Chapter Nine

Trade, Crafting & Remedies

Wealth moves. The previous chapter's tables do not fully capture that truth. Coin, iron, timber, cloth, and herbs have value, but that value changes when someone bargains hard, works skilled hands on raw material, or turns common things into survival.

This chapter covers the active economy of Dyrhal: trade, crafting, repair, and practical compounds. It is about goods that are negotiated, commissioned, altered, or prepared in play rather than simply bought at listed price.

These rules belong to the market stall, the workbench, the roadside fire, and the shuttered room where a careful hand prepares something another man will never taste twice.

Negotiation & Trade

Trade is not charm or intimidation — it is valuation, leverage, and terms. A Trade check represents knowing what something is worth, recognizing when a seller is vulnerable, finding alternatives, and shaping an exchange without being cheated. Use this subsystem whenever characters buy, sell, bargain, secure credit, seek restricted goods, appraise valuables, or locate buyers.

Quick Procedure

Set Market Price (listed price ± Price Drift).
Choose Approach (Price, Bundle, Terms, or Access).
Roll Trade vs Counterparty CM.
Apply Margin on the Deal Ladder.
Limit attempts: one negotiation per merchant per scene/day unless new leverage is introduced.

Approaches

Price: Lower cost when buying / raise value when selling.
Bundle: Keep price similar, but add or remove extras (ammo, oil, a repair, lodging, rations).
Terms: Credit, collateral, delivery, warranty, secrecy, partial payment, future service.
Access: Find restricted goods, locate buyers, secure introductions, reduce attention, speed procurement.

Trade Check

Trade Skill Check Total: 2d6 + Trade Skill Rank Modifier + Mind modifier + situational modifiers

Only characters who are Trained or higher may add a positive attribute modifier to the roll.

Trade does not replace threats, lies, or coercion. If the character is pressuring, deceiving, or socially maneuvering outside honest valuation, use the appropriate social skill.

Counterparty CM

Treat this as a Defended Skill Check with a static target for speed. You must exceed it; ties favor the counterparty.

Casual barter / peasant seller: CM 8
Shopkeeper / common trader: CM 10
Guild merchant / specialist shop: CM 12
Broker / fence / factor: CM 14
Court supplier / monopoly holder: CM 16

Situational modifiers: Seller desperate −2 · Buyer suspicious +2 · Credible leverage −2 · Insult counterparty +2 to +4.

The Deal Ladder

Margin = Trade Skill Check Total − CM

Buying (you want cheaper)

Margin	Result
≤ −3	Shut down. Price +10% or ends.
−2 to 0	No movement. Market Price or walk.
+1 to +2	Minor: −5% or small extra.
+3 to +4	Solid: −10% or meaningful extra.
+5 to +6	Strong: −15% or one Benefit.
≥ +7	Exceptional: −20% and one Benefit.

Selling (you want more)

Margin	Result
≤ −3	Buyer refuses or offers −10%.
−2 to 0	No movement. Market Price or walk.
+1 to +2	+5% or small extra.
+3 to +4	+10% or favorable term.
+5 to +6	+15% or one Benefit.
≥ +7	+20% and one Benefit.

Negotiation shifts coin value by no more than 20% unless major story leverage applies. Restricted goods are capped at 10%; Margin primarily produces Access and Terms outcomes. Price Drift can exceed these caps — it represents the world's condition, not bargaining skill.

Benefits

When the Deal Ladder grants a Benefit, choose one: Speed (delivery time halved) · Access (introduction made, often creating a Minor Contact) · Discretion (reduced scrutiny) · Quality Assurance (condition guaranteed; defects disclosed) · Upgraded Bundle (useful extra at no cost) · Credit / Terms (partial payment now; remainder later).

Appraisal

Appraisal: Trade Skill Check vs CM (Obscurity) — Common goods CM 8 · Unfamiliar craft CM 10 · Fine work / hidden defects CM 12 · Masterwork / forgery risk CM 14+. On success, learn the likely Market Price band, quality tier, and obvious defects. Margin +4 or better detects counterfeits or concealed flaws. Successful appraisal often counts as leverage in the subsequent negotiation.

Leverage (Optional)

Minor leverage (+1): bulk purchase, competitor nearby, local familiarity, cash on hand.
Major leverage (+2): insider information, guild ties, a Contact's backing, proof of market shift.
Risky leverage (+2): lies, forged credentials — on failure, introduce complications.

