Some items and services require licenses to own legally, are restricted in use to qualified organisations or individuals, or are scarce and difficult to obtain. In such cases, characters must buy a licence or pay a one-off fee before they buy the item or service. Legitimate sellers will not sell to characters who do not have the necessary licence. However, characters may be able to turn to the black market to obtain items and services without a licence.
To purchase a licence or pay the required fee, characters make a Wealth check against licence's Value. If the Wealth check succeeds, the licence is issued after the number of days indicated. To speed up the process, characters can make a High Society skill check against a Difficulty equal to the licence's Value. If the skill check succeeds, the licence is issued in hours rather than days.
Items and services purchased on the black market are more expensive than those purchased legally. Buying an item or service on the black market takes the number of days indicated. To speed up the process, characters can add 1 to the item or service's Value for each day saved, to a minimum of 1 day. If the Wealth check succeeds, the character buys the item or service in the reduced period of time.
Regulated: The character must obtain a licence to own the item legally.
Generally, the license is not expensive, and obtaining it has few if any additional
legal requirements. Examples: guild apprenticeship, a house.
Restricted: Only specially qualified individuals or organisations are
allowed to own the object. However, the real obstacles to ownership are time
and money; anyone with sufficient patience and cash can eventually acquire the
necessary licence. Examples: guild membership, speaking with the dead.
Highly Restricted: The object is sold primarily to people of noble
birth or great merit. A highly restricted rating is essentially the same as
restricted, except that dealers are generally under tight government scrutiny
and are therefore especially wary of selling to private individuals. Examples:
a patent of nobility, a saint's relic.
Illegal: The object is illegal in all but specific, highly regulated
circumstances. Examples: poison.
| Licence |
Value
|
Black Market*
|
Time
|
| Regulated |
11
|
+1 Value
|
1 day
|
| Restricted |
16
|
+2 Value
|
2 days
|
| Highly Restricted |
21
|
+3 Value
|
3 days
|
| Illegal |
26
|
+4 Value
|
4 days
|
Magic items are mundane items imbued with one or more permanent abilities. When purchasing a magic item, treat the item and the ability as multiple items for determining the final Value of the item. The Value of the ability added to a magic item is 21 plus three times the ability's power plus any other modifiers.
| Modifiers |
Value
|
| limited uses |
-1
|
| used up (must also have limited uses) |
-4
|
| expert user required |
-2
|
| divine ability |
+2
|
| prohibited arcane abilities |
+4
|
Limited uses: Magic items typically provide their ability continuously
to whoever wears or uses the item. Items with limited uses work up to five times
a day.
Used up: Magic items typically are durable items that don't wear out.
Items that do wear out or that are consumed when used are thus less valuable.
Expert user required: Magic items typically work for anyone who wears
or uses the item. Items that require an expert user function only for users
with the relevant feat (Blessed, Innate Power, or Sorcery).
Divine ability: Most magic items use innate or arcane power, as the True
Faith has only existed for a comparatively short period of time. The scarcity
of divine magic items increases their Value by 2, and buyers require a licence
for a restricted item.
Prohibited arcane abilities: Most arcane abilities are tolerated, but
not all. Magic items with the animate the dead, resurrect, or trap spirit abilities
are illegal, and frequently get confiscated and destroyed. The scarcity of such
magic items increases their Value by 4, and buyers require a licence for an
illegal item.
To account for the various commonly available items that most people have among their possessions, a character can make a Wealth check with a -10 penalty to see if they have a specific commonly available item (Value of 11 or less) to hand. Characters cannot take 10 or take 20 on this Wealth check. If the Wealth check succeeds, the character has the item to hand. To obtain the item, the character must go to the location where they would keep the item.
Convesely, if you want to buy or sell part of an item or service with a Value of 12 or more, decrease the Value by 2 for each halving until the Value is 11 or less. If the Value is 11 or less, decrease the Value by 1 for each doubling until the Value reaches 1.
Items designed for dwarves, children, and other small creatures cost half as much, while items designed for mercanians, taboti and other large creatures costs twice as much. Follow the guidelines for multiple items to determine the Value of such items.
Investments usually return 3% (5 halvings) of the Value of the investment.
Simple weapons can be used effectively without any special training. They provide a +2 bonus to Aim and/or Melee checks.
Military weapons require special training to use effectively. With training, they provide a +4 bonus to Aim and/or Melee checks. Without training, they provide a + 2 bonus.
Two-handed weapons provide a +2 bonus on damage checks.