Now, I know there are wondrous items, but most of them tend to require a fairly high level. I'm curious about what types of items could be sold in a town with a fairly large district of magic users.
Things on my mind:
Indoor heating, lighting, cooling, and plumbing.
Clothes or items with some resistance to cold/heat/wetness or which change colors or similar.
Magical confections with moving bits or impossible (without magic) structures or flavors.
Magical votive candles.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Some cheaper items:
- A +1 or +2 to a skill (100 gp, 400 gp)
- Cantrip, command word, 1/day (180 gp)
- 1st level spell, command word, 1/day (360 gp)
- Potions and other one-use items (25 gp, 50 gp, 300 gp)
I think that's about all the magic a non-caster can get for less than 500 gp, but there are a lot of useful things you can do with that. Create water is a cantrip. I bet a lot of households would pay for create water 1/day. Same with mending and purify food and drink.
Some cheaper items:
- A +1 or +2 to a skill (100 gp, 400 gp)
- Cantrip, command word, 1/day (180 gp)
- 1st level spell, command word, 1/day (360 gp)
- Potions and other one-use items (25 gp, 50 gp, 300 gp)I think that's about all the magic a non-caster can get for less than 500 gp, but there are a lot of useful things you can do with that. Create water is a cantrip. I bet a lot of households would pay for create water 1/day. Same with mending and purify food and drink.
True. I just wasn't sure what was already out there in the 'affordable-for-most' range. Looking through wondrous items doesn't yield a lot and the fact that permanency is a 5th-level spell.
You can cut prices by applying the alignment or class limitations, and the adding the need for a skill check.
Also: don't underestimate the power of mundane items.
You can cut prices by applying the alignment or class limitations, and the adding the need for a skill check.
Also: don't underestimate the power of mundane items.
I'm not underestimating mundane items, but I want a place for magic users to fit in with the general society. It doesn't seem at all likely that they'd be crafting the same sort of magic items for sale to non-magic users as adventurers might be using. Similarly, it seems equally unlikely that they'd be making no magic items, given that their trade is magic.
Last time I fired up HeroLab I noticed a cantrip for copying mundane text that lasted a good long time. I can easily see a couple Adepts with a small library getting into the "book printing" business. They can duplicate any book in the library or if you bring them a text in a language that one of them can read, they can produce a copy in any language that one of them can write. No magic writing though.
Cantrip-wise, I'd put my money on an item that casts Prestidigitation.
- Chill your drinks.
- Reheat your leftovers.
- Do the dishes.
- Create candy.
- Act as crayon.
- Create disposable toys or gaming pieces.
self flushing toilet
the cursed version of this would be the soul flushing toilet. be careful of that one.
Last time I fired up HeroLab I noticed a cantrip for copying mundane text that lasted a good long time. I can easily see a couple Adepts with a small library getting into the "book printing" business. They can duplicate any book in the library or if you bring them a text in a language that one of them can read, they can produce a copy in any language that one of them can write. No magic writing though.
Which cantrip was that?
Cantrip-wise, I'd put my money on an item that casts Prestidigitation.The list is neigh endless. What household wouldn't want one?
- Chill your drinks.
- Reheat your leftovers.
- Do the dishes.
- Create candy.
- Act as crayon.
- Create disposable toys or gaming pieces.
Well, this is pretty much where my thoughts have been. Nothing that impressive or fancy, but something that most everyone might want and could afford. In all likelihood, the item might stop working so well after 5 or 6 years.
Containers that keep food and drink good for extended or indefinite time periods would also be handy.
Which cantrip was that?
Scrivener's Chant from Seekers of Secrets.
It only lasts a minute, but it's a cantrip, so cast again.
Plenty of spells could find their way into daily use. The best ones are the ones that your GM let's you make up. There isn't a lot of use during adventuring for a lot of spells that you'd think would be handy.
As Fnipernackle points out.. Waste systems would be nice. Message (as per the spell) systems between specific points would be handy, Invisible servant type drawn carts would be a bit of a luxury.
Self pressing clothing would be only one use for magic. Think about how hard it would be to keep ice in hot climes for instance.
Plenty of spells could find their way into daily use. The best ones are the ones that your GM let's you make up. There isn't a lot of use during adventuring for a lot of spells that you'd think would be handy.
As Fnipernackle points out.. Waste systems would be nice. Message (as per the spell) systems between specific points would be handy, Invisible servant type drawn carts would be a bit of a luxury.
Self pressing clothing would be only one use for magic. Think about how hard it would be to keep ice in hot climes for instance.
Ray of Frost built into a small box = Mini-Fridge.
I'd worry about freezer burn with that.
Ray of Frost built into a small box = Mini-Fridge.
Ray of frost inside a box pointed at an area/object that creates water = Icebox complete with actual ice. A big deal in a place with no refrigeration.
Ray of frost inside a box pointed at an area/object that creates water = Icebox complete with actual ice. A big deal in a place with no refrigeration.I'd worry about freezer burn with that.
Ray of Frost built into a small box = Mini-Fridge.
Spark could easily replace tinderboxes and create water would be great for plumbing of all sorts, not to mention very useful in drought conditions.
You don't actually have to hit the food with Ray of Frost. The point is, there is a cantrip that deals cold damage. You could easily create an item that simply produces a freezing effect, and with such a minor damage, it would take awhile to freeze, just like a fridge or freezer does now.
Magic Water Fountain. A self-sustaining source of clean drinking water.
I'm sure someone has a market on the continual flame spells, especially if they can come in different colors or be altered to contain fragrances.