So the base cost of studded leather armor is 45 gp. +1 armor is listed as being a Rare item. The DMG lists Rare items as costing between 501–5,000 gp. So unfortunately, it's all arbitrary. I just went with 1,450 gp in my game.
I really wish 5e had magic item pricing tables like 3e did...
I'm ok with the more fluid pricing. For one, because prices are the DM's prerogative anyway - plenty of DMs adjust various expenses to the campaign. For another, because it doesn't help (my) suspension of disbelief if an item has the same exact price if you want to trade it in an affluent metropolis as in some backwater one horse village. And lastly, because price is a bit of a red herring anyway - in the end the deciding factor in whether your character gets to own something is the DM's say-so. If the DM wants you to have something you'll stumble over it at some point if necessary, if the DM doesn't want you to have it it's going to mysteriously disappear from anywhere you might go looking for it.
There’s no official price. There are some rough guidelines, but even those can be ignored, and where it falls in the range, if it falls in the range, will be campaign dependent. Basically the cost is: If your DM wants to allow it to be purchased, they can set the price however they like.
Yeah, "in game" at least in my game, magic weapons and armor aren't the sort of things that are for sale or traded at ye ole magick arsenal shoppe. Magic weapons and arms that do exist were usually made by communities for their own defense or granted to others as gifts that get past down for generations if the tradition isn't interrupted by violence and the weapon changes hands.
That said, I could see a reason for putting coin prices on magic weapons in armor if it's the sort of game the DM says, "OK, high level play, everyone is building a 15th level character and you each have 50,000 gp to gear your character including retainers and magic items." In that event I guess the DM would have to do their own price list, it would be nice for the price list to have been designed reflective of the items game/mechanical effects. Some DMs when outfitting such characters will instead do something like "Ok, everyone gets to pick three magic items, two uncommon, one rare" or the like. I don't know how balanced the rarities are and it seems the categories are pretty broad. Coin values for magic I could see usefully for setting power levels for games starting at higher power level.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Studded Leather Armor +1: Rare, so seen at about level 5. 1500 gold pieces. They don't actually bother listing the type of armor, presumably because what you are paying for is the enchantment, so it doesn't make much difference what armor it gets cast upon. As others have said, the price will really be a matter of DM's whimsey, since it depends on a lot of factors. If you want a little more detail than the DMG provides, Xanthar's Guide to Everything has some suggestions.
So yeah then, I'm actually sort of surprised there isn't a more specific official resource "ac****ing" for magic items in coin terms. Like for AL needs or something.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
A funny thing about this is that due to a lack of prices, especially with very new dms who didn’t bother to fully read equipment lists and love to give out tons of magic items, it’s often easier to wait for magical plate than to buy normal plate.
Discerning Merchant's Price Guide, which is scaled a little differently from Sane (cheaper for some stuff, more expensive for others) lists +1 armor of any type for 3500 gp.
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.
My DM had some sort of calculation of his own for availability and price of items, influenced by the fact that our game is set primarily in Waterdeep. I got a Glamoured Studded Leather for 900gp. The merchant didn't quite know what she had and my bard is an expert in Persuasion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Fifth Edition also tends to be a lot skimpier on handing out money during adventures. Charging thousands of gold for a magic item often means that you're really not going to be able to buy it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'm of the school of thought that characters should not be able to buy magic items. I go with what the DMG says, and if they are available at all, it's at invitation-only auctions for astronomical prices. A quick look at the Discerning Merchant's Price Guide tells me that they list vastly more expensive prices, for pretty much everything, than any other guide I have seen, so they might be good for those auctions.
How much does a +1 Studded Leather armor cost?
So the base cost of studded leather armor is 45 gp. +1 armor is listed as being a Rare item. The DMG lists Rare items as costing between 501–5,000 gp. So unfortunately, it's all arbitrary. I just went with 1,450 gp in my game.
I really wish 5e had magic item pricing tables like 3e did...
I'm ok with the more fluid pricing. For one, because prices are the DM's prerogative anyway - plenty of DMs adjust various expenses to the campaign. For another, because it doesn't help (my) suspension of disbelief if an item has the same exact price if you want to trade it in an affluent metropolis as in some backwater one horse village. And lastly, because price is a bit of a red herring anyway - in the end the deciding factor in whether your character gets to own something is the DM's say-so. If the DM wants you to have something you'll stumble over it at some point if necessary, if the DM doesn't want you to have it it's going to mysteriously disappear from anywhere you might go looking for it.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
There’s no official price. There are some rough guidelines, but even those can be ignored, and where it falls in the range, if it falls in the range, will be campaign dependent. Basically the cost is: If your DM wants to allow it to be purchased, they can set the price however they like.
Yeah, "in game" at least in my game, magic weapons and armor aren't the sort of things that are for sale or traded at ye ole magick arsenal shoppe. Magic weapons and arms that do exist were usually made by communities for their own defense or granted to others as gifts that get past down for generations if the tradition isn't interrupted by violence and the weapon changes hands.
That said, I could see a reason for putting coin prices on magic weapons in armor if it's the sort of game the DM says, "OK, high level play, everyone is building a 15th level character and you each have 50,000 gp to gear your character including retainers and magic items." In that event I guess the DM would have to do their own price list, it would be nice for the price list to have been designed reflective of the items game/mechanical effects. Some DMs when outfitting such characters will instead do something like "Ok, everyone gets to pick three magic items, two uncommon, one rare" or the like. I don't know how balanced the rarities are and it seems the categories are pretty broad. Coin values for magic I could see usefully for setting power levels for games starting at higher power level.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Sane_Magical_Prices.pdf - Google Drive
Studded Leather Armor +1: Rare, so seen at about level 5. 1500 gold pieces. They don't actually bother listing the type of armor, presumably because what you are paying for is the enchantment, so it doesn't make much difference what armor it gets cast upon. As others have said, the price will really be a matter of DM's whimsey, since it depends on a lot of factors. If you want a little more detail than the DMG provides, Xanthar's Guide to Everything has some suggestions.
<Insert clever signature here>
Simply put, they're not.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
So yeah then, I'm actually sort of surprised there isn't a more specific official resource "ac****ing" for magic items in coin terms. Like for AL needs or something.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
A funny thing about this is that due to a lack of prices, especially with very new dms who didn’t bother to fully read equipment lists and love to give out tons of magic items, it’s often easier to wait for magical plate than to buy normal plate.
Discerning Merchant's Price Guide, which is scaled a little differently from Sane (cheaper for some stuff, more expensive for others) lists +1 armor of any type for 3500 gp.
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.
Since its rare I would only do between 3,500-5,000
My DM had some sort of calculation of his own for availability and price of items, influenced by the fact that our game is set primarily in Waterdeep. I got a Glamoured Studded Leather for 900gp. The merchant didn't quite know what she had and my bard is an expert in Persuasion.
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Fifth Edition also tends to be a lot skimpier on handing out money during adventures. Charging thousands of gold for a magic item often means that you're really not going to be able to buy it.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'm of the school of thought that characters should not be able to buy magic items. I go with what the DMG says, and if they are available at all, it's at invitation-only auctions for astronomical prices. A quick look at the Discerning Merchant's Price Guide tells me that they list vastly more expensive prices, for pretty much everything, than any other guide I have seen, so they might be good for those auctions.
2 bucks, available here: Discerning Merchant's Price Guide - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com)
I guess Studded Leather Armor +1 costs 2 dollars. (The conversion rate from Dollars to Gold Pieces is rough. I get $5676 per coin as the going rate)
<Insert clever signature here>