Traders
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Traders
Commerce is key to adventuring; without shops to outfit them and to buy their booty, what noble knight, intrepid explorer, or avaricious grave robber would be able to afford the beer for a night of drunkenly terrorizing innocent citizenry? With this firmly in mind, take some time to familiarize yourself with the traders of the land.
These merchant folk come in a number of varieties, such as shops, taverns, and smiths. Each trader may offer different services and selection; some haggle over their prices, while others hold themselves aloof from such market antics; many specialize in a particular type of item. Following are various services commonly available.
Purchasing
Most traders will allow you to buy items from them. The command to do so is usually 'buy <items>'; you may specify one item from their inventory, i.e. 'buy sword', or many, i.e. 'buy gems'.
Sale
Some shops buy items from customers. The command for this is commonly 'sell <items>'; as with purchase, singular items or groups of items may be sold, including syntaxes such as 'sell all', 'sell all swords', 'sell sword 5', 'sell 10 swords', and 'sell 20 of any'. If you are selling more than one item, items which you currently have equipped or kept will not be sold UNLESS they are the only matching items. You may also sell from containers in the room or which you are carrying with the syntax 'sell <items> from <container>'.
Inventory Listing
In shops which buy from customers, you may usually obtain a listing of the current inventory with the command 'list'; use the form 'list <items>' to display a limited selection from the available items. In addition to the normal syntax, 'list weapons', 'list armour', and 'list comestibles' will show items of the appropriate type. Traders with unchanging inventory often do not support this command, instead displaying their selection on a sign or menu.
Inventory Viewing
Traders who sell items will normally allow a customer to view the merchandise before purchase. The typical command is 'view <item>'.
Barter
Some traders allow you to trade items in your possession directly for their inventory rather than dealing in currency. The typical command is 'trade <my item> for <your item>'.
Appraisal
Traders frequently offer appraisal services, where they will tell you the sale value of an item of yours and the cost of any additional services related to it which you may want performed. The command to have this done is usually 'appraise <item>'.
Item Return
Nearly any trader who sells items will allow you to return an item bought from them, even if they do not normally buy items. The command is normally 'return <items>'. You will generally receive better prices returning items than you would selling them.
Equipment Evaluation
Some traders, particularly smiths, will offer their expertise to you in comparing two pieces of equipment and determining which is superior in basic characteristics; the implications of complex enchantments laid on items are generally beyond their ken. The standard command to have this done is 'evaluate <item> against <item>'.
Equipment Repair
Some traders can repair equipment which has been damaged, through use or circumstance; this is typically the purview of smiths. To have an item repaired, the command is normally 'repair <item>'.
Equipment Resizing
Some traders can make alterations to worn equipment to make it fit you better; smiths, tailors, and jewelers are the most likely to provide this service. To have an item resized, the command is normally 'resize <item>'. Please note that how much the trader can alter the item depends on its original size, the trader's crafting skills, and other factors, and that even if the trader cannot alter it enough to fit you, sie will still make the attempt and alter it as much as sie can. If you have the item appraised beforehand, the trader will tell you whether or not sie can resize it enough to fit you. Generally, you can also have an item resized for someone else present with a syntax like 'resize <item> for <being>'.
Identification
A select few traders can perform the service of identifying items whose precise nature is not necessarily clear upon ordinary examination. The command to do this is normally 'identify <item>'.
