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When two groups encounter each other, they may place very different values on the same objects.
Imagine a humanoid tribe that is “beyond the pale” of civilized territories occupied by humanity. They have rarely encountered “civilized” peoples. But those people are slowly expanding. Barring actual conflict, which is expensive and uncertain, how can the newcomers influence this group?
Impress Me
More than one group of players has probably tried this: to impress the locals, they perform feats of magical or marital might. This is a legitimate tactic where arcane magic is unique. While the local tribe may have access to divine or druidic magic, arcane magic is often associated with institutes of learning that local tribes may not have access to.
So you show off your magic, both innate spells and magical items. This may include giving minor magic items to chieftains (and their families), whose prestige will then grow within their own tribes.
This sort of gift exchange has precedent. During the Roman Empire, Germanic chiefs often impressed their followers through ownership of Roman-produced goods. A fine metal goblet, not of great value in Rome or Milan, was extraordinary in Saxony or Thuringia. Even semi-perishable goods, such as Roman wine, were of great value to the “barbarians” beyond the Rhine, usually too far north to cultivate grapes (nearly 2,000 years ago, climate changes over time). Chiefs wanted to increase their following in a society that emphasized individual accomplishment rather than loyalty to a larger group such as a tribe.
“Prestige goods” such as these were a means to impress followers, and while such goods might be silver or gold, they might also be exceptionally useful or rare items.
What’s the Good?
A prestige good is only as prestigious as its ability to impress your followers and potential followers. What might seem ordinary to a member of a magical society could be extraordinary to those outside the pale of civilization, whether human or non-human.
In a world of magic, these types of goods would carry even more prestige when they are magical. It doesn’t have to be a powerful magic item, or one that can contribute to death-dealing. It can be innocuous, as long as it’s useful or flashy (preferably both). These make valuable gifts, though in a martial society items that improve combat capability would be even better. At the same time, in a magic-rich society, magic is likely to be used to produce valuable non-violent goods for the elites of the time. Most of these would be suitable prestige goods.
In terms of the stages of magic this would be true of the Mature stage, when magic items are commonplace and often used for mundane tasks. For more details, see my three–part series on the Four Stages of Magic.
Example Prestige Goods
Not all prestige goods need to be defined by their combat utility. When it comes to trade, even simple non-combat magical items will do. For some early examples, Roland Getliffe and I wrote an article, “Non-Violent Magic Items”, in Dragon Magazine #73. There’s also the popular Enchanted Trinkets entries for En5ider.
I’m going to end this with a barebones list of goods that might be produced for society’s elite, yet might end up in the hands of other tribes (of whatever species) who would use them as “prestige goods.” Many of these fill similar roles that that modern amenities provide today, but would be considered very useful where sanitation, food, and shelter might be scarce:
- Halo Hairpiece: Creates soft glow/halo when worn
- Unending Bottle of Scent: In environments where not everyone bathes, these can be very useful
- Perfect Comb: Sets hair perfectly in two minutes, particularly for societies that don’t groom much
- Compass of Direction: Magical or technological
- Pan of Heating: A frying pan that heats on its own and nothing sticks to it
- Necklace of Breathing: A wearable item that prevents drowning
- Bottle of Endless Water: A bottle that refills with water, critical in desert societies
- Potion of Attractive Appearance: One sip and the drinker looks more muscular
- Charm of Poison Detection: A charm that detects poison in a drink
Your Turn: Have you ever used prestige goods as part of trade in your campaign?
