💰 Barter represents a character’s understanding of trade, markets, and resource negotiation in the Wasteland. It governs buying and selling goods, appraising value, recognizing trade opportunities, and negotiating resource-based deals.
Barter reflects market awareness, supply and demand knowledge, logistics and trade routes, and the ability to negotiate using goods rather than words.
Barter does not create demand where none exists, replace 💬 Speech for persuasion or deception, or override world scarcity.
Buying and Selling
When the party trades with a merchant:
- Choose the goods to buy or sell.
- The GM determines the starting price tier based on demand and reputation.
- One character may roll a Barter Test for the entire transaction.
Only one Barter Test is made per transaction.
Price Tiers
All prices are determined by a single Price Tier that modifies the item’s base value. The tier is determined by local demand, your reputation with the merchant, and your Barter Test result.
| Tier | Buy Multiplier | Sell Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Exploitative | ×2.0 | ×0.3 |
| Bad | ×1.6 | ×0.4 |
| Standard | ×1.2 | ×0.5 |
| Favorable | ×1.0 | ×0.6 |
| Wholesale | ×0.8 | ×0.8 |
| Insider | ×0.6 | ×1.0 |
| Premium | ×0.5 | ×1.3 |
Buy Multiplier affects the price you pay (lower = cheaper). Sell Multiplier affects the price you receive (higher = more caps).
Final Price = Base Item Value × Tier Modifier
Determining the Starting Tier
The starting tier begins at Standard and is shifted by two factors: Local Demand and Reputation. These shifts are added together.
Local Demand
Each settlement has demand states for different item categories. The GM assigns demand states based on the settlement’s situation, resources, and needs.
| Demand State | Buy Tier Shift | Sell Tier Shift | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Useless | +2 (very cheap to buy) | Refused | No value here |
| Oversupplied | +1 (cheaper) | -1 (they don’t need it) | Too common locally |
| Normal | 0 | 0 | Stable market |
| Desired | -1 (more expensive) | +1 (they want it) | Actively needed |
| Critical | -2 (very expensive) | +2 (they desperately need it) | Desperate shortage |
Example Settlement Demand Profiles
| Settlement | High Demand | Low Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Farming Town | Ammo, Tools | Food |
| Ghoul Settlement | Chems | RadAway |
| Brotherhood Bunker | Food, Tech | Chems |
| Raider Camp | Ammo, Chems | Luxury goods |
| Vault | Medical Supplies, Power | Scrap |
Useless Goods
When demand is Useless, merchants will refuse to buy the goods entirely. Barter cannot bypass this under normal circumstances.
The Salesman perk allows you to attempt selling Useless goods by making a Barter Test to shift the demand state up by 1 tier (from Useless to Oversupplied) for that transaction.
Reputation
Your reputation with a merchant (or their faction/settlement) shifts the starting tier.
| Reputation | Tier Shift |
|---|---|
| Hostile | -2 |
| Distrusted | -1 |
| Neutral | 0 |
| Friendly | +1 |
| Allied | +2 |
Reputation is determined by the GM based on your actions, faction affiliations, and history with the merchant or their community.
Calculating the Starting Tier
Starting Tier = Standard + Demand Shift + Reputation Shift
Tier shifts are capped by the Price Tier table — you cannot shift above Premium or below Exploitative.
Example: Buying a Stimpak (Base Value 50 caps)
Settlement has Desired demand for medical supplies (-1). You have Friendly reputation (+1). Demand and reputation cancel out: Standard + (-1) + (+1) = Standard starting tier.
Example: Selling Purified Water (Base Value 20 caps) to a Desperate Town
Settlement has Critical demand for water (+2 sell). You have Neutral reputation (0). Starting tier: Standard + 2 + 0 = Wholesale starting tier for selling.
The Barter Test
After the GM determines the starting tier, one character may roll a Barter Test to improve (or worsen) the price.
The Barter Test is an Opposed Test:
Your CHA + 💰 Barter vs Merchant’s CHA + Barter
Different merchants have different Barter skills. A desperate scavenger is easy to haggle with. A seasoned trader is not.
