In a pre-industrial society, everything is custom-made except for the most common items of standard quality: farm implements, shoes, spears, arrows, etc. Shops are workshops where items are made to order.

Towns should have a little of everything, but nothing of fine quality. And some less common things shouldn’t be available. In fact, you may want to define a town by the common craft it doesn’t have, such as a carpenter (furniture-maker) or an armorer. Most casual shopping is done on the weekly market day at the market in the town square or churchyard.

Cities should have all common items at standard quality, nearly all uncommon items, and a few things (armor, weapons, furniture, musical instruments, etc.) that they make at fine quality. Most casual shopping is done at designated marketplaces around a city (about 1 marketplace per 2000 inhabitants) on any day but holy days.

1d20	Does this Town Have X?	Does this City Have X?
1-2	No.	Yes, unless it’s uncommon.
3-17	Yes, unless it’s uncommon.	Yes, unless it’s rare.
18-20	Yes, even if it’s uncommon.	Yes, even if it’s rare.

Common Items

General

• Most food items, including common spices
• Most clothing items priced below 10 gp
• Horse harness, bridle, tack, and saddle
• Lamp oil, pine tar, pitch, linseed oil, etc. below 10 gp.
• Miscellaneous equipment priced below 20 gp

Arms & Armor

• Melee weapons priced below 20 gp
• Slings
• Armor priced below 25 gp

Uncommon Items

General

• Dresses and other clothing priced at 10 gp to 45 gp
• Less common spices
• Parchment, pens, and ink (unless yours is a high-literacy realm)
• Rowboats
• Carts
• Miscellaneous equipment priced at 20 to 100 gp
• Musical instruments priced below 10 gp

Arms & Armor

• Melee weapons priced at 20+ gp
• Short and long bows
• Crossbows priced below 40 gp
• Other ranged weapons
• Armor priced at 25 gp to 90 gp
• Horse barding priced below 500 gp

Rare Items

General

• Fancy dress clothing priced at 45+ gp
• Exotic food items and rare spices
• Books (unless yours is a high-literacy realm)
• Skiffs, small sailing boats
• Carriages
• Miscellaneous equipment priced at 100 to 950 gp
• Musical instruments priced at 10+ gp

Arms & Armor

• Crossbows priced at 40+ gp
• Armor priced at 90+ gp
• Horse barding priced at 500+ gp

Magic

• Potions

Very Rare Items

Very rare items should only be available in one or two cities in the realm and generally thru a broker.

• Warhorses
• Ships
• Falcons and other exotic animals
• Spyglasses
• Clocks
• Anything magical other than potions, such as a magical hooded lantern
• “The finest” of anything