Witchcraft Hysteria in Colonial America: Lessons from the Salem Witch Trials

A book about the Salem Witch Trials would be a captivating read for anyone interested in history, witchcraft, or the darker aspects of human nature. This tragic event took place in colonial Massachusetts in the late 1600s and left a lasting impact on American culture. The book would explore the events leading up to the trials, starting with the mysterious afflictions of several young girls in the town of Salem Village. These girls began to exhibit strange symptoms, such as fits, contortions, and accusations of being possessed by witches. The book would delve into the theories surrounding these inexplicable behaviors, including the possibility of mass hysteria, religious fanaticism, or even intentional deception. As the hysteria grew, the book would introduce the key figures involved in the trials, including the accusers, the accused, and the judges.

Another thing I always always include is big-ticket items. These can be limited in stock, but I could absolutely imagine a Fighter's Guild champion who is willing to part with his Weapon of Warning for 60kGP. Maybe the characters will pool their money, save up, and buy it at level 7. That's a good thing! It means gold mattered to your party in a tangible way: the group's fighter now has a cool weapon that directly benefits combat.

People in guilds, nobility, rich merchants in cities, dragons, etc, all would have frequent enough customers adventurers that stocking magic items could be necessary. Making each item unique, with a minor trait, a description of history, or a quirk brings the item to life and helps define the character who uses it.

As the hysteria grew, the book would introduce the key figures involved in the trials, including the accusers, the accused, and the judges. It would examine their motivations and the roles they played in perpetuating the witch hunts. The book would also shed light on the social and political climate of the time, exploring the deeply ingrained Puritan beliefs and the fear of the unknown that fueled the accusations.

Magic item shop 5d

In a setting like this, Players need to be able to buy magic items. You can't have everybody and their brother using sending stones and not offer them to the PCs. But I think this applies to other campaign worlds as well, for one big reason: gold.

Gold presents a weird problem in the D&D world. It seems self-evident that players expect to receive it. Nearly every monster has some sort of treasure or reward. And yet, what can the players spend their riches on? Living expenses and adventuring gear are laughably cheap. Even hirelings are insanely inexpensive in D&D. At 2 GP / day, a well-rewarded party could afford to bring a small militia with them into every dungeon.

So how can we make gold matter? My solution is to make sure the players know exactly what they can buy with their gold, and the benefits of that purchase. In particular, I use big ticket items to force the players to make a choice: do I restock my health potions, or do I keep saving up to buy my own +2 longsword? Can I donate that much to charity while I am looking at purchasing a castle?


Establishing Magic Item Trade

Now, in a world where people can freely buy magic items, you'd think every bandit and thug would have a +1 dagger and a Cap of Water Breathing, right? I disagree.

Again, look at the cost of living per day (PHB pg. 157). Remember, that is also per person. That means each week a smith that makes and sells a set of scale mail (50GP), he is likely paying for the living expenses of his family, his apprentices, and covering the cost of running his shop (DMG pg. 127). For a week's worth of expenses, with a family of four and an apprentice, making the scale mail costs 49GP. I think you can see where I'm going with this.

The fact is, most people in the D&D economy deal in copper and silver, not gold. They don't have the money to afford magic items, except for perhaps a family heirloom scrupulously saved for or donated by a kind-hearted adventurer years ago. And that means most bandits won't have much to steal from their victims.

So then where do we find the pockets of high-rolling economy that can garner the cash to trade in magic items?


Now, this doesn't mean that a bandit captain couldn't have a +1 weapon or a ring of protection. But make sure you consider that it would be the result of years of banditry, hoarding gold away from the other members of his crew, and potentially making him a target for other bandits.

Setting Up Shop

Now, for pricing the items, I use Saidoro's excellent guide to Sane Magic Item Prices. This is more a post about the shops that sell the items, not what items cost, so please check out his link even if you decide to not use the method I've created here.

• Level 1-4: Common Magic Items, few Uncommon Items
• Level 5-10: Uncommon Magic Items, few Rare Items
• Level 11-16: Rare Magic Items, few Very Rare Items
• Level 17-20: Very Rare Magic Items, few Legendary Items

• Shops based on Item type: Consumables, Combat Items, Noncombat Items, Summoning Items, Cursed Items, etc.
• Shops based on Item rarity: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary

1. Common Magic Item shops: found in small towns and big cities. Usually serves as a general supply store with a few healing potions and scrolls they picked up from travelers. About 1 shop per 50 square miles, so at normal travel pace the PCs can expect to find one within a small town every 4-5 days of travel.
2. Uncommon Magic Item Shops: found in big cities. These shops are owned by amateur wizards, strange item collectors, and rich merchants. They often specialize in selling items to adventurers, so they aren't terribly difficult to find. A PC could expect to find 1 shop per 500,000 people in a large, populated area.
3. Rare Magic Item Shops: found in highly magical places. These shops are usually for established magic-users and scholars only, often they are cloistered or off-limits to the public. Sometimes they are used to house dangerous items for safekeeping, but threats to the realm may convince them to open their doors. Because of their secretive nature, a PC may have to spend time searching to even learn of their existence, but they might be able to find about 1 shop per major country or government.
4. Very Rare Magic Item Shops: This is the stuff of legends. There may be one node of magical power on the entire planet, where scholarly monks and ancient wizards make pilgrimages to in order to unlock dark secret magics. This collection of magic would be located at that point. Like the Library of Alexandria, most people would have heard of such a place, but the journey to get there, the danger of the magic contained within, and the protections afforded such power all make this the purvey of only the planet's greatest heroes. A PC could easily find legends of this location, but there would only be one in the world.
5. Legendary Magic Item Shops: Mammon's treasure keep. The troves of the Gold Dragons of Mount Celestia. These type of shops exist in very few places across the entire multiverse. Even then, those who guard them are so powerful (or so greedy) that even glimpsing such a location is tantamount to impossible. If the PCs wish to buy and sell legendary magic items, this is the only way to do so.

Another thing I always always include is big-ticket items. These can be limited in stock, but I could absolutely imagine a Fighter's Guild champion who is willing to part with his Weapon of Warning for 60kGP. Maybe the characters will pool their money, save up, and buy it at level 7. That's a good thing! It means gold mattered to your party in a tangible way: the group's fighter now has a cool weapon that directly benefits combat.

Also, never pass up an opportunity to use the property tables listed in the DMG (pg. 142-143). Making each item unique, with a minor trait, a description of history, or a quirk brings the item to life and helps define the character who uses it.

1. Scale down. Perhaps common magic shops are only found in big cities, and uncommon magic shops are the secret vaults of wizards. Maybe anything higher than a rare item can only ever be granted by gods or found in the deepest reaches of the multiverse.
2. Make non-magic purchases more expensive and more appealing.

These options allow you to select the number of magic items by rarity.

The book would extensively research the trial proceedings, detailing the testimonies, evidence, and arguments presented. It would raise questions about the fairness of the trials, the credibility of the evidence, and the role of the legal system in perpetuating injustice. The book would also discuss the consequences of the trials, including the impact on the families of the accused, the erosion of trust within the community, and the long-lasting stigma associated with witchcraft. Furthermore, the book would examine the aftermath of the trials and their place in American history. It would explore how the Salem Witch Trials have been portrayed in literature, film, and popular culture, shaping our perception of what happened and contributing to ongoing debates surrounding issues of belief, skepticism, and the power of fear. Overall, a book about the Salem Witch Trials would be a thought-provoking and informative exploration of a dark chapter in American history. It would delve into the complexities of human behavior, the fragility of justice, and the importance of learning from our past mistakes..

Reviews for "The Influence of Politics and Power in the Salem Witch Trials"

1. John Doe - 1 star

I was extremely disappointed with this book about the Salem Witch Trials. The writing was dry and lacked depth, failing to provide any real insight into the historical events. The author seemed more focused on listing facts rather than engaging the reader with a compelling narrative. Additionally, there were numerous grammatical errors throughout the book, which further distracted from the already lackluster content. Overall, I found this book to be a tedious read and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an informative and engaging account of the Salem Witch Trials.

2. Sarah Smith - 2 stars

I had high hopes for this book as I've always been interested in the Salem Witch Trials. However, I was sorely disappointed. The writing style was incredibly dull and lacked any emotional connection to the subject matter. It felt more like a textbook than a captivating historical account. Furthermore, the organization of the book was confusing, with a lack of chronological order and a tendency to jump between different events without clear transitions. As a result, it was hard to follow the timeline of the trials and understand the progression of events. Overall, this book did not meet my expectations and left me unsatisfied.

3. Mark Johnson - 2 stars

I found this book on the Salem Witch Trials to be quite underwhelming. While it did provide some basic information about the events, it lacked depth and critical analysis. The author seemed to rely heavily on secondary sources, and there was a lack of primary research or new insights presented. Moreover, the book was highly repetitive, with the same information reiterated multiple times throughout. It felt like unnecessary padding to extend the length rather than adding any value to the content. In the end, I was left wanting more substance and a fresh perspective on the Salem Witch Trials, which this book failed to deliver.

4. Emily Green - 3 stars

Although this book provided a decent overview of the Salem Witch Trials, it fell short in engaging the reader. The writing style was dry and lacked the storytelling element I was hoping for. I struggled to connect with the characters and understand their motivations. Additionally, the book did not delve deep enough into the social and historical context of the time, leaving me with unanswered questions. While it did provide some basic information, I feel there are better books out there that offer a more comprehensive and engaging account of the Salem Witch Trials.

5. Robert Anderson - 2 stars

I found this book about the Salem Witch Trials to be disappointingly shallow. It touched upon the key events, but lacked the depth and analysis that I was hoping for. The author seemed more interested in sensationalizing the trials rather than offering a balanced and nuanced perspective. Additionally, the writing style was convoluted and hard to follow at times, making it a struggle to fully understand the events. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an in-depth exploration of the Salem Witch Trials, as it lacks the substance and critical analysis required for a satisfying read.

Witch Hunts in American History: The Salem Witch Trials