Barter Test Results
| Result | Tier Shift |
|---|---|
| CRIT | +2 tiers in your favor |
| Success | +1 tier in your favor |
| Failure | No change |
| CRITFAIL | -1 tier against you |
The maximum shift from a single Barter Test is ±2 tiers from the starting tier.
Complete Price Calculation
- Look up the item’s Base Value from equipment tables
- Determine Local Demand for the item’s category at this settlement
- Determine your Reputation with the merchant
- Calculate Starting Tier (Standard + Demand Shift + Reputation Shift)
- Apply Milestone Floors (Market Savvy: starting tier cannot be below Standard)
- Roll Barter Test (Opposed: CHA + Barter vs Merchant’s CHA + Barter)
- Shift tier based on result
- Final Price = Base Value × Tier Modifier
Price Calculation Examples
Buying Example
Buying a Combat Knife (Base Value: 80 caps). Settlement has Normal demand for weapons (0). You have Neutral reputation (0). You have Market Savvy.
- Starting tier: Standard + 0 + 0 = Standard
- Barter Test: Success (+1) → Favorable
- Final price: 80 × 1.0 = 80 caps
Same scenario without Market Savvy, Hostile reputation, failed Barter Test:
- Starting tier: Standard + 0 + (-2) = Exploitative
- Barter Test: Failure (0) → Exploitative
- Final price: 80 × 2.0 = 160 caps
Selling Example
Selling Purified Water (Base Value: 20 caps) to a desperate settlement. Critical demand for water (+2 sell). Allied reputation (+2).
- Starting tier: Standard + 2 + 2 = Insider
- Barter Test: Success (+1) → Premium
- Final price: 20 × 1.3 = 26 caps
The player sells above base value because the settlement is desperate and trusts them completely.
Worst Case Example
Buying Ammo (Base Value: 30 caps) from a hostile settlement during a shortage. Critical demand (-2 buy). Hostile reputation (-2). No Barter investment. CRITFAIL.
- Starting tier: Standard + (-2) + (-2) = Standard - 4 → Exploitative (floor)
- Barter Test: CRITFAIL (-1) → Cannot go below Exploitative
- Final price: 30 × 2.0 = 60 caps
Selling Above Base Value
When demand is Critical or Desired and reputation is positive, sell prices can exceed the item’s base value at higher tiers:
| Tier | Sell Multiplier | 20 cap item sells for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | ×0.5 | 10 caps |
| Favorable | ×0.6 | 12 caps |
| Wholesale | ×0.8 | 16 caps |
| Insider | ×1.0 | 20 caps (base value) |
| Premium | ×1.3 | 26 caps (above base) |
Reaching Premium tier requires strong demand, strong reputation, and a good Barter roll. It represents the ideal convergence of market conditions and personal relationships.
Bulk Trading
Trading 10 or more units of the same item in a single transaction counts as a Bulk Trade. Bulk trades gain +1 tier to the starting tier.
Bulk trading becomes more effective with:
- Caravans (transport large quantities between settlements)
- Warehouses (store goods safely to accumulate bulk quantities)
- The Businessman milestone (Barter +7), which grants an additional +1 tier on bulk trades and unlocks access to trade assets
Multiple Currencies
The Wasteland uses many forms of currency:
- Caps — the most widely accepted currency
- Scrap — valued by crafters and settlements
- Brotherhood Scrip — accepted only at Brotherhood bunkers
Currency Exchange
When exchanging between currencies, a base loss applies:
| Exchange Context | Base Loss |
|---|---|
| Accepted currency | 0% |
| Unfamiliar currency | -20% |
| Desperate exchange | -40% |
A successful Barter Test can reduce exchange losses. The Businessman milestone (Barter +7) eliminates base currency exchange losses entirely.
