Barter (Fallout: New Vegas)

Barter is a skill in Fallout: New Vegas.

Description
The Barter skill is primarily used in the buying and selling of items, such as trading with a merchant or scavenger. In general, purchase prices will be lowered and selling price will be higher. It is the primary factor in price determination, and is also offset by the Barter skill of the non-player character in question. The skill is also used in certain dialogue options with non-player characters, where certain responses require Barter checks.

Initial level

 * $$\text{Initial level}=2+(2\times\text{Charisma})+\left\lceil\frac{\text{Luck}}{2}\right\rceil$$

Example: A starting Charisma of 5 and Luck of 5.
 * $$2+(2\times5)+\left\lceil\frac{5}{2}\right\rceil=2+10+3=15$$

Barter affects the prices gotten when trading with merchants. There are also many Barter skill checks in the game that can help advancing in quests by displaying a good sense with money, talking down costs, and talking up rewards. The Barter skill is governed by the Charisma attribute.

General price (before application of reputational fees or discounts) is counted with the same formula as in Fallout 3.

Price Discounts
Many merchant barter menus can be triggered with a modifier from -100 to 100, usually based on the Courier's faction reputation (see Available Discounts). This modifier is effectively a percentage of the existing price dictated by your barter skill.

Positive values add that percentage to the value of items you sell and subtract that percentage from the cost of items you are purchasing. A negative value similarly reduces the price of items you sell and increases the cost of items you purchase by that percentage.

A zero or omitted modifier corresponds to buy and sell prices dictated only by the Barter stat. No modifier level will allow you to sell items for more than - or purchase items for less than - their actual value

A modifier of -100 corresponds to zero trade value of items regardless of barter skill and a modifier of -100 effectively reduces a barter skill of 100 to 0. A modifier of 100 has the effect of offering barter 100 prices with a barter skill of 0 and full value trades when barter exceeds ~11 points.

Barter in quests and exploration
While hard to tell in the abstract from the following list, in many cases Barter is offered as an alternative dialogue skill check to Speech (though generally involving paying money) or other skill checks. This may be to help compensate for the fact that Barter on its own may not be as useful as other skills.


