Sucker's Barrel

Adventuring Gear

Price: 4 gp
Weight: 35 lbs.

Description

A sucker’s barrel is constructed to appear to the casual eye exactly like a normal barrel. However, an inner barrier installed near one of the barrel’s ends hides a cavity containing a bladder filled with water. This creates a false bottom such that, when the barrel is full, it weighs and feels the same as a barrel filled completely with more valuable liquid, such as alcohol or oil. In this way, a merchant can “fill” a barrel with a smaller quantity of a liquid (typically 75% of the barrel’s total capacity) and then sell it as if it were a full barrel’s worth.