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Jan 11, 2012 -- 10:16AM, Istaran wrote:

I've considered for a few specific settings doing something like the following:
residuum is a non-physical asset. It can't be traded because you can't physically pass it over. It's spiritual in nature, and it's acquired from slaying supernatural foes, or for the sufficiently evil it can be harvested from mortals as well. Basically, it's inner power.
You need to use up residuum in order to cast rituals, including creating magical items. Others present can contribute it form their supply, not just the actual caster. 
Magic items are only magical in the hands of the one they were created for, except for consumables. A piece of metal sitting on a shelf or lying in a dungeon isn't inherently magical. The magic is essentially in a link between you and the object.
Finding an item that holds magic for another but not for you can make it easier to create that magical pattern. It doesn't take less residuum, it just makes it easier to know how to do it. For example, anyone can make a generic magic sword with enough power, but to make one that burns its foes (flaming) takes specific knowledge and the easiest way is to either use someone else's flaming sword as a template or else just make the enchantment your own by re-enchanting it to be your flaming sword.


THe purpose of this is it means that adventuring currency (residuum) can be exactly as easy to come by as needed to get the items up to the desired level while allowing cash monies to be as common or rare as fits the story. You can actually end up with epic level characters who have all their mechanical needs met but are dirt poor because they haven't been doing anything that earns actual cash. Of course, at their power level they shouldn't have a hard time getting a job as mercenaries, or something a bit more prestigious.        

This is a really awesome concept Istaran.  The next time I run a 4e campaign I'll suggest this to the players and see how it works out in game.

Jan 11, 2012 -- 10:08AM, AJGibson wrote:

What I'm proposing here is a solution that doesn't rely on DM fiat. You can solve any problem with DM fiat. But I personally like a game world in which players have some control over their inventory. Everytime someone says 'magic items are supposed to be rare' I want to say 'says who?'

After reading your second post I wonder if your group doesn't have some DM issues to deal with.

Anyway, what you propose is fine, for some people. And not fine for others. Which is why DM fiat exists. However DM fiat should take into account the players likes and dislikes and ignoring that causes issues that it seems you might be facing at the gaming table?

Personally as a player, I straddle the line. I'm a total loot wh*re in most video games and I loves me some magic stuff in my DnD but I'm also really enjoying our Dark Sun campaign in which my character has one magic sword that he has named and has been passed down generation to generation in his family so it has deep significance to him.

Jan 12, 2012 -- 9:59AM, Seeker95 wrote:

Jan 12, 2012 -- 6:43AM, AJGibson wrote:

By your logic, D&D should have no rules at all, and the DM should just decide everything. Throw those dice away, let the DM decide!

Once a rebuttal uses this kind of argument, it pretty much throws the rest of the post out the window.

Yeah, there's a slight difference between "it should be okay to change specific rules that don't fit a specific group or campaign" and "you don't need rules".

Jan 12, 2012 -- 10:12AM, AJGibson wrote:

Jan 11, 2012 -- 10:16AM, Istaran wrote:

THe purpose of this is it means that adventuring currency (residuum) can be exactly as easy to come by as needed to get the items up to the desired level while allowing cash monies to be as common or rare as fits the story. You can actually end up with epic level characters who have all their mechanical needs met but are dirt poor because they haven't been doing anything that earns actual cash. Of course, at their power level they shouldn't have a hard time getting a job as mercenaries, or something a bit more prestigious.        

This is very close to what I was originally saying: that the value of magic items should be in a form different than gp value, so that a character's wealth and a character's equipment level can be separate. You can be the poor traveller with the artifact weapon, or the wealthy merchant with no magic at all.    

Yep.
The two settings I was running it for were:
1) A D&D campaign set in Arkham, Massachussets. Liberally stealling ideas from Cthulu based games. The idea was the PCs had followed some wierd cultists from their world through a portal into Massachussets. The PCs were not entirely there.. sane NPCs couldn't percieve them except those with martial power source, who appeared as perfectly normal humans regardless of race, and seemed dressed unremarkably. Only those at least somewhat insane could percieve the truth about them (and the party eventually took to intentionally driving people crazy to get noticed. :P). In that setting 'dollars' were the cash currency, and magic items had normal properties but were basically non-existant on the market because they were so rare most people didn't know such things could exist.
2) A campaign I'm supposed to be running now if my players would show up, which uses the full ideas I expressed. Magic items are common among adventurer types and many military types and such, but since they are powered by the soul of the wielder they are pretty much non-transferrable. Demonic invasion is a major theme of the campaign, so gaining residuum from such enemies gives plenty of opportunity to seed it into the campaign. Meanwhile, cash money is something they will need to make an effort to acquire. THe campaign is just starting, and it makes sense for them to seek mercenary type work early on (actually they'll be starting the campaign heavily in debt due to student loans essentially. :P) Over time it will be up to them to either emphasize material wealth or not.   

Jan 12, 2012 -- 10:39AM, Istaran wrote:

(actually they'll be starting the campaign heavily in debt due to student loans essentially. :P)

EVIL