There's no good way, but the DMG and Xanathar's have bad ways you can use to do it. The basic premise is that rarer items are worth more than less rare items (often false, because magic item rarity is often arbitrary, with less rare items being better than rarer items) and consumable items are worth less than non-consumable. Both books have crippling flaws, like how neither accounts for the underlying item - i.e. using any the RAW ways to figure it out, magic plate is the same cost as magic studded leather, and furthermore, magic plate can easily be cheaper than non-magic plate.
The price in D&D 5E can be a quest - to find someone willing to buy what you have, or either willing to sell you an heirloom, or finding rumours about where an item exists in the world and going out and getting it.
I tend to use the Sane Magical Prices Guide. The prices are admittedly high in some cases, but they give a fairly good run-down on why they use the prices they give.
Use an online guide (there are a few you can easily Google) or set prices yourself.
And kind of a tangent, but I personally think weapons and armor could use a more granular system anyway.
Like a rogue can buy the best armor available to them for 45gp, but every medium armor class starts with armor that costs more than that and needs 400gp just to buy the next best set.
And with magic weapons being one of the most common loot, monster that resist non-magic weapons gain nothing, and silvered weapons exist for no reason.
So I am totally in favour of homebrewing more non-magic weapon and armor buffs.
I tend to use the Sane Magical Prices Guide. The prices are admittedly high in some cases, but they give a fairly good run-down on why they use the prices they give.
Wow, I really gave my party a deal on that Immovable Rod
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In the Treasure chapter of the DMG under Magic Items there is a table called Magic Item Rarity. It suggests values for different rarities of Magic Items.
That being said, the DM decides what the economy looks like in his campaign.
I tend to use the Sane Magical Prices Guide. The prices are admittedly high in some cases, but they give a fairly good run-down on why they use the prices they give.
I can definitely second this suggestion. This is my primary source for pricing in my games and once the 'sticker shock' wore off my players have been very receptive to this as the defacto price guide. Though I'll say that the suggestion for the DMG pricing is a good tool it just never worked out how I wanted to see pricing for magical gear.
It basically depends on how much money you give your characters, but also see the point at the end of the post about nobles and rich merchants, and ask yourself why if you were a noble with a huge amount of gold or income, you aren't packing a bunch of magical items like necklace of fireballs.
Money has few uses in 5e. Basically they boil down to:
Irrelevant amounts of money for flavour - paying for drinks, rooms at an inn, a change of clothes
Small amounts - basic equipment. Usually irrelevant by level 5, with the exception of...
Money for plate armour - 1,500gp.
Large amounts for magical items
Very large/huge amounts for setting up a base/fortress
Huge amounts for a ship/airship
Because of this, if you aren't running a campaign where the players have a base or a ship, money stops having much function after around level 6 if magic items aren't for sale.
I allowed my players to visit an interdimensional magical item trading market, as part of their journey through the Underdark. I wanted them to have the opportunity to tailor their item choices, and not rely on me, so I set the rules for the market as:
All uncommon items and +1 weapons and +1 armour cost 1,000gp, or 1,500gp if they required attunement. 80% chance any individual item was available.
All Rare items cost 3,500gp. 60% chance it was available.
All Very Rare items cost 10,000gp. 35% chance it was available.
Consumables were 1/4 the value
All the items the PCs had could be sold at 2/3 of their value
I knew that between them, the PCs had roughly 4,000gp between 6 characters, but were in possession of a Cube of Force. This meant that they could get 4 basic Uncommons, or one Rare item, or could try selling everything they had including the Cube to get one Very Rare item. As it was, they picked up Winged Boots for the cleric, Goggles of Night for the one party member who didn't have Darkvision, a +1 studded leather armour and a +1 Heavy Crossbow.
Whether other people think I set those prices right or not isn't relevant to me, because my decision was based on the needs of the campaign, and I knew how much money they had available at the time. In a campaign where each character was packing 3,000gp by level 6, the prices would need to much steeper. Going forward, given that they may try to return to the market (a bad idea storywise, given how they upset a particular Drow Priestess of Lolth) subsequently I have to consider how much money I'll be able to give them.
All of the powerful magic items the players end up with come from storyline goals. They each have an item that they can advance through various plot points if they choose to drive the plot in that direction.
Anyway, the moral of the story: set prices that fit into the campaign you're playing. If you're tossing out gold like it's chalk dust, then set the prices high. If your level 10 party only have 1,000gp between them, then how could anyone be selling items for 20k?
One thing to be wary of: if PCs can buy magic items, so can nobles. I put my interdimensional market in the deep underdark to keep it away from rich, low level NPCs. When money is the only thing standing in the way of magic items, why hasn't every local lord equipped his bodyguards with +1 Longswords, +1 Shields and +1 Plate armour?
magic plate can easily be cheaper than non-magic plate.
That's debatable. At the end of the day, the DM decides how to price all items and can choose whether or not to use the listed prices, so you're not wrong.
However looking at the different descriptions of magic items throughout the source books certain implications are made that suggest magic items to have an inherent higher value.
Most magic items are objects of extraordinary artisanship, assembled from the finest materials with meticulous attention to detail. Thanks to this combination of careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a regular item of its kind.
