Player owned alchemy shop + alchemy price revamp

[watchingtheskies]

Hi everyone,

 

This is just a rough outline so I don't forget. I'm taking ideas, of course. I might end up making this one.

 

Tl;dr first.

 

- Player-made potions:

--- Make fame and infamy influence potion and poison prices

--- Make base potion prices depend more markedly on player Alchemy skill.

--- E.g. (Effective_Alchemy/10)^2 + MortarPestle_Strength*10 + Player_Fame/5)

--- Base prices start very low, five to ten gold per potion, and eventually exceed store-bought potion prices as you become known as a skilled alchemist

--- Possible other changes, such as: potions that combine negative and positive effects are worth less, potions with effects that make sense together (e.g. fortify strength+shield) are worth more, etc.

 

- Player-owned shop(s)

--- Buy a permit and start with a makeshift stall selling restore fatigue potions to Waterfront residents

--- Fulfill requests from your customers. At lower levels, those will be simple potions with common ingredients. At higher levels, you'll need ingredients that you might have to venture into an Oblivion gate for.

--- Optionally, implement a new "Alchemist reputation" stat that fulfilling requests increases.

--- Selling at your own store gives you a bonus to Mercantile since you're selling directly to customers

--- Open your own alchemical shop once you have enough money

--- Eventually hire NPCs to automatise the tedious parts (buying ingredients, making potions, and selling them)

--- Ship to all cities of Cyrodiil. Carve out a trading emp- ^{is this still Oblivion}

 

- Other changes

--- Add in a 'distiller' apparatus allowing you to concentrate potions so their effect is instant rather than applied over time. Make your own Strong Potions of Healing. For the sake of balance/ease of modding, the distiller is stationary like a spellmaking altar.

--- Unique recipes that have to be purchased/learned from books and only work with a certain combination of ingredients. (DIY Poisoned Apples, poisons that deal more damage to vampires, perhaps even potions that give permanent boosts to your stats)

--- Optional flavor idea: 'sealed and marked' potions. Once you have enough of a reputation, putting your stamp of quality on a potion you made would markedly increase its price. On the contrary, unmarked potions probably brewed in a goblin-infested cave won't fetch as much.

//This one may be surprisingly easy to implement. Frostcrag Spire has the Alchemical Brilliance effect in proximity to the Alchemy lab. Make a proximity effect that increases the price of your potions on player-owned store.//

 

I know this is a big scale to work with. Each of those alone might be a mod in itself, of course.

 

To elaborate on the idea, well... I was playing an alchemist character. Why do potions you make in Imperial Sewers even sell? On the contrary, why do potions that a character with 100 in Alchemy makes cost so little even if their effects are much better? I can only assume that potion trade in Cyrodiil is heavily regulated. As it should be, so that nobody sells vegetable soup as a restore fatigue potion. who cares, same ingredients

 

Buying a state permit and starting out small would feel really legit. But even a character with no interest in Alchemy would get a price markup on their potions eventually on account of their fame. Perhaps an Arch-Mage or a master thief would, because they clearly know what they're doing.

 

Also, I always wanted to play a merchant character.

 

Thank you for reading all this, and have a nice day.

[ReverendFelix]

I like the idea. I personal use the Trade and Commerce mod, if you know it. It allows you to but and manage a store. Very cool! I simply love mods that make you feel like an active part of the realm. I suggest making sure patrons happen, even if just for looks. I only ever have 1 guy come into the 'Adventurere's Store'. Who buys all my stock, that 1 guy? Anyway, this sounds great!

[watchingtheskies]

To ReverendFelix:

 

Thanks! I've checked out the T&C mod, and it does look cool. I'll try it out someday.

 

And yes, patrons are planned. Might be altering vanilla NPCs schedule temporarily so they come into your store, if that's not too intrusive. Adding new NPCs that frequent your store - some of whom will eventually give out quests - would be a good idea, too.

