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First things first: This is NOT a thread about why magic marts are good/bad/etc. please don't go down that road.
In this thread you're building a world. You've decided to include magic mart(s) For whatever reason. How would/did you do it?
Try to stick to rules/items that already exist, but do include custom stuff if you like.
If I were an entreupenurial caster wanting to open a "magic mart" here's how I'd do it.
Have multiple locations, but a centralized "vault" with appropriate security.
Each location has someone/something capable of casting permanent image. Simulacrum would do nicely.
Each location has a ledger with what's available, complete with "picture" and description of effect. The ledgers could be updated magically or mundanely, whatever works.
As often as needed the permanent image is altered to represent the full range of items available. Customers could even interact, though it'd all be illusionary. I'd probably have some of the cheaper more common items on hand. The kind that wouldn't be a devestating loss if they came up stolen.
If you wanted to buy an item you put a portion down (let's say 10%) and showed proof that you had the remainser. then arranged delivery. Depending on the specifics this could take hours minutes or days. Frankly if I had access to the 9th level version of demiplane I'd set up a bunch of portals for just this purpose.
To sell an item it must first be evaluated then upon verification the good is delivered.
Congratulations! For a relatively minimal setup fee you have a global chain of magic marts with a relatively low chance of being robbed. Specifics may vary, but anyone with a halfway decent int could minimize risk.
Edit: I could see the church of Abatar doing something like this.
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I already described this in the other thread that did go down the road of "good/bad". But I'll try to re-explain and perhaps add some context.
My campaign world is 30+ years old. I've given it lots of thought and have adapted it to multiple versions of D&D and now to Pathfinder. But much of the world is very much custom made and unique.
For example, there is a worldwide geo-political and economic system that has been in place for centuries. The world is essentially run by the Wizards' Guild. They mostly work in Machiavellian ways, well behind the scenes, and most of the world is not aware of their power nor of their meddling. But it is pervasive.
Among the things the wizard's guild does is monitor magic use in the world. That includes spells and magic items. They don't control all use, but they monitor it and if something requires their attention, they will pay attention to it.
Part of that has to do with magic shops. In a nutshell the Wizards' Guild has decided that the best way to manipulate the production and sale of magic items is to become the world's most significant magic shop. So they created a system of magical distribution and essentially licensed that to magic shop owners, basically creating a franchise system. If a magic shop that is not part of the system becomes powerful enough, the Guild will seek them out and convince them that it is in their best interest to join or partner with the franchise. Because it is quite profitable to do so, such an offer is rarely turned down.
That accounts for the creation, distribution and sale of most of the major magic items in the world.
Lesser magic items are treated more or less as individual stand-alone shops.
The heirarchy looks something like this:
Many small towns or hamlets have no magic "shop" at all. There might be a local hedge witch with a cart who comes into town once a month with a selection of herbs, fetishes, potions and trinkets.
A town with a temple will likely have CLW or similar potions for sale. Many temples use the sale of minor magic items as a means of raising gold for other uses.
As towns get larger the availability of magic items shifts to "brick and morter" locations. A decent sized trading town would have at least a local merchant who has a permanent stock of minor magic items, again mostly low level potions and trinkets. Many of these are custom items in my world useful for "normal" folk, but not so much for adventurers. A "plow of planting" for example. In some towns a local blacksmith might have developed skills enough that they can produce low level magic weapons or armor.
There is also a network of traveling merchants who roam around and trade or sell goods, including magic items. In some cases these traveling merchants operate as distributors filling orders for local town shops who are restocking their potions or other items.
A small city would likely have a dedicated "magic shoppe" which would bring most magical items into one location. They may not be the only shop in town and there may well be a full magic shop at one end of town and a small blacksmith shop selling custom weapons on the other, with a hedge witch who comes in each full moon to boot.
Large cities will have magic shops that begin to specialize. Magic arms and armor vs. a Potions emporium, for example. At this level you start to get to the level of magic items that the Wizards' Guild might take notice. So in most large cities there will be a shop that is the local Wizards' Guild representative. They will have most of the good stuff and will generally be the only place to get really rare stuff.
I don't go explicitly by the RAW around the availability of items by level, but I do something similar.
Also it is important to understand that in my world magic is part of the scenery. People know about magic items and while they may not call them +1 or +2 weapons, they know the difference between them. Virtually every enchantment in the rulebooks is known to most educated people. Most wondrous items are known or rumored to exist.
A fairly typical scenario in my world is for an adventurer to come to a local shop and ask if they can find a specific item, for example, a +2 flaming falchion. In my world falchions are not as common as longswords, but there's a chance that one might be available. If not the adventurer is typically told "I can get that for you".