 * 20 to convince Trudy for an additional 25 caps for repairing her radio.
 * 20 to convince Major Knight to send a squad of NCR troops to Primm in order to protect the town and its trade route.
 * 25 to convince Chet to assist in the quest Ghost Town Gunfight or Run Goodsprings Run.
 * 25 to convince Dr. Klein to have Dr. 0 give 250 bottle caps to the Courier instead of 50.
 * 30 to convince Johnson Nash to give up information about the NCR attack on NCR Correctional Facility for just 50 caps in the quest I Fought the Law.
 * 35 to convince Beatrix Russell in Wang Dang Atomic Tango.
 * 35 to convince Tyrone to give up the chemical ingredients in the quest Don't Make a Beggar of Me.
 * 35 to convince Aurelius of Phoenix to allow trade with Decanus Severus. (NCR Dog-tags for food, ammunition, explosives, firearms or armor.)
 * 35 to convince Crandon to allow the start of the quest Someone to Watch Over Me.
 * 40 to convince George outside the Boomers minefield to sell the secrets of navigating the minefield for 200 instead of 300.
 * 40 to get medical supplies from Emily Ortal during The Moon Comes Over the Tower.
 * 45 to trick Max into giving the player Euclid's C-Finder for only 20 caps.
 * 45 to notice that the Happy Trails Caravan Company is not in best financial shape when talking with Jed Masterson.
 * 45 to convince Squatter Bill (and the other Squatters) to leave for 50 caps in the quest Someone to Watch Over Me.
 * 45 to convince Big Sal to release Troike from his contract in How Little We Know
 * 45 to convince Private Renolds to give a monetary "encouragement" in the quest Anywhere I Wander.
 * 50 to convince Mr. House to pay an additional 250 caps for the Platinum Chip, bringing the Courier's final payment to 1250 caps.
 * 50 to convince Old Lady Gibson to give the Courier the thrust controllers for 250 caps instead of 500 for the quest Come Fly With Me.
 * 50 to extort 300 caps from Orris in G.I. Blues after an Intelligence check of 6.
 * 50 to convince Dr. Hildern for an additional 600 caps from in There Stands the Grass.
 * 50 to convince The Lonesome Drifter to give up the Mysterious Magnum during the quest Talent Pool.
 * 50 to convince Ralph to craft a counterfeit passport for the Strip at a reduced price of 375 caps (originally 500).
 * 50 to convince Red Lucy for an additional 100 caps after bringing her mantis eggs in the Bleed Me Dry.
 * 50 to convince Tommy Torini to give the Courier a 5% cut in Talent Pool.
 * 50 to more easily convince Dean Domino to cooperate in Find Collar 14: Dean Domino.
 * 50 to convince Dr. Klein to have Dr. 0 give an additional 250 caps to the Courier.
 * 50 to convince Greasy Johnny (and the other greasers) to stop causing trouble for 50 caps in the quest Someone to Watch Over Me.
 * 50 to convince Jack to start creating medicinal chems in Aba Daba Honeymoon.
 * 55 to get Cachino's room key from the receptionist for 200 caps instead of 300 in How Little We Know.
 * 60 to convince Red Lucy for an additional 100 caps after bringing her radscorpion eggs in the Bleed Me Dry.
 * 60 to convince various merchants to sell food at a discount to Farber in the Camp McCarran concourse.
 * 60 to earn 200 caps and Cachino's "friendship" after confronting him about his journal in How Little We Know.
 * 65 to convince Alice McLafferty to let Janet get out of debt in Young Hearts, explaining to her the possible profit from future trade possibilities with the Boomers.
 * 70 to convince Red Lucy for an additional 200 caps after bringing her fire gecko eggs in the side quest, Bleed Me Dry.
 * 70 to convince Old Lady Gibson to obtain Rey's brain for free in Nothin' But a Hound Dog.
 * 75 to convince Dr. Klein to have Dr. 0 give an additional 250 bottle caps to the player.
 * 80 to convince Red Lucy for an additional 300 caps after bringing her nightstalker eggs in the side quest, Bleed Me Dry.
 * 80 to bribe the missionary involved with the quest G.I. Blues.
 * 90 to convince Red Lucy for an additional 500 caps after bringing her cazador eggs in Bleed Me Dry.
 * 90 to convince Dr. Klein to give the Courier: Fixin' Things, Programmer's Digest, Patriot's Cookbook, 250 additional bottle caps, 2 doctor's bag, 3 stimpaks and one super stimpak.
 * 100 to convince Legate Lanius to retreat during Eureka!, All or Nothing or No Gods, No Masters, by pointing out that Legion's sabotage of the West has left its forward advance near impossible to supply and maintain.
 * 100 to persuade General Oliver to order an NCR military withdrawal from Hoover Dam during All or Nothing, by promising protection for NCR merchant caravans in the area.

Available discounts
Trudy in Goodsprings offers a discount of 75 with a Goodsprings reputation of Good Natured Rascal, Accepted, Liked or Idolized


 * Accomplished by saving the Goodsprings settler during Back in the Saddle, repairing her radio or helping the town during Ghost Town Gunfight.

Chet in Goodsprings offers


 * a discount of 75 with a Goodsprings reputation of Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child
 * a discount of 50 if the discount above is not in effect and the player has taken over the town with the Powder Gangers during Run Goodsprings Run Chet has a much wider inventory and more caps than Trudy, making him arguably better for trading.

