Hello fellow Dungeon Masters, Dungeon Mistresses, and D&D Players,
I require your help on adventuring through the pages of the official and unofficial D&D 5e rules to find if there are any rules for price modifiers for environmental/settlement factors(e.g; lets say there are two potion shops, one in a small village in the middle of the wilderness, and the other within a crowded city; what kind of price variation should I use? Would a product be more or less expensive in a smaller settlement than a larger one? Are there any modifiers I can add to my price rolls to try to stay consistant with the variation? Thank you for your time!
The Barovian merchant from Curse of Strahd is pretty harsh (no expensive items, and what he does have costs 10 times the normal price) so variations (sometimes extreme ones) do occur, but as ArwensDaughter says there's no official guidelines. You can rationalize pretty much anything you want in terms of prices though: in a remote village things are rarer and thus possibly more expensive, but the seller is less likely to find affluent customers and thus possibly wants to keep the prices low and affordable. In the big cities there's more competition and a less scarcity (lower prices) but also much more demand (higher prices). It's really up to you. I think looking at what will make the next adventure more interesting and deciding prices based on that is more useful than trying to be consistent just for consistency's sake - in real life prices aren't consistent from one coast to the next either, even in comparable locations.
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Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
The things to consider are supply and demand mostly. There will likely be more demand for potions in the city simply because there are more potential customers in the city. So if the supply is the same everywhere then the city would have higher prices. However, maybe the demand is the same everywhere but supplies are limited in the village, so then prices would be higher in the village. But maybe the ingredients for the potions are harvested locally in the village, and demand is low, so they export most of the ingredients to the city where demand is high in which case the prices in the city would be astronomical and the prices in the village would be dirt cheap.
The other thing to consider is the average wealth of the population. If the city folks are wealthier on average then city prices would naturally be higher simply because they can afford to pay more.
Without knowing your world’s geography, agriculture, ecosystems, or economies none of us can really answer these questions for you, but hopefully that helps you figure out these answers.
While I'm at it, to save having to make another thread, does anyone know whether a Potion of Fire Breath allows a player to exhale fire in a line or is it a cone of thirty feet?
While I'm at it, to save having to make another thread, does anyone know whether a Potion of Fire Breath allows a player to exhale fire in a line or is it a cone of thirty feet?
Neither, single target. So less “breath” and more “spit wad.”
While I'm at it, to save having to make another thread, does anyone know whether a Potion of Fire Breath allows a player to exhale fire in a line or is it a cone of thirty feet?
The potion allows you to exhale towards a single target per turn, up to three times and you get to pick another target each time; it's not an area effect.
To the original question: There aren’t really rule for it because D&D doesn’t work as an economics simulator. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, or a shop next to a amity next to an iron mine, a long sword costs 15gp. Start messing with it too much and everything starts to fall apart, since treasure tables are static. Best not to think about it and just go along with what’s in the PHB. Otherwise you’re in for a lot of literal bookkeeping trying to track commodity prices over different times and in different regions.
Also, often after a few levels, the characters don’t really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops.
To the original question: There aren’t really rule for it because D&D doesn’t work as an economics simulator. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, or a shop next to a amity next to an iron mine, a long sword costs 15gp. Start messing with it too much and everything starts to fall apart, since treasure tables are static. Best not to think about it and just go along with what’s in the PHB. Otherwise you’re in for a lot of literal bookkeeping trying to track commodity prices over different times and in different regions.
Also, often after a few levels, the characters don’t really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops.
Thank you for your reply, however I do intend to create a "cheat sheet" for such price modifiers for such economic factors as product rarity, population, demand, etc. just because I consider myself to be a worldbuilder of some regard. I would also respectfully disagree with your statement that "after a few levels, the characters don't really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops," because as characters gain in levels, they usually also gain in renown and wealth from their various adventures, and therefore 'unlock' more expensive products that they were previously unaffordable. Also some parties may wish to build a guild hall or a holdfast of some kind.
While I'm at it, to save having to make another thread, does anyone know whether a Potion of Fire Breath allows a player to exhale fire in a line or is it a cone of thirty feet?
The potion allows you to exhale towards a single target per turn, up to three times and you get to pick another target each time; it's not an area effect.
I find altering prices to be too much book-keeping. Unless there is some good reason why rations would be more expensive here than there, what I usually do is alter what is available. You can't find magic potions in a town in the middle of nowhere. You might find them in a small city. You probably will find them in the capital. Etc.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
To the original question: There aren’t really rule for it because D&D doesn’t work as an economics simulator. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, or a shop next to a amity next to an iron mine, a long sword costs 15gp. Start messing with it too much and everything starts to fall apart, since treasure tables are static. Best not to think about it and just go along with what’s in the PHB. Otherwise you’re in for a lot of literal bookkeeping trying to track commodity prices over different times and in different regions.
