Where I Am Now - a look at the current state of my design

Venturing further into the bizarre, I have here a more recent bit of design. It's the Sales check mechanic, originally from an issue of MODERNIZED. It is definitely not game-practical (as in, I cannot forsee any right-minded group implementing the mechanic) but it served as a fun exercise in putting mundane real-world tasks into d20 terms.


THE SALES CHECK
Salespeople of all kind exist to convince you to buy the products and services they have to offer. In d20 terms, this is accomplished by using the Sales check. Salespeople can be either honest or shifty; thus a Sales check is either a Diplomacy or a Bluff check. The DC for a Sales check is determined by adding the Purchase DC of the product or service to the target customer’s Will save modifier. This DC is further modified by the factors listed below. Success on a Sales check raises the target customer’s attitude towards the product or service by one step (most customers are assumed to begin at Indifferent towards any given product or service). For every 5 points above the DC, the customer’s attitude improves by an additional step, up to “Helpful,” which means the customer is enthusiastic and quite willing to buy the product. Failing the check fails to adjust the customer’s attitude towards the product. Rolling a critical failure (1) results in actually lowering the customer’s opinion of the product or service by one step. Note that a Sales check is different than making a Diplomacy check to raise a character’s attitude towards another character.

Using the Bluff skill to make a Sales check has its risks. Like any Bluff attempt, the customer is allowed to make an Sense Motive check (against the Sales check) to detect the dishonesty. The consequences of a successful Sense Motive check are up to the GM, but typically, the customer will gain a negative opinion of the Salesperson that renders any Sales checks useless.

One’s attitude towards a product or service is not a guarantee that one will purchase it. Thus, even the best Sales check doesn’t always result in a sale. Despite the seeming futility of salesmanship, some still strive to excel at it.

Factors That Affect Sales Checks DCs

Customer's attitude towards product
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2


Customer's attitude towards salesperson
for each attitude level better than Indifferent: -2
for each attitude level worse than Indifferent: +2

Customer's Wealth bonus is...
higher than the Purchase DC of the product: -2
1-10 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +2
11-15 points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +4
16+ points lower than the product's Purchase DC: +6

Customer could not afford product even by taking 20 on the Wealth check: +8

Customer is in dire need of the product: -2 to -8 (GM's discretion)


FEATS FOR THE ENTERPRISING SALESPERSON

Product Knowledge
Benefit: Choose a Knowledge skill that the salesperson has at least 5 ranks in and is applicable to a product or service the salesperson sells. He or she receives a +2 synergy bonus on all Sales checks when selling products or services applicable to that Knowledge skill. This bonus only applies to Sales checks made using Diplomacy.
Special: This talent may be taken multiple times. Each time it applies to a new Knowledge skill.

Tailor the Sale
Benefit: By engaging in a brief bit of conversation, the salesperson can find out a bit of information about the target customer. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation and succeeding at a Gather Information check (DC 15) yields some very basic information about the customer: their interests, their lifestyle, and a general idea of their Wealth. Such information earns the salesperson a +1 insight bonus to Sales checks against that customer. The salesperson can opt to continue this information-gathering conversation; for each additional minute spent talking, the insight bonus for the successful Gather Information check increases by 1. This bonus can increase no higher than 5.

Aggrandizement
Benefit: The salesperson may attempt to make a product or service seem better than it actually is. Engaging in at least 1 minute of conversation with a customer and making a successful Bluff check grants the salesperson a +1 circumstance bonus on Sales checks against that customer for a particular product or service. The salesperson may use this ability several times in succession, each time increasing the circumstance bonus by 1, but never higher than 5.

Price Flubbing
Benefit: The salesperson is experienced with making prices seem lower than they actually are. When the salesperson uses Bluff to make a Sales check, he or she may "lower" the Purchase DC of the product by any amount(this in turn lowers the Sales DC). On a successful Sales check, the customer is thus mislead about the price of the product or service. The customer may gain a bonus on his or her Sense Motive check at the GM's discretion; this bonus is an amount equal to the difference between the actual Purchase DC of the product and the flubbed Purchase DC. Using this ability has its risks; while it may make Sales checks easier, the customer might be very surprised when confronted with the actual price.

The above game mechanics are open game content under the terms of the OGL.