Where would you host an illegal magic auction? (Eberron)

[Jarmen4u]

I'm DMing a campaign that has thus far stayed within Sharn. As a small side plot, one of the PCs had their raven familiar kidnapped. I have it set up so it will be sold at an underground/illegal auction for less than savvy magic items/objects/creatures.

However, I'm not terribly familiar with the setting quite yet, so I'm seeking advice on how to set this up. Where exactly would be a good place to have it? What other items might be for sale? They're about level 4-5 right now, but I expect them to try to take at least some of the other items when they steal back the bird. Any other details/ideas/suggestions are welcome as well.

[ericgrau]

At a place similar to a speakeasy (Google it). Also Google "black market" for other ideas, though it's harder to find physical locations for an auction that way.


Cursed items with drawbacks that are acceptable, especially to the less than honest or quirky. Look through the cursed item section of the DMG/SRD for appropriate curses on standard, random or your own chosen magic items. Drawbacks could also provide a reasonable discount appropriate to the PC level. Make sure the drawback makes the price a tough (but partly acceptable) choice. Otherwise it's either discounted too much or the drawback isn't great enough. And consider the item in the hands of the person who will exploit it most, minimizing the drawback the most and using the benefit the most. Because that's who will buy it, not the person it hurts the most.
Evil magic items.
Poisons (illegal in most/all cities, "always illegal" per the SRD). Drow poision is the most useful to hack and slash players, but also toss in some that are good for assassination and such to fit the desires of the typical crowd. Like ingested poisons. Oil of taggit is the shady person's desirable equivalent of drow poison: cheap and knocks the target out, but it's ingested. Retrieve body, hold for randsom, rob, or whatever he wants, all without committing a more serious crime than needed. At level 4-5 you don't want anything pricy.


Playing with these flaws or quirks and possibly hiding items from the law will make for interesting and fun play. Not all items need to be strictly Evil or illegal either. They can be a bit off but somewhat acceptable too. To be sold at all they at least have to be useful in some way.

[Kol Korran]

Some ideas:
1. In Sharn:
- In one of the lower tires, for example in The Cogs. Basically any sufficiently dangerous slum, where the law is quite hesitent to go (or bribed not to).
- At the turf of a major gang/criminal organization. The Daask springs to mind (made up from monatrous residents from Droaam.
- For a more "upscale" an "seemingly legit" auction, how about the Morgrave University, or the Wayfounder Foundation? The organizer is either corrupt, blcakmailed or duped into selling the raven and possibly other items. The auction proclaims that the items and oddities come from expeditions. To Xen'dric, The Mournland, Q'barra and so. Most items might actually be from expeditions, lending the auction it's credibility, and providing cover and a "reasonably legit source" for the more illicit goods.

2. Willing to travel a bit?
- The Black Pit (North of Breland). A "hive of scum and villainy" with a thriving black market and a (highly likely) passage to Khyber.
- Greywall in Droaam: Similar to the Daask idea, only here the monstrous races are the majority, and the law!
- Rhukaan Draal, capital of the new goblinoid nation of Darguun. Somewhat less civilized, more practical and brutal than the 5 nations, I think most citizens wouldn't much care where the items came from... But it's still civilized, only it's a very different civilization...
- Vathirond, at the east od Breland, on the edge of the Mournland. Similar idea to th "legit sources" in Sharn, where the items are said to be "reclamations" from The Mournland. The main differences are that the auctioneera are likely less scholary, and more hardcore reclaimers who venture and come back from The Mournland regularily, and the potential historical and emotional impirtanc eof some of the items. If you want, you can include REALLY WEIRD oddities as part of the auction... It's the Mournland after all... ANYTHING can come out of there...

Hope this helps!

[Falontani]

Magical poisons from drow of the underdark, intelligent magical items that were stolen, a variable menagerie of magical beasts, perhaps even aberrations, less humanoid monstrous humanoids, perhaps even some of the more manageable outsiders. A tsochar would be a good sell. Potions of detrimental effects (perhaps used in... sad things)

[ericgrau]

intelligent magical items that were stolen, a variable menagerie of magical beasts
Oh yeah it could have stolen items in general. Nothing seems unusual about them, but they have a history of how they were stolen and the previous owner or shop reported it. Could lead to an interesting encounter with authorities.

MMI actually has prices for griffon eggs, among other mounts. You could look up hippogriff, giant owls and other classic mounts and see what it says. Other books probably have more, and/or you can make up your own prices for younglings or eggs. Likewise they could have a story of how they got there and possibly an angry mother or other angry person/creature, or possibly not.

[jintoya]

I once hosted a evil event in an enchanted stagecoach that was the opening to an extradimensional space.
Participants just got in it as it went up the street, exited when done, nobody caught on, it was right in plain sight.
Players loved the battle inside as it collapsed and they fled, they stepped out into the rainy streets of the city... It went from excitement straight to calm satisfaction.
Very memorable