Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Super Guy 07-14-04, 06:21 PM	If you have a good enough bluff, why can't you haggle with folks? For example, I tried this: I have an outrageous bluff, so I go up to a guy. Me: I'm wondering, how much is this? Guy: 10k. Me: Hm... I was hoping it wasn't that high... see, another guy was offering it to me for 8k, and I thought that was too high. I guess this stuff is expensive, though, huh? I didn't know it would cost so much. Guy: Yeah, it's expensive. Me: Hm... yeah, I guess I'll buy it from this other fella for the 8k, then, unless you can give me a better deal? Guy: Nope. 10k. I'm stupid and I don't know how to make a profit. Me: Ok. Thanks for your time, numbnuts. Ok, it didn't really end like that, and those weren't the words for the whole thing, but with a strong bluff, couldn't that be pulled off? Why would marketers want to lose to competition? They're marketers, they know how to wheel-and-deal, they're not 2nd graders. And I'm being hard on 2nd graders, here.
Vaelan 07-14-04, 06:32 PM	Depends on the situation. If no one else in the area sells this particular item or prices are controlled by a guild, then he wouldn't believe you no matter what you rolled. If the cost to him is rather high, and selling it to you would result in a loss, then while the merchant may believe your lie, they wouldn't care.
Super Guy 07-14-04, 06:36 PM	Yeah, I considered this as a possibility. It's just that it's not only one shopkeep, it's every shopkeep. Perhaps I haven't been enlightened of: Mordenkainen's Shopkeep Intel The spell where all shopkeepers know what's going on, and how to foil the plans of clever PCs across the world... :sad:
Phrennzy 07-15-04, 12:33 AM	Most shopkeeps have a reasonable idea of how much their competetion sells things for. No one is going to drop their price 20% regardless of how good your bluff is. They wouldn't even do that for a Charm Person spell. The merchant is, after all, out to make money. In the above situation, you might reduce the price by - at most 5%, which is still pretty good - 500gp. It's not just a question of bluff - he might have actually believed that his competetion was willing to sell it for 8,000gp. And, accordingly, was going to go check prices and plan on renting out the space where his competions shop is, because obviously the other shop is going out of business selling this thing for 8000. A diplomacy skill would help. See, you can convince the guy that the competition has lowered prices, but that doesn't mean that this guy wants to sell. Maybe he thinks you are a little toad. With a Diplomacy check, he likes you and will go to 7-8% discount.
Super Guy 07-15-04, 12:35 AM	Definitely reasonable, I guess. Instead of trying for big bucks, I guess I'll just try for the little things next time. Well... not next time. That rogue died. Pathetic hit points. 13th level with 42 HP. Surprise round with a Dire Tiger. :D