Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 LordSerafus Dec 01, 2014 9:06:13	So I recently got a copy of the new DMG and I have questions/concerns about magic items. As healing potions have been in the PHB gear section from the start, I have been allowing my players to buy them whenever they like. But now that I read the DMG, I'm not sure why anyone would craft magic items ever. So I wonder if I'm misreading something. So here is what I have summised based on what I have read using the base healing potion as an example.   A magic item requires a formula to craft Formulae are one level more rare than the item they create A common magic item (such as the healing potion) costs 100GP and 4 days to create An uncommon magic item (the formula) costs 500GP or supposing magic is common pg 141 is 200GP Healing potions sell for 50GP Why would anyone ever craft a healing potion? In the past there was always a discount for crafting items. Granted there used to be a feat required. But it seems like the PHB writers and DMG writers are on opposite ends of the spectrum here.    Any suggestions/ideas for how to handle magic in my campaign?
#2 Dyndrilliac Dec 01, 2014 10:17:30	Considering drinking a potion only restores 2d4+2 (max 10) HP and requires an action that could otherwise be used to attack or cast a spell,  I think 50gp is a fair price for them. If the cost was raised to 100gp and 4 days of downtime, I'd simply stop using them altogether and just refuse to go anywhere or do anything until the group takes a rest when I run out of resources.
#3 Kennethray Dec 01, 2014 12:40:27	I have made a house rule in my game for the first type Healing pots only. They are able to make a herbalisim check to see if they are able to decrease the cost and/or time to craft one. Of course in a town with the items, it is just as cheap to buy them.
#4 LordSerafus Dec 01, 2014 13:13:36	Consider though the alchemist who brews the potions to sell in the town. He's spent 200 gold for a formula that allows him to spend 4 days and 100 gold to craft a potion that retails for 50 gold. The economics of it don't make sense. Why would he bother? It's a losing proposition. I have similar complaints with the section on owning businesses. Unless you're super lucky, your business just costs you money all the time.
#5 cowleymen Dec 01, 2014 14:21:30	At least for buisness, yes, they do cost you money untill you get out of the debt/start up cost of its creation. But i agree about the Pot of Healing, I will probably find another way to craft them. I like my economics to work at least passably
#6 Kennethray Dec 01, 2014 16:09:46	It is mostly likely like everything else, NPCs are able to do things that the PCs are just not able to do. Maybe the alchemist is able to make it at a fraction of the cost since thats what he does all day everyday. He has the mats in bulk and other perks. Since I am all about the adventure and hate it when my Players try to run a bussiness to make money by making magical items, I like the set up. Just got to make a few exceptions to help my guys out.   K-Ray
#7 AaronOfBarbaria Dec 01, 2014 16:55:38	I don't have my DMG yet (hooray for going to a WPN premier store, pre-ordering while picking up the Monster Manual, showing up on the release date and being told "it's not even supposed to be here today because of how UPS delivers to us"), but I saw someone online saying something about consumable items always having a reduced cost to make - is that not a thing?
#8 MechaPilot Dec 01, 2014 18:30:30	AaronOfBarbaria wrote:
#9 MechaPilot Dec 01, 2014 18:31:26	LordSerafus wrote:
#10 LordSerafus Dec 02, 2014 4:07:17	It does say that. However it made no mention of it in the PHB, where you could pick up healing pots as if they were as common as a knapsack. Either there exists inconsistency between the DMG and the PHB, the writers had a change of heart between the two books, or it was just sloppy for them to exclude  a blurb explaining the relative difficulty of acquiring basic healing potions. I'm a bit disheartened because I like 5th but the DMG has been a disappointment
#11 Chaosmancer Dec 02, 2014 6:37:46	I had a bit of trouble with the business rules myself, 60% chance of going under or holding steady I think it was, until my Dad pointed out the number of start-ups that fall flat. It's actually a little realistic.   As for the potions, the initial cost of the formula is negligible, just like buying a massive tractor but using it for 20 years. he real problem is the materials, but there is a small workaround, not that it helps too much with the "making sense" part. It does not cost "100 gold" to create, it costs "100 gold worth of materials". For someone crafting these potions, and making that their livelihood, it would make sense that they would farm (however they could) the required herbs themselves, therefore reducing the cost to the cost of maintaining a crazy garden. However, this does not completely remove the problem, because it would seem they would make more money  just seling the herbs to the people making the potions. To that I can only say that these potions are the only "healthcare" available, and therefore there is a heavy incentive for them to be created, even if it is at a loss. After all, why would players make a potion? because it's property is more valuable than the gold spent to craft it.
#12 sleypy Dec 02, 2014 7:07:40	I think the prices in the DMG are to keep players from thinking the DMG is another player resource so the prices are ridiculous. It seems like that has been the case in previous editions.