Bargaining Rules

Value and Prices

Although each item in the game has a specific value listed in the reference books, this doesn’t mean that they are sold or bought at exactly that value. A merchant will typically try to sell items for more than they’re worth and buy items for less than they’re worth – that’s how they turn a profit, after all.

Sell Prices.

Merchants will usually try to sell items at 150% of their value, but characters who bargain well can bring the price down to as low as 50%.

Buy Prices.

Merchants usually offer to buy items at 10% of their value, but characters who bargain well can sell an item at up to 100% of its value.

Biases.

Each merchant has biases that can influence their prices. If the merchant has a positive bias toward the character, their initial offer is 20% of the item’s value lower (when selling) or higher (when buying) – and vice versa for negative biases.

Appraisal & Valuation

While it is assumed that the merchant knows the market value of the items they sell or buy, characters have to appraise an item to deduce its value.

Appraisal Check.

A character who examines an item or hears it described in detail can learn its value if they succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana or History) check. If the item is related to a tool they are proficient in, they can roll with advantage.

On a failure, roll on the table below to determine what the character perceives the item’s value to be.

Step-byStep Bargaining Rules

Below is a quick set of step-by-step rules that allow characters to bargain with merchants by making Charisma (Persuasion) checks against the merchant’s Bargaining DC (listed in each merchant’s overview).

1. Valuation.

Note the item’s value, the merchant’s price (including biases) and allow the bargaining character to appraise it with an Appraisal Check.

2. Initial Offer.

The merchant makes an initial offer.

3. Counteroffer.

The character makes a counteroffer and rolls a Charisma (Persuasion) check against the merchant’s Bargaining DC (typically 15).

4. New Offer.

If the character’s check is successful, the merchant decreases (when selling) or increases (when buying) their offer by 10% of the item’s value, or 20% if the check succeeds by 5 or more.

5. Repeat.

Steps 3–4 are repeated until the character has accrued three successes or three failures, or the character and the merchant agree on a price.

Bargaining Modifiers

If you want to make bargaining more of a tactical challenge, you can modify the characters' bargaining checks baised on the offers they make.

Bad Offer

The character makes an offer that is lower than 50% of the item's value when buying ot higher than 100% of the item's value when selling.

No / Repeat Offer

The character asks the merchant to lower their offer without specifying a counteroffer or makes an offer that is less than 10% of the item's value higher (selling) or lower (buying) than their last offer.

Close Offer

The character makes an offer that is within 20% of the item's value or the merchant's last offer.

Good Offer

The character makes an offer that is higher than 100% of the item's value when buying or lower than 50% of the item's value when selling.

Insight Checks

Bargaining isn't just about knowing what you're bargaining with - it is also about knowing who you're bargaining with. Throughout the bargain, characters can make Insight checks against the merchant's Bargaining DC to learn some or all of the following information:

1. The merchant's biases
2. What the merchant would consider a good offer (the item's value and/or what would be within 20% of the merchant's offer)
3. If the merchant is telling the truth about the qualities or value of the item they are bargaining for.
4. If the merchant's offer for an item is high (20% or more higher than its value), Fair (within 10% of its value), or Low (20% or more lower than its value)

The character can use this information to assess if they are making a good trade and to gain bonuses to, or advantage on, their bargaining checks.