| - | - | - | - | - |
| Dragon | - | - | - | Dragon 104 |
T h e g a m e i s m o v i n g
a l o n g w e l l , a n d t h e
n e w p l a y e r i s e n j o y
i n g h i m s e l f i m m e n s e l y .
T h e p a r t y h a s j u s t
s l a i n t h e e v i l t r o l l
a n d i s
e x a m i n i n g t h e h a u l.
.
D u n g e o n M a s t e r : Y o u
f i n d 1 , 2 0 0 g o l d
p i e c e s a n d a j e w e l e
d n e c k l a c e , a n d a l s o
a
g r e e n g e m ? a
s p i n e l .
V e t e r a n P l a y e r : W h a t ? r e
t h e y w o r t h ?
D u n g e o n M a s t e r : T h e
n e c k l a c e i s w o r t h
9 0 0 g p , a n d t h e
s p i n e l i s w o r t h 1 0 0
g p
.
N e w P l a y e r : H o w d o
w e k n o w t h a t ?
DM: Er, ah . . . um, er . . . . uh, you can
tell, I guess, by looking, you know, uh. . . .
T h e A D & D ®
g a m e r u l e s m a k e n o
a l l o w a n c e f o r a s s e s s m e n t
b y p l a y e r c h a r a c t e r s
o f
t h e w o r t h o f g e m s ,
j e w e l r y , a n d o t h e r v a
l u a b l e i t e m s w h i c h t h
e y m a y e n c o u n t e r f r o m
t i m e t o t i m e . T h i s
i s u n f o r t u n a t e , s i n c e
i t
s e e m s o b v i o u s t h a t
c h a r a c t e r s w o u l d g e n e r a l l y
n o t b e a b l e t o a
c c u r a t e l y d e t e r m i n e t h e
m o n e t a r y v a l u e o f s
u c h i t e m s w i t h o u t c a l
l i n g o n s o m e r e l e v a n t
e x p e r i e n c e , e i t h e r
t h e i r o w n o r s o m e o n
e e l s e ? s . O f c o u r s e ,
i t
w o u l d b e u n d e s i r a b l e
t o c l u t t e r t h e g a m e
w i t h s o m e o v e r l y c o
m p l i c a t e d m e c h a n i s m
f o r s u c h a s s e s s m e n t ;
m a n y s u p p l e m e n t a r y
g a m e s y s t e m s , d e s i g n e d
t o a d d r e a l i s m t o
t h e t a m e , a r e m o r e
t r o u b l e t h a n t h e y a r e
w o r t h . B e a r i n g t h i s
i n m i n d , h e r e i s
a r e l a t i v e l y s i m p l e m
e c h a n i s m t h a t a l l o w s
a c h a r a c t e r t o e v a l u a
t e t h e w o r t h o f
a n o b j e c t ,
b a s e d o n t h a t c h a r a
c t e r ? s e x p e r i e n c e a n d
s k i l l s.
A n y c h a r a c t e r p o s s e s s e s
a p e r c e n t a g e
c h a n c e o f a s s e s s i n g
t h e e x a c t v a l u e o f
t h e
o b j e c t i n q u e s t i o n .
S h o u l d t h i s c h a n c e b e
m i s s e d , t h e o b j e c t ? s
v a l u e w i l l b e a s s e s s e
d
i n c o r r e c t l y , t o a g
r e a t e r o r l e s s e r d e g r
e e o f
e r r o r . O n l y t w o d i c
e n e e d b e t h r o w n :
a d 2 0
a n d a n y o t h e r d i e .
