Re: [dq-rules] Idiot-Savant Assembly Line Wizardry

[William Hough <houghpt@yahoo.com>]

Hey, Jim.

I know what it's like to be out of work; I think we
all do. I just got back into the cube-world after a
16-month economic zone-out. And it's only a contract
job!

Anyway, I will give you my opinion on this subject.
It's really based on my view why "Magic Shops" really
don't work in a reality-based RPG, but I suppose it
will do for this discussion (by the way, folks, it's a
discussion, not a heated debate. There are no "wrong"
answers.)

Some reasons why that enterprising skilled wizard may
have trouble realizing his assembly-line dreams (I
said MAY):

1. He can probably coast for a few months, until word
reaches the local powerful ruler (who of course has
eyes and ears everywhere) by any number of means. The
next thing you know, a couple of the ruler's legions
show up outside the wizard's base of operations, with
basically two choices: come work for said ruler, or
the place gets levelled to the ground, along with
enterprising wizard. By the way, magic-boy, you owe me
25,000 gold shillings in back-taxes.

2. If there is no "local" powerful ruler, the
enterprising wizard can probably assemble on for a few
more months (perhaps six total) before the warlord on
the other side of the border hears about it. See #1
for what happens after that, with one alteration: By
the way, magic-boy, I'm extorting you for at least
25,000 gold shillings. C'mon, c'mon, where are
the...er, MY profits?

3. Even if the wizard is not found out for some time,
he's going to be charging quite a large sum for those
magic items (he's out to make a killing, right?). This
will drastically affect the economy over time, as word
gets around and demand increases. Thus, prices rise as
supply lowers. Meanwhile, a considerable percentage of
the total consumer spending capital that had been
going into the local economy is now being channeled
into the pocket of enterprising wizard. Demand for
non-essential goods drops. Supply in these areas
becomes more plentiful, and prices go down.

4. The many merchants affected by #3 are going to pool
their resources and hire astologers, sages, and
eventually thieves and assassins to resolve this
problem if the wizard does not curtail his business
practices. Of course, the wizard could take his
business on the road, not affecting the economy of a
single city or town, but that increases the risk of
ambushes, and word still gets around the countryside.

5. On the road or not, the thought of free magic items
for the grabbing are going to eventually attract every
adventurer, mugger, buggerer, mug, pug, thug,
bushwhacker, shit-kicker, Methodist, insurance
salesperson, and fantastical creature in a 150 mile
radius, *and* their henchmen. Oh those annoying
astrologers and their specific (17 FT)
questions...don't forget Celestial mages and the good
old "Ask the Stars". Crystal of VIsion for Enchanters?
Waters of Vision for water mages?

6. Two words: Jealous Shapers.

7. But when it really comes right down to it, magic
items remain something that should always be rare and
precious in the FRP genre. If you start treating them
as an assembly-line industry, you will in effect
deprive yourself and your fellow players of a vital
part of what motivates adventurers.

I suppose it *could* be done if you did it only once
in a while to finance a major undertaking and the GM
didn't openly oppose the idea. But it's never a clever
idea to start undermining the walls of game balance.
Keep that in mind. And good luck with your new
business.

Pat Hough (called William by the dark ones)

--- "J. K. Hoffman" <ryumaou@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Okay, maybe it's because I'm out of work and have a
> lot of time to 
> think.  Or, maybe it's because I've been re-reading
> some of the Ethshar 
> books by Lawrence Watt-Evans and that got me
> thinking about how magic 
> should work in a fantasy world.  In any case, here's
> a concept I'd like 
> some opinions on...
> 
> Is there any reason an enterprising, and very
> skilled, wizard would not 
> be able to herd together some suckers, er
> "apprentices", and teach them 
> one or two spells that they learned to cast really
> well?  Then, put said 
> savants into an assembly line enchanting items? 
> What would prevent 
> something like that from happening in DragonQuest? 
> A person could make 
> a killing in the magic weapon business that way....
> Seriously, though, it occurs to me that the rules
> point toward setting 
> that up as a possibility.  Thoughts?
> 
> How about seeing that in a fantasy novel?  Would you
> believe it, if 
> enough back story supported the theory?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jim
> -- 
> "What is impossible today may suddenly become
> possible tomorrow."
> - Thomas Merton
> 
> 


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