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

["J. K. Hoffman" <ryumaou@sbcglobal.net>]

William Hough wrote:
> 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.)

Good point, and I hope everyone remembers it!

> 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.

Okay, point taken.  But, suppose he's doing it *for* the local warlord 
and selling stuff to local "heroes" on the side?  A certain percentage 
of product has to be delivered to the Emperor, say, but the rest he can 
sell.  That would effectively eliminate at least two points of 
contention.  Two points that hadn't immediately occurred to me, by the way.

> 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.

Okay, these next several objections were economic.  I'd actually 
considered them.  I pictured a setting where technology had just about 
risen to meet magic.  If you remember the Liavek, City of Luck shared 
world books, it's that kind.  A sort of Renaissance world with a lot of 
very organized magic thrown in.  Not the "standard" setting, sure, but 
one that has worked before.  Does that change the economic objections? 
Or, do you think they hold true?

> 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.

Honestly, I've seen campaigns in D&D that *must* have had a magical 
assembly line somewhere to support all the magic "loot" that flew about. 
 To be sure, it would change the character of the campaign world.  But, 
assuming a wizard smart enough to come up with it, would it work?  Hmm, 
that *is* the question, no? ^_^

> 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.

Or, it's some poor schmuck that's about to become a historical figure! 
Those poor saps never know what hit them!  (Thomas Edison aside, of 
course.)  As for game balance, if the good guys have the magic, so can 
the bad guys...  Behold, a new balance is struck.

Interesting ideas.  Thanks for throwing them out there.  Incidentally, 
the idea is really for a piece of *fiction*.  I just liked the "rules" 
for magic as set forth in DQ and thought I might interpret them in 
fiction the way so many have done with Dungeons and Dragons.

Thanks again,
Jim
--
"What is impossible today may suddenly become possible tomorrow."
- Thomas Merton