Marta Vensk, Factor, Free City of Strandholdt — from a letter of instruction to her apprentice Davar

The ladder is not about winning. I want you to understand that before you sit across from anyone with coin on the table. The ladder tells you what a deal is worth at any given moment — it does not tell you whether to take it.

You will face moments where the margin is there and you can push hard. Take it, and you’ve made an enemy who remembers. Take it from the wrong man — a guild broker, a lord’s factor, someone who will see you again — and you’ve traded a short-term gain for a long-term cost that won’t show up in any ledger until it matters most.

You will also face moments where the margin says walk. Do not always walk. Sometimes a bad rate on this transaction buys you something the rate cannot capture — a relationship, a reputation, a man who speaks well of you in a room you weren’t in. I have taken losses I did not have to take. Several of them were the best decisions I ever made.

The counterparty across the table is not the obstacle. They are the resource. A desperate seller treated fairly is a contact. A suspicious buyer handled with patience becomes a repeat client. A fence who thinks you respect the work becomes someone who calls you first when something interesting comes through.

Read the room before you read the ladder. The ladder tells you what is possible. The room tells you what is wise.

There is a version of this work that is pure extraction — squeeze every deal, move on, repeat. Some people do it. They make coin and they make enemies in equal measure, and eventually the enemies cost more than the coin. Dyrhal is not large enough to treat people as transactions and then never see them again.

Eleven years I have worked this city. I know every broker on the wharf, every factor in the guildhall, three of the harbor master’s people, and the name of the man who moves Keshari silk through the side gate at the east market. None of that came from pushing hard every time. All of it came from knowing when not to.

Example — Reading the Deal Ladder

Bram needs a room for three nights. The innkeeper is a common trader (CM 10). He chooses Price and rolls a Trade Skill Check: 2d6 + Mind (+1) = 9. Margin −1 — no movement. The innkeeper names 3 CR per night and does not budge.

Bram offers to mend a broken shutter in the morning — the GM rules this a Bundle approach and allows a second attempt. He rolls 2d6 + Mind (+1) = 11. Margin +1 — Minor deal.

Results: Two nights at common rate, third at 2 CR. New leverage made the second attempt legitimate.

Example — Bundle Approach (Success)

Viktor wants a new spear and eyes a belt dagger on the rack. He deals with a local weaponsmith (CM 10) and chooses Bundle — keep the price on the spear firm, but push for the dagger as an extra. He mentions they're contracted work heading north, gives the smith something to feel good about. The GM holds CM at 10. Viktor rolls 2d6 + Trade (Trained, +1) + Mind (+1) = 13. Margin +3 — Solid deal.

Results: Viktor pays market price on the spear. The smith throws in the dagger at half price.

Example — Insulting the Counterparty (Failure)

Oushua Fischker wants a good enclosed helm and opens by remarking that the smith down the harbor road keeps better stock. The GM applies +3 to the CM for the insult — counterparty is now CM 13, and the smith's manner closes. Oushua rolls 2d6 + Trade (Trained, +1) + Mind (0) = 9. Margin −4 — shut down.

Results: The smith names full price and turns back to his work. Oushua walks out without the helm.

Crafting, Repairs, and Commissioning

Crafting represents trained labor applied over time using proper tools and materials. It is governed by the Craft skill and resolved using standard Skill Checks. Crafting is structured, deliberate work — meaningful projects require time, materials, and suitable conditions.

Requirements

To craft an item, a character must have: the Craft skill (Trained or higher for specialized work) · proper tools · materials equal to at least 50% of the item's listed cost · a suitable workspace. If tools are improvised or the workspace is poor, increase the project's CM by +2 or more.

Work Blocks

Crafting occurs in Work Blocks. 1 Work Block = 1 full day of dedicated labor.

Complexity	Examples	Work Blocks
Simple	Torch, crude repair	1
Moderate	Spear, shield, tools	3
Complex	Sword, mail shirt	10
Masterwork-Scale	Mail hauberk, plate	30+

Complexity	CM
Simple	8
Moderate	10
Complex	12
Masterwork-Scale	14

The GM may adjust CM in steps of 2 for conditions such as time pressure, poor light, bad materials, improvised tools, or dangerous circumstances.

