Availability of true elements

[thezombiekat]

Availability of true elements

Between a wizard with the alchemy skill making potions and a nethermancer using half magic for blood charms my PCs are using over 150 kernels of true water (at 10 silver each) in the space of a week.

This brings up the question of how this compares with the typical supply. I doubt it will be enough to greatly move the price, they were buying it in thrall, but in the future they will want more. Especially as the troll weapon smith has designs on building an airship which will use thousands of kernels of air.

How easy do you generally make it to buy true elements? Is it hard to find somebody who will sell them to you. Is the supply limited, or can you have as much as you want if you can front the cash.

[Telarus_KSC]

I tend to view Tue Earth and True Water as pretty Common, with Fire and Air being Uncommon and Wood being Rare (to use crude Magic:the Gathering terms). I base this on the in-game price for kernels, and how available it would be for local Adepts to gather.

[arma]

True Air mining is actually a pretty large-sale industry, but only in certain areas (cities with shipyards).
Elsewhere, supply is limited to what merchants believe to reasonably sell off during any given period of time (and what they are reasonably able to transport--remember that they require very pricey containers that are re-used over and over again).
If a group wanted to have a regular supply, I'd make them secure a reliable supplier.

[Slimcreeper]

If there is no rush, then I'd handwave the supply as taking a couple of months to accumulate. But then, I'm not very interested in running crafting games per se. Otherwise I'd probably give the supply a step number. For large quantities, roll out to see if they have 50%, 75%, or 100% of the needed kernels. For smaller quantities, roll to see if the price is 75%, 100%, 120% or 200%. Something like that. If they are going through that much, then it's a big part of the game.

Good possibilities for plot hooks - say something interrupts the supply and they have to solve it.