The Gaming Den

Consumable items are one of the big problems with 3.5 D&D. As explained in the Tome Series, the ability to trade gold directly for power is a big problem that leads to crazy get-rich-quick schemes that skew character advancement schedules hard. Frank & K cirumvented this trend by altering the wording of Wish so that characters couldn't simply create endless items above a certain price limit and therefore making such items difficult to obtain. Their design philosophy seems to be that it doesn't matter if you can find such items by adventuring as long as you can't simply buy them in unlimited quantities at the local store.

However, consumable items by their very nature are cheap and expendable (thats part of their problem) and as such don't really interact with the Wish Economy.

So, I'm going to try applying the philosophy that people who can't create an unlimited amount of something tend not to sell it cheaply to consumable items to see if this approach can reduce the amount of cheese available via expendable items.

Replacement Feats:

Brew Potion [Item Creation]

You can create potions, which carry spells within themselves. Potion brewing involves binding magical agents into a liquid which will then activate when imbibed by a sentient creature. However, the magical power that activates the potion actually comes from within the imbiber themselves. Much like the way that certain drugs merely encourage the body to release chemicals it is is already capable of producing, a potion releases the imbibers latent magical energy to create spell effects. Once the magical reserves are depleted, further potions are merely inert liquids.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd.
Benefit: You can create a potion of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know and that targets one or more creatures. Brewing a potion takes one day. When you create a potion, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The cost to brew a potion is its spelll level × its caster level × 25 gp. When you create a potion, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell. Any potion that stores a spell with a costly material component also carries a commensurate cost. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend the material component when creating the potion. A potion, once drunk, remains in the imbibers system for a period of 24 hours regardless of the length of effect of the spell. Once a character has potions in his system equal to half his character level (rounded down) further potions have no effect when imbibed.

Purchasing potions
Potions can be purchased using the normal rules provided in the Players Handbook.

Scribe Scroll [Item Creation]

You can create scrolls, from which you or another spellcaster can cast the scribed spells. Unlike potions, a scroll is imbued with some of the creators magical energies in order to allow the reader to shape and power the spell. This energy is only released when the scroll is read or destroyed, and is held within the scroll until such a time. As such, most casters are very reluctant to part with their scrolls as they contain an irreplaceable piece of the scribers power.
Prerequisite: Caster level 1st.
Benefit: You can create a scroll of any spell that you know. Scribing a scroll takes one day per spell level on the scroll of uninterrupted work. The cost to scribe a scroll is its spell level × its caster level × 25 gp. You must expend any material component required as normal. A spellcaster can only store a number of spell levels in scrolls equal to his character level. Any attempt to scribe a scroll containing more spell levels than the caster has unspent levels remaining automatically fails. Therefore, a 5th level Wizard may scribe a scroll containing a 3rd level spell and a scroll containing a 2nd level spell, a scroll containing 5 1st level spells, or any combination until his limit is reached. A scroll containing only level 0 spells does not count against this limit.

Purchasing Scrolls
As can be imagined most Mages are reluctant to sell scrolls, much preferring to cast the spell in person than to place their magical potential in the hands of others. First and second level spells can be purchased on a scroll for 100gp or 500gp respectively. Scrolls of spells above 2nd level are unavailable for sale unless you will be casting the spell immediately, in the presence of the scriber. In any event, the scriber of a scroll containing a spell of 4th level or higher is almost by definition in the Wish economy, therefore any such scroll is a Wish Economy item and must be paid for appropriately. As spellcasters still create such scrolls for personal use, they can be found as treasure normally.

Craft Wand [Item Creation]

You can create wands, which hold spells. Wands are the most powerful of the expendable items a Spellcaster can create, but they are also the most costly. In order to create a wand a permanent link to the caster must be created which fuels the wand, providing the energy for its continued spells. This link is only severed once all the charges are expended or the wand is destroyed. As can be imagined, most spellcasters are very reluctant to part with their wands and almost all wands are crafted ofr personal use.
Prerequisite: Caster level 5th.
Benefit: You can create a wand of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know. Crafting a wand takes a number of days equal to the spell level plus the required caster level (up to a maximum of your caster level). The cost to create a wand is its caster level × the spell level × 750 gp. A newly created wand has 50 charges. In addition to the cost to create the wand you must expend fifty copies of the material component if required.
When creating a wand the spellcaster actually imbues the wand with one of his own spell slots in order to provide the continued power the wand requires. This spell slot is of equal level to the spell contained within the wand and until the wand is expended or destroyed no spells can be memorised in this slot. If the wand crafter dies the wand continues to function as normal until all the charges are expended, however the wand cannot be recharged.