If the adventurer (or rich NPC) wants something that is high enough level to be found only in the Wizards' Guild shops, they might simply be told "nope, don't have it." It really depends on how well known the adventurers are. Usually by the time an adventurer is seeking an item of that level, the Wizards' Guild is already aware of them. If the Wizards' Guild wants them to get the item, they'll be contacted.
Anyway, the bottom line is that the creation, distribution and sale of magic items is a central part of the overall geopolitical and economic system being managed by the Wizards' Guild.
dot
EWHM, yes, the Wizards' Guild is the security for the magic item shops. And anyone who is high enough level to attempt to steal from them would be aware of that.
To steal from them is essentially to put the resources of the entire world after you.
Most people look for easier prey.
Here's one key point on security. It doesn't have to be perfect. Making it absolutely perfect usually involves excess GM fiat anyway. What it has to be is good enough that it is an unattractive risk-reward proposition to mess with the magic item cartel (yes, to get the resources necessary to defend beyond the scrolls and potions and expendable trinkets level, you normally need to form a cartel of some sort or be a government). When evil adventurers would rather knock over a gold dragon for his horde than try to scam or loot the magic shop you're where you ought to be.
Yeah, computer security 101. It doesn't have to be airtight, just strong enough that someone intent on doing bad things would rather go elsewhere.
Of course the possibility of a cartel, brings up another level of security. If you are dealing is a large organization with significant resources, then the potential downsides of knocking over one of their stores can outweigh the upsides. This is an improtant lesson learned from many hours of playing shadowrun.
Lets assume that you managed to rip off a major magical cartel.
1. Who are you going to sell the loot to? The cartel you stole it from? Bad idea. Even if you sold to a competitor, there is a very good chance that the blame would get back to you(spies in rival organizations, etc).
2. You have to live long enough to enjoy their loot. We are talking about an organization with the resources to magically spy on others, hire the best assassins, and equip them very well.
Honestly, your best bet if you came across one of their shops that was abandoned is to take all the items you can carry to the nearest active branch and turn them in for a finder's fee(5-10% of the cost of the item).
Way to run a magic mart? Contract the Red Mantis to kill anyone who robs you. Done. Fear keeps everyone in line.
If you're more concerned with prevention, the OP's method works, but only for a 'Chain' of stores with a centralized location. For smaller shops, throwing up Dimensional Lock + Symbol of Revelation probably isn't a bad idea.
1. Who are you going to sell the loot to? The cartel you stole it from?
If I were to run a magic shop theft operation, I think it'd steal on one side of the world and sell on the other. I hear Tian Xia is nice this time of the year.
1. Who are you going to sell the loot to? The cartel you stole it from?If I were to run a magic shop theft operation, I think it'd steal on one side of the world and sell on the other. I hear Tian Xia is nice this time of the year.
So now you are creating a rival organization. Get ready for turf wars Mafia vs Yakuza style.
One other thing that I do with magic items in my world is sort of unconventional. It is rumored that certain powerful wizards have learned how to leech magic out of items and use that magic to build new magic items or improve existing ones.
Just a rumor. But it would explain why magic items tend to disappear over time.
I think it would be cool to have a random witches hut wandering around like an ice cream truck with adventurers chasing it while it plays music, magic items! Magic items! Stop! Stop! we want to buy something! come back! I have money!
I must admit that my world has been somewhat influenced by the wonderful sci-fi book "The Weapon Shops of Isher."
I think it would be cool to have a random witches hut wandering around like an ice cream truck with adventurers chasing it while it plays music, magic items! Magic items! Stop! Stop! we want to buy something! come back! I have money!This might be a joke, but I kind of like this idea. A more efficient version of that little old shop in the slums that's been there forever, with the strange lady behind the counter that always seems to know what you want...
"Oh, that's the magic item lady. She comes through town every couple of months. Appears on the outskirts, heads through town, and then disappears on the other side. Will she sell to you? If you've got what she's looking for. No, I didn't misspeak."
not it' not entirely a bad idea... the joke part was running after it as it walked into the swamps.
I like the idea of magic shops like the shady pawn shop rather than the well lit magi mart, typically I populate my shop vendors as witches, humanoids or other weirdos.
I once had the PCs deal directly with the witches raven familiar to buy/sell/trade. The raven spoke giant, so only the dwarf in the party could talk to it.
the briefly discussed swiping something from the shop, until the dwarf reminded them the raven spoke giant, so what does that tell you about it's master? lol.
