Dive into an innovative Dungeons & Dragons experience where players assume the roles of noble leaders negotiating trade deals between towns. This game emphasizes strategic thinking, immersive role-playing, and collaboration. Players negotiate using their character’s unique strengths and resources, make decisions influenced by dice rolls, and track outcomes using various in-game tables. Success is achieved through effective negotiation, creative problem-solving, and exceptional role-playing, shaping the economic and diplomatic landscapes of their towns. Enjoy a dynamic blend of strategy and storytelling in this unique D&D adventure.

Basic Concepts

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D): A tabletop role-playing game where players create characters and embark on adventures, guided by a Dungeon Master (DM).

Negotiation Role-Playing: In this game, you will take on the roles of noble leaders negotiating trade deals. Success depends on your role-playing skills, strategic decisions, and the luck of the dice.

Setting Up the Game

Characters: You will each play as a noble leader from one of the towns. Each character has unique strengths and resources.

Resources: Each town has specific resources available for trade. The goal is to negotiate the best possible deals.

Role-Playing: Engage fully with your character. Think about their motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Use role-playing to influence the negotiations.

The Negotiation Table

Scene Description:
The leaders gather in an ornate hall, with tapestries depicting the history and achievements of their towns. They sit at a finely crafted table, ready to discuss terms of a potential trade deal that could reshape their regions’ economies.

Dialogue Example:

• Leader A: “Our town has always valued its strong ties with your region. I propose a trade of our finest goods for your exquisite resources.”
• Leader B: “That sounds promising. Let’s discuss the specifics.”

Town Resources and Distances

Each town has its unique resources for trade and is situated at different distances from each other, impacting the logistics and strategies of the negotiations.

Example Towns and Resources:

1. Town A: Known for its exquisite silk and fertile wheat fields. Located near a major river, facilitating easy transport.
2. Town B: Famous for its spices and citrus fruits. Positioned in a mountainous region, making transport more challenging.
3. Town C: Renowned for its high-quality lumber and medicinal herbs. Situated in a dense forest, with limited but valuable trade routes.
4. Town D: Rich in minerals and metals. Located in a remote area, requiring significant effort to establish trade routes.

Skill Check Options and DCs

Players can choose different negotiation tactics, each involving specific skill checks with associated Difficulty Classes (DCs) and potential outcomes.

Phase 1: The Initial Proposal

1. Highlighting Quality (DC 16, Charisma): Emphasize the high quality of their goods to negotiate better prices.

• Success: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +100 AXP Charisma. +50 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader B’s goods. +50 AXP Charisma. +25 PXP.

1. Emphasizing Abundance (DC 14, Wisdom): Stress the abundant supply of their goods to secure favorable terms.

• Success: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +80 AXP Wisdom. +40 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader B’s goods. +40 AXP Wisdom. +20 PXP.

1. Bluffing about Competition (DC 18, Intelligence): Attempt to bluff about a competing offer to gain leverage.

• Success: Significantly increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +120 AXP Intelligence. +60 PXP.
• Failure: Significantly increase the price of Leader B’s goods. +60 AXP Intelligence. +30 PXP.

Creating Custom DC Checks: The DM can allow players to propose other negotiation tactics. Depending on the complexity and plausibility of the proposed tactic, the DM can assign an appropriate DC and determine which skill or attribute should be used. For instance, a player might suggest leveraging historical ties (History check, DC 15) or highlighting the economic impact (Economics/Commerce knowledge, Intelligence check, DC 17).

Phase 2: Counter Proposal
Dialogue Example:

• Leader B: “Your offer is generous, but I need assurance that our goods will be well-valued.”

Player Skill Check Options:

1. Highlighting Benefits (DC 15, Wisdom): Emphasizing the unique benefits of their goods to decrease prices.

• Success: Decrease the price of Leader B’s goods. +90 AXP Wisdom. +45 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +45 AXP Wisdom. +22 PXP.

1. Stressing Quality (DC 17, Charisma): Highlighting the superior quality of their goods to negotiate better terms.

• Success: Decrease the price of Leader B’s goods. +110 AXP Charisma. +55 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +55 AXP Charisma. +27 PXP.

1. Long-Term Agreement (DC 13, Intelligence): Offering a long-term trade agreement with favorable future terms.

• Success: Increase overall trade volume for both. +100 AXP Intelligence. +50 PXP.
• Failure: Immediate increase in trade prices. +50 AXP Intelligence. +25 PXP.

Phase 3: Final Negotiations
Dialogue Example:

• Leader A: “Let’s find a middle ground that benefits both our towns equally.”

Player Skill Check Options:

1. Offering Discounts (DC 14, Charisma): Proposing discounts to secure future benefits.

• Success: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods in future trades. +80 AXP Charisma. +40 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader B’s goods in future trades. +40 AXP Charisma. +20 PXP.