Crafting Check

Craft Skill Check Total = 2d6 + Skill Rank Modifier + Mind modifier (if permitted by rank) + situational modifiers

Success requires that your result exceeds the CM. Ties favor the world.

Results

Failure (miss by 1–2): Materials partially wasted. Add 1d3 Work Blocks and attempt the check again.

Failure (miss by 3+): Materials ruined. 50% of project materials are lost and the project must be restarted.

Success: Item completed at Standard quality unless improved by Margin.

Quality from Crafting

Margin = Craft Skill Check Total − CM

Superior Quality: If the crafter is Skilled or higher and succeeds with Margin +3 or better, the item gains one Superior quality appropriate to its type. A Superior item may possess only one Superior quality.

Masterwork Quality (Declared): To attempt Masterwork, the crafter must be Expert or Master rank, declare the attempt before work begins, use +50% materials (total at least 100% of listed cost), and double the required Work Blocks.

Margin +6 or better: Item becomes Masterwork with both Superior qualities.
Margin +3 to +5: Item becomes Superior with one Superior quality.
Margin +1 to +2: Item is Standard.

Craft Path Interaction

Craftwork: Skilled — Craftsman's Pace (complete projects in 25% less time) · Expert — Field Repair (restore damaged gear with improvised materials, once per travel day) · Master — Master of the Bench (reduce margin required for Superior/Masterwork by 1).

Fine Craft: Skilled — Patient Perfection (spend 25% more time; treat Margin as +1 for quality purposes) · Expert — Artist's Touch (successful project increases market value by 25%) · Master — Fine Adjustments (once per item, reroll any Craft check; must keep new result).

Crossbows require Craftwork (structural) and Fine Craft (mechanical calibration). Superior Lethality derives from Craftwork; Superior Balance derives from Fine Craft precision.

Repairs

Repairs use the same structure as Crafting: materials, Work Blocks, then a Craft Skill Check against a CM. Failure wastes materials but does not worsen the item.

Light Repair: Materials 10% of item value · Time 1 Work Block · CM 8.

Serious Repair: Materials 25% of item value · Time 3 Work Blocks · CM 10.

Commissioning Items

When commissioning an NPC: pay full listed cost · delivery time equals base Work Blocks · rush orders cost +25%. Quality above Standard is not guaranteed and may require higher payment, renown, or access to a renowned craftsperson.

Limits

Only one quality tier may apply.
Superior qualities do not stack.
Masterwork items possess both Superior qualities.
Quality is mundane and may stack with magical effects only if explicitly allowed.

Example — Superior Weapon

Oleg sets to work on a longsword using quality stock iron and his full tool kit. He is Skilled rank — eligible for Superior results. After the required Work Blocks, he rolls 2d6 + Craft (+2) + Mind (+1) = 14 vs CM 11. Margin +3.

Results: The sword gains Superior Balance. Standard materials, Skilled hands, clean margin — the work speaks for itself.

Example — Masterwork Attempt

Thela of Omsk declares a Masterwork attempt on a mail hauberk. She is Expert rank. She uses +50% materials, doubles the Work Blocks, and rolls 2d6 + Craft (+3) + Mind (+1) = 13 vs CM 11. Margin +2 — short of the +6 required for Masterwork, within the +3 to +5 band.

Results: The hauberk is Superior with one quality — Superior Weight. The extra materials are spent. The work is good. It is not what she intended.

Alchemicals and Toxins

The alchemicals of Steel Age are practical compounds rather than magical elixirs. They do not replace skill, proper tools, or treatment. They improve outcomes when prepared well and applied correctly.

Restorative alchemicals use reverse quality: better compounds have a lower Use CM, representing cleaner preparation, greater stability, and more reliable application.

Reverse Quality for Restorative Alchemicals

When a restorative alchemical is crafted, compare the final result to the recipe's Craft CM.

Craft Result	Final Quality	Use CM
Meets Craft CM	Crude	10
Exceeds CM by 2+	Sound	8
Exceeds CM by 4+	Refined	6

The Craft CM determines how difficult the item is to make. The Use CM determines how difficult it is to apply correctly in play. This reverse-quality rule applies to: Healing Salves, Coagulant Pastes, and Antitoxins. Stimulants do not use reverse quality.

