Listing of Magical Goods

Created by Brett Hegr
[ Return to the Magic Section ]
This is a listing of chemicals, objects, powders, and tools that are common in the practice of magic. Most can be purchased from your local alchemist. The name of the component is listed, followed by the cost in gold pieces (for fantasy worlds) and the cost in credits (for contemporary and future worlds). I also try to list the uses of and important notes about the component. Obviously, if something needed to produce a specific component is rare or unavaliable, this will drive the cost up.

Topics

Creature Components
Magical Compounds
Non-Magical Compounds
Useful Tools, Objects, and Compounds

Creature Components
NameCost (gold) Cost (credits)Notes/Uses
Dragon bone (powdered) 20,000 per ounce 15,000 per ounce Used in magic circles.
Dragon bone (whole) 10,000 per ounce 7,500 per ounce Used in rune carving.
Dragon heart 50,000 each 40,000 each Used in magic circles and potions.
Dragon teeth 10,000 each 5,000 each Used in item fabrication.
Dragon tongue 40,000 each 35,000 each Used in magic circles.
Dragon blood 8,000 per ounce
75,000 per gallon 		6,000 per ounce
50,000 per gallon 		Used in magic circles and potions.
Dragon eye 20,000 each 20,000 each Used in magic circles.
Faerie wings 20,000 per pair 15,000 per pair Used in magic circles.
Demon/devil blood 6,000 per ounce 5,000 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
Demon/devil bones (powdered) 6,000 per ounce 5,000 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
Demon/devil bone (whole) 3,000 per ounce 2,500 per ounce Used in rune carving.
Unicorn horn (powdered) 32,000 per ounce 50,000 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
Unicorn horn (whole) 100,000 or more 250,000 or more Used in rune carving.
Lotus petals 100 per dozen 250 per dozen Used in magic circles.
Elf bones (powdered) 600 per ounce 500 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
Elf bones (whole) 300 per ounce 250 per ounce Used in rune carving.
Hydra's tooth (powdered) 40,000 per ounce 60,000 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
Hydra's tooth (whole) 20,000 each or 7,500 per ounce 30,000 each or 10,000 per ounce Used in rune carving.
Angel feather 20,000 each +75,000 each Used in magic circles.
God or Godling bone (whole) +250,000 per ounce +500,000 per ounce Used in rune carving.
God or Godling bone (powdered) 50,000 per ounce 75,000 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions.
* Goblin tongue 750 each 500 each Used in magic circles and rituals. Provides the abilities of a sixth level theif when burned in a Circle of Knowledge.
* Wolfen tongue 4,000 each 5,000 each Used in magic circles and rituals. Provides the abilities of a sixth level ranger when burned in a Circle of Knowledge.
* Wizard tongue (low/unknown level) 25,000 each 20,000 each Used in magic circles and rituals.
* Wizard tongue (mid/high level) 60,000 each 45,000 each Used in magic circles and rituals.
** Live Creature (single) 3 per pound 4 per pound This is the average cost to purchase a living creature for use in a spell, circle, ritual, etc. Songbirds, scorpions, rats, lizards, spiders, snakes, bats, and other small animals can usually be acquired on the spot. Anything larger might take a day or two, depending on local avaliability.
** Creature Parts 750 per half pound 500 per half pound This is the average cost to purchase a single part of a creature, whether that part is a heart, liver, tongues, or whatever. Sentient creature body parts are always much more expensive than those of animals. It takes 1d4+1 days to pick up merchandise that isn't avaliable on the spot.
** Creature Bones (powdered) 250 per half pound 100 per half pound This is the average cost for the powdered bones of local and harmless life forms. Most alchemists keep a couple pounds of rat, bat, toad, and a few other common creatures. Rare or predatory creatures will cost more and take 1d4+2 days to acquire (longer for rare bones).
** Creature Bones (whole) 100 per half pound 50 per half pound This is the average cost for the bones of local and harmless life forms. Most alchemists keep a couple pounds of rat, bat, toad, and a few other common creatures. Rare or predatory creatures will cost more and take 1d4+1 days to find (longer for rare bones).