"assembled from the finest materials with meticulous attention to detail" suggests higher value than average materials with average attention to detail in my opinion. The same goes for "careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a regular item of its kind".
Looking at the rule for silvered weapons, it is explicitly stated that the cost does not only represent the price of the materials, but also the time and expertise required to craft the item. I believe it is a reasonable assumption that the same logic applies to other crafting processes, especially that of magic items as they are evidently (as quoted above) products of extraordinary artisanship.
You can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.
All this being said, it is never directly stated that magic items are generally worth more (to my knowledge), but the value ranges for magic items in the DMG does seem to imply that the DM makes use of whatever common sense applies to game world.
While our group does use the guide for reference, we also have been considering some other pricing options.
1) Simply add the mundane item cost to the magical rarity cost. Want Adamantine Full Plate? Uncommon magic quality plus mundane item max cost equals 500gp + 1500gp = 2000gp.
2) Want to add a quality to another like Adamantine Full Plate+2? Uncommon magic quality plus rare magic quality plus mundane item max cost equals 500gp + 5000gp +1500gp = 7000gp.
3) We might decide to invoke a cost multiplier because if you didn't, you could have a lot of abilities on one item rather cheap. Each rarity would tack on a multiplier. Uncommon would add 1, rare would add 2, etc. The above armor would become a total of 21000gp.
Anyway, the moral of the story: set prices that fit into the campaign you're playing. If you're tossing out gold like it's chalk dust, then set the prices high. If your level 10 party only have 1,000gp between them, then how could anyone be selling items for 20k?
This is generally the approach I use. Magic item price and availability is based on the rate they accumulate wealth and roughly how many items I want them to have.
Anyone try Wraith Wright’s Equipment Compendium or Wanderer’s Guide to Merchants and Magic?
WGMM looks interesting from a magic item/shop generator. WWEC looks more like an expanded Chapter Five from PHB which is nice if you are looking for a variety of gear to make your character more distinct.
DM's should control the market economy according to how much gold they give their party and the depth of the campaign they created or adopted. Magic items are "cool" and if a DM thinks giving one to a PC hurts their "story" they should rethink being a DM. Any DM worth their salt can rebalance any perceived balance issue a variety of ways. If you are a DM and you have had to change things in the middle of combat because your about to TPK a party or they are about to annihilate your big bad's. It's the same thing. Just be a better problem solver. And whatever you do don't ruin it for everyone by dying on that sword of reluctance to compromise. Make deals. For example If a flame tongue swords 2d6 extra damage is a problem for you make it 1d6 and later upgrade it to 2d6 when if feels more balanced for you. It's all a dice roll anyway. Enjoy
It works as an organization tool as well as giving you the price for every item (official and partnered, currently 4305 items).
The prices are solely based on the item's power. They take into account attunement requirement, if the item is consumable, number of uses as well as many other things. All the prices use formulas in their calculation, so they stay consistent with one another.
This list has now been used actively for some months in a West Marches campaign where all items are available and we've been updating the prices when needed for balancing reasons. If you have feedback about the prices feel free to give it here or on Discord (link in the website).
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Title says it all
A New DM up against the World
There's no good way, but the DMG and Xanathar's have bad ways you can use to do it. The basic premise is that rarer items are worth more than less rare items (often false, because magic item rarity is often arbitrary, with less rare items being better than rarer items) and consumable items are worth less than non-consumable. Both books have crippling flaws, like how neither accounts for the underlying item - i.e. using any the RAW ways to figure it out, magic plate is the same cost as magic studded leather, and furthermore, magic plate can easily be cheaper than non-magic plate.
The price in D&D 5E can be a quest - to find someone willing to buy what you have, or either willing to sell you an heirloom, or finding rumours about where an item exists in the world and going out and getting it.
I tend to use the Sane Magical Prices Guide. The prices are admittedly high in some cases, but they give a fairly good run-down on why they use the prices they give.
<Insert clever signature here>
Use an online guide (there are a few you can easily Google) or set prices yourself.
And kind of a tangent, but I personally think weapons and armor could use a more granular system anyway.
Like a rogue can buy the best armor available to them for 45gp, but every medium armor class starts with armor that costs more than that and needs 400gp just to buy the next best set.
And with magic weapons being one of the most common loot, monster that resist non-magic weapons gain nothing, and silvered weapons exist for no reason.
So I am totally in favour of homebrewing more non-magic weapon and armor buffs.
Wow, I really gave my party a deal on that Immovable Rod
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In the Treasure chapter of the DMG under Magic Items there is a table called Magic Item Rarity. It suggests values for different rarities of Magic Items.
That being said, the DM decides what the economy looks like in his campaign.
I can definitely second this suggestion. This is my primary source for pricing in my games and once the 'sticker shock' wore off my players have been very receptive to this as the defacto price guide. Though I'll say that the suggestion for the DMG pricing is a good tool it just never worked out how I wanted to see pricing for magical gear.
It basically depends on how much money you give your characters, but also see the point at the end of the post about nobles and rich merchants, and ask yourself why if you were a noble with a huge amount of gold or income, you aren't packing a bunch of magical items like necklace of fireballs.