T h e d 2 0 a c t s a s
a n a b
b r e v i a t e d d % . F o r e
x a m p l e , c o n s i d e r a
c h a r a c t e r w h o s e c o r r e c t
a s s e s s m e n t p e r c e n t a g e ( C A P
) i s 3 5 % . A n y r o
l l o f 7 ( 3 5 % ) o r
l e s s o n t h e d 2 0
i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e o b
j e c t ? s
v a l u e i s d e t e r m i n e d
e x a c t l y . H i g h e r r o l l s
i n d i c a t e p r o g r e s s i v e l y w
o r s e e s t i m a t e s . A
r o l l o f 9 ( 4 5 % )
i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e g u
e s s i s o f f
b y 1 0 % ( 4 5 % -
3 5 % = 1 0 % ) ; a r o
l l o f 1 4
( 7 0 % ) m e a n s t h a t t h
e e s t i m a t e i s o f f
b y
3 5 % ; a n d a r o l l
o f 2 0 w o u l d r e s u l t
i n a
g u e s s t h a t w a s w i d e
b y 6 5 % . I s t h e e
s t i m a t e
t o o h i g h o r t o o
l o w ? T h i s i s d e t e r m i n
e d b y
t h e o t h e r d i e . I f
i t s r e s u l t i s e v e n ,
t h e n t h e
g u e s s i s h i g h ; i f
o d d , i t ? s l o w . T h i s
t a b l e
s h o w s e x a m p l e s f o r
a c h a r a c t e r , w i t h a
C A P
o f 4 0 % , t r y i n g t o
e v a l u a t e a f u r c o a t
w o r t h
5 , 4 0 0 g p .
| d20 roll | d12 roll | Character's
estimate (gp) |
| 4 (20%) | [ 9] | 5,400 (correct) |
| 8 (40%) | [ 4] | 5,400 (correct) |
| 10(50%) | 11 | 4,860 (10% low) |
| 15(75%) | 8 | 7,290 (35% high) |
| 20(100%) | 2 | 8,640 (60% high) |
| 20(100%) | 7 | 2,106 (60% high) |
Square brackets indicate an irrelevant
roll.
The d20 is used rather than a d% for two
reasons. First, it makes the rolling somewhat simpler.
Second, it avoids such hairsplitting calculations as ?39% high.? Note
that the higher the CAP is, the smaller the
maximum absolute error.
What is a player character?s CAP? It is a
function of class, experience, and race, as
noted on the following table.
| Class | CAP modifier |
| Thief | 35% + 5% / level |
| Assassin | 20% + 5% / level |
| Cleric, druid, magic-user, illusionist, bard, fighter | 15% + 5% / level |
| Paladin, ranger, monk, barbarian | 5% / level |
| Dwarf, gnome | +10% |
| Half-elf, halfling, human | +0% |
| Elf, half-orc | -10% |
A multi-classed character, or one with
two classes, uses the class and level
which give the best CAP; e.g., a magicuser/thief of 3rd/4th level would
use the
thief class and level for a CAP of 55%.
If the players so desire, only one CAP roll
need be made for any party. The party is
apt to accept the estimate of its most knowledgeable member and not
second-guess his
assessment. Optionally, if each member of a
six-member group is told his estimate of the
item?s value, it will be a simple matter to
average these assessments and arrive at a
reasonable figure. Or, if two party members
have identical high CAPS, two rolls are
made; each of the two can then assess the
item independently and ?compare notes.?
In practice, the DM will likely be aware of
the party?s CAPS before the adventure
begins. This would allow the DM to roll the
dice beforehand and place the party?s assessment of valuable items
right into the
key, thus saving time during the adventure.
For example, the key might read: ?Diamond ring, value 4,000 gp; Karnul
will
assess it at 4,400 gp.?
Optionally, the DM may wish to use
secondary skills (DMG, p. 12) in finding
characters? CAPS. This may get a little
complicated, though, as characters and
parties may have different percentages for
different types of items. If you?re one of
those gamers who thrives on figures, try the
suggestions in Table 3.
| Secondary skill | Evaluation |
| Jeweler/lapidary | +20% gems & jewelry only |
| Tailor/weaver | +20% clothes, tapestries, etc. , only |
| Trader/barterer | +10% on all |
| Trapper/furrier | +20% furs, etc., only |
Note that for a fur coat, a tailor/weaver
(knowledgeable in textiles) would not get a
bonus, but a trader/barterer or trapper/
furrier would.
