Quote Originally Posted by Yitzi View Post

Originally Posted by Ashtagon View Post
I don't normally value abilities in terms of their rated gp value. WBL is a rather suspect mechanism for balance anyway I think.

If so, then D&D is irredeemably broken and there's no point even considering these matters, as equipment is a major part of any character's significance.
Well, since you linked to this thread, let's grab the first example that comes to mind.

Cure Serious Wounds potion will heal, on average, 18.5 hp, and it will cost you 750gp, and it will take either a standard or a full round action to use, and it will provoke AoOs unless you did some further investment to prevent that, and on top of that it probably smells bad and tastes bitter. Yuck. For the same price, you could have gotten a Wand of Cure Light Wounds (275hp total instead of 18.5hp), a Wand of Lesser Vigor (550hp total instead of 18.5gp), or a Healing Belt (Either 6d8 hp (average 27 hp) a day, or 18 hp (same as the potion!) per day if you burst heal, usable as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)) Would you rather get 18 hp, or 18 hp per day?
The fact that the same 750 gp can buy you 18 hp worth of healing or 275 hp, or even 550 hp --- that alone should tell you that the item prices are seriously broken. Certainly, characters should gain more wealth as they level up. By the item prices, and the corresponding WBL accountancy arguments they generate, are irrelevant, once you realise that item prices are inherently broken.