Re: (TFT) TFT: Magical Ingredients

[Pasha and or Rick Smith <pnrsmith@istar.ca>]

Hi Everyone,
	Matt, I don't know who is game mastering you but
in my campaign a certain dwarf could kill a 14 hex dragon
with out loss all by himself.

	I think the idea of the 1/4 price is so that the merchants
can make a profit.  For example, they buy a dragon hide from 
some adventurers in city A for $8,000.  Later they hear of a 
wizard in city B who needs it.  They ship it to city B, sell it to
the wizard for $32,000.

	The Bastards!   Making a $24,000 profit for no risk!
The Capitalistic Pigs!!!  Why don't they become adventurers
and work for a living!!!

	Well actually they do have risk.  First they are out 
$8,000 up front.  If the hide does not sell then they have that
much money stuck in inventory.  The warehouse with the hide
might burn down.  It might be lost in shipping.  They have to 
pay for shipping and guarding the wagons or ships etc.  And 
the hide has to pay for those time when a factory burns down
or a caravan is lost with all hands.  And then they have to make
a profit for themselves as selfish as that seems.

	The $32,000 is the cost that the wizards pay for the
hide, when THEY are in need of one RIGHT NOW.  If the 
players want to keep the hide until they find a wizard that 
wants it, then they could get much more than $8,000, but
remember the wizard is not going to comb thru the bars and
whore houses looking for an adventuring group with a dragon
hide, they will just go to the local merchant.  Of course the 
players could ADVERTISE that they have a hide to the 
wizards in several different cities.  But they have no reputation
while the wizards have been working with the same merchants
for years.

	What!  Your adventurers don't want to do all that
work!  They want to get their money, buy a couple of magic
items and go out adventuring again!  The problem is that 
the merchants don't realize that the players are doing him a
favor stiring up those dragons.

	What a bunch of ungreatful louts!

	Rick

	

>Thanks for the summary of the lists.  Having it all calculated out like
>that is nice.
>
>However, I do have a problem with one comment you make below.
>
>>14-Hex Dragon Hide            32,000
>
>>   By the way, when my campaign's characters want to sell equipment or
>>magical ingredients in town (like a 14-hex dragon hide) they only get 1/4 of
>>the list price, /not/ the prices listed in the book!  This rule has held up
>>well under playtesting, and it's a good rule for solitaire play too.
>
>Being mostly a player, I never liked automatically being penalized on the
>prices I should recieve for items.  I realize that the goal is to keep a
>character's money in check, but if a character or party goes through all of
>the risk involved in aquiring a 14-hex dragon hide, I think they deserve
>the reward of selling it for a fair price.
>
>Now if the characters just want to walk into town and sell it to the first
>person they come across, fine, 1/4 sounds fair.  Characters with merchant
>or speach-type skills should at least get a chance to get a better deal.
>For characters without such talents, the roleplaying that can be done
>barganning for a better price or finding someone in need of such an item
>may prove to be half of the fun.
>
>If the dragon was played tough, the party probably lost a least one
>character and used up a few potions.  Why would a group of characters risk
>that for a mere $8000 (assuming they didn't need the hide for their own
>wizard)?  Assuming a 4 character party, that's just enough to get each
>person a weak magic item.
>
>Finally, why should characters not be able to receive what an NPC could?
>If the market price for a 14-Hex dragon hide is $32000, someone else is
>also paying that price (not just the PCs).  Why can't the characters
>approach the local wizards guild and say "We heard you're going to buy a
>dragon's hide from John the merchant for $32000.  We'll sell you one right
>now for $30000."  Of course how they found out the guild was looking for a
>hide may also offer some good roleplaying possibilities.
>
>What do you guys think?  Am I just being greedy, or would giving out $32000
>throw your campaign balance all out of wack?  I think by the time
>characters are ready to take on a big challenge like a 14-Hex dragon, the
>equipment that they want and need to survive costs alot anyway.
>
>Just ranting,
>Matt
>
>
>
>=====
>Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
>Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
>"unsubscribe tft"



=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"