Bargaining (sage ability)
Bargaining is an amateur-status sage ability in the studies of Logistics and Mercantilism that permits characters to buy items more cheaply than the vendor's listed price. Up to 1 item may be "haggled" for, per 5 points of knowledge in either logistics or mercantilism. For example, a character with 17 knowledge would be able to haggle over the cost of three items. These may be the same item or they may be different, it does not affect the ability.
Haggling
For each type of item the character haggles for, the character makes a charisma check. Success means that the character is able to knock 10% from the cost of the item. If three of the same item are asked for, only one check is made. If the check fails, the character is permitted to roll 1d8, enabling them to buy the item at -1% per the number on the die.
Each haggled-for type of item requires a total of ten minutes, so that characters able to haggle for a dozen or more items should be prepared to begin early that day. Remember that each different vendor visited requires ½-hour to locate and search before haggling can be commenced (and that commonly shops remain open only between sunrise and sundown). Time can be saved on haggling for multiple items from the same vendor.
Pressure Bargaining
If the character wishes, they may attempt to broker an even better deal. This, however, requires that the character pressure the seller into a bargain — though this requires goading or badgering the seller, risking expulsion for the character. Only one item may be bargained for per day, though that single "item" may be an existing or planned-for building or property. A single shipment of a particular type of item (grains, meat, textiles, ore and so on) may also be bargained for in this fashion, but the seller's entire stock must be purchased.
| Cost of item | Modifier to charisma |
|---|---|
| less than 10 g.p. | +0 |
| 10 to <100 g.p. | +1 |
| 100 to <1,000 g.p. | +2 |
| 1,000 to <10,000 g.p. | +3 |
| 10,000 to <100,000 g.p. | +4 |
To pressure the seller, the character again rolls a charisma check, except that the character's charisma is halved (fractions ignored). The die roll is modified upwards depending on the purchase price, as shown on the table. By purchasing more, the character improves the usefulness of this pressure tactic. Success reduces the cost of the item by 20-50%.
For example, Jacob has a 17 charisma and wishes to have a house constructed that will cost him 5,400 g.p. He does not want to pay that much, so he attempts to pressure the contractor into making a better deal. His chance of success is 8 (from charisma) +3 (per value of the purchase). His check succeeds (Jacob rolls a 10) and, after rolling 2-5, he discovers the cost will be reduced by 30% (1,620 g.p.). The final price of Jacob's house is 3,780.
Failing to pressure bargain has severe consequences, as the character attempting to pressure the seller (and any witnesses who are friends or allies of the character) will be banned from purchasing any item from that vendor, in that market city, for a period of one year. Effectively, the guild is responsible for banning the character, not just the one shop. If the character attempts to make the attempt similarly a second in the same province, then the character will be banned by all guild anywhere in that province, permanently! If the character fails a third attempt within the same kingdom, the ban will extend permanently to that kingdom, and to 2-5 other randomly chosen venders as well.
In such a case, the character will need to send an associate to buy goods from those vendors — and that associate should be careful not to be seen with the banned character, or else they too will be banned.
Pressure bargaining will require up to one hour to complete the sale.
