From: Joe Lannom (jclannom@mathlab.mtu.edu)
Date: Wed 25 May 1994 - 23:43:57 EEST
Hi folks. Just remember, I may not know exactly what I'm talking about, but I
love to talk about RQ and Glorantha, so...
Mike Dickison (Mike.Dickison@vuw.ac.nz) brings up a different kettle of fish with:
|> The RQ rules dwell quite some length on combat, but hardly touch other
|> activities involved in a game. In particular, one of my players is a
|> ordinary wandering Issaries peddler, who is a useless fighter and would
|> much rather spend his time trading. Of course he knows his languages, and
|> acts as ambassador and negotiator for the party, but I can tell he's
|> itching to go into the nearest city, buy a cart, and start making some
|> cash.
|>
passing good with a shovel. (long story)
|> 4) A bargaining mechanic that uses both buyer and seller skills, and
|> in which the rolled skill-vs-skill difference translates neatly into a
|> (modest) price differential. Most importantly, there should be bonuses and
|> penalties for good and bad roleplaying, and some opportunity for players to
|> use strategy and wit, so they feel they and not the dice are doing the
|> work.
|>
If you don't want to haggle it out, or can't find a motivation or relative level for a merchants stinginess, here's a suggestion for bargaining using the already defined rules for spirit combat (money IS power <g>). It may seem complicated at first glance, but its really very simple.
of bargaining that takes place +/-. (Using the base price, for big
things its hundreds of lunars, smaller things less... )
2: Set an absolute minimum/maximum that the NPC will deal to. No one is
completely stupid (well...) and usually won't drop past what it cost
them to get the goods in the first place, unless a player criticals
their bargaining roll. Set the original asking price for both. This
will determine the range that the price can fluctuate within.
3: Then, use their bargaining skills to roll and see who affects the price.
Anyone who uses their skill that round rolls percentiles again and, like
power loss in spirit combat, gets a result of 1, 2 or 3. These are the
multipliers for the price modifier. Anyone who has glamour up, gets an
additional 5% to their bargaining roll per point of spell.
4: A successful skill roll will determine how much the other's bound has
changed. Subtract from the highest bound, add to the lowest bound. A
fumbled bargain roll will alter your own bound.
5: When the two bounds meet, a deal has been reached which may be accepted
or rejected by either of the two participants. At all times, the bounds are treated as the original bid, once you've gotten someone to bring their price down to your bargain price, you cannot convince them to drop lower than what you're already offering unless you critical your bargain skill
roll.
Be sure to role play this a bit and roll the dice unobtrusively, neither character should really know what the other's bargaining skill is. This will allow you to fudge it to make it a little more enjoyable for the player.
Make them use reputation and previous experience against someone to determine whether or not they lose their shirt. Good roleplaying should give the player bonuses on their bargain rolls, or for the multiplier, GM's choice.
-=-=-
Example:
Sibluch, the used llama salesman is approached by Hertluuf, the Issaries trader who is looking for a mount to carry him across the long dry from the paps.
Sibluch proclaims that he cannot part with this fine piece of llama meat (from a good lineage) for less that 700L. Hertluuf, having heard of slimy deals that Sibluch has made before, declares that his children will starve if he has to pay more than 400L. The boundaries are set.
Sibluch has a bargain skill of 34%, while Hertluuf has been traveling for a while and has a skill of 55%. The magnitude of bargaining is declared as 1/10th the difference between asking prices, rounded upwards to the nearest 10. (30 lunars)
Sibluch makes his roll, and then rolls a 67 to determine that Herluuf will relent and use 430L as his price. Hertluuf also makes his roll, but rolls a 21, convincing Sibluch to drop his price by 60L to 640. (S: 640, H: 430, modifications are now 640-530 = 210 / 10 = 21, rounded down to 20's, )
Sibluch makes his roll the second round of bargaining and rolls an 05 for his modification! Hertluuf has been convinced that the llama is indeed free of parasites, and so moves his price to 490. Herluuf makes his bargaining roll and rolls a 65, he makes no headway this round. (S: 640, H: 490, modifications are now 640-490=150 / 10 = 15 rounded up to 20L's).
Sibluch fails his roll this round and does not convince Herluuf that llamas are good pets for children. Herluuf makes his roll with a 50, and points out one or two bite marks on the llama's flanks, rolling an 02 for a modifier. Sibluch declares that they were not there this morning, but agrees that the llama is damamged and drops his price to 580. (S: 580, H: 490, modifications are now 580-490= 90 / 10 = 9, rounded up to 10 lunars.)
