> So I'm at the store and the merchant does his Convince Buyer feat
on
> me, say at 10W and all I've got to resist with is my puny default
14
> resistance?
So long as what you are bargaining for or with is related to one of your magics, I'd allow that as a defense. That is, I'd allow 'allfather" or "allmother" as a defense against getting ripped when bartering normal goods, combat when talking weapons, etc. Your god knew those things well, so as his/her follower you not easily conned about them. I'd also allow profession key words, in some cases cultural key words (you know what a cow is worth), and relevant mundane abilities, but in those cases it would have to be more directly linked than with affinities. And yah, a warrior selling some ivory carvings to buy a load of grain may get ripped off--of course.
Once I've left that store I'm not going back there
> again.
Store???? What is this "Store" of which you speak??
OK, I shouldn't lock myself into a Heortling perspective, but I'll do that one first.
It is noted in the issaries cult that they are required to treat their own (I forget if it is their tribe or all orlanthi) fairly, but that outsiders are fair game.
More importantly, for the most part you just don't go to market that way. You'd send your clan trader normally, or if you were at market and not a trader yourself, you'd get a clan or tribal trader to do negotiations for you (and you'd owe them a favor). Remember that for the most part you own almost nothing significant in your own name with which to bargain anyway, only the trader authorized by the clan can do any significant agreements.
>
> I can see augments as being par for the course but I still don't
> think using the full blown magical abilities would be looked on
that
> fondly.
I don't think (but am amenable to being convinced otherwise) that you can tell the difference, either in casting or through senses when they are being used.
The difference is that you're being forced to do something
> rather than convinced to do it. If I'm outsmarted by a savvy
> salesman that's one thing, I'll be annoyed and mad but I won't be
> tempted to revenge.
Notice that Issaries magic, and anything related i've seen, has been of the form "convince seller, convince buyer" not "make sucker take leave of his senses" The abilities may be magical in origin, but I think they function much as mundane abilities too. And as the "proud" possessor of two carpets bought in morroco when I had NO interest in buying carpets (and certainly not in paying about 5 times as much as I should have for them), I can assure you that a good salesman with no magical augments can leave you wondering what the hell you were doing, how did he convince me of that, and wishing for revenge. (yah, next time I'm in Tetouan I'm going back there....and not paying more than double what I should!)
Now if I'm another merchant let the magic fly by
> all means. Just don't pick on the marks too.
If you go to a particular merchant and he rips you off, of course next time you choose someone else. Ripping off strangers is par for the course, get as much from them as you can while they are in town. But for potential repeat customers? Magic or not, I still think they have to consider what a reasonable price is. This is why nobody trusts itinerant merchants, they have no relationship with you, no reason for you to trust them, or for them to treat you well.
Which is not to say they won't use magic. You may still choose to
use "convince seller" to convince someone to sell to you, for a
reasonable price, instead of shopping around first and maybe ending
up somewhere else.
>
> Of course if this kind of magic is pretty undetectable then there's
> no reason why they couldn't do it. Other than say the fact that
> magical effects wear off. 10 minutes later I'm left wondering why I
> bought the damned thing and how do I get my money back. Not a
> problem with using augmented mundane abilities where I just curse
> myself for my stupidity.
I don't think there is a "the magic wears off effect" The magic affected his words and presentation, not your mind. So he was supernaturally glib, and so persuaded you. Other than perhaps having noticed that he was using magic, I don't think there is any way you could tell this.
>
> It'd be kind of sad if traders, etc. felt tempted to use their big
> guns every time they tried to sell something. There's probably
> plenty of "moral guidelines" as to when and where you use magic.
> Just because you have doesn't mean you have to use it all the time.
>
Fair comment. I suspect that a lot of that has to do with the
virtues of your god or spirit or church. Back to the Heortlings,
Issaries is the god of communication, not of greed. If you use your
magic in a way that makes people distrustful of merchants and less
likely to talk or trade, you are probably going to suffer for it.
ACtually, I think the harder part is narrating the effects of this sort of magic. Players are apt to get upset if the narrator rolls dice and then announces "You decided that it was worth offering a weeks service to him as well as the horse to get that sword."
-Bryan
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