T h e p u r p o s e o f a l l
t h i s i s r e l a t e d t o
t h e
f a c t t h a t s o m e c h a r
a c t e r s d o n o t w i s h
t o
a m a s s h u g e p i l e s o f
g e m s , j e w e l r y , a n d o t
h e r
s u c h b a u b l e s , p r e f e r r i n g
i n s t e a d t o s e l l
t h e m . T h i s r e q u i r e s
s o m e i d e a o f t h e
v a l u e
o f t h e i t e m s w h i c h
t h e y a r e a t t e m p t i n g t
o
s e l l . A n y d e a l e r i n
s u c h i t e m s ( i . e . , a
j e w e l e r , f u r r i e r , o r
w h a t e v e r ) w i l l g e n e r a l l y
b e
a b l e t o a p p r a i s e s u
c h i t e m s a t t h e i r
e x a c t
v a l u e ; a f t e r a l l , i
t ? s p a r t o f t h e
t r a d e . A
d e a l e r ? s b e s t o f f e r
w i l l l i k e l y b e b e l o w
t h e
a c t u a l v a l u e o f t h e
i t e m i n q u e s t i o n , s i n
c e
t h e d e a l e r n e e d s t o
m a k e m o n e y , t o o . A s
a
g e n e r a l r u l e , a d e a
l e r ? s m a x i m u m o f f e r
w o u l d b e 8 0 % - 9 5 % o f
t h e r e a l v a l u e ( 7 5
+
[ d 4 x 5 ] ) . I f
a n i t e m w a s h i g h l y
u n u s u a l ,
t h e d e a l e r m i g h t ( i
f h e w e r e o f t h e
p o e t i c
p e r s u a s i o n ) p a y u p
t o 1 2 0 % o f t h e t
r u e
v a l u e o f t h e i t e m
j u s t f o r t h e j o y
o f o w n i n g
i t . T h i s m i g h t o c c u
r , f o r e x a m p l e , i n
t h e
c a s e o f a g e m
w o r t h m o r e t h a n 5 , 0 0 0
g p o r
j e w e l r y w o r t h m o r e
t h a n 1 0 , 0 0 0 g p .
T h e m a i n p r o b l e m f o
r t h e p l a y e r c h a r a c t e
r s i n a n y s a l e i
s t h a t t h e i r i d e a
o f a n i t e m ? s
w o r t h m a y w e l l b e
d i s t o r t e d . F o r i n s t a n c e ,
t h e y m i g h t a s k f o r
a n o u t r a g e o u s l y h i g h
p r i c e , a n d b e r i d i c
u l e d f o r i t ; o r ,
t h e y m i g h t
a s k f o r o n l y a
f r a c t i o n o f t h e i t e m ?
s w o r t h ,
a n d b e t a k e n i n .
