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Post by jonas on Jul 7, 2014 13:05:04 GMT -8
I have a group that's starting to reach paragon level, and I noticed that the prices of magic items increases in a rather preposterous rate.
If we take a normal "Magic Weapon" (with no other bonuses more than raises on the attack roll), the pricing look likes this:
+1 damage: 360 gold +2 damage: 1800 gold +3 damage: 9000 gold +4 damage: 45.000 gold +5 damage: 225.000 gold +6 damage: 1.250.000 gold
That's like walking into a gun shop, finding a gun that you like for one hundred dollars, ask for a slightly better gun and being told that it cost several thousand dollars. It's dumb.
It's not even supposed to be some kind of cap to make high level items rare. Your adventures in DnD wouldn't leave home at higher levels without a cart full of magic swords.
Anyone have suggestions how I can price magic items in a fun and easy way?
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Post by ayslyn on Jul 7, 2014 13:25:40 GMT -8
If you're handing out gold in the recommended way, then those prices should pose a problem, iirc...
I usually use Inherent Bonuses and don't have a ton of magic gear in my games, so I could be mistaken.
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wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
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Post by wellmoustachioed on Jul 8, 2014 15:19:13 GMT -8
This is due to the fact the 4e has 2 experience systems: the standard Experience Point and Gold Pieces. This makes GP just as "unreal" as XP, because there's no good way to cart around 1,000,000 gold pieces. It's silly. Gold as a currency past a couple hundred pieces has no meaning besides a metagame one of balance.
The way we worked it (besides heavy handwaving) is to use residuum (magic item dust) as your collected currency. There's not really a way to NOT give out the GP and magic items, or the balance is thrown off. You end up either with heroes who can't hit or heroes who have way too many HP to be threatened by a lower level encounter.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 6:00:37 GMT -8
The problem isn't jsut 4e, it has existed since 3.0. Honestly I just used the Inherent bonus system and only gave magic weapons with specific powers and did not make them available in shops. But then I am also more of a low fantasy type guy and do not like having magic as a common thing, I think it saps the cool and mysterious factor out of it when everyone has magic so close to hand.
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Post by whutaguy on Jul 16, 2014 11:53:55 GMT -8
It's about utility. A +2 is 5 times better (i.e. it gives a 5% bonus to hit) than a +1 so costs 5x as much. Interestingly it is also 5 levels better. If you want to find weirdness, it costs the same to copy a spell into your own book as it does to buy a book with the work done. Where is the profit in that? TSR didn't have an economist on payroll, so WotC doesn't think they need one and it will reduce the profitability to their Hasbro Overlords.
Also of note, if you keep your currency in the form of magic weapons it is easier to transport and coins or gems. Though they did invent the astral diamond for that purpose.
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Post by jonas on Jul 28, 2014 4:04:13 GMT -8
Now when I see it explained before me, I do smile at the synergy. Still, to pay five times more for a 5% increase in effect is ridiculous, at least from a world building- and flavor perspective. And I'm not a math guy, so don't quote me on this, but I believe that five guys with +1 swords have a better chance beating the crap out of monsters than one with a +2 sword.
I'm thinking about just taking the weapons level and multiply with 500. Then a normal +1 magic sword costs 500, a +2 costs 3000, a +3 costs 5500 and so forth.
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Post by ayslyn on Jul 28, 2014 9:17:57 GMT -8
And I'm not a math guy, so don't quote me on this, but I believe that five guys with +1 swords have a better chance beating the crap out of monsters than one with a +2 sword. Pardon the unintentional jab of actually quoting you here, but I felt the context to my answer was important. You would be mistaken, because there are other bonuses (and other numbers) that go along with the game than just the weapon's to hit bonus. All of which makes the math... messy. That being said, certainly do whatever makes your game fun for you and the players.
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