Monday, November 27, 2017

Bazaar of the Bizarre: Merchants & Open Market Stalls

Sometimes my players decide to "go shopping" at the nearest open market, with very little warning. This forces me to generate a quick number of merchants and temporary shops on the go. Personally I suspect my players do this just to see if they can catch me unprepared, or to perhaps catch that momentary glimpse of panic in my eyes on the rare occasion.

The following tables are provided as a simple guide. You don't have to roll on all the tables for each stall visited, as some results will help you decide on other aspects of each shop yourself. Completely random results could easily contradict each other, so use common sense.

The merchant is selling from:
  1. A small foot drawn/push cart
  2. A wagon
  3. Under a tent
  4. Rugs on the ground
  5. A semi-permanent stall
  6. A permanent stall

Source of Merchandise:
  1. Merchant makes/grows themselves
  2. Merchant outsources
  3. Business partner - Legitimate
  4. Merchant buys and trades elsewhere
  5. Merchant buys and trades locally
  6. It's best not to ask

Quality of Merchandise/Consumables:
  1. New / fresh
  2. Like new / still good
  3. Used / still usable
  4. Poor / questionable
  5. Bad / barely usable
  6. Trash / unsafe

Initial Asking Prices:
  1. Fair market value
  2. Slightly high
  3. Slightly low
  4. Insultingly high
  5. Priced to sell quickly
  6. Reasonable offers accepted / Haggling welcome

Merchant is doing:
  1. Bustling, selling out quickly!
  2. Brisk business
  3. Average, as to be expected
  4. Slow day
  5. Very slow day, needs sales
  6. Practically being shunned

Merchant's Appearance:
  1. Well-dressed
  2. Modestly attired
  3. Plainly attired
  4. Obviously a hired worker
  5. A foreigner
  6. A beggar

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