A g o o d s t r a t e g y w o u l d
b e
t o a s k t h e d e a l e r
w h a t h e o r s h e i
s w i l l i n g t o
p a y . A n h o n e s t d e a l
e r ( 2 0 % o f t h e m )
w o u l d
o f f e r a r o u n d 7 0 % o f
t r u e v a l u e a s a
s t a r t i n g
p o i n t ; a n a v e r a g e d
e a l e r ( 5 0 % ) , a r o u n d
6 0 % ; a n d a d i s h o n e s
t d e a l e r ( 3 0 % ) w o u l d
p r o b a b l y s t a r t a t a
r o u n d 3 0 % - 4 0 % o f t r u e
v a l u e . A l l d e a l e r s
w i l l h a g g l e , b u t w i l l
b u y
a t n o h i g h e r t h a n
t h e i r p r e v i o u s l y d e t e r m i n e
d m a x i m u m . N o t e t h a t
i f a s k e d w h a t
t h e y w i l l p a y f o r
a n o b j e c t , m a n y d e a l e
r s
w i l l i n q u i r e ? H o w m
u c h d o y o u w a n t
f o r
i t ? ? s i n c e t h e y k n o
w t h a t t h e s e l l e r
m a y b e
i g n o r a n t o f t h e i t e
m ? s v a l u e . A l s o n o t e
t h a t
i f a c h a r a c t e r a s k s
f o r a r i d i c u l o u s p r i c
e ( s a y ,
o v e r 1 2 0 % o f t r u e
v a l u e ) , t h e d e a l e r ? s
i n i t i a l
o f f e r m a y b e e v e n
l o w e r t h a n t h e o u t l i n
e s
g i v e n a b o v e . A d e a l
e r ? s h o n e s t y , o r l a c k
o f
i t , w i l l o f t e n b e
g e n e r a l k n o w l e d g e i n
t h e
community.
A n o t h e r s i t u a t i o n w h i c h
m a y o c c u r i s t h a t
o f a c h a r a c t e r u s i n
g s o m e v a l u a b l e i t e m
a s
c a s h t o p u r c h a s e g o
o d s o r s e r v i c e s ?
i n
o t h e r w o r d s , b a r t e r .
T h i s i s a r a t h e r
m o r e
v o l a t i l e c a s e , s i n c e
t h e o t h e r p a r t y m a y
h a v e
l e s s i d e a o f t h e
i t e m ? s w o r t h t h a n t h e
c h a r a c t e r . I f t h e c h a
r a c t e r i s b u y i n g g o o d
s , t h e
s e l l e r i s l i k e l y ( a
s a n e x p e r i e n c e d b a r t
e r e r )
t o h a v e a p r e t t y
g o o d i d e a o f t h e
i t e m ? s
v a l u e . A g o o d g u i d e
l i n e w o u l d b e a
C A P o f
7 0 % - 8 5 % ( 6 5 + [ d 4
x 5 ] ) , a l t h o u g h t h i s
c o u l d v a r y c o n s i d e r a b l y .
I f t h e c h a r a c t e r i s
p u r c h a s i n g a s e r v i c e ,
t h e s e l l e r m a y b e
r a t h e r m o r e i g n o r a n t .
F o r i n s t a n c e , a h i r
e l i n g b e i n g p a i d o f f
m i g h t h a v e a C A P
o f o n l y 1 0 % , w h i l e
t h a t
o f a c l e r i c b e i n g
p a i d t o c a s t a s
p e l l w o u l d
d e p e n d o n h i s l e v e l
. T h e D M ? s d i s c r e t i o n
w i l l d e c i d e ; j u s t r
e m e m b e r t h a t a n y o n e ,
n o
m a t t e r h o w i g n o r a n t ,
w i l l a r r i v e a t s o m e
a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e i
t e m ? s v a l u e a n d h a g g l
e
f r o m t h e r e . I t i s
q u i t e p o s s i b l e t h a t a
p l a y e r
m i g h t f i n d a g e m
w o r t h 2 0 0 g p , a s s e s s
i t a t
3 0 0 g p , a n d u s e
i t t o p a y a m o n t
h ? s w a g e s
t o h i s a l c h e m i s t , w
h o t h i n k s i t ? s w o r t h
3 4 0
g p ! O f c o u r s e , t h e
a l c h e m i s t m i g h t e s t i m a t e
i t s w o r t h a t 8 0
g p , a n d g e t r a t h e r
u p s e t ; o r ,
b o t h c h a r a c t e r s c o u l d
a s s e s s i t a t a r o u n d
1 6 0 g p , c o m e t o
a p l e a s a n t a g r e e m e n t ,
a n d
b e t o t a l l y w r o n g . T
h e s y s t e m ? s m o s t a t t r
a c t i v e f e a t u r e i s t h e
e a s e w i t h w h i c h i t
a l l o w s
s u c h e s t i m a t e s t o b
e m a d e b y c h a r a c t e r s .
