Scorpio616
First Post
Haggling in game is only fun for some people. For others, table time spent trying to get a few extra GP is better spent getting more GPs and XPs in the dungeon.
D&D 5E (2014) Barter / Sell Treasure Items
- Thread starter Guyanthalas
- Start date
It's not for everyone. It doesn't have to be a few GP though. It could be a lot of GP and XP for a successful haggle. Like nothing says that adventuring has to pay more then marketing. Other then the DM that is.
Li Shenron
Legend
Normally I just make up a price offer, not always the same value, to represent a little variability in the market.
Years ago we used the following system for bargaining the price of important items, but I suppose this would be too much for most gaming groups. Check it out, it was based on Appraise because it was used in a 3.0 game, but you can replace that with another ability/skill:
[sblock]Bargaining: you can get a better deal when either purchasing or trying to sell something. The rules are different depending on which side is your PC on. In both cases, rolls are relevant to each item that the PC wants to buy or sell. You cannot bargain again for the same item until next day at least sometimes
longer).
When the PC is buying from an NPC:
- the NPC has an undisclosed minimum price, he will not sell below that price
- the NPC proposes a starting price, and makes an Appraise roll that sets the DC
- the PC makes an opposed Appraise check: for each point he beats the DC, he can get a 5% discount on the starting price (but never below the minimum price)
- if the PC check result is 5 or more points below the DC, the NPC increases all his prices by 5% (cumulative in case of multiple failures)
When the PC is selling to an NPC:
- the NPC has an undisclosed maximum price, he will not buy above that price
- the NPC proposes a starting price, and makes an Appraise roll that sets the DC
- the PC makes an opposed Appraise check: for each point he beats the DC, he can get a 5% increase on the starting price (but never above the maximum price)
- if the PC check result is 5 or more points below the DC, the NPC decreases his starting offer and all the following offers by 5% (cumulative in case of multiple failures)
Note: these rules don't prevent a PC to make the starting offer, but if the NPC refuses the offer the rules continue as written above.[/sblock]
Years ago we used the following system for bargaining the price of important items, but I suppose this would be too much for most gaming groups. Check it out, it was based on Appraise because it was used in a 3.0 game, but you can replace that with another ability/skill:
[sblock]Bargaining: you can get a better deal when either purchasing or trying to sell something. The rules are different depending on which side is your PC on. In both cases, rolls are relevant to each item that the PC wants to buy or sell. You cannot bargain again for the same item until next day at least sometimes
longer).
When the PC is buying from an NPC:
- the NPC has an undisclosed minimum price, he will not sell below that price
- the NPC proposes a starting price, and makes an Appraise roll that sets the DC
- the PC makes an opposed Appraise check: for each point he beats the DC, he can get a 5% discount on the starting price (but never below the minimum price)
- if the PC check result is 5 or more points below the DC, the NPC increases all his prices by 5% (cumulative in case of multiple failures)
When the PC is selling to an NPC:
- the NPC has an undisclosed maximum price, he will not buy above that price
- the NPC proposes a starting price, and makes an Appraise roll that sets the DC
- the PC makes an opposed Appraise check: for each point he beats the DC, he can get a 5% increase on the starting price (but never above the maximum price)
- if the PC check result is 5 or more points below the DC, the NPC decreases his starting offer and all the following offers by 5% (cumulative in case of multiple failures)
Note: these rules don't prevent a PC to make the starting offer, but if the NPC refuses the offer the rules continue as written above.[/sblock]
I basically take all of the items, throw them into a pool, make a single Persuasion (not advantaged Help one) and add that result to 75%. So, if the player rolls a 7 total on the Persuasion, it becomes 82% of the value of the goods. This does allow the PCs to get above market value at times (if they can manage 26 or higher), but I don't care.
This generally puts the PCs at about the 90% value range most of the time. I consider that the merchants have to make a profit.
I'm playing Dungeons and Dragons, not Merchants and Money. There is no way I'm roleplaying this, or splitting it up into individual items.
This generally puts the PCs at about the 90% value range most of the time. I consider that the merchants have to make a profit.
I'm playing Dungeons and Dragons, not Merchants and Money. There is no way I'm roleplaying this, or splitting it up into individual items.
Last edited:
Guyanthalas
First Post
Thank you all for the responses, and they were about as varied as I was expecting. 
The easiest solution is clearly "liquidate the items at X% value outside of table time". (This is anywhere from 50-100%). This is how we have always done it in the past, and it annoys me. Why do I bother giving out a pearl, when I can just give them 100gp? Yes, a pearl is more flavorful... but if all anyone cares about is the 100gp then I think its flavor wasted. I like the idea of the pearl being worth ~100gp, give or take what you can get for it... but as [MENTION=2011]KarinsDad[/MENTION] put it, this isn't Merchants and Money and I run the risk of putting my players off.
