Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Furious D 18 09-12-05, 11:47 PM	So the wizard in the group just got Shrink Item as a spell. So he's looking at Shrink Item, Reduce Person, and Enlarge Person and asks me if there is an Enlarge Item spell. I know there isn't but I know you can enlarge carried items with the Enlarge Person spell. So I was about to start making my own custom Enlarge Item spell when I realized what his true intention was. He wanted to permantly enlarge the 10 pound gold statue art object they got out of the last encounter. Yeah..... so I said no. Anyway, just a reminder to everyone to really think about it before you give anything new to those PC's. They're a sneaky bunch!
epifreak 09-12-05, 11:59 PM	So what you're saying is that he wanted to blow a chunk of XP enlarging a statue, so that he could hock it, essentially trading XP for money. Personally, I'd be inclined to keep the XP over the gold. I really don't see it as too badly overpowering, but maybe I'm missing something.
Eviltool 09-13-05, 12:34 AM	I think the big problem is that if someone found a reliable, fairly cheap way to make a large amount of a precious metal with no resources, then the massive quantities of said precious metal being produced would reduce the value of the precious metal inversely proportional to the amount produced. Thus, gold would be less valuable than copper. But it would make dispel magic really fun.
IceFractal 09-13-05, 05:07 AM	Heh, you can already make a great deal of money with the object-manipulation spells. Just a couple are: * Wall of Iron + Fabricate - If you have a good craft skill you can turn out masterwork weapons, armor, and items in a few minutes. * Minor Creation + Craft(poison) - Black Lotus poison (and any other organic poison) just became free. Of course, it only lasts a few hours, so this is best put in a wand and used on the spot by an assassin.
Vaelan 09-13-05, 05:25 AM	I think the big problem is that if someone found a reliable, fairly cheap way to make a large amount of a precious metal with no resources, then the massive quantities of said precious metal being produced would reduce the value of the precious metal inversely proportional to the amount produced. Thus, gold would be less valuable than copper. But it would make dispel magic really fun. The fact that information doesn't travel extremely quickly hampers this effect greatly, by which I mean it allows you to stick a larger group of people with a massive amount of a commodity before they realize it is all worthless. My favorite trick when dealing with having entirely too much of a tradable commodity is to split it up between two people and have them simultaneously sell it to competing merchants at decent prices. This way you sell it all without anyone realizing that you're dumping so much on the market that it will hardly be worth having when you're done until you're well away from the town. Unless you have a truly ridiculous amount of gold and distribute it to every significant trade city in the known world, gold will still be used as a trading standard due to a lack of communication. How would the merchants know that this supposedly worthless gold will be worthless everywhere?
Count Arioch the 28th 09-13-05, 05:36 AM	Personally, I'd be inclined to keep the XP over the gold. I really don't see it as too badly overpowering, but maybe I'm missing something. Actually, gaining gold while losing XP is perhaps one of the most subtly game breaking thing you can do. Since the encounter level is based off the average, you're making encounters easier every time your friends level and you don't, furthemore the wealth by level system has a few glaring holes, this being one of them. However, it takes an awful lot of finagling to do this, and unless you're in the RPGA, there's no guarantee that the DM isn't going to just ignore the encounter level rules and average them to the rest of the party, which would be bad for everyone.
Escef 09-13-05, 05:49 AM	Money is meaningless unless there are magic item shops in your world or one of the players has an item creation feat.
ShadowDragon8685 09-13-05, 07:13 AM	I'd let him do it. I mean, it IS pretty creative. And besides, if you give them thy rope and thy shovel, thy axe and thy hammer, thy nails and thy wood, they shalt dig thier own grave, construct thier own gallows, coil their own noose, and kick their own lever. By which I mean, say he does this. A lot. Sure, the party will be swimming in gold before too long. But eventually, and just when they LEAST want it, they will discover that the scale of monetary value now goes: 1 Copper piece = 1 CP 1 Gold Piece = 10 CP 1 Silver Piece = 100 CP. Whooops. Instant slashing of their wealth! Now, let's say they do it again. This time, with silver. Eventually, it'll go: 1 GP = 1 GP 1 SP = 10 GP 1 CP = 100 GP Well damn, their OLD wealth just got hundredth'd, and their new wealth got tenth'd. Hehehe. Market forces can work against PCs as easily as spells can work for them. :)
Nom 09-13-05, 08:02 AM	He wanted to permantly enlarge the 10 pound gold statue art object they got out of the last encounter.So? It's a big golden statue, that glows like a beacon whenever detect magic is applied to it. It also returns to normal size on the application of decent impact (extrapolating from PH pg 279), if it works like shrink item. Personally, if someone tried to sell me a giant golden statue I would cast detect magic on it, followed shortly by identify.