Purchasing Wands
Only wands containing level 1 and 0 spells are ever normally sold. The cost for these is 2,000gp. Spellcasters will never normally sell a wand of a higher level. As spellcasters of all kinds still create wands on a regular basis, wands can be found as treasure as normal.

Item Acquisition [Item Creation]

Item Acquisition is something that nearly every character in D&D desires, and magic items are in many ways the ultimate expression of character power. Therefore the attempt to keep the creation of items in the hands of Spellcasters is simply another example of Fighters Can't Have Nice Things. This Feat attempts to re-dress the balance by allowing all characters to "create" items in a thematically appropriate manner.
Prerequisites: Character Level 4th
Once per level you may choose any item that meets the criteria below and purchase it for 50% of its normal value. If the item is a Wish Economy purchase before the reduction the 50% must still be paid using appropriate goods, even if the cost is reduced under 15,000gp. You must spend an uninterrupted week performing some activity appropriate to your character that will provide the item. At the end of the week you expend the money and receive the item. Once you have used this ability you may not use it again until you have gained a level. You may not "save up" purchases for higher levels, if you do not have the time to spend before levelling up the chance is lost.

Example activities:
Wizard: Craft the item, Research a difficult and dangerous ritual that summons the item
Warrior: Forge the item, complete a side quest to obtain the item
Rogue: Conduct a Heist to steal the item, use web of contacts to find the item on the cheap
Priest: Work in the local temple and be rewarded with the item, Consecrate the item

CLvl 4-8 Max item level(BoG): Lesser DMG item cost limit(2,000gp limit)
CLvl 9-13 Max item level(BoG): Medium DMG item cost limit(20,000gp limit)
CLvl 14+ Max item level(BoG): Any non artifact DMG item cost limit (No limit)

Spellcaster Services

Any spell of 4th level or higher is a Wish Economy purchase and must be paid for using Wish Economy goods. Any spell of 3rd level or lower can be purchased by hiring a spellcaster to cast the spell as normal.

Comments? Holes? Obvious weaknesses? I'm not sure if the scroll restriction screws Sorcerers too much, and is 1 potion per 2 char levels an appropriate amount per day? I've lumped healing scrolls / potions in with everthing else, which might cause some issues, but to be honest forcing people to use healing potions or strength potions sounds like a reasonable control method.

I just let people do what you're describing in "Item Acquisition", except without the 50% reduction in cost. I also make crafting cost 100% of the item cost, but no XP. No one gets shit for free (or even half price), but at the same time no one has to waste feats to get the things they want.

I just flat out said that you can't cast spells from scrolls at all. They're only used to convey spell knowledge between wizards and other casters. Yeah, this hurts some classes a bit, but they can just use staffs or wands, or Rune Staffs for sorcerers.

Speaking of which, I say that wands and staffs take up one of your 8 item slots. I kind of like the idea of them taking up a spell slot, though. I might steal that from you.

I house ruled that all magic items, including potions, must use the spell level of a core class list if they exist on a core class spell list. I think potions are minor enough that they're ok without mucking with more than this. This just makes sure people aren't abusing the Trapsmith spell list to make cheap stuff, for example.

People can already get items for 100% cost by just buying the item can't they? Or do you restrict access to purchased magic items?

I was thinking of adding some kind of system for locating specific magic items for sale using Gather Information, perhaps then the ability to simply obtain any item at full cost would be worth something.

Red_Rob wrote:People can already get items for 100% cost by just buying the item can't they? Or do you restrict access to purchased magic items?

I was thinking of adding some kind of system for locating specific magic items for sale using Gather Information, perhaps then the ability to simply obtain any item at full cost would be worth something.

Ok... I guess I didn't word that very well. Of course they can't buy anything valued over 15,000 with gold, but I do let them acquire such items. Since the "money" that is used to buy such items is basically arbitrary, I don't usually bother tracking it. I just work out a RP method for them to acquire those items, much like your feat does. They can say the traded souls/astral diamonds/whatever for them, crafted them, or whatever they want.