Quote:
Originally Posted by FeiLin
What I mean is that making a counterproposal that is sufficiently large, the merchant will go straight to the limits outlined in bold... That’s what I’m trying to emulate: haggling situations with high stakes and high uncertainty.
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Snipping a little out here, but I wanted to touch on this point. I've spent a touch of time around markets where haggling (negotiating) is popular or expected and a big part of it is that the negotiations are the point of the whole interaction. Fixed prices are for box stores and tourists who just want a souvenier. Also, the GURPS skill check sequence is a huge simplification of a pretty long and involved discussion that includes asking for more, for less, adding in another item for a discount on both, offering token gifts, stroking egos, begging hardships, and on and on. And that's not even getting into the initial or subsequent reaction rolls.
Anyway, the notion of an outrageous counterproposal to a merchant's offer is simply a refusal to negotiate. That's where the GM critical thinking skills are so key because it's important to read that kind of situation and react appropriately which is to have the merchant go to a fixed price (not necessarily their limits or 'best price', they are likely insulted after all) and not move off of it. This yahoo isn't interested in playing, or doesn't know how to play the negotiation game so they get the sticker price.
To go immediately to the edge case and use it to shortcut the spirit of the negotiation sequence, then don't use that rule and go with a straightforward quick contest of merchant rolls and call it a day. Whatever doodad there is has a value determined by the GM, maybe only the players know its true worth and are lowballing (cool!), or know it's worth way more than it looks like and need to convince that merchant (fun!), and if everyone is on the level then pay attention to the spirit of the rules or don't use them if you're going to intentionally break them.
@Varyon, yeah the reaction chart has been discussed before as having some odd results out on the edges. But it's kinda fun to justify post-roll how that bad of a result came about. I could totally see the '0' result as the PC's roll into a shop to buy a $2k necklace for a buck. PC's not seeing that another customer is there, who's delicate negotiations have been interrupted, the merchant has now been insulted in front of a valued customer and possibly ruined an important deal. Word might spread that merchant is a chump who can't negotiate. In that ask for a buck, they also used (un)intentionally a slur, profanity, or insult at the merchant and/or their stock.
Banned from the shop!