Healing Salve

A healing salve is a prepared compound of fats, herbs, resins, alcohols, and binding agents meant to support recovery after injury. A healing salve may be applied during tended healing with a Healer's Kit or Physician's Kit. When applied, make the normal treatment check. If it succeeds, also test the salve against its Use CM.

Success: The patient gains +1 additional Health from that instance of tended healing.
Failure: The dose is spent but grants no added benefit.

A character can benefit from only one healing salve per recovery interval. Healing salves do not restore Health instantly in combat.

Coagulant Paste

A coagulant paste is a thick, bitter-smelling compound used to slow bleeding and support emergency treatment. It may be applied as part of Stabilize with a Healer's Kit or Physician's Kit. When the Stabilize attempt succeeds, also test the paste against its Use CM.

Success: The patient gains +2 on the Scars Test if one is required from that stabilization.
Failure: The dose is spent but grants no added benefit.

Coagulant paste does not replace Stabilize and cannot be applied by itself to prevent death.

Antitoxin

Antitoxin is a prepared counteragent used against venom, poison, rot, or sickness, depending on its recipe. An antitoxin may be administered with an Herbalist's Kit or Physician's Kit when treating an ongoing poison or sickness. When the treatment is made, also test the antitoxin against its Use CM.

Success: Gain +2 to the treatment or resistance check against the relevant poison or sickness.
Failure: The dose is spent but grants no added benefit.

Antitoxins are specific where the fiction demands it. A serpent antitoxin may not help against marsh-rot or spoiled water.

Stimulant

A stimulant is a sharp, bitter draught used to force alertness, dull exhaustion for a moment, or keep the body moving through pain. A stimulant may be taken as 1 action. Choose one effect:

Ignore 1 Fatigue penalty until the end of the scene, or
Gain +1 on one immediate physical or mental check made this round.

After the effect ends, the user suffers 1 Fatigue. A character cannot benefit from more than one stimulant per scene.

Example — Crafting and Using a Healing Salve

Emelyn prepares a healing salve before tending to Josep's wounds. She rolls 2d6 + Craft (+2) + Mind (+1) = 15 vs Craft CM 11. Margin +4 — Refined quality. The salve's Use CM drops to 6.

Later, treating Josep with her Physician's Kit, the treatment check succeeds. She tests the salve against Use CM 6 and rolls 9 — success.

Results: Josep gains +1 additional Health from that instance of tended healing. The careful preparation made the difference.

Simple Toxin

A prepared injury poison applied to one melee weapon, one piece of ammunition, or similar delivery method as 1 action. If that weapon or ammunition deals damage before the end of the scene, the target is exposed. The dose is spent at end of scene. Constructs and undead are usually immune.

CM 10 · Onset: immediately on damage · Tick: each Aftermath · Max State: 2 · Death Rule: none

Craft CM: 10 · Materials: Herbalist's Kit + rare plant reagents · Work Blocks: 1

Paralytic

A compound that interrupts muscular control — useful for capture, not killing. Applied to one melee weapon, ammunition, or food or drink vessel as 1 action. Exposure on damage or ingestion. Difficult to detect without a Healing check, CM 12. Constructs and undead usually immune.

CM 10 · Onset: end of next turn · Tick: end of following turn · Max State: 2 · Death Rule: none

State 1 — Drugged: movement halved; physical actions require CM 8 Toughness or are lost.

State 2 — Helpless: cannot move or take physical actions; conscious and aware. Ends on damage or disturbance.

Success on first check: State 1 for one turn only, then Cured. Purge: CM 12 Toughness after each full Rest Segment.

Craft CM: 12 · Materials: Herbalist's Kit + 25% item cost in rare plant reagents · Work Blocks: 2

Slow Toxin

A compound designed to act hours or days after exposure — long enough that the source is unclear. Introduced into food, drink, or a prepared compound as 1 action. Cannot be applied to a weapon. Difficult to detect at any stage: identify as poison CM 14, specific compound CM 16.

CM 10 · Onset: first Sleep Segment after exposure · Tick: each Sleep Segment · Max State: 2 · Death Rule: none

State 1 — Weakening: gain +2 Lingering Fatigue on entering this state; cannot clear until toxin is purged.

State 2 — Debilitated: gain +1 additional Lingering Fatigue each failed Tick; same clearing restriction.

