Re: Northport Houserules Wealth and haggling
In reply to Rigo Bleak (msg # 5):
Here are some Mechanics imported from Peter Del'Ortto's Dungeon Fantastic:
Half-Levels of Wealth in DF
Half-Levels of Wealth in DF
You can straddle the mid-point between standard wealth levels.
The cost is 5 points, which results in the following levels:
Almost Poor [-15]. Starting money is $350. You receive 15% for sold items.
Almost Average [-5]. (Strapped) Starting money is $750. You receive 30% for sold items.
Almost Comfortable [5]. Starting money is $1.500. You receive 50% for sold items.
Very Comfortable [15]. Starting money is $3.500. You receive 70% for sold items.
Quite Wealthy [25] - Starting money is $12.500. You receive 90% for sold items.
If you allow these as starting levels, it's worth noting you are always better off
with 5 points sunk into a half-level of wealth instead of 5 points worth of Trading
Points for Money at the top level (Quite Wealthy) but it's a tougher call at the
lower levels.
These are available to any starting character with the levels above and below the
half-level of wealth.. For example, a Barbarian can start with Struggling or Average
Wealth.
Using this option, a Barbarian could be Struggling, Strapped, or Average.
A Thief (Average, Comfortable, Wealthy) could take Average, Almost Comfortable,
Comfortable, Very Comfortable, or Wealthy to start with.
You can buy this after play begins, but as usual, you do not receive the extra
starting money, and of course, you cannot trade points for money in DF after your
character enters play.
Batch Haggling in GURPS DF
So you like to haggle, eh?
You want some more money?
But your GM moans about all those die rolls?
How about making it one die roll each for the players and the GM?
Batch Haggling: Instead of haggling for each item, a PC can try to get a blanket
better deal for all wares sold on this trip to town (excluding items just purchased
in town - it's for selling loot, not running a trading enterprise.) Roll a Quick
Contest of Merchant vs. a generic skill of 15. If the PC wins, he's gotten a good
deal, he gets a price halfway between that of his current wealth level and the next
wealth level. If he ties, he gets no special deals. If he fails, he gets halfway
between his current wealth level and the next lower wealth level. Since this
represents a series of negotiations and not a since instance, you cannot use Luck on
the roll. Once the price has been established, that is the "going rate" for that
item in town, even if it is sold later - once you commit to batch haggling for a
group of items, you're taking a risk you might get less than the standard rate for
the items. You can always exclude some items, but you can't break up the items into
groups and roll separately for them, unless different PCs are selling them.
For example, someone with Average Wealth gets 40% for non-coin, non-jewel goods.
If he wins the batch contest, he gets 50% instead this trip. If he loses, he gets
30% for his items.
This is risky but can be very effective for high-skilled PCs, or those who need a
lot or money right now or none at all.
Black Market haggling can be handled the same way, with the usual consequences for
failure and the usual options for going to a merchant, instead.