* Wizard tongues may cost as much as +200% more, while a known wizard's tongue could cost +1000% more! The selling of tongues is outlawed in most civilizations and will probably only be avaliable on the black market (if at all).

** Common and domesticated creatures will be much cheaper than a rare and/or predatory creature. The selling of creatures and their body parts is outlawed in most civilizations and will probably only be avaliable on the black market (if at all).

Magical Compounds
NameCost (gold) Cost (credits)Notes/Uses
Holy Water 50 per six ounces 250 per six ounces Useful in creating magic circles, potions, healing, and fighting undead and other supernatural evil. Two ounces is usually sufficient for most magical uses, unless more or less is specifically called for.
Unholy Water 60 per six ounces 300 per six ounces Useful in creating magic circles, potions, healing, and fighting angels and other supernatural good creatures. Two ounces is usually sufficient for most magical uses, unless more or less is specifically called for.

To avoid covering a lot of material, I'm going to refer you to these books:
Rifts® England, page 25. There you will find a good section on magic herbs, their uses, costs, and preparation notes.

The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, page 135 (1st edition). The alchemist section has loads of stuff on magic item and potion costs, plus some data for all sorts of cheap, cool magic tricks (like powders, poisons, and fumes). There are both magical and non-magical items listed.

Non-magical Compounds
NameCost (gold) Cost (credits)Notes/Uses
Common Crystal or Metal (whole) 2,000 per half pound 1,500 per half pound Examples: Quartz, aquamarine, tourmaline, pyrite, sulfur, etc.
Common Crystal or Metal (powdered) 5,000 per half pound 4,000 per half pound Examples: Quartz, aquamarine, tourmaline, pyrite, sulfur, etc.
Uncommon/Rare Crystal or Metal (whole) 5,000 per half pound 3,500 per half pound Examples: Diamond, ruby, sapphire, gold, silver, etc.
Uncommon/Rare Crystal or Metal (powdered) 10,000 per half pound 7,000 per half pound Examples: Diamond, ruby, sapphire, gold, silver, etc.
Altered State Drug 25 per ounce 100 per ounce This is the average price for a hallucinogen-effect drug. The kinds of things sold are LSD, marijuana, mushrooms, and whatever alien or foreign things the GM wants to come up with. The usual duration of effect is 1d4+1 hours per ounce, but certainly varies. Such chemicals might be outlawed, depending on the sophistication of the culture.
Tobacco and Snuff 3 per ounce 5 per ounce This is the cost for snuff and dried smoking tobacco - chewing tobacco usually costs twice as much.
Spice, Scent, or Herb (common) 10 per half pound 5 per half pound Examples: Salt, pepper, flour, etc.
Spice, Scent, or Herb (uncommon) 10 per six ounces 8 per six ounces Examples: Honey, garlic, nutmeg, chili powder, paprika, mint, coconut oil, etc. Go look in your kitchen at the spices you don't often use.
Spice, Scent, or Herb (rare) 20 per ounce 100 per ounce Examples: Ginseng, cocoa, vanilla, patchouli, wolfsbane, alder tree, blackthorn, etc. In Rifts® the cost should be considerably greater, due to the lack of established intercontinental trade routes.

The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, page 135 (in the 1st edition, at least). The alchemist section has loads of stuff on magic item and potion costs, plus some data for all sorts of cheap, cool magic tricks (like powders, poisons, and fumes). There are both magical and non-magical items listed.