Purge: CM 12 treatment with Herbalist's Kit or Physician's Kit + antitoxin, or three full days of rest and adequate food.

Craft CM: 14 · Materials: Herbalist's Kit or Physician's Kit + 50% item cost in rare reagents · Work Blocks: 3 · Requires Expert rank or higher in Craft or Healing.

Josep, Apothecary, Barony of Omsk

Emelyn came in wanting a paralytic for a job she did not describe. I did not ask. That is the arrangement. The reagents are the problem. The binding herb does not grow here — I source it from a trader out of the eastern starostwa who charges accordingly. What people do not say aloud: I have more requests for this compound than I have for antitoxin. More than healing salve, most months. Nobody talks about it. The customers do not discuss their needs, I do not discuss my clientele, and we all conduct ourselves as though this is simply medicine. Which it is. Among other things.

Emelyn, Freelance Operative, Barony of Omsk

Josep is reliable. That matters more than cheap. The compound is always clean, always consistent, and he never asks what it is for. There was one batch, two winters ago. Something in the binding was off — the onset was faster than it should have been and I nearly had a problem on my hands. I told him. He did not charge me for the next order and did not make excuses. That is also reliability.

Rare and Trade Goods

The equipment tables in Chapter VI cover what a stable market town reliably stocks. What follows covers everything else — raw materials that feed crafting and alchemy, luxury goods that move through merchant networks, and compounds that require discretion to acquire. These prices assume stable conditions; apply Price Drift as normal, and treat rare reagents and restricted goods as one band tighter by default.

Raw Materials

Priced per standard unit. Iron and timber are common in central baronies, scarce in the steppes.

Good	Unit	Cost
Iron stock	10 lb	2 SR
Cured leather	side	1 SR
Beeswax	1 lb	8 CR
Tallow	1 lb	3 CR
Charcoal	sack	8 CR
Hemp fiber	bundle	5 CR
Pine resin	jar	6 CR

Textiles and Luxury Goods

Cloth priced per bolt (~10 yards). Spices by merchant packet. Silk and southern goods command full Scarce pricing in inland northern baronies.

Good	Unit	Cost
Common wool cloth	bolt	2 SR
Fine wool cloth	bolt	6 SR
Undyed linen	bolt	1 SR
Dyed linen	bolt	3 SR
Keshari silk	bolt	8 SR
Drezdani furs	bundle (10 pelts)	4 SR
Fine fur (sable, marten)	single pelt	3 SR
Woad dye	cake	5 CR
Madder dye	cake	8 CR
Black pepper	packet	1 SR
Saffron	packet	3 SR

Alchemical Reagents — Common

Available in most market towns with an herbalist or apothecary. No special access required.

Good	Unit	Cost
Dried medicinal herbs	bundle	5 CR
Distilled alcohol	flask	8 CR
Salt	1 lb	4 CR
Vinegar	flask	3 CR
Rendered fat (for salves)	portion	2 CR
Medicinal mushrooms	pouch	8 CR

Alchemical Reagents — Rare

Require a Trade check (CM 12+) or established contact to source. Acquisition in smaller settlements may draw attention.

Good	Unit	Cost
Eastern binding herb	portion	2 SR
Bloodmoss (fresh)	wrapped portion	1 SR
Dreamroot (dried)	pouch	3 SR
Serpent venom sac (preserved)	each	4 SR
Keshari exotic resin	jar	3 SR
Slow-acting reagent base	compound	4 SR

Restricted Goods

Prepared compounds. Require Access approach or established contact; CM 14+ in most settlements. Possession draws scrutiny in towns with active guild presence or temple authority.

