Post by logan9a on Jun 26, 2018 13:04:23 GMT
BARGAIN
People who don’t bargain or have a good bargain skill are the ones who take what ever price is either on the sticker or what is offered.
People who have bargain haggle back and forth, look for quantity discounts, etc.
This skill can take anywhere from a minute to literally hours. I have personally taken about six hours bargaining over some stuff. Bought sodas for myself and the merchant - that’s when he knew he was in trouble.
Generally speaking, the more money that is changing hands, the more leverage you have.
In real life, most people don’t bargain because it is not part of the culture they grew up in and they ‘feel uncomfortable’ doing it and ‘just want to pay money and get something’. They make excuses like ‘it’s not that big of deal’ or ‘it’s not that much money’.
In many cultures, foreigners who do not bargain are seen as rich idiots who should be robbed.
In game terms, if you don’t want to use bargain, you have only two choices - take the price you are offered or don’t sell. Your offered price (especially on illegal or odd goods) will always be shit. If offered 300 and you say “I’m not selling for less than 500” - that is a part of bargaining.
When preparing missions, prices and such I often have the four different results written out and they are wildly different.
Example from a mission I am currently working on.
Bargain roll: Fumble: You get a couple of shiny new (stolen goods) for an easy job. Chumps.
Fail: 200! Shiny.
Success: 800.
Critical: 1500gu. You rock.
As you can see, big swing of money for this often underrated skill.
When bargaining is not used:
For many zones, I have a ‘standardized price sheet’. Since I could give a fuck less about many of the shopping trips (”I want to buy new underwear - how much are they?”) I just hand out a sheet with the standard prices on them. It is assumed that the PC’s go to several different merchants and buy little bits all over town. Most places adventurers hang out in do not have malls. The prices are base line and you are probably not buying much from any one merchant so I’m not worried about bargaining in those cases.
When bargaining is used:
Sometimes when negotiating how much money you will make from a job. Note that if you decide to make a bargain roll and fumble - you are stuck with that result. If you back out at that point, you are seen as someone who says one thing and does another. A liar, a cheat, etc. Your reputation will crumble in that town, possibly further.
If you are buying or selling something that a bargain roll will actually make a significant impact on finances. If you are saving less than the equivalent of $100, let’s not piss about with more rolls.
When the GM asks for a bargain roll - possibly someone else has initiated bargaining with you whether you wanted to or not.
People who don’t bargain or have a good bargain skill are the ones who take what ever price is either on the sticker or what is offered.
People who have bargain haggle back and forth, look for quantity discounts, etc.
This skill can take anywhere from a minute to literally hours. I have personally taken about six hours bargaining over some stuff. Bought sodas for myself and the merchant - that’s when he knew he was in trouble.
Generally speaking, the more money that is changing hands, the more leverage you have.
In real life, most people don’t bargain because it is not part of the culture they grew up in and they ‘feel uncomfortable’ doing it and ‘just want to pay money and get something’. They make excuses like ‘it’s not that big of deal’ or ‘it’s not that much money’.
In many cultures, foreigners who do not bargain are seen as rich idiots who should be robbed.
In game terms, if you don’t want to use bargain, you have only two choices - take the price you are offered or don’t sell. Your offered price (especially on illegal or odd goods) will always be shit. If offered 300 and you say “I’m not selling for less than 500” - that is a part of bargaining.
When preparing missions, prices and such I often have the four different results written out and they are wildly different.
Example from a mission I am currently working on.
Bargain roll: Fumble: You get a couple of shiny new (stolen goods) for an easy job. Chumps.
Fail: 200! Shiny.
Success: 800.
Critical: 1500gu. You rock.
As you can see, big swing of money for this often underrated skill.
When bargaining is not used:
For many zones, I have a ‘standardized price sheet’. Since I could give a fuck less about many of the shopping trips (”I want to buy new underwear - how much are they?”) I just hand out a sheet with the standard prices on them. It is assumed that the PC’s go to several different merchants and buy little bits all over town. Most places adventurers hang out in do not have malls. The prices are base line and you are probably not buying much from any one merchant so I’m not worried about bargaining in those cases.
When bargaining is used:
Sometimes when negotiating how much money you will make from a job. Note that if you decide to make a bargain roll and fumble - you are stuck with that result. If you back out at that point, you are seen as someone who says one thing and does another. A liar, a cheat, etc. Your reputation will crumble in that town, possibly further.
If you are buying or selling something that a bargain roll will actually make a significant impact on finances. If you are saving less than the equivalent of $100, let’s not piss about with more rolls.
When the GM asks for a bargain roll - possibly someone else has initiated bargaining with you whether you wanted to or not.
