Alternatives that cost less, weigh less and encumber less than Fine Plate

Nils_Lindeberg · 12-23-2019, 01:23 PM

Axel, the list looks good.

But I would be a little bit careful about the x10 for LMI since some of them do have ST cost and other balancing factors. But new, made to order, should have a hefty premium on them. This also makes other items worth more on the second-hand market, so a lot of the payment could be made with other loot.

GMI might be a little steep at x50 and roleplay services. I would probably go with one or the other.

The important part is to compare magic item prices with mundane prices or castles, counties, large houses, prestige, raising an army, hiring a retinue of 10 or 100 people and so on. A king can give away a barony title to a guild to get that Crown of Crownliness, but an adventurer might have a hard time choosing between one and the other as a reward for his services or when selling his loot.

My rule of thumb, when I GM is to never say no, just make it hard enough so the players face a real choice. And once they get the money, resources, favors together to get that uber item they had in mind, show them something else that will give them more viable choices like spending it all on a treasure map or a party fit to impress their new wealthy friends, or a dowry for marriage, or a share in a large manufactory, or reveal that many apprentices were hurt in the enchanting process, so they might end up razing the guild instead of employing it and then they find other comparable loot instead.

12-23-2019, 01:23 PM	#20
Nils_Lindeberg Join Date: Jul 2018	Re: Alternatives that cost less, weigh less and encumber less than Fine Plate Axel, the list looks good. But I would be a little bit careful about the x10 for LMI since some of them do have ST cost and other balancing factors. But new, made to order, should have a hefty premium on them. This also makes other items worth more on the second-hand market, so a lot of the payment could be made with other loot. GMI might be a little steep at x50 and roleplay services. I would probably go with one or the other. The important part is to compare magic item prices with mundane prices or castles, counties, large houses, prestige, raising an army, hiring a retinue of 10 or 100 people and so on. A king can give away a barony title to a guild to get that Crown of Crownliness, but an adventurer might have a hard time choosing between one and the other as a reward for his services or when selling his loot. My rule of thumb, when I GM is to never say no, just make it hard enough so the players face a real choice. And once they get the money, resources, favors together to get that uber item they had in mind, show them something else that will give them more viable choices like spending it all on a treasure map or a party fit to impress their new wealthy friends, or a dowry for marriage, or a share in a large manufactory, or reveal that many apprentices were hurt in the enchanting process, so they might end up razing the guild instead of employing it and then they find other comparable loot instead.