A new way of making money [Archive] - Wizards Community

A new way of making money [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Eightbitmage
09-21-05, 11:57 AM Additional magic supplies costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor—half the base price of the item.

From SRD

Both PCs and NPCs produce magical items in a standard campaign setting. Magic items are fairly common amongst even PCs and NPCs above level 4 meaning that a goodly number of these "materials" have been used up in the process of creating such magic goods. These aren't just items that spawn in a shopkeepers stores nor are they just gold that the creator destroys in the creation of the magic item; they must come from somewhere.

Not only that but when you consider how expensive some items are it implies that the "materials" are either rare, dangerous to obtain, need to be processed or needed in vast quantities. So this has lead to my expanding the games I run a bit to include such things.

Has anyone else ever done anything like this? If the PCs want money, why not quest to recover some special type of grass that is needed in the creation of magic items?
VirgilCaine
09-21-05, 12:41 PM Sure--you could do that. I personally like the "hand-waving" of the specific magical components of magic items in 3E.
Red_Ninja
09-21-05, 12:45 PM yes- i often have "sub quests" that involve "fetching" materials

sometimes I have the PCs fetch "special" components that increase spell effects (like a crystal that doubles the area of effect for a light spell, or a red dragon scale increases fireball damage by +1 per die) this keeps the PCs thinking about how to modify their spells and helps me customize my villains.
CzarGarrett
09-21-05, 01:12 PM I have since lost most of the stuff, but back for 2E, I had a whole listing of specific items needed for various magic items.

I still do it a bit for 3E, but not as much. Its primarily for wonderous items, weapons/armor with specific abilities, rings, and staves. Simple weapons, wands, and potions usually don't need much in the way of special items.
DorsetDas
09-23-05, 05:21 AM Yeah have done this and played it. At the moment the campaign I'm running the party are working for a guild and recieve writs, they have an ongoing writ that was set by a local alchemist/wizard to collect bits for potions etc... They have a list of items but anything outside of this maybe paid for as well.

Cockatrice heads and the like are on the list.
Lina_Inverse
09-23-05, 05:30 AM I handwave such as what neutral adventurers are doing. My pcs are far too heroic to be getting spell components for the mage.
Flushpuppie
09-23-05, 06:58 AM I find it strange too, the player wants to create a magic item, checks how much it costs, and writes down his new gp ammount. like making a magic sword is dropping a sword on a pile of gold and wait until the magic happens
VirgilCaine
09-23-05, 09:06 AM I find it strange too, the player wants to create a magic item, checks how much it costs, and writes down his new gp ammount. like making a magic sword is dropping a sword on a pile of gold and wait until the magic happens

Yes, because now you can have whatever flavor for making magic you want--instead of requiring the one process forever and ever.

A wizards enspelling an item could involve any number of things, which can be described instead of puzzled out by the DM.

And I like that idea.
Chobemaster
09-23-05, 09:14 AM IMC, the player decides what he wants the item to be and makes up a list of components that price-out to the required cost, which I then approve. I don't make the character spend time/resources researching it, IMO, taking the relevant feat and knowing the relevant spells is adequate grounds to rule that he knows what it takes.

If they can find the items on their own, they don't have to buy them. This is why it's critical the DM approve the priced-out list. You can't let the player say "1,000 GP worth of hay" or something commonplace and silly.

