If I was a merchant I'd already know how to barter and I'd wear boots of speed to outrun bandits, or boots of strength so I could carry more goods around.
Now if I was a skeleton I would NEED barter boots or NOBODY in town would buy my cave-mould!
YOU SIR NEED TO STEP OUT OF THE BOX!
EDIT: Also, you can craft items. I mean.. how far into the game have you got before you popped on here to complain about such a thing as "random loot".
I disliked how in BG1/2 etc, I KNEW what I was getting and it was a total joke after a few playthroughs - it made it impossible to play through the first couple hours of the game more then once or twice knowing I could predict every possible outcome.
In the long run you will like random loot, if not, you aren't in it for the long run anyway.