Barter Milestones
Barter +3: Market Savvy
- Your starting price tier cannot be below Standard, regardless of demand or reputation
- You are immune to markups, outsider penalties, and arbitrary price manipulation
- Merchants cannot arbitrarily misrepresent value to you
- You can automatically recognize whether prices are bad, fair, or good
Note: Market Savvy protects your starting tier. A CRITFAIL on the Barter Test can still drop your final tier below Standard (to Bad). Market Savvy prevents exploitation by merchants — it does not prevent fumbling your own negotiation.
Barter +5: Buy Low, Sell High
- When trading goods affected by local scarcity or surplus (demand state other than Normal), you gain Advantage on Barter Tests
- You can identify item categories and regional price trends
- You can always sell items for at least scrap value, even if demand is Oversupplied
Barter +7: Businessman / Businesswoman
- You automatically detect settlement demand states without testing
- Bulk trades gain an additional +1 tier (total +2 with the base bulk bonus)
- You may buy, rent, or lease trade assets (caravans, vehicles, warehouses)
- You may enter binding trade contracts and bulk agreements
- Currency exchanges have no base loss
Barter +10: Market Mastermind
- Instantly appraise the true value of any goods
- Identify profitable trade opportunities
- Predict market reactions to large-scale trade actions
- Freely exchange and evaluate all currencies
- Once per session, ask the GM: “What happens if I move this much of this good here?” and receive an honest economic forecast
Additionally, choose one permanent specialization:
Undercutter — Once per session, acquire an item or service at half price, no Barter Test required. Cannot be used on unique or one-of-a-kind items.
Broker — Once per session, facilitate a transaction between two NPCs and take a commission worth 15% of the value. A successful Barter Test increases this to 25%.
Appraiser’s Eye — Identify the most valuable item in any room, container, or on any person at a glance. Once per Long Rest, when scavenging, find one item of Uncommon or higher rarity that would not normally be found there.
Relevant Perks
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Salesman | You may attempt to sell goods that a merchant would normally refuse (Useless demand). Make a Barter Test to shift the demand state up by 1 tier for that transaction. If the goods are stolen or you are being deceptive about their value or quality, you must also pass a Composure Test. You gain +2 Composure and +1 Barter for these transactions. |
| Negotiator | If a negotiation fails as a result of a failed Barter Test, you may attempt to negotiate a different deal at least once before being ignored. |
Relevant Book Perks
| Book | Effect |
|---|---|
| Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor | Spend 2 Luck Points to shift prices 1 additional tier in your favor when you succeed a Barter Test. |
Relevant Origin Traits
| Origin | Effect |
|---|---|
| Brotherhood Initiate | Treated as Friendly reputation with Brotherhood merchants by default. |
| Caravaneer | Start with a Pack Brahmin, enabling large-scale trade logistics from the start. |
Trade Logistics
Higher-level Barter characters can interact with larger economic systems:
Caravans
Caravans allow players to transport goods between settlements, accessing distant demand and enabling bulk trade. The Caravaneer trait provides a Pack Brahmin for this purpose. The Businessman milestone unlocks the ability to purchase additional trade vehicles and hire personnel.
Warehouses
Warehouses allow goods to be stored safely, preventing spoilage and enabling stockpiling for bulk trades. Access to warehouse facilities requires the Businessman milestone or renting space in a settlement.
GM Quick Reference
Price Calculation:
- Base Value (from item tables)
- Starting Tier = Standard + Demand Shift + Reputation Shift
- Apply milestone floor (Market Savvy: starting tier ≥ Standard)
- Barter Test (Opposed: CHA + Barter vs Merchant CHA + Barter)
- Shift tier (CRIT +2, Success +1, Failure 0, CRITFAIL -1)
- Final Price = Base Value × Tier Modifier
If unsure: Default to Normal demand + Neutral reputation + Standard tier.
GM Golden Rules:
- Demand is more important than skill — Barter exploits reality, it doesn’t rewrite it
- If players move goods intelligently, reward them
- Barter cannot bypass Useless demand without the Salesman perk
- One Barter roll per transaction
- Maximum tier shift from Barter Test: ±2 from starting tier