Money has few uses in 5e. Basically they boil down to:
Because of this, if you aren't running a campaign where the players have a base or a ship, money stops having much function after around level 6 if magic items aren't for sale.
I allowed my players to visit an interdimensional magical item trading market, as part of their journey through the Underdark. I wanted them to have the opportunity to tailor their item choices, and not rely on me, so I set the rules for the market as:
I knew that between them, the PCs had roughly 4,000gp between 6 characters, but were in possession of a Cube of Force. This meant that they could get 4 basic Uncommons, or one Rare item, or could try selling everything they had including the Cube to get one Very Rare item. As it was, they picked up Winged Boots for the cleric, Goggles of Night for the one party member who didn't have Darkvision, a +1 studded leather armour and a +1 Heavy Crossbow.
Whether other people think I set those prices right or not isn't relevant to me, because my decision was based on the needs of the campaign, and I knew how much money they had available at the time. In a campaign where each character was packing 3,000gp by level 6, the prices would need to much steeper. Going forward, given that they may try to return to the market (a bad idea storywise, given how they upset a particular Drow Priestess of Lolth) subsequently I have to consider how much money I'll be able to give them.
All of the powerful magic items the players end up with come from storyline goals. They each have an item that they can advance through various plot points if they choose to drive the plot in that direction.
Anyway, the moral of the story: set prices that fit into the campaign you're playing. If you're tossing out gold like it's chalk dust, then set the prices high. If your level 10 party only have 1,000gp between them, then how could anyone be selling items for 20k?
One thing to be wary of: if PCs can buy magic items, so can nobles. I put my interdimensional market in the deep underdark to keep it away from rich, low level NPCs. When money is the only thing standing in the way of magic items, why hasn't every local lord equipped his bodyguards with +1 Longswords, +1 Shields and +1 Plate armour?
That's debatable. At the end of the day, the DM decides how to price all items and can choose whether or not to use the listed prices, so you're not wrong.
However looking at the different descriptions of magic items throughout the source books certain implications are made that suggest magic items to have an inherent higher value.
"assembled from the finest materials with meticulous attention to detail" suggests higher value than average materials with average attention to detail in my opinion. The same goes for "careful crafting and magical reinforcement, a magic item is at least as durable as a regular item of its kind".
Looking at the rule for silvered weapons, it is explicitly stated that the cost does not only represent the price of the materials, but also the time and expertise required to craft the item. I believe it is a reasonable assumption that the same logic applies to other crafting processes, especially that of magic items as they are evidently (as quoted above) products of extraordinary artisanship.
All this being said, it is never directly stated that magic items are generally worth more (to my knowledge), but the value ranges for magic items in the DMG does seem to imply that the DM makes use of whatever common sense applies to game world.
While our group does use the guide for reference, we also have been considering some other pricing options.
1) Simply add the mundane item cost to the magical rarity cost. Want Adamantine Full Plate? Uncommon magic quality plus mundane item max cost equals 500gp + 1500gp = 2000gp.
2) Want to add a quality to another like Adamantine Full Plate+2? Uncommon magic quality plus rare magic quality plus mundane item max cost equals 500gp + 5000gp +1500gp = 7000gp.
3) We might decide to invoke a cost multiplier because if you didn't, you could have a lot of abilities on one item rather cheap. Each rarity would tack on a multiplier. Uncommon would add 1, rare would add 2, etc. The above armor would become a total of 21000gp.
This is generally the approach I use. Magic item price and availability is based on the rate they accumulate wealth and roughly how many items I want them to have.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Anyone try Wraith Wright’s Equipment Compendium or Wanderer’s Guide to Merchants and Magic?
WGMM looks interesting from a magic item/shop generator. WWEC looks more like an expanded Chapter Five from PHB which is nice if you are looking for a variety of gear to make your character more distinct.
DM's should control the market economy according to how much gold they give their party and the depth of the campaign they created or adopted. Magic items are "cool" and if a DM thinks giving one to a PC hurts their "story" they should rethink being a DM. Any DM worth their salt can rebalance any perceived balance issue a variety of ways. If you are a DM and you have had to change things in the middle of combat because your about to TPK a party or they are about to annihilate your big bad's. It's the same thing. Just be a better problem solver. And whatever you do don't ruin it for everyone by dying on that sword of reluctance to compromise. Make deals. For example If a flame tongue swords 2d6 extra damage is a problem for you make it 1d6 and later upgrade it to 2d6 when if feels more balanced for you. It's all a dice roll anyway. Enjoy
I've seen many people complain about magic item prices solely based on rarity. I agree with the complaint so I made:
Ryex's Magic Item Prices
It works as an organization tool as well as giving you the price for every item (official and partnered, currently 4305 items).
The prices are solely based on the item's power. They take into account attunement requirement, if the item is consumable, number of uses as well as many other things. All the prices use formulas in their calculation, so they stay consistent with one another.
This list has now been used actively for some months in a West Marches campaign where all items are available and we've been updating the prices when needed for balancing reasons. If you have feedback about the prices feel free to give it here or on Discord (link in the website).