F r o m t i m e t o t i m e ,
c h a r a c t e r s m a y a l s o
w i s h t o s e l l m a g i c
i t e m s . T h i s w i l l o c c u
r
r e l a t i v e l y i n f r e q u e n t l y ;
n o n e t h e l e s s , i t b e h o o v e s
t h e D M t o h a v e s
o m e c o h e r e n t ,
c o n s i s t e n t s y s t e m t o
a l l o w f o r s u c h s a l e s .
F i r s t o f a l l , i t
w i l l f r e q u e n t l y b e d i
f f i c u l t t o
f i n d a . b u y e r . T h e
m a r k e t f o r m a g i c i t e m
s
w i l l b e q u i t e l i m i t
e d ; t h e r e w i l l n o t
b e a n y
m a g i c d e a l e r s o r m a
g i c s h o p s ( u n l e s s t h e
c a m p a i g n h a s s o m e s
e r i o u s b a l a n c e p r o b l e m s ) .
I n f a c t , n o o n e
w i l l e v e r b u y a
m a g i c
i t e m , e x c e p t p e r h a p s
a p o t i o n , w i t h t h e
i n t e n t i o n o f s e l l i n g
i t a g a i n . M a g i c i t e m s
w i l l b e p u r c h a s e d o
n l y b y t h o s e w h o
i n t e n d
t o u s e t h e m . I n
o r d e r t o s e l l o n e ,
a c h a r a c t e r m u s t f i n d
s o m e o n e w h o ( a ) w a n t s
t h e
i t e m , ( b ) c a n u s e
t h e i t e m , a n d ( c )
c a n
a f f o r d t h e i t e m . P l
a y e r s s h o u l d b e w a r e o
f
c a s u a l l y p u b l i c i z i n g t h e
f a c t t h a t t h e y h a v e
m a g i c a l g o o d s f o r s
a l e ; t h e r e a r e m a n y
w h o
w i l l j u s t a s c a s u a l
l y s t e a l o r k i l l
t o o b t a i n
such goods.
W i t h a b u y e r f o u n d ,
t h e i t e m c a n g e n e r a l l
y b e s o l d f o r a
p r i c e r o u g h l y e q u a l t
o t h a t
g i v e n i n t h e DMG,
pp. 121-125. The only
substantial variation in sale price occurs in
the sale of spell scrolls. A scroll will only be
bought by someone of the corresponding
class or subclass; in other words, an illusionist won?t buy a magic-user
scroll, and a magic-user won?t buy an illusionist scroll.
Furthermore, the price paid will depend on
the spell-caster?s status regarding that spell.
The base value of the scroll is that given in
the DMG (p. 121);
i.e., 300 gp per spell
level. Variations will be as follows:
1) Buyer can use the spell and has it in
spell book: 300 gp/level.
2) Buyer can use the spell and does not
have it in spell book: 600 gp/level.
3) Buyer not of high enough level to use
spell: Magic-user ? 600 gp/level; illusionist
? 500 gp/level; cleric/druid ? 300 gp/
level.
Case #1 includes any spell to which the
potential buyer has access; thus, for clerics
and druids it includes all of the spells
in the
Players Handbook that their level will allow
them to use.
Case #2 covers all spells of which the
buyer?s level will allow the use, but to which
the buyer has no access. For illusionists and
magic-users, this means that they don?t
have the spell in their books. For clerics
and
druids, it refers to any of the new official
spells (see Unearthed Arcana) which they
have not yet encountered and hence cannot
use
Case #3 is subdivided by class. Magicusers will pay more since (using
the write
spell) they can copy higher-level spells into
their books for use when they attain higher
e x p e r i e n c e l e v e l s . I l l u s
i o n i s t s w i l l n o t h a v e
t h i s o p t i o n . T h e y c
a n e i t h e r h a n g o n
t o t h e
s c r o l l u n t i l t h e y a
t t a i n t h e r e q u i s i t e l
e v e l , o r
e n g a g e i n t h e s o m e w
h a t r i s k y ( s e e DMG,
p.