Sibluch points out that the llama is of fine color, and of good temperament, for a llama. He rolls an 00 for his attempt at bargaining, a fumble, and Herluuf begins to suspect something about the llama, as color is usually not an issue. The modifier is in Herluuf's favor as he finds the llama is dyed white with blue/gray spots. Sibluch rolls his modifier and gets an 01! Too bad, he admits he dyed it and offers it for 550 lunars, a steal. Herluuf ponders a while and makes his roll, pointing out that one normally does not dye a llama, and that it must be stolen. He rolls an 05, hitting the nail on the head and Sibluch drops his price to 520 lunars to get Herluuf to quit asking questions. (S: 520, H:490, modifier of 520 - 490 = 30 / 10, 3 rounded up to 10 lunars.)
Sibluch makes his roll, pointing that he is well enough off to not have to steal poor mounts, but might be tempted by a mount of such fine promise as this one. Sibluch rolls a 39, gaining 20 lunars worth of ground (Herluuf's bound is now 510). Herluuf rolls a 70 and fails to find any fault with the mount, or Sibluch logic, really needing a mount and knowing that herd beast raiding is a common occurance. (S: 520, H:510, modifier of 10 L)
Sibluch again fails his roll, having hit a brick wall with Herluuf knowing that it is a hot llama. Herluuf criticals his roll as he sees a very LARGE frowning llama rider sniffing around Sibluch's tent. He rolls an 05, and gets a multiplier of 3 x 10. If he hadn't criticalled, he would have only been able to talk Sibluch down to 510, Herluuf's current bargaining price, but he points the llama rider out to Sibluch who agrees that 490L is a very fine price indeed and leaves Herluuf the llama as he slinks off for cover....
After 6 rounds of bargaining, Herluuf with his bargaining skill of 55% has managed to talk a less experienced haggler down 210L off his asking price, and only had to pay 90 more than what he offered, which he knew was a low bid. Smiling, he points out the direction that Sibluch has gone to the llama rider and leads his new mount away...
-=-=-=-
Now, in response to Devin Cutler's informal poll:
> "How many people who write, or post, about Glorantha aren't also players (or
> refs) of the game?"
>
> I wonder that myself sometimes, given the level of unconsideration to gaming
> issues on this Daily. Perhaps an informal poll is in order?
I was an infrequent player of RuneQuest up until this last Fall. Played maybe
a dozen sessions with large chunks of time between them. They were enough to grab my interest and make me want to learn more about the game.
I was able to grab some RQ2 materials for a song and started designing a campaign. I've now been GMing RQ for about 9 months, but I've been pouring so much information into my brain that I sometimes have trouble assimilating it. (Thanks for the soda.berkeley site, Shannon!!)
Thats ok, though, because I'm gaming with a good group of people who understand what thats like (they've all gm'd games before) and think that Glorantha is a cool world (don't even think it) to develop characters in and love the game mechanics.
As for campaigns, mine is occuring in Prax and the Zola Fel river valley. We're currently hybridizing Borderlands with Sun County and a nifty little original idea of mine that encompasses the characters no matter where they are. Subplots within subplots within...
We're microcosmic. The group consists of 1 Humakt inititate, 1 initiate of
Orlanth adventurous, 1 Trickster initiate, one Issaries/Lankor Mhy/Argan Argar
hybrid, and one wanna be Invisible God worshipper who's hobby is brewing beer
(which the Issaries peddles). The others tease the IG brewer ceaselessly, but
he calmly smiles and feels secure that his god is the one true god.
I suspect that they will begin to travel once the group gets a few members
to Rune level, but there is so much to do around the RoC, they might not see
a need. That is, unless the IGer wants to make a pilgrimage... then the others
will probably go along to see what the world is like.
-=-=-=-
So take my suggestions at what they cost you (nuthin, got plenty more where those came from <g>) and remember that your dealing with a not so recent convert, but a recently fervent one.
And thanks to everyone that has posted both game and gloranthan lore to the digest. Both are welcomed by me. What I don't like, I'll trim away and do
my best to run without it.
The main thing is FUN (note all the caps) when I game, and as long as we,
the group, can maintain that we're pretty happy.
joe lannom
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