I was curious, would it be possible to code so that if you have Detect Magic on, and type list at a shopkeeper, when the list comes up, you would be able to see what items are magical as well?
I know you can tell when you look at other players, but it would be really cool to be able to look at a Shopkeepers inventory, and know right off what is magical.
Just curious if it's possible, or would be too much of a hassle to code.
Shopkeepers and Detect Magic
I have noticed 2 way this would help the game...first: realism. If you are in a shop, the shopkeeper doesnt hide the 40 objects and say thier names. Usually one walks around a shop and chooses then buys. Second, it would bring about a better use of the 'detect magic' spell. IMO, great idea, Talamar.
~Elenthis.
~Elenthis.
Far away and across the field, the tolling of the iron bell calls the faithful to their knees to hear the softly spoken magic spell.
Code permitting, this idea has merit. Having to rely on past experience and guesses based on the names of the objects to determine if they are magical gets a bit tiring and sometimes expensive if guess is wrong. But...why not take it a bit further than 'detect magic'. Personally, code permitting, I would love to be able to detect the enchantments and then use 'identify' to see what it does. IC, its reasonable for a vendor to allow someone to check out their wares, fighters test the weight and balance of a blade for example. Wizards/prests checking enchantments is the same thing. But again, not too sure about the code part of these ideas. Work time verse actual benefit is always a consideration. My two cents.
N.R.
N.R.
-Gilain- -Trilev- -Siros-
You do not need to change the world, merely leave it a little better than how you found it.
You do not need to change the world, merely leave it a little better than how you found it.
Hm, I like both ideas. However, I can imagine that not all merchants might like the idea of some wizard casting a strange spell on their wares... examining the blade is fine, the magically inept can still figure out what's going on, but some merchants might just freak out on the poor wizard who wants to know what it does.
Perhaps the use of 'identify' on a merchant's stuff would be limited to wizard class merchants and those who sell components/magic items often. Just an opinion, though.
Echet, the necromancer.
Perhaps the use of 'identify' on a merchant's stuff would be limited to wizard class merchants and those who sell components/magic items often. Just an opinion, though.
Echet, the necromancer.
The problem with identifing objects a merchant posesses comes right out of the rules for identify.
It takes at least 6 hours to do. Now, this has obviously been trimmed for game time as that would be quite the problem, sitting for 6 game hours every time you wanted to identify something.
But going by the third ed rules on identify, there's no way a merchant woud set a portion of his store aside, so that a wizard could identify an object, and then may not even buy it.
From a genre perspective: Detect magic affects you, you can see it has a magical aura, so, go you. Identify is a costly and time consuming spell, that must be done on the item itself.
It takes at least 6 hours to do. Now, this has obviously been trimmed for game time as that would be quite the problem, sitting for 6 game hours every time you wanted to identify something.
But going by the third ed rules on identify, there's no way a merchant woud set a portion of his store aside, so that a wizard could identify an object, and then may not even buy it.
From a genre perspective: Detect magic affects you, you can see it has a magical aura, so, go you. Identify is a costly and time consuming spell, that must be done on the item itself.
Yes, BUT.... In a real world, a shop keep would more than likely already know what enchantments an item holds and will share that information. Its rare to find a merchant that doesn't have even a vague clue as to what his/her wares do (shiny magic stuff = more cash). Else why sell it? And since the vendors on FK cannot say 'Oh, right. That has an enchantment that protects from fire,' Allowing the use of identify would balance this out. So realistically, yeah identify is a time consuming spell that usually would not be allow to be used in a shop. But realistically, shopkeeps can tell you about their wares. A balance of realism and gaming. Enjoy...
N.R.
N.R.
-Gilain- -Trilev- -Siros-
You do not need to change the world, merely leave it a little better than how you found it.
You do not need to change the world, merely leave it a little better than how you found it.
I agree with Talamar.
Detect magic would be great because a shopkeeper wouldnt even know you are using it an just looking at the item you would be able to tell if it is magical, very good idea and I beleive it would be very useful.
Identify though, I would think detect magic would be fine because you are merely looking at the item. Identify would require you study and cast over for quite a while to cast the spell. Also, a merchant might think you wouldnt pay as much money if you knew what the item did, and what merchant is going to let you take his wares aside and cast and chant over them for six hours, one hour, even thirty minutes at a time.
Detect magic would be great because a shopkeeper wouldnt even know you are using it an just looking at the item you would be able to tell if it is magical, very good idea and I beleive it would be very useful.
Identify though, I would think detect magic would be fine because you are merely looking at the item. Identify would require you study and cast over for quite a while to cast the spell. Also, a merchant might think you wouldnt pay as much money if you knew what the item did, and what merchant is going to let you take his wares aside and cast and chant over them for six hours, one hour, even thirty minutes at a time.
Glim asks Gwain 'Can I be on the watch?!?'
Gwain raises an eyebrow.
Gwain seems to display a look of complete horror for a second...
Gwain raises an eyebrow.
Gwain seems to display a look of complete horror for a second...
I kind of like the idea of knowing what a merchant has myself of magical items... but I was thinking of someone making a quest so that PC's, aka wizards and priests who can identify, could become bonded identifiers in each town or area or something like that and have lists to consult. I think the NPC mercants would love to have bonded adventurers being able to tell people about the magical merchandise.. this would involve reputation and thing of such nature, like a Notary Public... if you get my drift... I think I need to get more sleep..hehehe... laters
What the Mind of a man can conceive, the Will of a man can achieve.
I agree with Sharni's example completely, that's where there are so many stories of people buying things they think are just trinkets, and finding out they are worth 4 grand somewhere.
It's very similiar, fantasy fiction is rife with stories of mages and priests finding magical items for sale throoughout the world, and buying them as ordinary thing, only later to gloat about the fantastic purchase they have made.
While not as prevalent in FR, still many merchants will sell an item as "enchanted" but have no clue as to the power or abilities of the item, making them up or lying about them, to try and get a sale, and your money.
It's only later, when you either beg your friend the mage to identify it, or pay an exorbiant some to a mage for hire, that you find out whether it was you or the merchant that was swindled in the deal.
It's very similiar, fantasy fiction is rife with stories of mages and priests finding magical items for sale throoughout the world, and buying them as ordinary thing, only later to gloat about the fantastic purchase they have made.
While not as prevalent in FR, still many merchants will sell an item as "enchanted" but have no clue as to the power or abilities of the item, making them up or lying about them, to try and get a sale, and your money.
It's only later, when you either beg your friend the mage to identify it, or pay an exorbiant some to a mage for hire, that you find out whether it was you or the merchant that was swindled in the deal.
The first thing that comes to my mind -And believe me, I hate disagreeing with sharni 
- is that if they dont know what they have, why does the price reflect it? certainly a XXX breastplate made of silver would be valuable. But no one know is has property XXX, and yet they charge X(overlarge) amount for it.
Now...I do understand game-balance. And in my opinion, having shopkeepers randomly selling magic items for low prices for 'realism' is a bad idea. But I do still support the idea of being able to detect magic.
~Elenthis.
- is that if they dont know what they have, why does the price reflect it? certainly a XXX breastplate made of silver would be valuable. But no one know is has property XXX, and yet they charge X(overlarge) amount for it. Now...I do understand game-balance. And in my opinion, having shopkeepers randomly selling magic items for low prices for 'realism' is a bad idea. But I do still support the idea of being able to detect magic.
~Elenthis.
Far away and across the field, the tolling of the iron bell calls the faithful to their knees to hear the softly spoken magic spell.