Better rules for selling things!

[TheImpossibleDream]

I notice often times you see posters and fliers selling various magic wares. This is all well and good, but what I really dislike is when you see something like:

Bronze Amulet // +1 ac
Yellow Shirt //+2 tumble +1 reflex
Monkey Wrench // +2 bludgeoning damage

I've seen some really creative descriptions of items that I'd much prefer over  seeing the above. So is there any hope of seeing restrictions on this type of thing?

I don't mean blanket ban, but maybe just enforce that there has to be at least a paragraph describing the item before you put stats or some such.

I don't know, just putting it out there!

Edit:

Just to clarify, the type of thing I'd prefer to see:

instead of

"Yellow Book // Mage armor 1/day //

we get

"Mystical tome capable of summoning forth magical armor around the reader once per day. // Mage Armor/day//"

[Egon the Monkey]

You don't always want to write a full overview of the item, just a vague description or title can get interest. If they are going to meet and buy it, they'll get the ful info and description on examine. Personally, I usually just give the item name or a descriptive title, then stick the OOC info on the next line, coloured black to make it unobtrusive but easy to read by highlighting.

Enforcing writing styles if bad from both an OOC (not everyone can be bothered to write a paragraph for blurs, everyone knows what blurs are) and IC, for example it makes sense for a barely literate 8 Int Half-orc to put:

SHinY MajicK armEr NecKluss for Nice PeOples.
500 Golds
 //+1 ac +1 Persuade Good Only"

not a whole paragraph, that might take him a day or more. :P

The same goes for merchants with a lot of stock who want to give an overview of their range (like how Proverson tends to)

[Jayde Moon]

IC descriptions are just that: IC.  You want the merchant to make a better IC description, work IC to somehow enforce that.

[TheImpossibleDream]

I just fail to see how knowing the stats of an item ooc'ly should influence a character ic'ly to buy it when the ic description gives no indication of its use. I'd actually be in favor of absolutely no ooc indication of the items use.

[Oskar Maxon]

@Jayde: I disagree that that is something that simply can be put down to "Solve it IC". What TheImpDream wants to see, and what I also wouldn't mind,  though I don't have a problem with, is that the item in question is actually described so it makes sense IC. The "name - //ooc stats" is mostly just due to ooc lazyness. If it was an IC issue, merchants wouldn't get stuff sold without answering "What does that do?" two billion times over. Instead, it works, as everyone just reads the ooc stats and assumes their character knows the item and that they want it. Borderline metagaming at that, though hardly enforceable, and even more less worth to enforce.

@Egon: It's not about enforcing writing style. The random half-orc 8 int brute shouldn't write like an 18 int wizard, correct. It is about actually writing something so that it makes sense ICly that a character would be interested in an item, not just due to the Player knowing the stats oocly. "Bronze Amulet" doesn't say anything about it being +1 ac, OUB:Good, but both "SHinY MajicK armEr NecKluss for Nice PeOples" and "An elegenatly crafted amulet made out of bronze and blessed by some goodly deity to protect its servant from harm".

[Jayde Moon]

Meh, I'm just saying that the IC description is an IC description and should be dealt with IC.  The OP doesn't say anything about wanting OOC descriptions removed, so my post did not address that.

Enforcing people to create IC descriptions of the items they are selling is probably not going to happen and it shouldn't.  "My merchant simply lists the type of the item, he can't be f'ed to write down a whole lot of other shit."

Now, if you want to swing the /other/ way and enforce NO OOC descriptions (which may have the added effect of having people write out better IC descriptions), then THAT is a hard and fast rule that the DMs here can apply, if they want to be bothered with it.

I don't think it's a good idea, but it's one that doesn't f' with IC immersion.

[Oskar Maxon]

I byu no means meant to enforce no ooc decriptions, and I don't think the op did, either.

[TheImpossibleDream]

I don't LIKE the idea of no ooc descriptions, but if they were to make for decent item descriptions I'd be for it. Jaydes wares are advertised in exactly the way I'd like all wares to be advertised. Rather than just "Magic Amulet of Gakmalak // +2 hide +1 will -2 fort//"

[Jayde Moon]

Just so you know, I agree and would like to see colorful IC descriptions for stuff they are selling.  I just don't think you can, or even should, police it.

[artfuldodger99]

As I guess this was directed at the posts i have been making, please see the latest version of it, which has been edited following the feedback and sentiment of this post.

[TheImpossibleDream]

As I guess this was directed at the posts i have been making, please see the latest version of it, which has been edited following the feedback and sentiment of this post.

Nah, there have been tons who've done it over the years so its become an acceptable practice! It was directed at no one in particular. Nice changes though!

[Verybigliar]

I can say I understand where this comes from. But, this is a kind of a thing that must/can not be forced. I do encourage everyone to leave a bit thinking to the players about what that item might be and if I should go see merchant to see it.

[Anonymous Bosch]

For myself, it comes down to not wanting to spend much time colourfully describing every item.
When there are a lot of items involved, it would take hours.
 
The player behind this 6 int half orc will be able to precisely identify anything as soon as he sees it anyway.
 
It's an OOC pain to paint a wonderful picture of something, have a bunch of players come along, look at the stats and decide they're not interested.
 
Tried it, got fed up of it, went back to putting OOC stats in.

[TheImpossibleDream]

For myself, it comes down to not wanting to spend much time colourfully describing every item.
When there are a lot of items involved, it would take hours.
 
The player behind this 6 int half orc will be able to precisely identify anything as soon as he sees it anyway.
 
It's an OOC pain to paint a wonderful picture of something, have a bunch of players come along, look at the stats and decide they're not interested.
 
Tried it, got fed up of it, went back to putting OOC stats in.

Should it not be an ic pain to come up with a poster to describe one hundred different trinkets more so than ten though?

[Jayde Moon]

Should, shouldn't, like it, not like it, the POINT is that it is not YOUR place to tell ME how to RP MY character.

Now, that's a general statement, replace 'you' and 'me' with some(any)body and some(any)body else.

Just like it might "should be an ic pain to come up with a poster to describe one hundred different trinkets more so than ten", it also might just be IC for a person to go, "F it.  I got a gold ring, a yellow necklace, holy plate mail, green shoes, you want em, come look at em."  And who are you to tell me you'd rather I not play my character that way?

What we've got here is an announcement from you that you "don't like it" when people don't give IC descriptions of the items they are selling.  So noted!

I imagine quite a few people agree with you (I do, to an extent!), probably this thread has prompted a few people to do it your way, when they weren't before, which is certainly a good thing.  But to make some sort of RULE that it's gotta be this certain way shouldn't happen.