Posted By gss_000 on 06/29/2007 12:45 PM
The GP value in the ritual represents more than gold, it's incense, components, etc, that it requires. I like your idea of sacrificing magic items and I can see your reasoning for limiting it to half the item value. I'm going to posit an argument for the reverse just for it's sake and you can take it if you will.

You should use the full value because that is the actual value of the item. The selling it for half concept comes from the fact that is how much it costs to make, how hard it is to resell items, making a profit, etc. The PCs, if given a chance to buy the item, would pay full price for it. So, if they are sacrificing it they should get the amount they would have bought it for, not sell it for. Furthermore, the whole group is sacrificing their items and loot for an item one person is using, making the half amount even more of a penalty to the group.

If you are looking for a compromise, you could say only items of 2000 gp or more can be used. That usually means items that are pretty useful can be used and that sacrifice is more than a bunch of potions and low level scrolls and wands.

Posted By GuJiaXian on 06/29/2007 12:48 PM
See, if my players argued with me about something fairly trivial like this, I'd look at them and declare that the ritual now required the permanent loss of 1d6 hit points as well. Boy, they wouldn't be arguing for long...

I'm joking, of course. I like the idea of only allowing 2,000 gp or higher items; it makes the sacrifice mean something.

Posted By nyjastul69 on 06/30/2007 5:38 AM
I know the GP amount represents more than cash, which is why it made sense to me to use the 1/2 value figure.  It represents selling your magic for stuff to perfrom the ritual.  Even if they aren't selling it for stuff, that's what they would have to have done 'per the rules'. Â

I like your counter argument however.  It's the sort of thing I was hoping a player could come up with.  Mind you, I wasn't toying with them, I just wanted to be convinced the full value was justified.  The last portion regarding the group has a whole is especially convincing.  I think they will like you.  Ultimately it's not all that much anyway.  I tend to be a player friendly DM.  I was looking to be convinced I wasn't being too friendly.