Doctor Usanagi in the New Vegas Medical Clinic offers a discount of 95 with a Followers of the Apocalypse reputation of Good Natured Rascal, Accepted, Liked or Idolized

Corporal Farber in the Camp McCarran Concourse


 * will refuse to do business with an NCR reputation of Shunned, Hated or Villified
 * applies a markup of -50 with a reputation of Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child
 * otherwise offers a discount of up to 28 based on completing various objectives of Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans and Poor Meat Never Makes Good Soup
 * 5 for providing the Food additive from Vault 22
 * 5 for repairing the Food processor
 * Arranging meat supply with Fitz at Grub n' Gulp Rest Stop
 * 3 for purchasing meat with caps
 * 5 for trading for meat with vegetables/water (Speech 60 or Barter 60)
 * Arranging meat supply with Blake at Crimson Caravan Company
 * 5 for purchasing meat with caps
 * 8 for purchasing discounted meat with caps (Speech 70)
 * 8 for trading for meat with vegetables/water (Barter 50)
 * Arranging food supply with Ruby Nash in Primm
 * 2 for purchasing food with caps (200 Caps or Barter 60 and 100 Caps)
 * 5 for trading for food with vegetables/water (Speech 70)
 * Completing none of these results in standard barter rates

Dr. Kemp in the Camp McCarran Concourse


 * will refuse to do business with an NCR reputation of Shunned, Hated or Villified
 * offers a discount if Esteban Morales has been recovered in A Final Plan for Esteban
 * 10 for recovering Esteban and requesting caps
 * 20 for recovering Esteban for free
 * applies a markup of -50 with an NCR reputation of Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child

Lacey in Mojave Outpost Barracks


 * applies a markup of -50 with an NCR reputation of Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child
 * unmodified prices with Neutral reputation

Quartermaster Mayes at Camp Forlorn Hope will purchase items but does not sell anything


 * applies a markup of -50 with an NCR reputation of Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child
 * offers unmodified prices with Neutral reputation

Sgt. Daniel Contreras in the Camp McCarran Supply Shack offers:


 * a markup of -50 with an NCR reputation of Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Mixed, Unpredictable or Wild Child
 * unmodified prices with Neutral reputation

Mister Holdout in front of the Gomorrah casino offers:


 * unmodified prices with Strip reputation of Neutral, Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Smiling Troublemaker or Sneering Punk
 * a discount of 40 with Strip reputation of Mixed, Unpredictable, Merciful Thug or Shunned
 * a discount of 80 with Strip reputation of Hated or Villified
 * a discount of 85 with Strip reputation of Wild Child
 * a markup of -40 with Strip Reputation of Good Natured Rascal and Accepted
 * He will refuse to do business with a reputation of Liked or Idolized

The Street vendor on the New Vegas Strip offers:


 * unmodified prices with a Strip reputation of Neutral, Dark Hero, Soft Hearted Devil, Smiling Troublemaker or Sneering Punk
 * a discount of 40 with Strip reputation of Good Natured Rascal and Accepted
 * a discount of 80 with Strip reputation of Liked
 * a markup of -40 with Strip Reputation of Mixed or Unpredictable
 * a markup of -80 with Strip reputation of Wild Child
 * She will refuse to do business with a reputation of Merciful Thug, Shunned, Hated or Villified

The White Glove Bartender in the Ultra-Luxe Casino offers:


 * a discount of 75 to White Glove Society members
 * a markup of -80 to non-members

The Gourmand food supplier behind the counter of The Gourmand restaurant offers:


 * a discount of 50 to players that framed Heck Gunderson in Beyond the Beef
 * unmodified prices otherwise

Gomorrah bartenders in the Gomorrah Casino have a fixed discount of 80. It is unclear if a reputation check was intended at some point or if this just reflects a "cheap booze" environment.