The other thing that makes a lot of sense is to "group items". Selling items one at a time using a system that takes 5 minutes each is a chore. But grouping things as "Gems", "uncommon trinkets", "rare objects", etc. makes a lot of sense, and sold en masse. Now, if the players LOVE this part of the game (doubtful) individual could be allowed... but I think that's an opt-in rather than opt-out.
I was going to continue with my complex barter system anyway to see what kind of live feedback I'll get, but it will be shaped by what some people are saying. I like the idea of the exchange giving the party experience, as that rewards them for the time it takes doing this. This will probably get complex though, so I'll have to not go overboard on it. I'll post an update if anyone cares to how the group found it.
Again, thank you all for the ideas and suggestions of how you do things!
The easiest solution is clearly "liquidate the items at X% value outside of table time". (This is anywhere from 50-100%). This is how we have always done it in the past, and it annoys me. Why do I bother giving out a pearl, when I can just give them 100gp? Yes, a pearl is more flavorful... but if all anyone cares about is the 100gp then I think its flavor wasted. I like the idea of the pearl being worth ~100gp, give or take what you can get for it... but as [MENTION=2011]KarinsDad[/MENTION] put it, this isn't Merchants and Money and I run the risk of putting my players off.
The other thing that makes a lot of sense is to "group items". Selling items one at a time using a system that takes 5 minutes each is a chore. But grouping things as "Gems", "uncommon trinkets", "rare objects", etc. makes a lot of sense, and sold en masse. Now, if the players LOVE this part of the game (doubtful) individual could be allowed... but I think that's an opt-in rather than opt-out.
I was going to continue with my complex barter system anyway to see what kind of live feedback I'll get, but it will be shaped by what some people are saying. I like the idea of the exchange giving the party experience, as that rewards them for the time it takes doing this. This will probably get complex though, so I'll have to not go overboard on it. I'll post an update if anyone cares to how the group found it.
Again, thank you all for the ideas and suggestions of how you do things!
Unless the pearl or other gem is a spell component (looking at diamonds mostly here) it is just like giving them gold.
Now the thing I find my players like is art and jeweled items. A pearl might be boring, but put a 100gp pearl into the hilt of a porcelain toy soldier's sword and suddenly they don't want to sell it they want to keep it and talk about it.
334 cp
98 sp
189 gp
14 pp
pearl 100gp
5 x onyx stones 25 gp each
A silver hand mirror with aquamarines inlaid and engravings of mermaids worth 300gp.
A few players might be interested in the plain stones, but for all purposes I could have just added up all the copper, silver, gold, platinum, and gems converted to gold and given them that.
I would say most players might pay attention to the mirror, at least thinking it could be magical, but even after detecting and finding it is mundane in the majority of groups I have been in at least one member will want to keep it because it is cool and might be a nice accessory for themselves or a good present to an npc.
Now the thing I find my players like is art and jeweled items. A pearl might be boring, but put a 100gp pearl into the hilt of a porcelain toy soldier's sword and suddenly they don't want to sell it they want to keep it and talk about it.
334 cp
98 sp
189 gp
14 pp
pearl 100gp
5 x onyx stones 25 gp each
A silver hand mirror with aquamarines inlaid and engravings of mermaids worth 300gp.
A few players might be interested in the plain stones, but for all purposes I could have just added up all the copper, silver, gold, platinum, and gems converted to gold and given them that.
I would say most players might pay attention to the mirror, at least thinking it could be magical, but even after detecting and finding it is mundane in the majority of groups I have been in at least one member will want to keep it because it is cool and might be a nice accessory for themselves or a good present to an npc.
Ridley's Cohort
First Post
3e system of trade goods 100% and magic items have a 50% sale price works well enough, for most groups.
Because PCs are approximately never buying trade goods or even gems in an amount is important a "100 gp pearl" is a pearl you can sell or buy for 100 gp. Going into more detail is going to get most players to roll their eyes.
Personally, I am more than okay with playing Merchants & Money, but most players are not.
Because PCs are approximately never buying trade goods or even gems in an amount is important a "100 gp pearl" is a pearl you can sell or buy for 100 gp. Going into more detail is going to get most players to roll their eyes.
Personally, I am more than okay with playing Merchants & Money, but most players are not.
I've found this to be a player issue. I've known many players (myself included) that WANT gems/jewelry/art/etc. rather than coin, because it sets the character apart. I've known others that automatically exchange everything (usually without DM approval) into gold or platinum, because they see that as their "score card." TBH it's no different than taking the time to customize magic items; some players will love it and others won't care.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Not sure about the art, but I want gems or jewelry rather than coin for one very basic reason: encumbrance.
20 x 100g.p. pearls = about 5 oz. (?)
2000 g.p. in coin at 25 to the pound = more weight than I really want to haul around.
Lan-"but if you really want someone to carry the coin, I'll take it...see ya!"-efan
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