This sounds like a weirdly low-trust equilibrium for a planet with truthspells and priests of Asmodeus.  Keltham suspects there's possibly something here about inadequate scales and institutions, like, there's no central Magic-Item Rental Agency that can form long-term customer relationships with people who could then rent lots of separate items much more cheaply...

Dropping spellsilver costs by a factor of 10 is probably a more sensible thing to get started down its critical-path first.  And maybe there's not that much magic to be unlocked, with lots of short-term non-recurring magic-item rentals.  But it also sounds like the sort of thing where there's a lot of economic potential-energy pent up, wizards not making the magic items that could be rented out to many more people, more cheaply.

Well, he'll also focus on his Spellcraft, though.

This sounds like a weirdly low-trust equilibrium for a planet with truthspells and priests of Asmodeus.  Keltham suspects there's possibly something here about inadequate scales and institutions, like, there's no central Magic-Item Rental Agency that can form long-term customer relationships with people who could then rent lots of separate items much more cheaply...

Dropping spellsilver costs by a factor of 10 is probably a more sensible thing to get started down its critical-path first.  And maybe there's not that much magic to be unlocked, with lots of short-term non-recurring magic-item rentals.  But it also sounds like the sort of thing where there's a lot of economic potential-energy pent up.  For want of institutions that can establish durable trust, wizards not making magic items that could be rented much more often, to many more people, more cheaply, while still making a higher overall rate of return.

Well, he'll also focus on his Spellcraft, though.

This sounds like a weirdly low-trust equilibrium for a planet with truthspells and priests of Asmodeus.  Keltham suspects there's possibly something here about inadequate scales and institutions, like, there's no central Magic-Item Rental Agency that can form long-term customer relationships with people who could then rent lots of separate items much more cheaply...

Dropping spellsilver costs by a factor of 10 is probably a more sensible thing to get started down its critical-path first.  And maybe there's not that much magic to be unlocked, with lots of short-term non-recurring magic-item rentals.  But it also could be the sort of thing where there's a lot of economic potential-energy pent up.  For want of institutions that can establish durable trust, wizards not making magic items that could be rented much more often, to many more people, more cheaply, while still making a higher overall rate of return.

Well, he'll also focus on his Spellcraft, though.

This sounds like a weirdly low-trust equilibrium for a planet with truthspells and priests of Asmodeus.  Keltham suspects there's possibly something here about inadequate scales and institutions, like, there's no central Magic-Item Rental Agency that can form long-term customer relationships with people who could then rent lots of separate items much more cheaply...

Dropping spellsilver costs by a factor of 10 is probably a more sensible thing to get started down its critical-path first.  And maybe there's not that much market to be unlocked, with lots of short-term non-recurring magic-item rentals.  But it also could be the sort of thing where there's a lot of economic potential-energy pent up.  For want of institutions that can establish durable trust, wizards not making magic items that could be rented much more often, to many more people, more cheaply, while still making a higher overall rate of return.

Well, he'll also focus on his Spellcraft, though.