Jack at the Red Rock Drug Lab has bugged dialog that was supposed to offer:


 * a discount of 65 for Dark Hero or Soft Hearted Devil
 * a discount of 70 for Mixed
 * a discount of 75 for Unpredictable
 * a discount of 80 for Wild Child

Johnson Nash in Primm offers:


 * a discount of 75 if Meyers is made sheriff during My Kind of Town
 * a markup of -25 if Primm is instead annexed by the NCR
 * otherwise normal prices when his store is available

Cliff Briscoe in Novac offers:


 * a discount of 30 with a Novac reputation of Liked or Idolized
 * a discount of 35 with a reputation of Hated or Villified this may be have been intended to check the two highest mixed reputation values rather than bad reputation values
 * a discount of 25 if neither of the other discounts apply and one has spoken to Jeannie May Crawford about the Dino Bite gift shop, then telling him she sent the Courier. The discount will not be lost if he finds out they helped kill her.
 * unmodified prices otherwise

Julie Farkas at Old Mormon Fort offers:


 * a discount that increases for each Followers' good reputation threshold level beyond Neutral
 * Smiling Troublemaker (20), Good Natured Rascal (30), Accepted (40), Liked (50) and Idolized (60)
 * a markup that increases for each Followers' bad reputation threshold beyond Neutral
 * Sneering Punk (-20), Merciful Thug (-30), Shunned (-40), Hated (-50) and Vilified (-60)

The Great Khan armorer in the Great Khan armory offers:


 * standard trade with a Great Khan reputation of Smiling Troublemaker
 * a discount of 85 with a reputation of Good Natured Rascal
 * a discount of 80 with a reputation of Accepted
 * a discount of 75 with a reputation of Liked or Idolized

Knight Torres in the Hidden Valley Bunker offers increasing discounts with each level of positive Brotherhood of Steel positive reputation:


 * Smiling Troublemaker (15), Good Natured Rascal (20), Accepted (25), Liked (30), Idolized (35) and standard rates for any other reputation level. When the Courier's reputation with the Mojave Brotherhood becomes Mixed, a paladin should approach them and inform them of a discount. This discount variable is never referenced in the barter scripts, so only the positive reputation discount is available.

Mick and Ralph in Freeside each offer increasing discounts with each level of Mixed Freeside reputation:


 * Dark Hero/Soft Hearted Devil (10), Mixed (15), Unpredictable (20), Wild Child (25) and standard rates for any other reputations. These discounts apply to Mick's normal inventory and his "special" inventory.

Ways to increase Barter

 * Permanent
 * Leveling up (up to +15 or +17 with Educated)
 * Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor (+3 or 4 with Comprehension)
 * Empathy Synthesizer (+2 depending on current Charisma, a perfect Charisma of 10 will see no benefit.)
 * Tag! (+15)
 * Good Natured (+5)
 * Skilled (+5)
 * Temporary
 * Salesman Weekly (+10 or 20 with Comprehension)
 * Mentats (+2 depending on current Charisma, a perfect Charisma of 10 will see no benefit.)
 * Party Time Mentats (+2-10 depending on current Charisma, a perfect Charisma of 10 will see no benefit, can be stacked with Mentats.)
 * Absinthe/Beer/Irradiated beer/Irradiated whiskey/Jake Juice/Scotch/Wine (+2 depending on current Charisma, a perfect Charisma of 10 will see no benefit.)
 * Moonshine (+2-4 depending on current Charisma, a perfect Charisma of 10 will no benefit, can be stacked with other alcohol.)
 * Benny's suit (+5)
 * Roving trader hat (+5, earliest acquisition is from Malcolm Holmes.)
 * Roving trader outfit (+5, earliest acquisition is from Malcolm Holmes.)
 * Vera's outfit from Dead Money (+5 and another +2 depending on current Charisma.)
 * Daniel's outfit from Honest Hearts (+5)
 * "Mood Light" (+5-9 (depending on current Charisma) for 12 hours or until the player uses the "Smart Lights")

Barter experts

 * Elizabeth Kieran (98) - NCR Major providing aid to NCR squatters living in Freeside.
 * Lady Jane (98) - a caravan merchant living in Freeside.