Negotiation is a delicate art, but it can prove essential for player characters (PCs) who wish to obtain discounts on their purchases or increase the value of their sales.
The Art of Negotiation
Each time a character wants to negotiate a price, a Charisma (CHA) test is performed. This test determines if the PC can reduce the price of an item when buying or increase its value when selling.
The Game Master (GM) sets the difficulty of the test based on several factors, such as the relationship between the character and the merchant, the rarity of the item, and the group's reputation in the area.
This test is unique for each item or service and can only be attempted once per item.
The resale price of an item is set at 50% (half) of its value.
Price Reductions and Increases
If the Charisma test is successful, the PC benefits from a price reduction or increase, depending on whether it is a purchase or a sale.
To simplify the calculation, a 25% reduction (or one-quarter) of the base price is granted for a successful purchase, and a 25% increase is applied for sales. The results are always rounded in favor of the merchant.
In the case of a critical success, the reduction or increase is doubled. Thus, a PC who achieves a critical success when buying will see the item's price reduced by half, and when selling, they can obtain up to 100% of the item's initial purchase value.
Purchase:
Reduced Price = Purchase Price - (Purchase Price x 25%) or Purchase Price x 0.75
Critical Reduced Price = Purchase Price ÷ 2
Sale:
Resale Price = Purchase Price ÷ 2
Increased Price = Resale Price + (Resale Price x 25%) or Resale Price x 1.25
Critical Increased Price = Purchase Price without loss
The Consequences of Failure
If the negotiation test fails, no reduction or increase in price can be applied. The character must accept the merchant's standard price, and the transaction will be completed without further negotiation for that item.
However, a critical failure not only ends the current negotiation but also prevents any future attempts to negotiate with that merchant for the rest of the day.
Application Example
Let's imagine a PC wants to buy weapon worth 200 NX. The GM sets the Charisma test difficulty at 14, taking into account the group's reputation and the relationship between the PC and the merchant.
- Scenario 1: The PC succeeds with a score of 16. They receive a 25% discount on the purchase, reducing the weapon's price from 200 NX to 150 NX (rounded in favor of the merchant).
- Scenario 2: The PC rolls a natural 20. They achieve a critical success, reducing the price by 50%. The player can now buy the weapon for 100 NX.
- Scenario 3: The PC fails with a score of 11, below the difficulty set by the GM. The negotiation fails, and the weapon must be purchased at its full price of 200 NX without a discount.
- Scenario 4: The PC rolls a natural 1, resulting in a critical failure. Not only does the price remain at 200 NX, but the merchant refuses any further negotiation attempts for the rest of the day.