tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post1601846482476843235..comments2023-04-07T01:24:10.515-07:00Comments on No School Grognard: Astral Diamonds, Magic Items, and Dungeon FantasyMark Langsdorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00301984145275679568noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-48631942811117095832015-12-24T09:00:10.685-08:002015-12-24T09:00:10.685-08:00True, but you can't always sell things for the...True, but you can't always sell things for their nominal value: aircraft carriers have a multi-billion dollar build cost, but get sold for millions of dollars at scrap value. I'm okay with saying that the nominal value of an astral diamond is $250000 (ie, a year's income for a master enchanter) but that delvers are never going to be able to sell one for that much because there's no market for them in gold. The only people who spend money that way are other delvers, and most delvers have other ways to spend that kind of money than getting another astral diamond.Mark Langsdorfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00301984145275679568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-32822444915767724002015-12-23T18:38:05.159-08:002015-12-23T18:38:05.159-08:00If want to say the Town is always safe and Astral ...If want to say the Town is always safe and Astral Diamonds can never be sold for gold then you can. Realistically though, if there is someone with mundane wealth who wants a magic item then there will be an asking price for AD. Even if it needs to be indirect it will happen. Votes can't be purchased with dollars but they still are. William Knowleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07075848234082280333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-89189652965575227732015-12-23T17:27:03.076-08:002015-12-23T17:27:03.076-08:00I can see that, I just know that my group can and ...I can see that, I just know that my group can and would want to sell off some items for gold, and not really take "there is no exchange rate" with a frown and complaints. Plus I'd just expect that rulers, wizards, military forces, etc. be willing to part with these things for gold instead of astral diamonds? Wouldn't desperate adventurers with Greed and money troubles take gold? My players have sold off clearly magical and useful items just because they needed cash more than magic.<br /><br />It would be easier for me to set a ridiculously high value and see there are any takers, and not offer much or anything for sale.Peter Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246000382321978462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-20713951879278630712015-12-23T16:47:40.785-08:002015-12-23T16:47:40.785-08:00My idea was that you can ALWAYS sell and buy magic...My idea was that you can ALWAYS sell and buy magic items, but only for astral diamonds or other magic items. You can sometimes buy magic items for gold, but that's rare and stupidly expensive (since you're essentially paying a master wizard for ten years of work), and you can only sell magic items for gold to other crazy people like delvers, which is pretty unlikely.<br /><br />But a key component of this is there is a lively trade in astral diamonds and magic items that the PCs are encouraged to be part of. It's just that most magic items aren't cheezeball Puissance +1 swords, but Puissance +3, Accuracy +3 Fire Swords of Demonslaying that PCs are more likely to want to keep.Mark Langsdorfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00301984145275679568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-22071348418604513372015-12-23T14:44:38.194-08:002015-12-23T14:44:38.194-08:00Actually, to offer a quick solution to my problem:...Actually, to offer a quick solution to my problem: use the "normal" price to determine resale value (or base, modified by a "haggling" roll, to simulate auctions quickly). That there is a market value to magic items doesn't mean they will come up for sale - you can sell a Picasso but that doesn't mean you can always go out and buy one. So sell the +1 sword, that's fine, but it's gone and you only get your $5K or so.Peter Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246000382321978462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1287550692312955328.post-72413529703714061532015-12-23T14:31:39.273-08:002015-12-23T14:31:39.273-08:00I concur on the Power and Speed enchantments - I&#...I concur on the Power and Speed enchantments - I've suggested ways to have limited ones but I think they'd work better if they scaled up in Power and by number of spells they work on.<br /><br />One thing I do think would be a major problem in my own games:<br />"Powerful magic items and astral diamonds can be traded for each other, but not for gold, so there's no point in trying to trade a Puissance +1 sword for a suit of fine plate armor."<br /><br />I just have not had any positive experience with "this is a useful and rare magic item you can't just buy, so you also can't sell it." You end up with hoarded magic items (hey, can't be sold, might be useful) and players being forced to set auction-like prices and then adjudicate what the market happens to bear. After all, if these things can't just be bought, then they DO have a mundane price, it's just going to be high. And if they don't have a price, then they are oddly too valuable to part with and have no value, which takes a lot of the magic out of magic.Peter Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246000382321978462noreply@blogger.com