Judging loot's value

[GWJ]

How it can be done? I know what skills - but what rules? 10% lower/higher price than the market one if failure?

[Bruno]

If it has special qualities and you haven't identified them (Fine, enchantments, etc) you'll be getting something like the base price, not the actual value. Those knowledge skills are really important when it comes to pricing loot.

[Bruno]

In general, I don't require a roll to get the list price of things that are standard, mundane, regular list items. 10' poles, swords that are in shop-quality condition, etc.

I'll give a general comment if it's in terrible shape, or decorated and pretty, or if someone with Magery detects magic on it, but without rolling I don't give any $$ hints. Any modifiers I require the usual rolls to identify precisely, and I include the "usual" value as part of that. They can infer rusty swords are probably not going to sell well, but without rolling they won't find out that it's rusty but actually Fine and an Armory roll at -4 and $200 on materials will fix it right up to Fine quality again.

[Bruno]

Continuing because apparently I can't complete my thoughts today:

If it's something like gemstones or art, which aren't casually identifiable and don't have a list price, they get zero information about price if they fail their Merchant roll. "You don't know."
If they critically fail, I lie my head off.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by GWJ

How it can be done? I know what skills - but what rules? 10% lower/higher price than the market one if failure?

I go with a binary, they either know or don't know... but if I wanted to 'make it interesting" I'd probably do 3d6% times MoF and then flip a coin for over/under.

Generally it's meant to be completely up the GM's whim as to how far off the mark the Pcs are in evaluating their treasure.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by GWJ

How it can be done? I know what skills - but what rules? 10% lower/higher price than the market one if failure?

See Identifying the Good Stuff, exploits 24-25 and Determining Value. You assume the item's value is equal to the properties you were able to identify.

[zuljita]

So the rules are pretty straightforward: you need to make a relevant connoisseur roll to identify all the features, once you know what the item IS, you roll vs merchant to properly guess what the item is worth. each point of margin of failure loses you 10% of the item's value in the guesstimating process.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by zuljita

So the rules are pretty straightforward: you need to make a relevant connoisseur roll to identify all the features, once you know what the item IS, you roll vs merchant to properly guess what the item is worth. each point of margin of failure loses you 10% of the item's value in the guesstimating process.

That is nowhere in DFPRG. That's basically GJW's point.

The only things that are covered in DFRPG is once you make the evaluation Merchant roll, if you fail the GM lies and errs on the "low side". No hard numbers at all.

[GWJ]

Yeah, that's my problem - I don't know how much. And if selling price is (40% of) lower value of estimated price and market price - it's rather important :)

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by GWJ

Yeah, that's my problem - I don't know how much. And if selling price is (40% of) lower value of estimated price and market price - it's rather important :)

I use a very wide range. I take precedent from the amount that wealth levels affect prices. So it's easily possible that a PC might undervalue something by 50% or more. Depends on the item, obviously, and how many of its valuable elements they've identified.

I usually keep all non-monetary loot in a spreadsheet with entries for the "real" value (whatever that means) and whatever they think it's worth. Whenever they sell things I calculate based on their estimate and the wealth level of the seller (modified for unusual conditions as needed).

For my old GURPS 3e game in the '90s and early '00s, I built an online database that tracked loot, who was carrying it, and magical items. Every property was private to the GM unless I unlocked it for the PC to see on their description. They could print a summary page plus little "item cards" that would fit in a Magic Card sleeves in their character binders so they could have all their special items available and easily swap them around the table. Those were the days! I don't have the resources that I once had for this sort of thing. (I'm poorer, busier, and have far less discretionary time... but someday the kids will go to college, right?)