[peasant]

I agree, overpowered.

Basically, 10 water gems equals 5 pearls, if u use alchemy to translate them for something useful (how many ice swords do you need...?)

So, for investment of 1 turn of research (as mage could be doing that instead) you get payback in 5 turns, so very little downside to making a clam, rather than translating into pearls direct. And it is easy to make it a compounding investment.

I agree that price should include 5 astral - that way, they are still useful (as a renewable source of pearls for combat mages in the field) but wouldn't make as powerfull as a banking strategy.