I apologize for posting what I am certain is a very basic question, but I am away from my rulebook and am seeing things online that are making me question my prior understanding of the acquisition rules. Disclaimer - I am the GM of a campaign, so I understand that I can do anything that I want, or interpret the rules any way that I want, but I wish to fully understand RAW/RAI before I look at making any tweaks.

My understanding had been that any PC/Explorer picks the item that they want, total up all relevant modifiers for rarity, scale and quality, applies the net total of the modifiers to their current profit factor and if that PC rolls equal to or under that number, then they get the item.

However, I've seen multiple references online to PCs/Explorers needing to make a an additional Commerce/Barter skill check for EVERY acquisition (rather than the GM choosing to have them do it at their discretion), which I would think would mean that potentially only PC/Explorers with those relevant skills can even acquire things. Somehow it's now two rolls, instead of one. I can't recall reading anything along those lines in the book and my PC that I have help me with rules questions didn't recall seeing anything along those lines either. A second roll would seem to have a very significant impact on the party's ability to buy items, so I wanted to make sure I understood the process.

Again, thank you everyone for the help.

Off the top of my head, the Commerce/Barter roll you are referring to is an optional Contested roll that players can use to nudge the target number up (or, failing the test, down). It's like a baker selling his wares for 10 Thrones but the player only wants to pay 8 Thrones. A successful roll will cause the baker to consider the lower price, while failure angers him and might jack it up to 12 Thrones. I've never actually dealt with an Acquisition test before, but this is how I interpret it.

ADDENDUM:

Normal target number for # loaves of bread: 80

Successful Commerce roll with X DoS over opponent: 80+(X*2)

Failed Commerce roll with X DoS under opponent: 80-(X*2)

So if a player scores 2 DoS over her opponent, she adds 4 to her PF (84 total) for this particular Acquisition test. If the opponent scores 1 DoS over the player, the player subtracts 2 from her PF (78 total) instead. Pulled from {Rogue Trader - Core, pg.273}. Players can accept the prices they're offered, or gamble a bit to see if they can secure a better deal. Low Int/Fel characters are less likely to invoke this optional roll since the results are based on DoS.

On an associated note, how do GMs run a difference between Commerce and Barter. I'm leaning toward ignoring one or the other in my next game, but I'm undecided. Should one be used to find an item and another be used to vary the price?

On an associated note, how do GMs run a difference between Commerce and Barter. I'm leaning toward ignoring one or the other in my next game, but I'm undecided. Should one be used to find an item and another be used to vary the price?

From {Black Crusade} onward (i.e., after DH1, RT, and DW), games condense Barter into Commerce. If you're going to ignore one of them, I'd say forget Barter and just use Commerce instead.

I've got BC, OW, and DH2 and just haven't gotten to reading them yet. I'm still reading Soul Reaver .

P. Jackson, it really helps play if you compile all Acquisition tables on a single page. It can be done on a single page by simply cutting and pasting (real cutting and pasting, like with scisors and glue). I keep mine on a Google Doc. I'll give you the link here, but keep in mind that there might be some house rules in it. In fact, I'm sure there's some house rules in the ground forces for massed combat. Still, you might find the table helpful. I used the BFK ship component rules instead of the core.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17CrqNZmazPpI0qhBwK98aGk3Jgexzscj4CIEpNpBwDI/edit?usp=sharing

Hi

Here is a link to a portfolio by MorbidDon:

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/126608-acquisition-pdf-portfolio-all-in-one/

If you do use both Barter and Commerce (which I do given the commercial nature of the game) I'd use the following guidelines as when to roll which:

Barter : The execution of a single exchange of a service and/or good where there is direct negotiation is about the relative values of these services and/or goods. This is typically rolled during play when dealing with other powerful individuals.

Commerce : The manipulation of dynamic assets, typically dealing with the Company aspect of the Rogue Trader. Deals with items of intrinsic or promised value or to produce items to be used for trade. Typically rolled for off-screen acquisition.

If you are in an economic negotiation where both are applicable, they have different styles and effects. Barter is convincing the merchant his item is worth 5 Thrones, Commerce is finding 10 thrones to pay him with.

On an associated note, how do GMs run a difference between Commerce and Barter. I'm leaning toward ignoring one or the other in my next game, but I'm undecided. Should one be used to find an item and another be used to vary the price?

Barter is specifically for, well, bartering. It might sometimes be useful when you are bartering and trading objects for objects.

On the whole, when it comes to items acquisitions, Rogue Trader largely has no need for Barter, because as a Rogue Trader, you are unlikely to engage on that level of exchange of goods and services.

I wouldn't ignore either of them, they are distinctly different, but Barter definitely takes the back seat in Rogue Trader.

You could always barter for ships and planets

You could always barter for ships and planets

I'm not entirely sure if you were serious, but if you were, yeah, one could do that. When the players sit down with a couple of rivals and start ironing out a peace treaty, haggling over who gets who, Barter is definitely the go-to skill.

You get these planets, we take those.

Fail, and you get three junkyards worth of scrap in the ass-end of the Expanse.

Succeed and you just secured four strategic points right under their nose.