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Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:23 pm
by Michael
So just checking what I think I have read in 4th ed. There are not thread items for sale anymore, not even the 'common' ones like say a thread sword?

thanks

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:27 pm
by Bonhumm
I don't know for items like swords but other items are available like, for example, spell matrix objects: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=110&hilit=thread+item+sale

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 11:43 pm
by Mataxes
Given the way thread items work, it seems weird to me that you could, in a general sense, find them for sale. From a setting perspective, it kind of kills the mystique and plot-potential of thread items.

That said, there could certainly be "market" of sorts for these items. After all, it's conceivable that a group pulls some thread items out of a ruined citadel and doesn't need all of them... what do they do? They have value, it's just a small (and fairly select) group of folks that would be interested.

I haven't given a lot of thought to this, so I don't have an answer, but my gut says a rough starting point would be about double what the "enchanting cost" would be if you're talking about raw silver. Of course, price would vary depending on how much information is available -- a "common" thread sword with an unknown Name is pretty useless, and so its value would go down. A unique, "Legendary" item -- with provenance and documentation -- would fetch more.

But finding a buyer? That could be an adventure all its own... bringing back the plot-potential of these items.

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:02 am
by Michael
well I always assumed that the basic "common" thread items like say a thread sword were for sale. Terribly expensive like 5k or more. 1 thread, 4 ranks, key knowledge name to weave to and the rest is just adds + damage or something else.

It goes without saying that named thread items that have all sorts of abilities would not be for sale at any price unless it's something RPG like to save a life or a present to the king.

I thought I read in the 4th ed book that even those common thread items were not for sale since most of the skill/methods to create said items had been lost since the scourge. I guess depending on your campaign and to how much money the players do get, I guess it might not even be an issue. After all, why spend 5k when I can go into a breached kaer and get a thread item. Just some pesky horrors to be dealt with . . .

thanks

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 4:06 am
by Sharkforce
i would expect that there is almost nothing that *couldn't* be for sale, but there are plenty of things that are *unlikely* to be up for sale. the odds of you getting exactly what you want are very slim unless we're talking about the most basic of thread items (because you can pretty much find an enchanter to make the basic stuff, it's just a question of cost and persuading them to make one for you instead of anyone else that might want them). if what you want is at all rare, you may not even be able to find something remotely similar.

people die, leave their stuff to their kids, and the kids would rather do something other than be an adventurer, for example.

i would also expect that there are some remarkably wealthy merchants that handle most of this, given that there are rather high costs involved, and that in many cases they are more arranging for the transaction to be made and transporting the goods; that is, you probably don't walk into a store and buy a thread sword, but you might be able to talk to a representative of a merchant house and let them know that you're willing to pay some specific amount of silver for a thread troll sword, which you may or may not hear back from them at any time that they can get you one. and if you manage to get on good terms with them, that merchant may come to you when they have something special they think you might be interested in.

naturally, this would also mean that you could potentially sell thread items that you find as well, considering that adventuring adepts would tend to find more thread items than, say, a wizard working in the library of throal or a troubadour that spends most of their time travelling from town to town, or a cavalryman that is part of some army, and are thus more likely to be the source of such things than the average adept. for the most part, i would expect selling to happen much more quickly than attempting to buy, given it is pretty much a seller's market (lots of people want them, but not nearly as many are being made as there is demand for).

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:04 pm
by Slimcreeper
Christie’s auction house of Travar?

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:32 am
by RazanMG
Also, the seller can be working for Horror (knowing it or not), selling horror marked/cursed items. "Sure Ive studied them, they are safe and ready to be used". Hehheheheeh

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 2:39 am
by Sharkforce
RazanMG wrote:
Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:32 am
Also, the seller can be working for Horror (knowing it or not), selling horror marked/cursed items. "Sure Ive studied them, they are safe and ready to be used". Hehheheheeh
could be, but probably wouldn't go on for terribly long. sooner or later, horror corruption tends to become pretty obvious. not to mention at some point people are going to need to examine the item themselves to tie threads to it. that kind of hit to your credibility when credibility is fundamentally your product is going to end you pretty quick... but still, a lot of damage could be done along the way.

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 9:29 pm
by Telarus
Slimcreeper wrote:
Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:04 pm
Christie’s auction house of Travar?
This is how it works in my Barsaive. You may be able to find some Forged weapons and maybe a (very low rank) Thread Item in the GRand Bazaar or the great cities' marketplaces. But other than that, you have to deal with wealthy merchant-guild politics, kingdom politics, etc... A few of the larges cities have Auction Houses that _sometimes_ offer thread items among the other 'objet d'art'. Of course at that point you're bidding against the uber-wealthy who probably just want it for a dinner-conversation piece...



..or you hire yourself a group of 'shadows' to run and get it. ;)

Re: Thread Items for sale?

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:20 am
by Sharkforce
i would point out that while you as an adept are not likely to be the most wealthy person in the entire land, there's a fair chance you are among the people who have the most *liquid* wealth in the entire land.

that is, you may not be as rich as a noble or a wealthy merchant, but it is moderately likely that you'll be able to compete in bidding against the noble or merchant, both of whom have a lot of their wealth tied up in assets; lands, tools, alchemy patterns, buildings, caravans, and so forth.

you may not be as "rich" as that baron who would also like a thread sword, but he probably isn't willing to sell 10,000 silver worth of land and holdings to buy a thread sword ;)

(of course, it's also possible that the baron has taken a loan out on those things, or has just recently had a large amount of money come in, or just be more rich than the average baron, so that baron *might* have several thousand silver in coin available to spend, i'm just saying that it doesn't need to be something where you're spending 10,000 silver for a basic item because that baron could have blown the money on highway with a guard tower that collects tolls, or building a new mill, adding a few more servant's quarters to his stronghold, hired a team of adepts to deal with a monster or bandit group that is plaguing the lands, invest in a business, get better equipment for his men-at-arms, and so forth. frankly, that baron probably has far more things he'd like to have the money to afford than you do, and if he doesn't get that sword, well, odds are good there's another perfectly good way to invest that money)