Good	Unit	Cost
Prepared antitoxin	dose	4 SR
Simple toxin	dose	3 SR
Paralytic	dose	8 SR
Slow toxin	dose	12 SR

Chapter IX — Quick Reference

Trade, Crafting & Remedies

Trade Procedure

1. Set Market Price (± Price Drift) 2. Choose Approach: Price, Bundle, Terms, Access 3. Roll Trade vs Counterparty CM — exceed it; ties favor counterparty 4. Apply Margin on the Deal Ladder One attempt per merchant per scene unless new leverage introduced

Counterparty CM

CM 8 casual barter / peasant · CM 10 shopkeeper / trader · CM 12 guild / specialist · CM 14 broker / fence · CM 16 court / monopoly Desperate −2 · Suspicious +2 · Credible leverage −2 · Insult +2 to +4

Deal Ladder

≤ −3 Shut down or +10% (buying) / refused or −10% (selling) −2 to 0 No movement. Market price or walk. +1 to +2 ±5% or small extra +3 to +4 ±10% or meaningful extra / favorable term +5 to +6 ±15% or one Benefit ≥ +7 ±20% and one Benefit Cap: ±20% · Restricted goods cap ±10%

Benefits

Speed delivery halved · Access introduction / Minor Contact · Discretion reduced scrutiny Quality Assurance condition guaranteed · Upgraded Bundle useful extra free · Credit/Terms partial payment now

Appraisal

Trade check vs CM — common CM 8 · unfamiliar CM 10 · fine/defects CM 12 · masterwork/forgery CM 14+ Margin +4+: detects counterfeits and concealed flaws

Crafting

Complexity	CM	Blocks	Examples
Simple	8	1	Torch, crude repair
Moderate	10	3	Spear, shield, tools
Complex	12	10	Sword, mail shirt
Masterwork-Scale	14	30+	Hauberk, plate

Superior: Skilled+, Margin +3 · Masterwork (declared): Expert+, Margin +6, ×2 blocks, +50% materials Fail −1/−2: +1d3 blocks, retry · Fail −3+: 50% materials lost, restart Light Repair: 10% cost, 1 block, CM 8 · Serious Repair: 25% cost, 3 blocks, CM 10 Commission: full cost, base blocks · Rush: +25%

Alchemicals — Reverse Quality

Meets CM Crude (Use CM 10) · Exceeds by 2+ Sound (Use CM 8) · Exceeds by 4+ Refined (Use CM 6) Applies to: Healing Salves, Coagulant Pastes, Antitoxins. Not Stimulants.

Restoratives

Healing Salve — tended healing; test Use CM on success: +1 Health. One per recovery interval. Coagulant Paste — Stabilize; test Use CM on success: +2 Scars check. Does not replace Stabilize. Antitoxin — treat poison/sickness; test Use CM on success: +2 treatment/resistance check. Specific where fiction demands. Stimulant — 1 action: ignore 1 Fatigue penalty until scene ends, or +1 on one check this round. Suffer 1 Fatigue after. One per scene.

Toxins

Simple Toxin — weapon/ammo delivery; poison rules apply; dose spent at end of scene. Paralytic — weapon, ammo, or food/drink. CM 10 Toughness: fail → Drugged; second fail → Helpless. Success: Drugged 1 turn only. Craft CM 12, 2 blocks. Slow Toxin — food/drink/contact only. Onset: next Sleep Segment. +2 LF (unrestorable); CM 10 Toughness each Sleep: fail +1 LF. Purge: CM 12 treatment + antitoxin, or 3 days rest. Craft CM 14, 3 blocks, Expert+ only.

Conditions (Toxins)

Drugged — movement halved; physical actions require CM 8 Toughness or lost. Helpless — cannot move or take physical actions; conscious and aware. Ends on damage or disturbance.

Restricted Goods

Rare reagents: Trade CM 12+ or established contact · Prepared compounds: Access approach, CM 14+ Possession draws scrutiny near guilds or temples Paralytic 8 SR · Slow Toxin 12 SR · Simple Toxin 3 SR · Antitoxin 4 SR

Identify Slow Toxin

As poison: Lore or Healing CM 14 · Specific compound: CM 16 or specialist knowledge

The roads between baronies are not safe and were not safe before I arrived and will not be safe after I am gone. I have paid for escorts, bribed gate captains, lost two wagons to flooding and one to men who wanted what was in it. I have sold the same bolt of Keshari cloth for four times its value in a town that had not seen southern goods in three seasons, and I have sold the same cloth for half what I paid because I needed coin more than I needed principle. That is trade in Dyrhal. You do not set the terms. You find the terms that exist and you work within them. Eleven years. My ledger is still open. A man who can keep his ledger open in Dyrhal can trade anywhere. The easy markets are easy for everyone. This one is not easy for anyone. That is the difference between a merchant and a man who sells things.

— Akbar al-Rashid, Merchant of Keshar