[ReverendFelix]

Oh, T&C isn't my mod. Just using it as an example. This mod does sound very promising, I'll be tracking progress. Good luck :)

[watchingtheskies]

Please don't hold your breath yet - real life's kicking my ass for now.

 

Today's ideas: rough progression of city-related quests. Each city/region is to have a short main quest to complete to organise a trade with it, and recurring quests related to it.

 

Wall of text incoming. Apologies in advance if it's not coherent, and please, call me out if this is off-topic for this here forum.

 

 

I'd like to give the player an (illusion of) choice at each step of the way. I also want the quests to make sense from a geographic point of view. For instance, Skingrad is going to be difficult to establish a foothold in, because it already has Sinderion and Hlaalu's shop. On the contrary, Chorrol has Fighters' Guild, who are going to be willing customers.

 

The choices aren't exclusive. If you choose one city, you can go back and do the quest for the other one, or work on securing the next 'tier'.

 

1: Chorrol or Bruma. Both are close to Imperial City, and both have a demand for potions.

 

Chorrol is going to involve more trading, and perhaps a bigger initial investment for more return. Reach an agreement with Seed-Neus (if you've already saved Dar-Ma) and with Fighters' Guild (easier if you're in the guild, much easier if you're the guildmaster). Perhaps you'll need to clear out some goblins from a nearby mine to ensure the road to Chorrol is safe.

 

Bruma is going to involve more combat. Accompany a caravan to Skyrim and defend it from some bandits who don't care that your cargo is all hagraven feathers and giants' toes. Of course, after a certain event in Mages' Guild storyline, someone will have to sell potions if the Bruma Guild can't do it any more...

 

2. Skingrad or Bravil. Establishing a trade route.

 

Skingrad has enough skilled alchemists as is, and Bravil is knee-deep in crime and skooma. Still, these cities are the way to Anvil and Leyawiin, and you'll need to secure them first.

 

See what you can learn from Sinderion (a trade trick or two? perhaps a way to regrow Nirnroot?) and offer a little help to the vintners of Skingrad. Sell some cures for the skooma addicts and secure a favor with the Thieves' Guild (if you wish).

 

2.5. Anvil or Leyawiin. Setting sail.

 

Now we're getting serious. Both of those are port cities - Anvil opening trade with Hammerfell and Valenwood, Leyawiin with Elsweyr and Black Marsh. Get a repeated quest to stock ships with potions - in exchange for a flat fee or a cut of the profit.

 

The quests, though, are going to feel much different. Anvil is overall a peaceful town. Perhaps you'll get a ghost ship in the Abecean Sea that the captains want you to deal with, or a coven of necromancers that admire the late Lorgren Benirus too much.

 

Leyawiin, though, is in a turbulent spot with the Reijira Krin guerillas causing trouble - and the count isn't going to approve of you trading with the 'savages'. Do you deal with the rebels to secure his favor? Or do you help them in secret and ensure the count has his hands full and can't bother with you?

 

3. Cheydinhal. Dunmer and nightshade.

 

A rich town with a dark secret. Of course, if you're involved with the Dark Brotherhood, they'll welcome your business. Otherwise, be prepared to deal with them - one way or another.

 

The Dunmer of Morrowind aren't going to trade with you unless you're famous enough (which you would be, at this point in story). Expect intrigue. And expect the Morag Tong to be involved.

 

4. Skingrad or Bravil, once again.

 

Do you want to destroy the skooma trade and clean up Bravil? Or would you rather take over and profit from it?

 

Meanwhile, Skingrad (I'll be honest. Nothing better comes to mind than an aesthetical shout-out to Blood and Wine. Still, it is an excellent DLC for an excellent game, and vampires and wine go together like silver and steel.)

 

...That actually ran longer than I expected. Definitely bigger than the original scope for the mod I had in mind. Still, I want to leave this here. Perhaps someone will be inspired.