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View Full Version : What mark up rates do you use for merchants in your games?



MonkeySage
2014-05-23, 03:02 PM
As long as I've been dming, this has, surprisingly, only came to mind recently. I've a player who's experienced enough that he feels like he can break my game. One way that I would like to put him in his place is using the game's economy.
I'm going to start a thread later about the house he's trying to get me to build... (It's much bigger than the houses the average lords in this game live in. He thinks he's going to get away with 5000 gp for it.)

TheCountAlucard
2014-05-23, 03:06 PM
How about, instead of getting all passive-aggressive with each other, "breaking games" and "putting people in their place," you two talk it out like decent folk?

Failing that, pick up the Stronghold Builder's Guide.

Sidmen
2014-05-23, 03:12 PM
Agreed with the Count^^

Also, a big house isn't itself very impressive. A Mansion or Palace is impressive because of all the myriad examples of wealth scattered about. Priceless artifacts, beautiful works of art, etc.

At it's base, a really big house is just a warehouse - which were always quite a bit bigger than a lord's manor. They were just pedestrian and not very impressive.

Averis Vol
2014-05-23, 05:22 PM
It depends on how fully fleshed out of a world I'm using. in the current one I'm DMing in, certain places have basically specialties. So the place run by Pirates has every item at 15% off, and based off of its value, there's a % chance that its actually stolen, and should an officer of its country of origin see it, then they will be forced to deal with it (running away, killing the guard, bribery etc, etc...) Then there are countries that are heavily wooded, so wood items are cheaper, but say, stone or metal items are worked up.

As for your particular problem, let him build the house, but then, when the people building it ask for payment and he shows them the 5k, have them tell him to piss off (in kinder words most likely) and have them auction off the house to someone not trying to jerk them around. Though I am curious, how does he intend to get a mansion built for that tiny sum of money. A single story shop costs like 10k (I think)

Rhynn
2014-05-23, 11:33 PM
There's like a huge dissonance between the thread title and the content of the OP.

To the title:
None. I assume that most rulebooks give the average prices that people actually charge (i.e. they average out over time so why bother modelling the variation?). If I vary prices, it's based on a bargaining mechanic, if the system has any.

I find that this only really matters for e.g. arbitrage trading, anyway.

To the OP:

How about, instead of getting all passive-aggressive with each other, "breaking games" and "putting people in their place," you two talk it out like decent folk?

This. Be a grown-up, MonkeySage.

MonkeySage
2014-05-24, 01:25 AM
To clarify on the whole passive aggression thing, I actually do make use of his attempts. It's because of his constant attempts to find holes in my games that I find ways to patch those holes up. I've become a better dm thanks to him. He is an experienced player, far more experienced than myself. However, I know the particular system better than he. We bounce off each other, taking advantage of our attempts to best one another.

Granted, I will say that he can be a bit arrogant. My other players have noticed this as well. In real life and in game, this player often has an ego that could fill a ball park stadium. Add that to his 20 years of 2e experience, and he finds it next to impossible to see things any other way.

I was actually interested in the answer regarding mark up rates, I find the information is rather useful.

And as for the housing thing, we've worked out quite a bit. I've drawn up new plans, thanks to the book Count recommended(thanks for that). I've had the player check it out, he likes it. The only thing we need to work out is placement of a courtyard and a second training area...

Waar
2014-05-24, 02:36 AM
I've a player who's experienced enough that he feels like he can break my game. One way that I would like to put him in his place is using the game's economy.
Why? (why the arms race?,why do you think changing things that the player can't influence would make the player more resonable, and not just mad/sad/angry?)

I'm going to start a thread later about the house he's trying to get me to build... (It's much bigger than the houses the average lords in this game live in. He thinks he's going to get away with 5000 gp for it.)
How much is a gp in your game, and how does it relate to the cost of cheap labor or other expected expences. If you feel that 5000gp is to low, remind your player of what others have said already (that the difference between a warehouse and a fancy house is all that expensive fancy stuff that gets put in the later)

Judge_Worm
2014-05-24, 07:21 AM
100% for sellers who'll bargain, up to 50% off. I base this on diplomacy/bluff/intimidate/appraise/knowledge checks. For instance a level 16 barbarian can expect a hefty discount, but a level 2 fighter will probably feel a bit reemed. Otherwise its base price for merchants selling, 25% markdown for unspecialized PCs selling to a merchant.

As for land? Dunno, usually consult the appropriate material.

jedipotter
2014-05-24, 01:29 PM
One way that I would like to put him in his place is using the game's economy.


At least 500% to 1000%......

Broken Crown
2014-05-24, 03:11 PM
As for land? Dunno, usually consult the appropriate material.
Land is the real issue, isn't it? In a walled city, land is going to be scarce. If any is available at all, the owner will probably charge as much as the richest potential buyer can afford.

Outside the city walls, the situation may be even worse. If it's a feudal society, you can't really buy or sell land at all, since it's technically not yours – it's granted by your liege in exchange for service.

---

In my own games, markups depend on many factors , including cultural ones. For example, members of the dwarves' Craft Guilds are expected to meet high standards of quality (they'll be kicked out if they don't), and the prices reflect this, so there's generally a 100% markup or so. They don't haggle, either: Suggesting that their goods are worth less than the asking price is a grave insult, and will get you kicked out of the shop, and possibly blacklisted by the guild. You can buy cheaper goods from less reputable sources, but caveat emptor, as they say.

veti
2014-05-24, 10:02 PM
Nothing comes for free, and running a shop in a magical world is expensive. As well as rent, maintenance and staff to pay, you need insane security measures against all the ways your target clientele (adventurers, fercryin'outloud) will be trying to rip you off. Heck, you probably need to rebuild your whole shop from the ground up at least once a month.

So markups need to be substantial. A PC who buys an item, then sells it back to the same shop, shouldn't be getting more than 25-30% of their money back. I would have merchants offer something like 50% of list price for items, and sell them at 150%.

Basically, visiting Ye Olde Magick Shoppe is a last resort. Much better to find someone to swap your unwanted items with, or keep them until you can find someone who wants them.

Beleriphon
2014-05-25, 02:27 PM
Nothing comes for free, and running a shop in a magical world is expensive. As well as rent, maintenance and staff to pay, you need insane security measures against all the ways your target clientele (adventurers, fercryin'outloud) will be trying to rip you off. Heck, you probably need to rebuild your whole shop from the ground up at least once a month.

So markups need to be substantial. A PC who buys an item, then sells it back to the same shop, shouldn't be getting more than 25-30% of their money back. I would have merchants offer something like 50% of list price for items, and sell them at 150%.

I'm fairly certain that's why 4E D&D uses 1/5 of the list value as the sale value. Realistically if somebody is going to buy your stuff, they aren't going to pay very much.

TheCountAlucard
2014-05-25, 10:03 PM
I just abstract wealth altogether.