Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MrBrown 05-28-06, 01:26 AM	Hello Has anyone tried this before? Couldn't find any ideas in the core books. Basically, PCs would be able to pay a specific amount of gold, and then roll on the random magic item generation table (3.5 dmg page 216), starting from minor/medium/major depending on how much they paid. What should the costs be for the various levels (minor/medium/major)? I did very rough calculations, and it seems minor items would average at around 750gp price. That seems a bit high though, since the majority of results would be <200gp potions or scrolls, typically even only 50gp. This could potentially create an endless loop, where players get high priced items, they sell them, and then roll again... But probability would be against them, and they'd most likely just end up with a huge bunch of potions and scrolls. Any ideas/experiences are welcome. :)
was_fired 05-28-06, 01:36 AM	I'm confused. Do you mean that you want shops to sell random items to PCs at a fixed price and then pull the item out of a box (without knowing themselves what it is worth) and give it to the PCs? So an exchange would go like this, "Okay I want to buy 3 minor magical items. Awww an arcane scroll of cure light wounds, a scroll of prestidigitation with two castings, and a potion of hide from undead. Damn oh well I resell the items and try again..."
MrBrown 05-28-06, 02:19 AM	Do you mean that you want shops to sell random items to PCs at a fixed price and then pull the item out of a box (without knowing themselves what it is worth) and give it to the PCs? So an exchange would go like this, "Okay I want to buy 3 minor magical items. Awww an arcane scroll of cure light wounds, a scroll of prestidigitation with two castings, and a potion of hide from undead. Damn oh well I resell the items and try again..." Exactly. (Though, results are usually slightly better than what you described :embarrass ).
hmmmm 05-28-06, 04:10 AM	I think that would be interesting. I have to try it, but I will make the items a bit better than the ones metionted.
Pandaemoni 05-28-06, 07:02 AM	Who would run that business? Why wouldn't the proprietors "cheat" by culling most of the truly good items from the mix, and selling those separately? You'd only have to shave a few items here and there to greatly enhance your profit over playing things straight. If you were subtle about it, moreover, the players wouldn't even know that their odds of being screwed were enhanced. That's like going to a dealership and ordering "a car." You then get one with a random selection of features, styles and in a random color. You'd know the cost and the general size of the car, but the rest is up to chance. This *big* difference is, even if it's pink and has no radio or A/C, at least you know it will be a car, and that you can drive it. With magic items you may well get an item you could never use at all. Were I a venture capitalist, I'd have no problem telling the guy with that business plan that he was not getting any business loans or investments from me. In fact, I think I'd punch him for wasting my valuable time on his retarded business plan.
MrBrown 05-28-06, 07:21 AM	I don't really care how it'd work in the supposed imaginary world. I'm thinking of it only as a game mechanical curiosity. Oh, and in any case, the players would roll on the random magic item table to determine what they get. No prefixed items, or fudging rolls. Those would defeat the point, IMO.
Pandaemoni 05-28-06, 07:52 AM	What would players pay to play this lottery? I assume you are selecting the average or median price for whatever table on which they are rolling, perhaps a bit higher. Higher than median, and the system is expensive to play (but at least the proprietor would turn a profit in the long run) as you tend to get back something slightly less valuable than the wound you just paid...lower than median though and it becomes a lottery where the seller always loses over time. I could see using the tables as a reward generator from a particularly fickly lord (perhaps some chaotic god, champion of chaos or powerful chaotic creature), but not as a permanent business establishment
DaemeonBlack 05-28-06, 03:18 PM	I am in the confused department as well, why would a business run something like this and WHERE would they get multiple copies of every magic item in the list? Now I could see if you rolled some random items before the PC's enter the shop and that is what they have for sale at the time (I have done this and it worked out pretty well) The idea you purpose would only make sense if it was, in say the City of Brass on the elemental plane of fire ran by Genie and other outsiders as an attraction to their multi-planer market place, where randomness rules the day. Step right up and see what wonders you could win in our magic item lottery, we have wonders from across the planes, see what you might win ;)
DrMorganes 05-28-06, 03:36 PM	Sounds like something from the Bazaar at Deva from Robert Aspirin's Myth series (VERY tongue-in-cheek fantasy, and abso-freakin'-loutly hilarious). As a one-shot encounter, it could be fun. Perhaps the PCs need to acquire a specific item from this otherwordly traveling merchant, who has a penchant for gambling. He's far too powerful for them to take down in combat, so they either need to play his game (as you described) or somehow talk the item out of his possession. Heck, he could even be an interesting recurring foil...
celtredleg 05-28-06, 04:41 PM	I was thinking of the bazaar as well. But I think I may just steal this idea, and drop it into the middle of sigil, where the players just happen to be headed. I started the thread thinking this just wont work, but, as a one time event, it may be a lot of fun.
was_fired 05-28-06, 05:00 PM	You could pull it off as a one time event due to some sort of frighteningly powerful godlike (but not an actual god) slaadi showing up in Sigil and doing this for a limited time only.