1. Priority Shipping (DC 18, Wisdom): Guaranteeing priority shipping for goods to decrease prices.

• Success: Decrease the price of Leader B’s goods. +120 AXP Wisdom. +60 PXP.
• Failure: Increase the price of Leader A’s goods. +60 AXP Wisdom. +30 PXP.

1. Shared Investment (DC 16, Intelligence): Proposing a shared investment in new trade infrastructure to reduce costs.

• Success: Reduce transport costs for both. +100 AXP Intelligence. +50 PXP.
• Failure: Immediate increase in transport costs. +50 AXP Intelligence. +25 PXP.

Phase 4: Agreement Sealing
Dialogue Example:

• Leader B: “I believe we’ve reached a mutually beneficial agreement.”
• Leader A: “Indeed, may our towns prosper through this partnership.”

Outcome Adjustment: Adjust the final prices and quantities of trade goods based on negotiation successes and failures.

Transition to Combined Adventure

After the negotiation, players, still controlling the NPCs, embark on a combined adventure to secure their newfound partnership. This journey includes navigating political intrigue, defending against threats, and exploring new markets together.

Increasing Player Interactivity

1. Role-Reversal: Players control NPCs to deepen their engagement with different perspectives and motivations.
2. Dynamic Outcomes: Decisions and skill checks have meaningful consequences affecting future events and resources.
3. Interactive Props: Use maps and trade goods tokens to represent negotiation terms and enhance immersion.
4. Collaborative Decision-Making: Players strategize together, making joint decisions that influence the negotiation and subsequent adventure.
5. Adventure Hooks: Create hooks based on negotiation outcomes, like securing trade routes, dealing with disruptions, or forging new alliances.

Example Combined Adventure Hook:
Following the negotiation, players embark on a journey to secure a new trade route. They must navigate political intrigue, defend against bandits, and negotiate further alliances to ensure the prosperity of both regions.

Challenges:

1. Political Intrigue: Rival factions attempt to undermine the trade agreement.
2. Bandit Ambush: Defend a trade caravan from bandits.
3. Alliance Negotiation: Negotiate with a third party for exclusive resource access.

Objectives:

1. Secure the trade route by overcoming challenges.
2. Strengthen the alliance through successful negotiation and defense.
3. Ensure the prosperity and stability of both regions through cooperative efforts.

Enhancing Your Character’s Abilities

The Ability Point Experience Table is an exciting feature that allows players to grow and enhance their characters through meaningful actions and efforts. By engaging in specific activities and overcoming challenges, players earn Ability Experience Points (AXP), which contribute to leveling up their character’s abilities.

This system rewards players for their role-playing excellence, creative problem-solving, and successful strategic decisions. It adds depth to the game by encouraging players to fully immerse themselves in their character’s journey, offering a sense of accomplishment as their abilities improve.

Whether it’s deciphering ancient texts, negotiating crucial trade deals, or demonstrating exceptional craftsmanship, every action can bring you closer to the next ability level. This dynamic growth system not only enriches the gameplay but also provides an additional layer of reward and progression, making each session more engaging and satisfying. Embrace the challenge and watch your character flourish through their efforts and achievements!

Ability Points Experience Table

Ability Level	Ability Experience Points (AXP)
1	0
2	300
3	900

Tracking Tables

The Negotiation Tracking Table helps keep track of negotiation outcomes and their impact on the game. For instance, if Gotthold initiates a negotiation to highlight craftsmanship, the player needs to pass a DC 16 check. Success earns the player +100 charisma AXP and results in a price adjustment, increasing the value of silk by 10 GP per unit. This table ensures a structured and rewarding way to manage the complexities of trade negotiations, enhancing both gameplay and character development.

Example Negotiation Tracking Table:

Route	Initiation Player	Method	DC Check	Output	AXP	PXP	Price Adjustment
1	Gotthold	Highlight craftsmanship	DC 16	Success	+100 axp_charisma	+50	Silk +10 GP/unit
2	Eda	Emphasize coal’s value	DC 14	Failure	+40 axp_charisma	+20	Coal +5 GP/unit

Using World Trackers in the Game

Trackers are essential tools for managing and understanding the various aspects of your game world. They help measure the impact of players’ actions on different areas of the game.

Cultural Development Tracker: Monitors the growth and changes in a town’s cultural pride and heritage. It reflects how trade, negotiations, and events influence the town’s cultural identity and community spirit.

Town	Change	Description
Uzrurd	+5	Increase in cultural pride due to successful trade.

Diplomatic Relations Tracker: Keeps track of the relationships between different towns and factions. It shows how trade deals, alliances, and conflicts affect diplomatic ties and mutual trust.

Town	Change	Description
Bonurat	-5	Uzrurd and Bonurat improved relations through fair trade.

Economic Health Tracker: Assesses the financial stability and prosperity of towns. It takes into account trade agreements, resource management, and economic policies to determine the town’s economic status.

