Trade goods in D&D/tippyverse (3.5)

[Balor01]

Next session, PCs will stumble upon a merchant caravan (cargo worth 10.000 gp), but I really dislike an idea that they find 5.000 sacks of wheat or "just that +1 greatsword I was looking for".

I'd like to make cargo credible. What goods would be traded in a D&D/a bit tippyvers-ish world? What would traders tug along to bring them a decent profit at their destination? I was thinking weapons, but most places have blacksmiths anyway. Also, whoever wants that 50.000 gp worth armor made, goes to The Capitol City.
So I was thinking black onyx, but that is sort of a contraband.
So what are the equivalents of spice of old world and silk?

tnx in advance for all constructive ideas :smallbiggrin:

[DragonOfUndeath]

Spell Components
Wands of X
Scrolls of X
Magic Items that cast spells per day

Remember in the Tippyverse everything revolves around Arcane and Divine Magic (with some Psionics depending on setting)

[Balor01]

So a box of black onyx, load of sacks of wheat, a chest of rods and a box of scrolls? :smallsmile:

[Eldan]

If it's a high-magic world, why are there even normal trade caravans? I'm assuming you mean merely high-magic, not tippyverse.

Anyway. My first thought was souls, perhaps stored in gems as per the soul trap spell, but that doesn't work if even black onyx is outlawed. Perhaps if it's the souls of criminals trapped so they can't be resurrected. However, that's more a prisoner transport than a caravan, and the PCs most likely wouldn't just sell them on the open market.

Perhaps to steal a bit from 4E: Essence. A magical, crystalline substance that can be substituted for XP in crafting magical items.

Alternatively: valuable spell components. Body parts of magical creatures (Phoenix feathers. Dragon scales. Unicorn horns. Some of these creatures are magical, so it might or might not be illegal). Rare gems. Planar essences.

[Balor01]

@Eldan
Cool. Yeah, it is a bit tippyverse-ish. People make some things easier with magic, but that are mostly lvl 0 and lvl 1 spells.

[JeminiZero]

Assuming that the High Mages of Tippyverse didn't just set up a teleportation circle network, the things that would most likely be traded between places is stuff that cannot be magically mass produced locally.

Like Raw Materials, such as Exotic Ores (Mithral, Silver), Woods (Darkwood, Wildwood) and various other Special Materials (Riverine, Blue-Ice). While craftsmen at the destination might be able to produce everything, they will still need raw materials to produce from.

Among Valuable Spell Components, I would like to add: Diamonds (for Raise/Resurrect etc), Ruby (Continual Flame, the streets need lights after all), and Silver (Bless Water).