I get that the DM staff wants us to craft/purchase as many things from each other as possible. Frequently there are potion and wand makers around, and you can stock up and that's cool.

However, I think that the NPC merchants in far-flung areas where business is few and far between would have to lower their prices dramatically to attract any business.

This would have the effect of PCs traveling about the Underdark to get the best prices on things they might buy much more easily from Norma, Sugriam or Lord Bunge.

Specifically, Davino and the dwarf at the monastery seem to have raised their prices by 100% or so in the last month or so. The dwarf's prices are way higher than the merchants in Sanctuary.

This flouts simple supply and demand economics.

And btw - 1000+ coin for an amulet that gives +1 vs. disease? (Stinky Amulet with Bunge)

Don't we WANT groups of PCs saying - let's go to the Blue Mushroom/S'salteesh/Monastery/Curio Shop/Holdfast/Loblilliblop or however you spell it? Doesn't that create opportunities for DMs to spring plot hooks or just have some fun with PCs in the Underdark?

And btw - props to the player of the female halfling mugger for robbing merchants with thousands of coin. Has to be some consequence from flouting a big purse for hours every day.

I'm really sure what the sugestion of this thread is, but i'll just add that it's very easy to reach those merchants for a single PC too. Either stealthed or invisible PCs can do so.

It is not really easy for a non-stealth character to get to these places. Especially those fairly new to the server.

And drinking an invisibility potion that costs 100-150 coin to get to a shop, buying some stuff, and drinking another one to get back kind of defeats the purpose of getting a good deal, doesn't it?

I second Gwydion's suggestion, and I think I can clarify it a bit. What I'm hearing is:

Lower the prices of out of the way merchants such as Thomas.... okay, so I don't know any others, but you do, to slightly below sanctuary prices. Also, lower those items which range from weakish to completely useless (Bunge's stinky whatever it was) to a much smaller amount.

I think that was right, yes? Also, en mi opinion, no one in their right mind, not even a kobold, would pay that much for a smelly amulet. In fact, most crazy people wouldn't.

Now, as LPFF said, this could lead to balance issues. If the prices become too low, they will be exploited. However, I remember in that-server-which-I-will-not-name that there were merchants which followed the suggestion Gwydion has made. They were in somewhat far-flung places that a player could easily die travelling to. This resulted in great RP for me on many an occasion.

So, after all that, my vote is:

Yes, with moderation.

NPC potion prices (Specifically Davino and Frozen Fist Merchants) were actually far, far lower than what I wanted them to be at. They were effectively crushing PC potion brewing, among other problems. Sorry I did not get to this sooner.

i believe that prices far out, in Fort Mur or out on that Kuotoan island you mentioned are actually a bit lower than in Sanctuary. At least they generally are.