Artificer - Dealing with Conman Artificer

[Ganryu]

So I'm DM'ing a campaign, and the Artificer (New artificer btw) gets the idea mid session. "Wait, Magic Items are generally expensive, right? Can't I just sell my infusions, then end them?" I can't think of a solid rebuttal, but I really don't want them generating infinite money this way. I'm all for player creativity, but this is stretching it. What would you recommend?

One idea is just posting a bounty on them for this. Send some hunters, teach them a lesson.

Another is just have their infusings be different from most magic items as they are temporary, and make the practice this player wants to do highly illegal. They're already in trouble with the law in the game, this probably wouldn't help.

Any other suggestions what to do? I just don't want them to have infinite money, or far too much at low levels.

I also know this is Unearthed Arcana, and this is just part of the risks.

[8wGremlin]

So I'm DM'ing a campaign, and the Artificer (New artificer btw) gets the idea mid session. "Wait, Magic Items are generally expensive, right? Can't I just sell my infusions, then end them?" I can't think of a solid rebuttal, but I really don't want them generating infinite money this way. I'm all for player creativity, but this is stretching it. What would you recommend?

One idea is just posting a bounty on them for this. Send some hunters, teach them a lesson.

Another is just have their infusings be different from most magic items as they are temporary, and make the practice this player wants to do highly illegal. They're already in trouble with the law in the game, this probably wouldn't help.

Any other suggestions what to do? I just don't want them to have infinite money, or far too much at low levels.

I also know this is Unearthed Arcana, and this is just part of the risks.


So

what is he going to sell specifically
who is he going to sell it too
do they actually have that kind of cash around
what will they do when the item becomes non-magical
can the artificer find other people to sell to
do these people know the first
what would happen if people started to hear about this person selling temporary magic items.
money isn't like it was in 3.5
who else who is actually making and selling real magic items going to do to this person once they find them
if they were making magic items, then they can definitely find some one to find them person and cast 'dream' on them

[mephiztopheleze]

what he's saying is perfectly possible to do, but word is gonna spread REALLY fast about the dodgy magick itamz salesman.

duped customers of the sort who could feasibly afford most itamz, even at a discount, are probably not without other resources of their own. we're probably talking rich folk with some knowledge and contacts. Not backwater inbred peasants.

so he can maybe sell a few itamz, word spreads and the punters grab their flaming torches and pitchforks, string him up by his heels and call him a Very Naughty Boy!

or maybe there's a bunch of Wizards/Artificers already in business in that area and they take great exception to both being undercut, and to the damage the PC is doing to THEIR reputations.

Perhaps the first customer is a decent level Cleric or Wizard who sees right through the ruse and outs them on the spot.

seriously, what he's come up with is possible, just a really bad idea without taking serious precautions to keep the retail side at arms length (basically: find a patsy and have them take the fall)

[Ganryu]

So

what is he going to sell specifically
who is he going to sell it too
do they actually have that kind of cash around
what will they do when the item becomes non-magical
can the artificer find other people to sell to
do these people know the first
what would happen if people started to hear about this person selling temporary magic items.
money isn't like it was in 3.5
who else who is actually making and selling real magic items going to do to this person once they find them
if they were making magic items, then they can definitely find some one to find them person and cast 'dream' on them



Alchemy Jug (And as a artificers has several more infusions)
Traveling Merchants
They would
Have a useless jar
The party is traveling, so yes.
Not likely
This is my question, hence the thread
Never played. I still dont' want the party buying a warship or seige equipment. They cause enough chaos on 2 legs, and I have OOC engineers in the party...
This is a really good question I would actually like to know. Where do actual magic items come from Xanathar's does very poor with this when it tries to answer
This is assuming a concious on the conman. He doesn't have one. Dream would make him laugh.

[8wGremlin]

Dream has the effect "the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, echoes of the phantasmal monstrosity spawn a nightmare that lasts the duration of the target’s sleep and prevents the target from gaining any benefit from that rest. In addition, when the target wakes up, it takes 3d6 psychic damage."

so no spells back, no hd or hp back... no sleep gives levels of exhaustion as well I believe, best check the rules.

They can then cast it again the next night...

