The Merchant Says No, But…

The gear and equipment tip the other day drew a large response.

In the Roleplaying Tips Discord, for example, Game Master Ian offers this idea:

re: Double prices then mine their gear.

I think a better way is not to change prices but availability.

There’s a system in ACKS that restricts the number of items available according to cost and settlement size, e.g. an item worth 1gp (like a 10′ pole) may have infinite amounts in a big city but only a dozen or so in a small village.

Great tip, thanks Ian.

I support anything that makes equipment more valuable and interesting for gameplay.

Restricting availability or making certain gear rare definitely checks that box.

Riffing off Ian’s tip, here are a few ideas for our campaigns:

  1. Secret Handshake. The merchant’s out of stock…unless you know the secret code. A villain’s lieutenant is tasked with changing the code weekly.
  2. Backorders. Sold out! But there’s a waitlist the character can put their name on. A deposit is needed, and the list gets inspected daily by corrupt guards to see who’s buying the weird stuff like thieves’ tools.
  3. I’m With the Band. Only a certain faction’s members get access or a good price. Faction enemies get turned away or reported immediately.
  4. Bring Your Own. Sure, the smith can forge it. But his charcoal and tin are spoken for by the Crown. Bring him these essentials and he’ll craft the cleric’s hammer.
  5. Scooped! A rival party just finished buying the merchant’s last one. Should the characters confront them, the NPCs might just decide to scoop up the entire region’s supply out of spite.
  6. Black Market. The item can only be found in a dangerous, secretive marketplace the party must discover and win entry to.

I mention that last one about underworld markets because I published a PDF all about one: The Bale Ghoul Bazaar.

It’s a black market run by intelligent ghouls in tunnels beneath a ruined city. Each merchant in it sells something the party can’t get above. Resurrections, alchemy, artifacts, information. And every merchant wants something in return that costs more than coin.

Inside the PDF you get:

  • Six fully-plotted merchant NPCs, each with a hidden agenda and threads that tangle with each other.
  • Four d20 tables: ghoul stash specialties, ghoul special needs and payment demands, quirks, and horrifying lair contents.
  • The ghouls’ trading code: Rules that make negotiation dangerous instead of transactional.
  • The whole bazaar laid out as a 5 Room Dungeon so you can run it as an adventure site, not just a shop.

With The Bale Ghoul Bazaar, shopping turns into adventure, puzzles, and roleplay. Your players march in wanting a magic sword, and they walk out in debt, encumbered by a terrible secret, or one eye lighter.

Become a CampaignCraft member today to get it and add a wonderful black market to your next session.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
Have more fun at every game!

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