The Handy Dandy Merchant Maker

[JuliusCreed]

I came up with this weird idea a few days ago and have yet to put it into practice. I'm sure everybody has their own ways of handling this situation in their games, I'm just throwing my way out here and seeing what you all think.
The situation I'm talking about here is characters shopping. As we all know our characters are going to go out adventuring and find a lot of stuff that they can use. But occassionally they actually have to visit the general store or the blacksmith or whoever for whatever item they need. And if your players are anything like mine, they want the best stuff for the lowest cost.
Well I've come up with a set of 5 random roll tables that can help a GM determine exactly what a particular merchant or vendor will charge for the goods they're selling based on a few key factors. Generally in just about any decent market area in a large city/town there will be anywhere from 2 to 5 different vendors of any one particular item your players may be looking for. Please note that this doesn't include particularly specific items, such as the "dagger with the red jewel for a pommel and the name Frank engraved on the blade", but a more broad range of items such as weapons, armor, food or even a bit more specific than that such as swords, chain mail or vegetables. Anything more specific than that and you better run a quick side adventure through the market to find it. These are for just general shopping.
As always, these, and any other creations of mine are completely optional. Use or lose as you see fit. Have fun!

Merchant Vendors

Table I: Quality of Merchandise
Roll % to determine the general quality of the items the vendor is selling. This reflects an average quality of the merchandise and may vary up or down with individual items as the GM sees fit. Each Quality level also has a price modifier which is added to or subtracted from the percentile roll on Table IV (See Table IV for details)
01-20%: Poor Quality; Shoddy workmanship, cut rate materials, bad overall design or even previously damaged merchandise. This stuff is generally what you'll find at the bottom of the bargain bin. Good if you need something fast and cheap, but don't expect much. Price Table Modifier: -30%
21-60%: Average Quality; This is the kind of stuff you see near everyday and most likely started out owning yourself. Sturdy designs, decent materials and craftsmanship. it's not the best or the prettiest, but it gets the job done without breaking inside a day. Price table Modifier: -10%
61-85%: High Quality; Really good quality stuff. Still not top of the line, but most common folks dream of getting their hands on this kind of stuff. Price table Modifier: +20%
86-00%: Outstanding: The cream of the crop! Dwarven weapons, Western silks and spices, Elven wines, Northern timber... this is the Calvin Klein/ Heckler & Koch/ Rolex stuff of the Palladium world! Price Table Modifier: +40%

Table II: Quantity of Merchandise
Roll % to determine how much merchandise a particular merchant actually has in stock. Each quanity level comes with a price modifier to reflect how quantity affects his prices. Generally, the more a vendor has, the less he charges in order to unload surplus stock (Overstock sale! Buy one get one free!). The less he has, the more he can potentially charge as his stock dwindles (Limited supply! Get it before it's gone!)
01-30%: Overstocked!; Either the vendor is selling bulk wholesale or it's just a really slow day for sales. Large amounts of merchandise in stock force him to lower his prices just so he can compete with others in the business. Price Table Modifier: -10%
31-70%: Market Average; No exceptional stock issues here. Just business as usual. Price Table Modifier: None
71-90%: Record Sales!; This stuff is selling like hotcakes! Sharp reduction in stock has forced prices to rise to maximize profit (and probably make up for price cuts from being overstocked earlier)Price Table Modifier: +10%
91-00%: Out of Stock!; Well, almost anyway. generally reserved for the final 1% of all merchandise in stock or for particularly rare, valuable, or one-of-a-kind items. Either way, it's probably the ONLY chance the players may get at finding one at thios price. Just ask the salesman. Price Table Modifier: +20%

Table III: Merchant Alignment
Roll % to determine the general alignment and attitude of a particular merchant. This goes a long way toward determining the customer treatment, overcharging, denial of services or cutting a special deal with a customer. The given price modifiers reflect this.
01-30%: Good or Aberrant: Honorable and trustworthy, these merchants tend to believe in a fair price as much as a good profit. Like other merchants, they want a profitable deal, but are a bit more willing to cut a deal to the right customer. They are also more likely to flat out refuse services to those with shady intentions or differing beliefs. Price Table Modifier: None
31-70%: Unprincipled; generally speaking, the most common type of merchant. These guys will sell their wares to whoever has the cash to afford them and are merciless hagglers. Cutting a deal with them is not impossible, just highly improbable unless some larger profit of some kind can be gained, even if that extra profit is nothing more than recognition (the more the better). refusal of services is unlikely unless he has reason to distrust you (ie you're a notorious criminal, you've cheated him before, et al) Price Table Modifier: +5%
71-00%: Anarchist and Evil (except Aberrant): The worst of the worst. These unscrupulous rogues are little better than thieves, and many most likely actually are! Price gouging, bait and switch and other forms of merchant trickery are common amongst these con men. Cutting a deal with one is easy, but it's a near guarantee that there are strings attached, and refusal of services is unlikely unless he feels he's being suckered somehow. Even then, they'll just as likely try and turn it back around some way. Buyer beware. Price table Modifier: +15%