Town	Change	Description
Bonurat	-10	Increase in economic prosperity due to successful trade.

Other Tracker Options

• Environmental Health Tracker: Evaluates the condition of the natural environment in the game world. It measures the impact of player actions on ecological balance, resource depletion, and environmental sustainability.
• Peace Tracker: Records the levels of peace and conflict within the game world. It tracks the success of diplomatic efforts, the resolution of disputes, and the presence of ongoing conflicts.
• Prosperity Tracker: Measures the overall well-being and wealth of a town. It considers factors like economic growth, resource abundance, and the quality of life of the inhabitants.
• Purpose Tracker: Monitors the sense of purpose and direction within the game world. It reflects how player actions contribute to the overarching goals and narratives of the game.
• World Growth Tracker: Assesses the development and expansion of the game world. It tracks changes in population, infrastructure, and technological advancements, showing how the world evolves over time.

These trackers provide valuable insights and help players and DMs alike to understand the consequences of their actions, making the game more immersive and dynamic.

Inspiration Points

Inspiration points reward you for exceptional role-playing, creative solutions, and heroic deeds. Here’s how they work:

Earning Inspiration Points:

• Role-Playing: Stay true to your character’s personality and background.
• Creativity: Use innovative solutions in negotiations.
• Heroic Deeds: Make significant sacrifices or take bold actions.
• Humor and Entertainment: Enhance the game with humor and memorable moments.

Using Inspiration Points:

• Advantage on Rolls: Use an inspiration point to roll two d20s and take the higher result.
• Sharing Inspiration: Give your inspiration point to another player for their exceptional actions.

Role-Playing and Negotiation Examples

Example Role-Playing Dialogue:

• Gotthold: “Eda, Uzrurd’s copper artisans are renowned for their skill. This craftsmanship is unmatched and would greatly benefit Bonurat’s markets.”
• Eda: “Indeed, Gotthold. But Bonurat’s coal is the lifeblood of our industries. We must ensure our deal reflects its true value.”

Possible Player Actions:

• Highlight Craftsmanship (DC 16): Successfully highlighting craftsmanship increases Silk by 10 GP/unit. +100 AXP Charisma. +50 PXP.
• Emphasize Coal’s Value (DC 14): Failing to emphasize coal’s value increases Coal by 5 GP/unit. +40 AXP Charisma. +20 PXP.

Playing the Game

1. Start the Negotiation: Players take turns initiating offers and counteroffers.
2. Roll Dice: Determine the success of actions using dice rolls against Difficulty Class (DC) checks.
3. Track Outcomes: Adjust prices, quantities, and track the impact on the various trackers.
4. Earn and Use AXP: Earn Ability Experience Points (AXP) and Player Experience Points (PXP) for successful actions to level up abilities.

Summary

By the end of the six stories, see how your negotiations have shaped your characters and their towns. Engage in strategic role-playing, make bold decisions, and enjoy the dynamic world of D&D.

Google Spreadsheet Integration

To further enhance the experience, use a Google Spreadsheet to track full results, supply and demand, and price adjustments. This spreadsheet can include trackers for all NPCs, including details like town names, resources, cultures, and religions. This organized approach helps DMs and players keep track of the complex interplay of negotiations and their outcomes.

Example Google Spreadsheet Layout:

Town	Resource	State	Culture	Religion
Uzrurd	Copper	Ayehirstan	Surgug (Orkish)	Busurkezism
Yermeli	Spices	Ayehirstan	Namur (Gnomish)	Busurkezism
Gulkalaz	Lumber	Ayehirstan	Namur (Gnomish)	Gulkalazian Heresy
Sumgongel	Herbs	Bariatsia	Philerus (Human)	Philerus Beliefs
…	…	…	…	…

Session	Cultural Development	Diplomatic Relations	Economic Health	Environment Health	Peace	Prosperity	Purpose	World Growth
0	483	547	329	638	521	1000	1000	386
1	481	529	323	629	534	984	1008	406
2	481	529	312	634	532	996	1028	423
3	498	513	322	649	512	998	1008	434

Industry Progress Tracker

Description: This table tracks various industries in city, including the number of workers, their base salary, and the total gross earnings. This helps in monitoring the economic health and prosperity of the city.

Industry	Count	Base Salary	Gross
Advocates	42	20	840
Alchemists	3	30	90
Apprentices	30	4	120
Armorers	14	50	700
Astronomers	7	6	42
Bakers	34	5	170
Barbers	78	10	780
Bathers	15	5	75
Beer-Sellers	91	5	455
Blacksmiths	18	20	360
Bleachers	13	3	39
Bodyguards	67	20	1340
Bookbinders	136	10	1360
Booksellers	4	25	100
Buckle-Makers	19	5	95

By incorporating these elements, you create a dynamic and engaging encounter that enhances player interactivity and seamlessly transitions into a combined adventure, enriching the overall gameplay experience.

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