Determining Goods Available

[Zen Infidel]

I have a question regarding how to determine the availability of goods. On p. 163 of the Mongoose Traveller Core Rulebook, it says that you should "+ the largest Dice Modifier from the Purchase DM column." and "-the largest Dice Modifier from the Sale DM column." This doesn't seem to be what they do in the example though, where Erik lands on a desert world and tries to purchase Precious Metals. If you add the highest DM from precious metals and subtract the highest number from the Sale DM, you would get a 3-3, which would equal +0. However, the example says that Erik applies a DM of +1.

Now I suspect, you are only supposed to apply those DMs which are designated for the world on which you are purchasing. For example, if you applied the "Desert" Purchase DM of +1 and then look and see that there is no Desert Sale DM, you would end up with a +1 Purchase DM. Is this correct?

And if this is correct, when would you ever subtract the largest Sale DM from the largest Purchase DM, unless you're talking only about unusual trade goods for which there is no Trade Code modifier in either the Purchase DM column or the Sale DM column.

 

[Greylond]

Yes, of course you only use the DM's that apply to that world. In the Example Erik lands on a Desert World, so you would only use the DMs listed for Desert World and ignore the rest.

 

[Zen Infidel]

OK, that's what I thought. What is all the talk about adding the highest Purchase DM and subtracting the highest Sale DM, etc?

 

[Greylond]

If you look, some world trade codes are in both Purchase and Sale DM columns because a lot of worlds have multiple trade codes. For example say your character is on;

Phlume Spinward Marches 1611 C887624-8 Ag Ni Ga Ri

And you are trying to buy Luxury Consumables. You have;

Purchase DM:
Ag: +2
Garden: +0

Sale DM:
Rich: +2
High Population: +2


For Purchase DM you use Ag since that one is higher. For Sale DM you use Rich because that world is listed as "Ri" and you ignore "High Population" be cause it isn't a Hi Pop world.