Do not think that there won't be repercussions, You are the DM, it's up to you to make sure that they have fun, and that any repercussions generate a good story.

[Lunali]

Assume that people are aware of the existence of artificers and that other people have thought of this before, merchants will be very wary of buying magical items unless they have some way of verifying their permanence.

[Unoriginal]

So I'm DM'ing a campaign, and the Artificer (New artificer btw) gets the idea mid session. "Wait, Magic Items are generally expensive, right? Can't I just sell my infusions, then end them?" I can't think of a solid rebuttal, but I really don't want them generating infinite money this way. I'm all for player creativity, but this is stretching it. What would you recommend?

One idea is just posting a bounty on them for this. Send some hunters, teach them a lesson.

Another is just have their infusings be different from most magic items as they are temporary, and make the practice this player wants to do highly illegal. They're already in trouble with the law in the game, this probably wouldn't help.

Any other suggestions what to do? I just don't want them to have infinite money, or far too much at low levels.

I also know this is Unearthed Arcana, and this is just part of the risks.

The trade of magic items is one that involves a lot of money, and each item is basically a collection piece on top of its practical use. As a result, most people who are in that trade probably are in contact with each other.

Keep in mind that according to the Xanathar's rules, just finding a buyer can cost the seller more than 100 gp, mostly to get the word out a transaction is possible and have it reach an interested ear.

Furthermore, anyone who's willing to sell a magic item would attract the reasonable suspicion that the item is cursed. So you can expect any buyer to check the item thoroughly, including with the various identification methods.

That trick of the Artificier might work once, if they're good at conning people, but then they'd get blacklisted and have their conned buyer track them down. If they're successful is another question.

[jaappleton]

Let them sell the magic items. The Artificer receives a fair price.

And word quickly spreads after the magic fades about this con artist, who gets the attention of the merchants guild, who then puts in a request of the Thieves Guild to get their money back by any means necessary.

[Tanarii]

Keep in mind that according to the Xanathar's rules, just finding a buyer can cost the seller more than 100 gp, mostly to get the word out a transaction is possible and have it reach an interested ear.And a workweeks worth of time. If the party is traveling that might be important.

[JNAProductions]

A lot of the recommendations so far are pretty good for handling this IC.

However, if those solutions would take away too much from what else is happening, there's a very powerful tool you can use.

Talk to the player. Tell them "So, I know that you CAN sell your infusions, and while there would be consequences, it'd eat up too much table time and suck the fun for other people. Could you work with me to come up with an in-character reason to just NOT do that?"

Now, this assumes that what you're running would be made less fun by this. If it'd be more fun to have your players get rich and then face consequences, do that instead!

[Unoriginal]

A lot of the recommendations so far are pretty good for handling this IC.

However, if those solutions would take away too much from what else is happening, there's a very powerful tool you can use.

Talk to the player. Tell them "So, I know that you CAN sell your infusions, and while there would be consequences, it'd eat up too much table time and suck the fun for other people. Could you work with me to come up with an in-character reason to just NOT do that?"

Now, this assumes that what you're running would be made less fun by this. If it'd be more fun to have your players get rich and then face consequences, do that instead!

This is true. Always talk with the player first.

You can also point out that, while less lucrative, just selling the good beer the Alchemy Jug produces would grant them a steady stream of income and happy beer-drinkers.

[Mercurias]

You can also point out that, while less lucrative, just selling the good beer the Alchemy Jug produces would grant them a steady stream of income and happy beer-drinkers.

On off-days they could also bottle wine from the Alchemy Jug. Wine lasts longer than beer when properly bottled, since beer will go flat. They could probably produce a good two bottles per day of hooch that way which will travel really well in a bag of holding.

[Ganryu]

Pretty good suggestions all around, thanks guys.

[Rob the robber]

Would it be possible for the salesmen (or at least some of them) to know the identify spell?
If the identify spell is cast they should know the properties of the object including that the object does not have a permanent magical enchantment on it?

[Unoriginal]

Would it be possible for the salesmen (or at least some of them) to know the identify spell?
If the identify spell is cast they should know the properties of the object including that the object does not have a permanent magical enchantment on it?

That or examining it for one hour.