Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Quincapotomus Jan 29, 2015 20:18:58	Hey, I've only really gm for Dnd 3.5 before, but I have other experience with other systems. I really like most of the fifth addtion rules until I got to magic items and starting gold at higher levels. I haven't had much time to see if  the system works out very well and I know it is suppose to be a guide, but I feel like the players really get the bad end of the deal if they don't start at level 1 and collect items normally. So I really have two questions.    Q1: Has anyone else develop a different system for starting gold and items that seems more like a steady accumalation of items instead of just getting this much more for being a certain level higher. (DMG 38 for the suggestied chart.)     Q2: Does the gp value, item creation cost, and the catogory of items makes little sense to anyone else? I mean a potion of invisibillity is a very rare item (DMG 188) which is the same catogory of item as a +3 weapon (DMG 213). Now the items in catogory "Very Rare" cost 50000gp, not including living cost,(DMG 129) to craft but you can only sale one for half that price base on the buying charts (DMG 130). This comes up with two problems I have as a GM. The raw matirials to make something should never equal more then what you could sell it for. And the second it cost the same to make a potion of invisibility as a +3 longsword. A one time use item that last for a minute cost the same as a weapon that adds +3 to hit and damage? The gp value of buying items is severly different from crafting them. A 'very rare' item cost 5001-50000 to buy (DMG 135) and the DMG says this is at the DM's descesion. I don't see any suggested prices under items themselves, but I would personally never buy a potion of invisbillity for more then 10000gp, but this means I would have to spend 5 times as much to make an item then what I would have to buy it for. Personally as a gm I would just make the cost of crafting an item a quarter of the value of the purchasing value. I am just wondering if anyone has came up with anything else to use as a crafting system and my second part of this question is if anyone has already priced the items or am I going to have to go through the DMG and price every item on my personal belief in the value of the item?
#2 ChrisSteele Jan 30, 2015 16:05:02	I have the same feelings about the magic crafting rules, they seem a little too vague.  So, I'm treating them as just that, vague.  I'm not assigning fixed costs to anything just yet but instead making things a range and letting it fall on the high end or low end based on the utility of the item.  For consumable items, that cost would be cut to 1/10th.  The time spent crafting magic items seems off as well since it's a fraction of the time to create a non-magical item.  But again, all of this is ment to be left to the GM to work out.  One simple way to do it is using the formulas.  If you want your players to be able to carft a +1 sword, then you need to provide them with a formula.  That formula can detail the cost and matrials along with the time it'll take.  Since you're unlikely to hand out tons of formulas, it makes your job a lot simpler then having to do it for every item.
#3 Oorgnid Jan 30, 2015 16:35:41	I think one way to handle this would be to follow your personal taste.  I know that a potion doesn't seem like much, but in order to craft a potion with a spell effect, you have to know the spell and expend the slot level appropriate to that spell per day of crafting.  It assumes 25gp a day + the spell slot per day.  So..that being stated and following book guidelines....That's 2000 days or 5years.  I'd want my potion to cost a lot too since it would be pretty taxing on me to expend  The DMG states you can modify the costs to better suit your campaign.  I understand where your'e coming from, and I agree.  A potion that lasts only an hour and breaks when you attack or cast a spell is pretty blah.  It would be different if the potion wasn't consumed and had multiple uses like the +3 weapon would have.  In this situation, I'd take into consideration adjusting the rarity.  You also have to consider how time is in D&D.  1hr is a LONG time.  Especially in combat encounters which are based to be 6s a round.  So, with the time length and amount of spell slots put into crafting the potion, I don't see the rarity being just.  I feel as if uncommon or rare would suit it bettter.  More towards rare simply due to the time factor but again, you get to decide.     If you break it down though, I feel as if they over estimated the potion . Invisibility is a 2nd level spell..which could be considered a common/uncommon item.  The spell itself lasts 1hr so I think when it comes to potions, maybe you should use your judgement and craft it yourself to see how it will turn out if it's really as rare as they make it.  Also consider that spells usage.  Potions of invisibility could become overpowered quickly to do daunting tasks and escapes.  Which is another reason it should be considered rare.  That being said.  Consuming your 2nd level slot for crafting at a low level is very taxing on your spells per day.
#4 Maialideth Jan 31, 2015 6:29:10	On page 135 in the DMG it says that the value of a consumable item is typically half the value of a permanent item. So a potion of invisibility could actually cost 2500 gp and 5 sp according to the Magic Item Rarity table.   However, the tables on page 130 makes less sense, in that they state that all magic items of a given rarity has the same base price for selling. Personally I'd ignore this part and go with the table on page 135.   As for costs for creating magic items, I'd probably say that it would cost the same to create a magic item as it would buying it. Maybe allow common items to be created at half price.
(Reply to #4) AaronOfBarbaria	Maialideth wrote:
#6 cowleymen Jan 31, 2015 23:21:24	Quincapotomus wrote: