Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Seraph of Babel 07-11-04, 01:30 PM	I developed a bargaining system for my campaign. Pls help to review it. Is it too complicated? Constructive comments needed. BUYING MAGIC ITEMS: Minor and medium magic items are available for sale, subjected to gp limit of the town. Major items must be personally crafted or commissioned. All magic items purchased from merchants (not other adventurers) are certified. Merchant Cartel: Golden Alliance The merchants of the Golden Alliance are famous for their extremely high quality products, to the point of being perceived as luxury goods and status symbols. Their products cost twice as much as others, but most nobles and rich men continue to insist on buying from the alliance. Usually, only alliance merchants can buy or sell with very expensive items. Joining the cartel requires a merchant to qualify and take up alliance merchant prestige class (KPG). HAGGLING AND BARTER TRADE: Generally, haggling must be initiated by the customer. A haggle resolves in the following sequence. 1. “This is good stuff…”: merchant bluff check vs. customer sense motive check. 2. “Rubbish!” (optional): customer bluff check vs. merchant sense motive check. 3. Make opposed diplomacy check to close deal, else continue haggling (max. 3 rounds). The bluffing character can try to change the price by a certain amount, -2 penalty to bluff checks per 5% price change (off base market price). The character who wins the diplomacy check can close the haggle, if desired. Once haggle is closed, no more bargaining is accepted. Craftsmen (commoner 3) and merchants (expert 3) in small towns and villages may accept barter trade as well. Individuals (non-merchants) who want to sell their wares are often open to haggling as well. Generally, large towns and cities do not accept barter trade, except for special cases. A non-alliance city merchant (expert 8) haggles only for a purchase of 1,000+ gp. Alliance merchants (expert 7/alliance merchant 5) accept haggling for a single purchase of 10,000+ gp (market price). For smaller purchases, they simply charge twice the market price (no haggle). Alliance merchants only begin a haggle 1d4+16 minutes after a customer enters the shop, stopping to go through some policies, introducing new products, talking over high tea, etc. The checks for various merchants are as follows. Golden Alliance: bluff +37, sense motive +19, diplomacy +20 City Merchant: bluff +17, sense motive +16, diplomacy +14 Village Merchant: bluff +7, sense motive +6, diplomacy +7 Village Craftsman: bluff +3, sense motive +3, diplomacy +3
Ruke 07-11-04, 06:02 PM	I think that the Diplomacy skill should be used for bartering, with a +2 synergy bonus for having 5 or more ranks in Appraise. I like using the system here (http://www.giantitp.com/Func0010.html). Basically, the check starts out at 15, and you add the level and wisdom of your opponent. You can get a +10 to -10 to the DC of the check depending on your relationship with your opponent, and another +10 or -10 to the DC for how favorable or unfavorable the conditions you're bartering for are. It's nice and simple, rewards people for putting ranks into diplomacy, and gives the DM an easy way to tell how easy it is to convince NPCs to do things they don't really want to.