Fair Market Prices
In Reclaim the Wild, shopkeepers buy low, and sell high. This simple economic strategy can be rough on Heroes: unless they haggle, they’ll find that their goods sell for half the Market Price, and that they buy goods at twice the Market Price.
This disparity means that Heroes are encouraged to seek out the specific Materials and items that they need, and to craft their own equipment. Buying things from a merchant is a way to get around shortfalls, or to profit from items that you otherwise won’t use, but shouldn’t be your first choice to source your gear.
However, this economic system adds complexity and difficulty to shopping trips. It expects Heroes to haggle for their goods, which can take valuable time away from a session of play. It also encourages Heroes to seek out one-for-one trades instead of simply accepting and using Rupees, which can add complexity to trade interactions.
If you want a kinder, gentler economy for your game, then consider the following rule:
All Equipment, Items, and Materials are bought and sold for their Market Price. Further, we recommend that you disallow further Haggling over prices.
This means that you can easily trade Materials one-for-one using Rupees – for example, Washed Wool sells for 20 Rupees, and Tykogi Iron costs 20 Rupees. An easy – and now, lossless – swap to make!
This does not preclude Heroes from using their Influence to try and get better rewards from people seeking help. At the GM’s discretion, it may not even prevent Heroes from Haggling over prices at all. However, be aware that if you allow Heroes to sell items for more than their Market Price, or to buy them for less, less-scrupulous players may attempt to make infinite money.