Useful Tools, Objects, and Compounds
NameCost (gold) Cost (credits)Notes/Uses
Scroll (blank) 30 each 50 each A blank 2ft by 1ft sheet of sturdy paper, and can be made of almost anything (reeds, wood fiber, plant pulp, etc.)
Scroll case (leather or bone) 50 each 100 each Used to contain a scroll. Has an A.R. of 6 and 10 S.D.C.tm, plus can be sealed with wax to be semi-waterproof.
Scroll case (plastic or metal) 150 each 100 each Used to contain a scroll. Has an A.R. of 8 and 20 S.D.C.tm, plus can be sealed with wax to be fully waterproof.
Beeswax 10 per pound 25 per pound This is a pleasant smelling brown wax that is easier to get and use than clear wax. It isn't quite as solid as clear wax once used, however.
Clear Wax 12 per pound 30 per pound This is a good bonding and sealing agent, because it is resistant to wetness and heat. It can be used like glue in many cases.
Colored Wax 15 per pound 40 per pound Pretty much the same as clear wax, but isn't translucent. Uncolored, it is a pasty white. With natural inks or dyes, the wax can be made any color of the rainbow.
Candle (single) 3 each 5 each Standard cost for a three hour candle. A six hour one costs double, a 12 hour one costs triple, and a 24 hour one costs five times as much. Any color is avaliable. Special scents, colors, shapes, sizes, and burning rates could each cost another 2d4 gold or credits.
Incense 3 per stick or ounce 5 per stick or ounce A small amount of a dry good that produces a specific smell when burned. Incense that produces a special smell (like those to ward off spirits and such) can cost anywhere from three to ten times the listed value depending on usefulness and potency.
Brazier 50 each 100 each Used for burning things. Small ones (a foot or so high) cost the listed price, moderate ones (one to three feet high) cost double, and larger ones (three to five feet high) cost four times as much. Ornate ones could cost anywhere from +20% to +100% more. Ones with magical properties, special designs, and precious crystal/ metal used in the job could be even more expensive.
Flask 10 each 25 each A simple bag designed to hold liquid. These usually hold between 18 to 36 ounces of fluid. These things only have about 7 S.D.C.tm
Milk glue 3 per half pound 2 per half pound A cheap and simple glue that is useful in sealing and bonding things. It is sold in a thick paste and must be used almost immediately. It dries in six hours and has a shelf life of just two days.
Rabbit skin glue 5 per half pound 4 per half pound Another cheap and simple glue. It is sold in crystals, and when mixed with equal parts water and boiled it becomes a strong glue. Dries in six hours and lasts for about four weeks before spoiling.
Colored paint (any color) 30 per six ounces 20 per six ounces Comes in any color of the rainbow, made from natural ingredients.
Silver Paint 120 per six ounces 90 per six ounces Used in the creation of many kinds of magic circles. Two ounces is generally enough for a standard circle (4ft to 6ft diameter). Purity is usually 70% to 75%, but a higher quality can sometimes be purchased for 25% to 50% more.
Gold Paint 250 per six ounces 200 per six ounces Used in the creation of many kinds of magic circles. Two ounces is generally enough for a standard circle (4ft to 6ft diameter). Purity is usually 70% to 75%, but a higher quality can sometimes be purchased for 25% to 50% more.
Insect paint 100 per six ounces 75 per six ounces Various sorts of insects crushed and blended with egg whites to make paint - it comes in shades of black and red. It is usually possible to buy paint made only from crushed spiders, scorpions, and a couple other varieties of insects, but this costs a bit extra (+5% to +10%). Not all alchemists may stock all varieties.
Mercury Paint 90 per six ounces 150 per six ounces Used in the creation of many kinds of magic circles. Two ounces is generally enough for a standard circle (4ft to 6ft diameter). Purity is usually 70% to 75%, but a higher quality can sometimes be purchased for 25% to 50% more. Not suitable for scientific use due to the additives that make it useful as paint.
Mercury (pure quicksilver) 20 per ounce 50 per ounce Used in magic circles and potions, plus has other scientific uses (the purity rating is at least 96%).
Alcohol (rubbing) 10 per six ounces 15 per six ounces This form of alcohol is not suitable for drinking - a chemical has been added to it that will cause sickness. It is used for cleaning and sterilizing lab equipment, wounds, and cloth.