Over time, this has developed a market price for certain items/components. And some things cost more in place a than place b. for example, blue dragon scale is a good component for lightning items. (pretty big-time ones...a single dragon scale might be worth too much for a wand of shocking grasp) That's cheaper in the desert areas where they actually live than in arctic or archipeligo regions. Smart players in an arctic region wouldn't put that on the list.
Chobemaster
09-23-05, 09:28 AM oops, so, anyway, yeah, SOMEONE is going out and harvesting and selling this stuff. No reason PC's couldn't do the same. Also no reason PC's might not run across such "collectors." Indeed, the collectors might even be following the PC's and harvesting from their kills.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Eightbitmage 09-21-05, 11:57 AM	Additional magic supplies costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor—half the base price of the item. From SRD Both PCs and NPCs produce magical items in a standard campaign setting. Magic items are fairly common amongst even PCs and NPCs above level 4 meaning that a goodly number of these "materials" have been used up in the process of creating such magic goods. These aren't just items that spawn in a shopkeepers stores nor are they just gold that the creator destroys in the creation of the magic item; they must come from somewhere. Not only that but when you consider how expensive some items are it implies that the "materials" are either rare, dangerous to obtain, need to be processed or needed in vast quantities. So this has lead to my expanding the games I run a bit to include such things. Has anyone else ever done anything like this? If the PCs want money, why not quest to recover some special type of grass that is needed in the creation of magic items?
VirgilCaine 09-21-05, 12:41 PM	Sure--you could do that. I personally like the "hand-waving" of the specific magical components of magic items in 3E.
Red_Ninja 09-21-05, 12:45 PM	yes- i often have "sub quests" that involve "fetching" materials sometimes I have the PCs fetch "special" components that increase spell effects (like a crystal that doubles the area of effect for a light spell, or a red dragon scale increases fireball damage by +1 per die) this keeps the PCs thinking about how to modify their spells and helps me customize my villains.
CzarGarrett 09-21-05, 01:12 PM	I have since lost most of the stuff, but back for 2E, I had a whole listing of specific items needed for various magic items. I still do it a bit for 3E, but not as much. Its primarily for wonderous items, weapons/armor with specific abilities, rings, and staves. Simple weapons, wands, and potions usually don't need much in the way of special items.
DorsetDas 09-23-05, 05:21 AM	Yeah have done this and played it. At the moment the campaign I'm running the party are working for a guild and recieve writs, they have an ongoing writ that was set by a local alchemist/wizard to collect bits for potions etc... They have a list of items but anything outside of this maybe paid for as well. Cockatrice heads and the like are on the list.
Lina_Inverse 09-23-05, 05:30 AM	I handwave such as what neutral adventurers are doing. My pcs are far too heroic to be getting spell components for the mage.
Flushpuppie 09-23-05, 06:58 AM	I find it strange too, the player wants to create a magic item, checks how much it costs, and writes down his new gp ammount. like making a magic sword is dropping a sword on a pile of gold and wait until the magic happens
VirgilCaine 09-23-05, 09:06 AM	I find it strange too, the player wants to create a magic item, checks how much it costs, and writes down his new gp ammount. like making a magic sword is dropping a sword on a pile of gold and wait until the magic happens Yes, because now you can have whatever flavor for making magic you want--instead of requiring the one process forever and ever. A wizards enspelling an item could involve any number of things, which can be described instead of puzzled out by the DM. And I like that idea.
Chobemaster 09-23-05, 09:14 AM	IMC, the player decides what he wants the item to be and makes up a list of components that price-out to the required cost, which I then approve. I don't make the character spend time/resources researching it, IMO, taking the relevant feat and knowing the relevant spells is adequate grounds to rule that he knows what it takes. If they can find the items on their own, they don't have to buy them. This is why it's critical the DM approve the priced-out list. You can't let the player say "1,000 GP worth of hay" or something commonplace and silly. Over time, this has developed a market price for certain items/components. And some things cost more in place a than place b. for example, blue dragon scale is a good component for lightning items. (pretty big-time ones...a single dragon scale might be worth too much for a wand of shocking grasp) That's cheaper in the desert areas where they actually live than in arctic or archipeligo regions. Smart players in an arctic region wouldn't put that on the list.
Chobemaster 09-23-05, 09:28 AM	oops, so, anyway, yeah, SOMEONE is going out and harvesting and selling this stuff. No reason PC's couldn't do the same. Also no reason PC's might not run across such "collectors." Indeed, the collectors might even be following the PC's and harvesting from their kills.