Table IV: Price Table
Roll % dice and add or subtract all previously accumulated Price Table Modifiers to determine the final average prices of the goods sold by the merchant. the given price range reflects an average price range for all goods the vendor is selling and prices for individual items can still vary up or down as the GM sees fit.
15% or less: A Steal!; Either the goods are really poor quality or they really are stolen. Either way, priced to go at 50% lower than standard list price.
16-30%: On Sale; Priced to move due to overstock, being out of style, or just a low quality item. Prices are 25% less than standard list price.
31-70%: Market Average; Standard list price.
71-90%: High Prices; Demand is high and stock is low, or it's really a higher quality item. Whatever the reason, the 25% higher than standard list price reflects it.
91-00%: Very High Prices; Exceptional quality items made from rare materials or a severely low inventory of these items has jacked the price up to 50% higher than standard list.
101% or higher; Outrageous!; Buying it at this price means its either a> a one of a kind super rare thing (or at least as far as you know it is), or b> You really desperately need it (or at least believe you do). Whatever the reason, double the standard list price to take it home.

Table V: Acceptable Trade
Roll % to determine if a particular vendor will accept trade items. Roughly 98% of all businesses accept cash (gold and silver coins) with a rare few wilderness villages and nomad camps dealing almost exclusively in barter of goods. This table is used to determine whether or not a vendor will accept goods as equivalent tender for his merchandise as well as cash.
01-60%: Gold ONLY!; It doesn't neccesarilly have to be coins, though that IS the preferred mode of payment, but it had better be gold or silver. Gens and/or jewellry are also acceptable but either one will only get about 50% of actual value.
61-75%: Equivalent Items: Cash and Gold as above, plus the vendor will accept goods from the same basic category as the goods he's selling, for example a weapons dealer will accept swords, knives, axes etc. Usually about 50% actual value on trade ins.
76-90%: Related Items: Cash and Gold and Equivalent Items as above, plus, items related to the trade category will be accepted. For example the blacksmith accepting weapons, armor and other metal goods, or the weapons dealer accepting not only weapons, but also armor. 50% actual value on trade ins.
91-00% Pawnbroker: If it's worth something, this guy will take it! Cash, gold, weapons, food, livestock... he'll even take the shirt off your back if you offer it! 50% actual value on trade ins.

There you have it folks, my handy dandy Merchant Maker! Use or lose as you see fit! Questions, comments, compliments, complaints and suggestions are always welcomed!

[Hendrik]

Julius,

awesome! Thanks!

Why don't you publish this in Rifter?

Cheers
Hendrik

[Shawn Merrow]

Nice work.

[zyanitevp]

Julius,

awesome! Thanks!

Why don't you publish this in Rifter?

Cheers
Hendrik

I second the publish comment!

[JuliusCreed]

Thanks for the compliments on publishing this stuff! maybe one day I'll actually do so, but I just love the game too much to really make others have to pay for my work. I'm happy with just enriching everyone's gaming worlds.

[The Dark Elf]

Thanks for the compliments on publishing this stuff! maybe one day I'll actually do so, but I just love the game too much to really make others have to pay for my work. I'm happy with just enriching everyone's gaming worlds.

Good stuff mate!

[pblackcrow]

Thanks Mate...That's going on to my custom GM screen.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Nice.

Now you need to expand it, maybe put in an opening story, then submit it to the rifter

[JuliusCreed]

Oh, stop it, all of you! Tell you what, I'm in the process of moving into a new house (signing final closing paperwork tomorrow afternoon ) so after I get settled into the new place I'll send something to the Rifter. Will that make you all happy? Heck, I'll even go the extra mile and try to finally get Uncle Remus published! Again everyone, thanks for your support. It's gamers like you that make my work worth it to me! Big shouts to you all!

[JuliusCreed]

Well, I'm GMing tonight and the group just reached a town, soooo I plan on using the chart. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sounds like a plan brother! Hope it works out well!

