bartering and diplomacy questions

[person29]

I have a character in a new campaign I'm running that wants to play a trader/merchant themed character. He wants to try and use appraise/bluff/diplomacy to be able to barter for items and/or reduce prices of items.

Are there mechanics in any of the books to cover such a thing? Good houserules you use?

On a similar note, lets say he offers a light crossbow, shortsword and longsword in trade for a heavy crossbow.

The shopkeep would normally pay out 30g for those three items, yet charge 50g for a heavy crossbow.

From one perspective the shopkeep would accept the items and charge the character another 20g for the heavy crossbow.

From another perspective he would accept that trade (3 items for the crossbow) because he will sell those three items for 60g, making more than he would from the heavy crossbow.

Thanks for your input, advice, and experiences

[BowStreetRunner]

The Resourceful Buyer feat from Races of Destiny allows you to treat a community as one size larger when trying to find goods. Wanderer's Diplomacy from PH2 allows you to attempt to locate an item that is too expensive for the community.

[Someonelse]

I allow my players to use diplomacy to negotiate. When they sell gear the value is cut in half, they add up everything they are selling and do a single diplomacy check and whatever they roll I add on as a percentage. So for example, if they are selling something for 100 gold and they make a 20 diplomacy I would give them 120. It works the other way for discounts when making purchases. I don't always do this of course, only with merchants who are open to bartering.

[Cruiser1]

He wants to try and use appraise/bluff/diplomacy to be able to barter for items and/or reduce prices of items. Are there mechanics in any of the books to cover such a thing?
Yes, CAdv page 98 has haggling rules: You can make an opposed Diplomacy check against a merchant. If you make his attitude Helpful, he'll reduce the price of whatever he's selling by 10%.

[nedz]

I did have someone try this with a rubbish Diplomacy skill and a bad roll. I made them pay more as they talked themselves out of some cash. It was amusing.

[Brookshw]

You might want to look into mercantile background (http://dndtools.eu/feats/players-guide-to-faerun--22/mercantile-background--1927/)

[person29]

Thanks those will definitely help.

What do you think about the second part of my original post? The trading scenario...


Thanks

[Crake]

I allow my players to use diplomacy to negotiate. When they sell gear the value is cut in half, they add up everything they are selling and do a single diplomacy check and whatever they roll I add on as a percentage. So for example, if they are selling something for 100 gold and they make a 20 diplomacy I would give them 120. It works the other way for discounts when making purchases. I don't always do this of course, only with merchants who are open to bartering.

I'd make it for every point above 15 you get 1% better price, but for ever point below, 15 you get 1% worse price. If there's no drawback, there'd be literally no reason not to give it a try. This way someone with investment in diplomacy (or an outrageously high cha and synergy bonuses :smalltongue:) need not worry, but the average person would probably opt against it.

[person29]

nobody has any experience, advice or thoughts on the scenario posed in the original post?

A party wants to trade a shortsword, longsword and light crossbow to a merchant (smith, trader, whatever) in exchange for a heavy crossbow.

One perspective is to say the party owes 20g (pay 30 for the three items, hvy crossbow costs 50)

the other is to say even trade since they will resell those three items for a total of 60g, 10 more than the heavy crossbow costs

thanks