Do Artificer Hirelings break the game?

[unseenmage]

At the rate of 1gp per level per day, is it just me or is it cheaper to hire an Artificer to craft magic items for you than to buy them on the open market?

If so is there a point where it becomes unprofitable?

I have 5 months and 600,000gp to burn, can craft myself but we're using a houserule that custom items have to be researched like custom spells replacing SL with CL.
I struck on the idea of hiring researchers and then the idea of hiring craftsmen.

Finding enough tradesmen isn't an issue between Plane Shift, the Underdark link under the city, the port, the major trade route, and the tradesmen flocking to the city because of my heroic fame bringing their organization subsequent fame.

[Flickerdart]

Generally, one must provide the costs of materials used by one's employees - which means both the XP and the GP. By hiring Artificers, all you're doing is avoiding having to take the crafting feats.

[unseenmage]

Generally, one must provide the costs of materials used by one's employees - which means both the XP and the GP. By hiring Artificers, all you're doing is avoiding having to take the crafting feats.

Yes I intended to pay the costs.

But if (and in retrospect I suppose it's a big if) the Artificer's discount(s) are taken into account then it is cheaper to pay them to make a set of Ring Gates at (MP: 40,000gp*0.375)+(CL17*40days)=156,000gp.

[Jerthanis]

Artificer Hirelings don't break the game, since they have reason to charge you full market value for the items they make for you, but Artificer Cohorts DO break the game.

[unseenmage]

Artificer Hirelings don't break the game, since they have reason to charge you full market value for the items they make for you, but Artificer Cohorts DO break the game.

That is an excellent point.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Unless you're a Truenamer with a Monk Cohort any kind of halfway optimized cohort breaks the game.

[Slipperychicken]

I'd treat that as commissioning items. He'd probably demand 90-95% for any item he makes you. You both dodge the merchants' markup, so it's a better deal on both sides.

If it's a legally-binding contract with a reputable organization, that might get it down to 75-80% because the income's guaranteed.

[ericgrau]

Unless you're a Truenamer with a Monk Cohort any kind of halfway optimized cohort breaks the game.

And you could still be a truenamer with a skill boosting marshall cohort, or a rogue with a grapple-monk (sneak attack) then later trip-monk (not miss or die in melee) cohort.

[SowZ]

I'd treat that as commissioning items. He'd probably demand 90-95% for any item he makes you. You both dodge the merchants' markup, so it's a better deal on both sides.

If it's a legally-binding contract with a reputable organization, that might get it down to 75-80% because the income's guaranteed.

Also, you deserve a small discount since you have to wait to get the item as opposed to getting it right away.

[Deophaun]

Artificer Hirelings don't break the game, since they have reason to charge you full market value for the items they make for you, but Artificer Cohorts DO break the game.
But Artificers do get access to things like the Trapsmith's spell list, which means that you can get significant reductions on the cost of some items (How would you like a wand of haste, CL 5, for 3750, instead of 11,250?), and even throw some high-level spells into wands. If you have a high-level divine spell for which CL doesn't matter, you have access to the Ur Priest's 1-to-1 casting progression. Basically, the Artificer's entire reason for existing is to break the game.

Now, as the wands and scrolls they make are neither arcane nor divine, you will need someone with UMD to actually use them.

[Slipperychicken]

Also, you deserve a small discount since you have to wait to get the item as opposed to getting it right away.

Exactly. That's what the merchants are "paid" for (or rather, the reason for their markup);

Place utility (sell it where you want it)
Time utility (when you want it)
Risks (whether you want it or not). Consumers might not want to buy the product. Also warehousing costs -every item that isn't bought within a certain time is incurring opportunity costs or wasting warehouse space. Not to mention the incredible threats which travelling merchants face in most D&D settings -losing cargo to bandits or monsters is a harsh reality that must be dealt with.


Removing these (i.e. when you promise to buy it at his workshop the moment he's done with it) would earn you a discount.