[JuliusCreed]

Ok, so we rolled

01-20%: Poor Quality; Shoddy workmanship, cut rate materials, bad overall design or even previously damaged merchandise. This stuff is generally what you'll find at the bottom of the bargain bin. Good if you need something fast and cheap, but don't expect much. Price Table Modifier: -30%

01-30%: Overstocked!; Either the vendor is selling bulk wholesale or it's just a really slow day for sales. Large amounts of merchandise in stock force him to lower his prices just so he can compete with others in the business. Price Table Modifier: -10%

01-30%: Good or Aberrant: Honorable and trustworthy, these merchants tend to believe in a fair price as much as a good profit. Like other merchants, they want a profitable deal, but are a bit more willing to cut a deal to the right customer. They are also more likely to flat out refuse services to those with shady intentions or differing beliefs. Price Table Modifier: None

16-30%: On Sale; Priced to move due to overstock, being out of style, or just a low quality item. Prices are 25% less than standard list price.

91-00% Pawnbroker: If it's worth something, this guy will take it! Cash, gold, weapons, food, livestock... he'll even take the shirt off your back if you offer it! 50% actual value on trade ins.


Ok, so I rolled the above and then read it all. I quickly decided that this guy was a horder. He loves to buy and collect stuff. I made his shop cluttered and almost unshoppable. Lucky for the group they really wanted to dump a bunch of stuff they collected from their last dungeon crawl. They had 13 short swords, a couple short bows with 34 arrows, a couple silver candle holders, a small, but solid gold idol of Kirgi the Rat God and some other odds and ends. It worked out great for both parties as the shop owner just HAD to have the Kirgi Idol. The group was a bit upset that they had nothing to really spend gold on, but it was fun and believable.

Sounds like it worked out pretty well for you then. And remember, if your players aren't satisfied with that particular merchant, they can always move on to the next stall/shop and get a whole new set of rolls for that one. One question for you though... the 16-30% result from the price table... was that before or after the Price Table Modifiers?

Thanks for trying this out and sharing! Anyone else give this thing a go yet? Tell us how it worked out!

[bigwhitehound]

Well done. This will make thing a lot easier. I agree, you should seen it to the Rifter.

[Carl Gleba]

This is perfect for a Rifter article JC. Well done

[Ziggurat the Eternal]

I quinuple the rifter suggestion

[zyanitevp]

I add my small voice to the PUBLISH comments.

[Soldier of Od]

Excellent work, as everyone else has already said!

One additional thing you might want to consider, though - as a GM I sometimes have trouble deciding whether a particular item should be made available. They might go to a weaponsmith, but does he sell, say, polearms? What's the chance of him having giant-sized or gnome-sized weapons? (dwarven or kobold manufactured is covered by your 'quality' table, but the 'quantity' table doesn't really cover this aspect of the shop).

Do you (or anyone else) feel there is any need for a 'Range of goods' or similar table covering 'limited selection' or 'just the basics' up to 'specialist merchandise available'? - each result maybe including a percentage to roll for each item requested by a player?

What do you think?

[JuliusCreed]

Excellent work, as everyone else has already said!

One additional thing you might want to consider, though - as a GM I sometimes have trouble deciding whether a particular item should be made available. They might go to a weaponsmith, but does he sell, say, polearms? What's the chance of him having giant-sized or gnome-sized weapons? (dwarven or kobold manufactured is covered by your 'quality' table, but the 'quantity' table doesn't really cover this aspect of the shop).

Do you (or anyone else) feel there is any need for a 'Range of goods' or similar table covering 'limited selection' or 'just the basics' up to 'specialist merchandise available'? - each result maybe including a percentage to roll for each item requested by a player?

What do you think?

Personally, I'm a bit leery of going that in-depth, at least when it comes to making random roll tables. Those kind of details should be left to GM discretion. Use a little common sense when determining if a particular item is available, of course. For example, a blacksmith in the Eastern Territory is most likely NOT going to have any Giant-sized weapons for sale, but by the same token very few, if any, blacksmiths in the Wolfen Empire would sell anything but giant-sized weapons. This is not to say it isn't possible for the respective blacksmiths to have the uncommon weapon or two (the Eastern smith may get a once in a lifetime visit from a Titan needing a weapon, the Wolfen smith may be providing weapons for the Empire's few human allies) it's just not very likely. The Quantity table also works as a pretty good basis for whether or not a particular item is available. If the vendor is overstocked, there's a higher corresponding chance that he'll have what the player is looking for. If stock is running low, so are the chances the he has what they want.
Best advice; Use the tables and a little common sense as a guideline for exactly what's available from any particular vendor. As the GM, you have the absolute last word on what a merchant has for sale and what he doesn't. The power is yours... enjoy it.
Good luck and great gaming!

[Eryk Stormbright]

yes, I have to agree with everyone here in saying Very nice work! I'm going to start using this myself

[JuliusCreed]

yes, I have to agree with everyone here in saying Very nice work! I'm going to start using this myself

That's why it's here, brah! Have fun with it

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

The sweetness of this random generator makes my teeth hurt!