying magic items could unbalance things, I say that buying magic items should be a tense affair. Not necessarily a black market, but run like one. Security should be top notch, and the PCs should be worried that the security wizard with an itch trigger finger should be ready to fire off a lightning bolt at any moment, mainly because he is. If you use psionics, have the psionicist probe their minds extensively for any plan to shaft them. Put wards on those items that damage anyone foolish enough to steal them.

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S'mon

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #94 on: February 12, 2022, 06:35:21 PM »
If we're talking a system where buying magic items could unbalance things, I say that buying magic items should be a tense affair. Not necessarily a black market, but run like one. Security should be top notch, and the PCs should be worried that the security wizard with an itch trigger finger should be ready to fire off a lightning bolt at any moment, mainly because he is. If you use psionics, have the psionicist probe their minds extensively for any plan to shaft them. Put wards on those items that damage anyone foolish enough to steal them.

I always do it that you pay up front, and then they make you the item. Or at very least you pay before you get to see the item.

Redwanderer
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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #95 on: February 16, 2022, 04:14:57 PM »
So our OSE party lost its (8th level) cleric last night and was unable to bring her back.  It happened towards the end of the adventure so they weren't really affected by it in terms of healing and what not, but now the characters want to buy potions of healing and possibly a couple other magic items for their upcoming adventures, which will be the "Saga of the Giants" series for BFRPG.  My general policy is that potions and low level scrolls are pretty readily available, particularly in large cities, but more powerful items are both very rare and expensive.  I still generally use the prices in the DMG as a baseline.  So in the current situation, as the party will be starting in one of my campaign's larger cities, I have no problem with them buying potions of healing, though I'll put a cap on it.  Still pondering the bag of holding they want, though the 25,000 gp price tag in the DMG seems fair enough, I suppose.

What about you?  Do you let players buy magic items?  Or do they have to earn (or steal) them the good old fashioned way?


You got to let them do SOMETHING with all the loot they get.

The thing here is not to make it too easy. Got a dead character and the others want to bring her back? Make it EXPENSIVE AS HELL and tough to do- maybe they have to get something from a dangerous place.

Let them get magic arrows so they can hurt something magical from a distance- but they cost a LOT, so they ain't going to waste them on some crummy orcs and ogres.

Potions of healing is fun because you can make it so nobody knows how good they'll work- maybe one can heal 4-24 points so for all you know you spent a whole bunch of loot on something that only healed 4 points. Maybe "bought" items like a fireball wand has a 10% of just fizzling with each shot. Make it fun.

Pat
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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #96 on: February 16, 2022, 05:34:46 PM »
Potions of healing is fun because you can make it so nobody knows how good they'll work- maybe one can heal 4-24 points so for all you know you spent a whole bunch of loot on something that only healed 4 points.
It might be interesting to base some variable effects, like the amount healed by a potion, on the source. What if the 3d8+3 hp restored by a potion of extra-healing is the range across all possible makers, instead of being a number you roll when you quaff the potion? Poor Brunhilda the Tattered Fey in the shack out by the swamp might make a potion that only heals 8 hp, while the renowned alchemist Drago the Magnificent might make extra-healing potions that restore 24 hp. Could even keep it random, as long as the random rolls fall within that range (6 to 27), so maybe 1d4+6 for Brunhilda, or 19+2d4 for Drago. Quality matters, and part of the game would involve the players figuring out the best place to source their potions and other magic items.

AtomicPope

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #97 on: February 17, 2022, 01:53:12 AM »
As many have said before: it depends on the campaign

However, I don't like it when PCs can build their perfect magic items.  I noticed right away in 3e with the Creation Feats that it was like a video game.  We're grinding, selling, and crafting.  It didn't feel like D&D at all.  So I try to greatly limit the kind of items you can purchase, and maintain some fantasy flavor.  For example, some items might be purchased or traded from a thematic source, like an Elven Cloak when you're in an Elven Kingdom.  I might not allow such a purchase outside of the Elven Kingdom, as no one is willing to part with it.  When we're trying to buy and sell magic items we're no longer questing and fighting, we're just being diplomancers.

estar

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Re: Stance on Buying Magic Items
« Reply #98 on: February 17, 2022, 02:19:18 PM »
What about you?  Do you let players buy magic items?  Or do they have to earn (or steal) them the good old fashioned way?
Yes but it is a luxury trade with all the advantages and disadvantages trade in rare and valuable items have.

This the price I use for my own campaigns, it lists prices in silver pennies with 1d = 1 sp. Although you can make 1d = 1 GP if you want to make it more costly or use the gold piece as your major coin.

https://www.batintheattic.com/downloads/Magic_Item_Creation_Rev_2.pdf

In general magic shops will have stock with value equal to 1/10th the proprietor's xp total. I will update the inventory once per game month. If the shop is visited regularly I will roll next month's stock. And space out when items become available. This is not common as PCs will hit the shop, blow a lot of coins, and not come back for a few weeks until they finished another round of adventures.

So a 6th level Magic User with a shop with 50,000 XP will have a 5,000d inventory. Note I compute inventory on the basis of creation cost not sale cost. Which is why the below has a bigger total sale value. Note that a laborer will each 24d per month.

+2 Medium Shield (1560d)
Gem of Seeing (4,000d)
Gauntlets of Ogre Power (3,000d)
Scroll of Magic Missile (200d)
Potion of Animal Control (500d)
Potion of Healing (400d)
1 viz (see my Blackmarsh setting for how viz works basically 1 viz allows you to cast 1 1st level spell you have memorized without expending the slot or can be applied toward reducing the magic item creation costs.)


If the viz, Potion of Healing, and Gauntlets of Ogre Power were sold I would roll the following for next month's inventory. And replace the sold value with new items starting with the lowest cost Item.

Next Month's potential inventory.
-2 Cursed Staff (3003d)
+2 Medium Shield (1560d)
Prodd with +1 damage only (538d)
Mace with +1 damage only (313d)
Scroll of Light (200d)
Potion of Ethereality (1,000d)
Potion of Flying (1,000d)
Potion of Healing (400d)
Potion of Healing (400d)
Potion of Invisibility (500d)
2 viz

So next month inventory will look like

+2 Medium Shield (1560d)
Gem of Seeing (4,000d)
Scroll of Magic Missile (200d)
Potion of Animal Control (500d)
Potion of Ethereality (1,000d)
Potion of Flying (1,000d)
Potion of Healing (400d)
Potion of Healing (400d)
Potion of Invisibility (500d)
2 viz
« Last Edit: February 17, 2022, 02:23:39 PM by estar »