[tbone]

Thanks for all the thoughts. Lots of ways the agent/delver monetary relationship could work... which makes perfect sense.

Overall, I think a per-party modest retainer fee, plus some cut of dungeon loot, is a likely combination – though, as noted, it requires the agent to trust that the delvers are reporting all treasure. (They don't need the agent at all to sell gold and gems.) If reporting loot is really a problem, agents might insist on embedding a watchful henchman in the delving party.

Maybe the most workable setup would an agreement by which the PCs pay:

1) A small monthly retainer to funnel leads to the PCs
2) A fee for each dungeon the PCs accept (higher fee if the agent helps with shopping, research, etc.)
3) Any other relevant expenses fronted by the agent
4) After returning, a portion of any loot sold with the agent's help

4) could also be an agreed-upon flat amount, similar to the flat amount returned to sponsors (as TBC noted). The difference is only that a sponsor initially puts up money, while an agent puts up time and services (and maybe some money).

Overall, though, I imagine agents would skew heavily toward getting the money up front. They'd know better than anyone that delvers can fail to reach a dungeon, or change course mid-trip to chase some other rumor, or die in the dungeon, or hide the good loot from the agent, or just run off to a new town with all the loot.


Side thought: Where an agent could really make a difference is in DFRPG, if the PCs are poor and the agent is rich. The Wealth difference would mean a BIG jump in income from selling loot, at least part of which would come back to the PCs.

But... I think that'd be a big violation of the intent of DFRPG's Wealth rules. IIRC, low Wealth is defined as a lack of good contacts for commerce – i.e., the PCs don't have an agent who can sell high. If they did, they wouldn't have low Wealth.