128) business of casting a higher-level
spell
directly from the scroll.
Note that a magicuser without the write spell would be treated
as an illusionist for this purpose, since his
options would be identical. Also, in the
unlikely event that the magic-user already
has the spell in his books using write, case
#1 will apply.
Finally, clerics and druids pay the least
for such spells since they will be able to use
them automatically when they reach the
appropriate level. Therefore, the only use of
the scroll is in casting the spell directly from
it (again, rather risky). Note that the new
official spells mentioned above do not affect
this case; after all, if a cleric can?t use thirdlevel spells, then
he?s not going to know that
meld into stone is a third-level spell that he
won?t be able to use even when he can use
the third-level spells ? if you see what I
mean.
Using this system, a scroll will be worth
different amounts to different buyers. A
multiple-spell scroll will require a little work
in calculating its value, but in any balanced
campaign, characters will seek to sell such
an item very rarely, if at all. An example
might be a scroll with the spells burning
hands, forget, and teleport. If the magicuser was
9th level and knew all of these
spells, he would pay 300 gp per spell level.
for a total of 2,400 gp. If he was 9th level
and only knew forget, then he would pay
300 gp/level for that spell (600 gp), and 600
gp/level for the others (600 gp and 3,000
gp) for a total of 4,200 gp. If he was 2nd
level, knew none of the spells, and didn?t
know write, he would offer (600 gp x 1) +
(500 gp x 2) + (500 gp x 5) = 4,100 gp
?if he had that much.
How much money does a potential buyer
have to offer? How much will such a character offer? Often,
NPCs will have been
developed to a greater or lesser degree by
the DM and these questions can be answered immediately. Generally,
though,
when the players have tracked down a
potential buyer, he is only momentarily
involved in the campaign, and rarely has a
developed personality or a given amount of
cash.
In such cases, some simple guidelines will
suffice. First of all, it is not logical for characters to be able
to assess magic items in the
same manner as valuable non-magical
items. After all, it would be unusual for any
character to encounter, say a cloak of the
manta ray more than once in a lifetime.
How could an assessment be made of its
value? The easiest (and fairest) system is
simply that a character trying to sell such an
item will be offered a fair price (true value,
give or take 10%), or will be turned down if
the object is not wanted or cannot be afforded. The maximum
amount of cash, in
coin, gems, or whatever, that a random
NPC has available at a given time is hereby
assumed to be 500 gp times the square of
his level (multi-classed characters and those
with two classes use their highest level). The
actual amount could be determined by
multiplying this maximum by a percentile
roll (or perhaps just d4 x 20%, if the maximum seems too high).
For example, a 5th-level thief is encountered. The maximum amount of
cash she
could have is 5 × 5 × 500 = 12,500 gp; a
percentile roll reads 52, so she actually has
6,500 gp. Characters encountered adventuring will usually have only
2%-20% of their
maximum ? or else they wouldn?t be adventuring. A character who did
not have
enough money to make a fair offer for an
item, but who did want the item, might
offer services to the player as part or all of
the payment; then again, he or she might
just try to steal it.
At any rate, the use of some or all of the
suggestions presented above should add to
the realism of the campaign without causing
any undue delay in play. It is hoped that the
use of these ideas will allow for some ?social
interaction? gaming, which is sadly lacking
in most campaigns. Player characters
should not be able to simply say, ?We?ll sell
the necklace,? and get cash up front equal
to its full value. Force them to haggle! Let
them get ripped off! Let them rip people off
now and then, too! The business of buying
and selling can and should be an adventure
in itself.