All magic items are sold from the mysterious shop that wasn't there yesterday. Divination is used to find out where the customers are going to be and want they need.
I like Coffee Golem's illusion-based storefront idea. Taking it a step further, you could have Permanent Image advertisements, billboards, even weapon demonstrations...
BTW, I imagine the Wizard's Guild would be enforcing good business practices, like "don't charm the customers," right?
Naturally, lest it impede business. You go charm someone in your own time.
Regarding security: I think that would only happen once. If you piss off a Mage cartel youll likely to get an example made of you. Complete with moving illustrations spread around to explain to others what happens when you steal from them. They probably only have to do that once every couple of generations.
All magic items are sold from the mysterious shop that wasn't there yesterday. Divination is used to find out where the customers are going to be and want they need.
I like that... however that assumes that all purveyor have access to those abilities/spells. But wouldnt it be weird if EVERY time you went to buy/sell no matter where you were you always found the SAME person??
As a sidenote, what class would be the best to use for mass generation? Probably a caster, since mundane magic item crafting is... difficult at best. Wizards require years of study. Clerics are generally dedicated to a god (not a problem if you're a church, as suggested in the OP). Sorcerers and oracles are born/chosen, so you can't depend on them.
Alchemists... may or may not be able to build magic items. Definitely good for potions though, and possibly the rest.
Witches are the only others I can really think of off the top of my head, and that really depends on the difficultly of finding a patron/the selectiveness of them. This seems to be GM discretion, and so depends on the world you're building.
what about Bards... you dont have to be able to make them, you could be the fence/middle man... he knows ALL about these slightly arm, lightly used items....
For my world, it depends on where you are (which continent).
Northern Wildland Continent :
This is a very wild and wooley area. There are few big cities, mostly ruins from an old empire. It's slowly self-civilizing itself. The plains are run by felinoids based off lions and cheetahs. They are mostly lawful, and have the most advanced cities in that part of the continent. They have full on magic shops in the larger cities (see below), while villages and towns tend to have a few people with magic items. The centaur folk, meanwhile, hate outsiders, and set up 'trade towns' which are basically giant tent cities where people can set up and sell things, from normal items to magic items. There's nothing more than guards and tents here, think the bazaar in Ali Baba. The mountain's are mostly controlled by a citystate called Kotellia, which has been under martial law for 2000 years. They have a fixed economy (government mandated prices for everything). Every person in the city has to spend 3-5 years in the military (Nobody in the city has an npc class level). The city stockpiles magic items and weapons, people in the military can purchase from city stores for a fixed price, or get trade in credit.
Southern Civilized Continent :
This continent is highly civilized, has been for millinia. Most of the conflict is in the desert regions, or is countries jockeying for territory or over religious disputes. Most cities have heavily guarded magic shoppes, while smaller towns and villages tend to have a few people with objects they will sell.
Eastern 'Mystic' Continent :
Asian themes. There's no magic shops here, if you want a magic item, you have to have the permission of a local lord to get magic items. You can buy them from the lord, or you can do a favor for him and get them in exchange. Since there's no one to buy items, you're mostly giving them to a local lord in trade for an item you want, or for a favor. So money is much less useful on this continent than on the others, other than in the ports where trades occur.
Magic Shops :
Metropolises have up to 4 or 5 large magic shops. These are 2 to 4 story buildings, with road access on all four sides. The entrances are heavily guarded, and you have to prove you can afford to shop there before they even let you in. THey take all magic items on entrance, and store them for you. The entire building is warded against teleportation and scrying magic. Casting spells in the building will get you tossed out, no refunds. They have guards and mages on duty at all times, and are often open 24/7 (since they have to have people on guard all the time, easier to just stay open all the time). They also have a stack of 'wanted papers' delivered by the government on who is not allowed to be buying things from them, and they do have savants watching everyone. You cannot come in if you have a disguise spell up.
Large Cities have 1 or 2 of the magic shops (similar to above, but only 1 or 2 levels, and no high level magic items). A small city might have one magic shop, 1 floor, and nothing very high level just lots of low level stuff.
Bard's Guild :
The bard's guild in my world is the information brokerage, you can find anything from bards to play at your son's birthday party, to bards to play outside your business opening, to news gatherers, to character assassins. In large cities, you go tot he Bard's Guild if you need something special, either for sale or to be commissioned, and they find it for you, or put you in touch with someone. In small towns and villages, the local bard is usually the person who handles finding items. A village or small town usually has at least one bard in it, and that bard is the go to person for both buyers and sellers. He keeps a list of what is available in town, and who wants what for it. Including trades.