Also, often after a few levels, the characters don’t really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops.
Thank you for your reply, however I do intend to create a "cheat sheet" for such price modifiers for such economic factors as product rarity, population, demand, etc. just because I consider myself to be a worldbuilder of some regard. I would also respectfully disagree with your statement that "after a few levels, the characters don't really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops," because as characters gain in levels, they usually also gain in renown and wealth from their various adventures, and therefore 'unlock' more expensive products that they were previously unaffordable. Also some parties may wish to build a guild hall or a holdfast of some kind.
If you'd value such a cheat sheet, then by all means have at it. The point being made however is that there isn't necessarily a lot of consistency to these economic factors. Economics are extremely complicated and situational. The basics may be near-universally true, but the end result of all those factors working together can still overturn any of them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Hello fellow Dungeon Masters, Dungeon Mistresses, and D&D Players,
I require your help on adventuring through the pages of the official and unofficial D&D 5e rules to find if there are any rules for price modifiers for environmental/settlement factors(e.g; lets say there are two potion shops, one in a small village in the middle of the wilderness, and the other within a crowded city; what kind of price variation should I use? Would a product be more or less expensive in a smaller settlement than a larger one? Are there any modifiers I can add to my price rolls to try to stay consistant with the variation? Thank you for your time!
View my Homebrew Here:
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To my knowledge there are no official general rules. Some adventures will specify a modifier for certain locations. I think it’s up to you to decide v
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The Barovian merchant from Curse of Strahd is pretty harsh (no expensive items, and what he does have costs 10 times the normal price) so variations (sometimes extreme ones) do occur, but as ArwensDaughter says there's no official guidelines. You can rationalize pretty much anything you want in terms of prices though: in a remote village things are rarer and thus possibly more expensive, but the seller is less likely to find affluent customers and thus possibly wants to keep the prices low and affordable. In the big cities there's more competition and a less scarcity (lower prices) but also much more demand (higher prices). It's really up to you. I think looking at what will make the next adventure more interesting and deciding prices based on that is more useful than trying to be consistent just for consistency's sake - in real life prices aren't consistent from one coast to the next either, even in comparable locations.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
The things to consider are supply and demand mostly. There will likely be more demand for potions in the city simply because there are more potential customers in the city. So if the supply is the same everywhere then the city would have higher prices. However, maybe the demand is the same everywhere but supplies are limited in the village, so then prices would be higher in the village. But maybe the ingredients for the potions are harvested locally in the village, and demand is low, so they export most of the ingredients to the city where demand is high in which case the prices in the city would be astronomical and the prices in the village would be dirt cheap.
The other thing to consider is the average wealth of the population. If the city folks are wealthier on average then city prices would naturally be higher simply because they can afford to pay more.
Without knowing your world’s geography, agriculture, ecosystems, or economies none of us can really answer these questions for you, but hopefully that helps you figure out these answers.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
While I'm at it, to save having to make another thread, does anyone know whether a Potion of Fire Breath allows a player to exhale fire in a line or is it a cone of thirty feet?
View my Homebrew Here:
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Races
Neither, single target. So less “breath” and more “spit wad.”
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
The potion allows you to exhale towards a single target per turn, up to three times and you get to pick another target each time; it's not an area effect.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
To the original question: There aren’t really rule for it because D&D doesn’t work as an economics simulator. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, or a shop next to a amity next to an iron mine, a long sword costs 15gp. Start messing with it too much and everything starts to fall apart, since treasure tables are static. Best not to think about it and just go along with what’s in the PHB. Otherwise you’re in for a lot of literal bookkeeping trying to track commodity prices over different times and in different regions.
Also, often after a few levels, the characters don’t really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops.
Thank you for your reply, however I do intend to create a "cheat sheet" for such price modifiers for such economic factors as product rarity, population, demand, etc. just because I consider myself to be a worldbuilder of some regard. I would also respectfully disagree with your statement that "after a few levels, the characters don't really have much to spend money on, unless you have magic shops," because as characters gain in levels, they usually also gain in renown and wealth from their various adventures, and therefore 'unlock' more expensive products that they were previously unaffordable. Also some parties may wish to build a guild hall or a holdfast of some kind.
View my Homebrew Here:
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Races
Thank you for the clarification.
View my Homebrew Here:
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Races
I find altering prices to be too much book-keeping. Unless there is some good reason why rations would be more expensive here than there, what I usually do is alter what is available. You can't find magic potions in a town in the middle of nowhere. You might find them in a small city. You probably will find them in the capital. Etc.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
If you'd value such a cheat sheet, then by all means have at it. The point being made however is that there isn't necessarily a lot of consistency to these economic factors. Economics are extremely complicated and situational. The basics may be near-universally true, but the end result of all those factors working together can still overturn any of them.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Thank you for your wise words @pangurjan!
View my Homebrew Here:
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Races