Originally Posted by Tuco
Originally Posted by robertthebard
The problem is that I understand it all too well. Your easily exploited system isn't any better than what we have now, and, in fact, could be worse. I mean, it's not like anyone's going to roll up a bard, sorc or warlock with max charisma, right?
See? As I said, you don't understand the (suggested) system you are commenting on.

You made your mental imagine of how it would work, automatically assumed the least charitable scenario possible and ran away with it.
No one AT ANY POINT implied that JUST having high charisma would be enough to get a maximized discount.

A higher starting charisma would presumedly net to the player few additional percentage points, as a baseline to build over with reputation and accomplishments (i.e. doing the merchant a favor with a quest, etc).
Or maybe charisma may just net a greater gain of reputation/attitude points over time (i.e. every reputation point would be multiplied for a factor derived by your charisma. Like 1 reputation point at 10 CHA would become 1.8 reputation points at CHA 18 and so on).

But the funniest thing is that even assuming the worst case scenario, as you already did, you'd be WRONG anyway, because even a system where prices were fixed according to a character's charisma and that would be the end of it, would STILL be an improvement in stability and usability over the current one where prices fluctuate wildly in the most gimmicky way, and the only pre-requirement to get maxed reputation is gifting some pocket change to the merchant upfront, turning him instantly in your "best friend for life".

And none of this addresses the issue of having to do the little inventory dance between characters to maximize profits, anyway.

So, you're not doing anything to gain access to these merchants? What's your secret? Last I checked, we're working pretty solidly on our party rep by actually gaining entry into the Grove. I chose to not comment on this because I figured you'd "get it", but obviously, I have given you too much credit. Under your system, you've already got your foot in the door for those discounts, and improved selling prices, but I suspect that you already know this, and that that's the idea. Under the current system, you have to give a little to get a little, under your system, you can sell everything you pick up for a profit, instead of bartering away some of it to get those discounts/bonuses.

Inventory management has been a thing since cRPGs have been a thing, it's part of the game. We had it in all of the BG games, and in all of the IWD games, in all of the NWN games, hell, we even have it in MMOs. You can solve this "dilemma" on your own, by simply looting with the character you want doing the selling. If you're picking up everything that isn't nailed down, then yes, you're going to have to have to move some of that inventory over to other characters, and back at a shop. Guess what, no matter what, you're going to be doing that because encumbrance is a thing. Yes, making it a party wide deal would help things, but the problem is that for you this is a package deal, and the rest of your package doesn't do anything to combat what you've stated the problem is, an influx of money. In fact, it creates more of an influx, in items that are no longer bartered off for influence with the merchant, since they can now just be sold. How is that going to combat this influx of money?