Item Availability Rule (DnD)

[Rabbit]

This is an Item Availability Rule that I first introduced in the Den of Heroes campaign. I am trying to fine tune it so that I can use it again in the future. As I do I also want to show it to the group and see if anyone has feed back.

I like to overall system but the percentages may need to be changed a bit. Too high? Too low? Each of these tests represent only 1d4 hours of searching so I don’t want to make them too easy since players could have as many as 8 attempts in a day (at least two.) Perhaps I should just add a search limit? If you fail three searches attempts you (and your party) may not search for that item for a week. The fail means the item is just not available right now...

[Rabbit]

First here are the basic rules (as per the Player’s Handbook) on Gather Information which plays an important role:

Gather Information takes 1d4+1 hours. A single Gather Information roll can be used for multiple ‘similar’ items (DM’s discretion.) Using a single roll must be declared before the dice are rolled.

Gather Information Bonus:
Knowledge (Local): Add skill total to Gather Information results.
Profession (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (DM’s discretion.)*
Craft (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (DM’s discretion.)*

*Only one Profession OR Craft can be added to a single Gather Information roll.

[Rabbit]

Potions and Scrolls

Base Percentage
Village or Outpost +25%
Large Town or City +45%
Large City or Metropolis +60%
Huge City +60%

Spell Level
0 (cantrip): +5%
1st: 0%
2nd: -5%
3rd: -10% (potions are only available up to 3rd level)
4th: -15%
Etc…. (Increments of -5% for a maximum of -30% at 7th level.)

Caster Level
-5% for every CL higher than the minimum required.

Gather Information (DC 10)
Roll a 1d20 and add Gather Information. Every 2 over a success is +1%. Round down.

Overall Percentage Roll
Add up all your percentage modifiers and roll 2d10 (0-100%). Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the potion/scroll for sale.)

If a success, the number over the DC 10 rolled for the Gather Information is how many potions/scrolls of that certain spell are available.

Example 1: Bob the Wizard is looking for a scroll of fireball (minumum caster level) in a “Large town or City.”
On his Gather Information Bob totals a 19.

[+45% (base), -10% (spell level), +0% (caster level), +4% (gather info)] = 39% likely chance to find the scroll. If a success then there are 9 scrolls of fireball available for purchase.

Example 2: Bob the Wizard is looking for a potion of light (minimum caster level) in a “Large City or Metropolis.”

On his gather information he rolls a 12.

[+60% (base), +0% (spell level), +0% (caster level), +2% (gather info)] = 62% likely chance to find the scroll. If a success then there are 2 scrolls of light available for purchase.

[Rabbit]

Wands

Base Percentage
Village or Outpost +15%
Large Town or City +35%
Large City or Metropolis +50%
Huge City +50%

Spell Level
0 (cantrip): +5%
1st: 0%
2nd: -5%
3rd: -10%
4th: -15%

Caster Level
-5% for every CL higher than the minimum required.

Gather Information (DC 15)
Roll a 1d20 and add Gather Information. Every 2 over a success is +1%. Round down.

Overall Percentage Roll
Add up all your percentage modifiers and roll 2d10 (0-100%). Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the wand for sale.)

If a success, for every two over the DC 15 rolled for the Gather Information is one wand of that certain spell is available. Round down. Minimum wands found in a success is one.

Lastly, for each available wand a 1d100 is rolled, then halved, to determine how many charges are left in the wand (the first wand is always defaulted to 50 charges.)

Examples 1: Bob the Wizard wants a wand of slow (minimum Caster level) in a “Large City or Metropolis.” On his gather information he rolls a 16. Bob also has 4 total skill points in Knowledge (local.)

[+50% (base), -10% (spell level), +0% (caster level), +0% (gather information), +4% (know (local)] =44% likely chance to find the wand. If a success then there is 1 wand available (50 charges.)

Examples 2: Bob wants another wand of slow in a “Village or Outpost.” On this gather information he rolls a 21. Bob still has 4 total skill points in Knowledge (local.)

[+15% (base), -10% (spell level), +3% (gather information), +4% (know (local)] =12% likely chance to find the wand. If a success then there are 3 wands available.
1) 50 charges (default)
2) 44 charges (1d100 rolled = 88)
3) 4 charges (1d100 rolled = 8)

[Rabbit]

Non-Magical Equipment

Mundane Items (most weapons, armor, adventuring gear, tools and skill kits, etc.)

Base Percentage
Village or Outpost +50%
Large Town or City: Always available
Large City or Metropolis: Always available
Huge City: Always available

Gather Information (DC 10)
Roll a 1d20 and add Gather Information. Every 2 over a success is +1%. Round down.

Overall Percentage Roll
Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the item for sale.)

If a success, the number over the DC 10 rolled for the Gather Information is how many of that certain item type are available.

