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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Beholder Bob" data-source="post: 2258869" data-attributes="member: 12866">...I would add would be to roll the 3D8 on the buying side as well, allowing the market to drive both ends of the spectrum...I wanted to reduce the number of rolls, though it could be added.  The only problem I see with this would be the extremes roll, say 3-6 for purchase price, followed by 20-24 on the sale price - grossly inflating the profit.  Currently, I'm assuming each city/port would have a base price index (oh dear god!) - So the city of brass is known for its lamps, a major product there.  Merchant checks to purchase it get a +4 circumstance bonus, while the city of darkness sells lamps with a -4 circumstance penalty.  That same bonus would reverse when selling that product in that city - it would be a hard sell to ship in lamps to the city of brass, while the city of darkness will eagerly buy all you have.  Gold town sells gold ore cheaper then lead town, but it offers a poor price for it, but pays more for lead.  I still have to play with this, but the hope is to have a minimum # of data bits needed to describe a trade area (you only list items/goods with modifiers, not all of the +/- 0 products trade rate, so most towns will have 1-5 values).  If the number simply reverses (+2 becomes -2), the data is tighter/smaller then if it buys at -2 and sells at +1.  Perhaps not as accurate.......For easing the math a bit, I would also have the merchant skill check reduce the purchase price by an amount equal to the skill check minus a DC, in this case 10...making it possible to *increase* the price....You easily could add such a mechanic, though I was hoping to minimize the number of rolls....With the step drops due to time, I think Base could be by month, Worked by week, and Rare by Day. Most game worlds are large enough that a month travel time from the mine to the main city is not uncommon....The time step is certainly open to discussion!  I even considered making the price/time fluctuation product based - though imagine carrying 3 products with gather info suggested prices, each with a different rate of devaluation!  Hmm - I'd say it really depends on the scope of the campaign!  Also - reality suggests that adjacent cities would have similar/equal product demand.  With 2-4 days apart, it makes since that the natural admixture of product to market would stabilize the prices quickly.  If town A and B are adjacent, they will quickly reach a price equilibrium in regard to each other.Oh well - this is certainly still in the development stage - so suggestions are definitely wanted!B<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />B</blockquote>

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