Special Substances and Items (alchemy items)

Base Percentage
Village or Outpost +40%
Large Town or City +80%
Large City or Metropolis: Always available
Huge City: Always available

Gather Information (DC 10)
Roll a 1d20 and add Gather Information. Every 2 over a success is +1%. Round down.

Overall Percentage Roll
Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the item for sale.)

If a success, the number over the DC 10 rolled for the Gather Information is how many of that certain item type are available.

Special Materials (adamantine, darkwood, dragonhide, cold iron, mithral, alchemical silver)

Base Percentage
Village or Outpost +30%
Large Town or City +60%
Large City or Metropolis: Always available
Huge City: Always available

Gather Information (DC 10)
Roll a 1d20 and add Gather Information. Every 2 over a success is +1%. Round down.

Overall Percentage Roll
Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the item for sale.)

If a success, the number over the DC 10 rolled for the Gather Information is how many of that certain item type are available.

[reefwood]

Oct 19, 2010 12:31:46 GMT -5 Rabbit said:

First here are the basic rules (as per the Player’s Handbook) on Gather Information which plays an important role:

Gather Information takes 1d4+1 hours. A single Gather Information roll can be used for multiple ‘similar’ items (DM’s discretion.) Using a single roll must be declared before the dice are rolled.

Gather Information Bonus:
Knowledge (Local): Add skill total to Gather Information results.
Profession (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (DM’s discretion.)*
Craft (relevent): Add skill total to Gather Information results (DM’s discretion.)*

*Only one Profession OR Craft can be added to a single Gather Information roll.

Here is my first question just to make sure that I am reading this correctly:

1) Make a Gather Information roll
2) Add your Knowledge (local) modifier to the Gather Info result
3) Also add your Craft (relevant) OR Prof (relevant) to that total

So, if Bob is looking for new armor and has Gather Info +5, Know (local) +3, Craft (armor) +2, Prof (blacksmith) +7, it could go like this:

1) Bob rolls 13 +5 Gather Info = 18
2) 18 +3 Know (local) = 21
3) 21 +7 Prof (blacksmith) = 28

So his grand total is 28 instead of just the 18 from Gather Info.

Did I do this correctly?

[Rabbit]

Oct 20, 2010 11:47:32 GMT -5 reefwood said:

Here is my first question just to make sure that I am reading this correctly:

1) Make a Gather Information roll
2) Add your Knowledge (local) modifier to the Gather Info result
3) Also add your Craft (relevant) OR Prof (relevant) to that total

So, if Bob is looking for new armor and has Gather Info +5, Know (local) +3, Craft (armor) +2, Prof (blacksmith) +7, it could go like this:

1) Bob rolls 13 +5 Gather Info = 18
2) 18 +3 Know (local) = 21
3) 21 +7 Prof (blacksmith) = 28

So his grand total is 28 instead of just the 18 from Gather Info.

Did I do this correctly?

All correct so far.

[reefwood]

I like how most of this works for the potions and scrolls, but a couple unusual things that stick out to me:

Caster Level
+5% for every CL higher than the minimum required.

It looks like this means that items with a higher caster level are easier to find. For example, if a scroll had a total percentage of 55%, boosting it up by 1 caster level would increase it to 60%, and boosting it by 2 caster levels would increase it to 65%. A more concrete example based on the one below... if Bob had a 39% chance of finding a scroll of fireball by a 3rd-level caster, he would have a 59% chance of finding it in the same place by a 7th-level caster because that is 4 caster levels higher, so 4 x +5% = +20%. But shouldn't the more powerful scroll be harder to find?

Overall Percentage Roll
Add up all your percentage modifiers and roll 2d10 (0-100%). Rolling the percentage modifier or lower is considered a success (you find the potion/scroll for sale.)

If a success, the number over the DC 10 rolled for the Gather Information is how many potions/scrolls of that certain spell are available.

Example 1: Bob the Wizard is looking for a scroll of fireball (minumum caster level) in a “Large town or City.”
On his Gather Information Bob totals a 19.

[+45% (base), -10% (spell level), +0% (caster level), +4% (gather info)] = 39% likely chance to find the scroll. If a success then there are 9 scrolls of fireball available for purchase.

This other thing I mentioned last night at Geek Trivia... 9 scrolls seems like a lot in this example. Especially since the total number of scrolls found would be the same for 1st-level scrolls as it would be for 6th-level scrolls... either level would find 9 scrolls with a Gather Info result of 19 if the percentage roll was successful.

One way to lower the lower the amount found and have it differ between levels could be to base it on spell level - Gather Info DC 10 is still a success, but the total number found will depend on how much you exceed DC 10 divided by the spell level. A result of 19 is 9 above DC 10, so you divide 9 by the spell level of the item - which could be 9 scrolls of a 1st-level spell or 3 scrolls of a 3rd-level spell. 0-level spells are often treated as half of a 1st-level spell, so that could also be 18 scrolls of a 0-level spell.