IC Businesses

[ferabird]

I've become very inspired regading a storefront for one of my chars, and read up a bit on how the businesses worked.

What I want to know is how things are meant to work regarding stat changes, charms, curses, anything of that sort. What sort of thing is acceptable, and how hard should it be for people to buy or get? The downside of a character who's able to do services with those effects is that they can very possibly be forced or bribed to do them outside of their shops, which can make stat changes and charms and the like a little 'too' available.

I guess what I'm asking is essentially what 'effects' can be made on characters, what should they cost, and what keeps them from happening outside the shop thread?

[iprince]

Stat changes are going to be the easiest, most readily available means of character-alteration that an IC business can "sell." It's important to know that the actual stat change is something that happens OOC. You won't walk into a store and say "I want +2 in strength." Instead, you'll walk into that store and, say, use their body building equipment. Your character, IC, is working out, and to represent that, said character earns stat points OOC.

Characters aren't aware of their stat points. They understand if they are weak or strong, but they won't know that "Hey, I'm +10 higher than you in intelligence!" Just, "Hey, I'm smarter than you!"

So if you were going to start a store like a beauty salon, the most relevant stat point would be charisma. Character A goes in, gets a makeover, earns +2 charisma. You're not going to earn strength or intelligence for getting your hair done!

So, stat changes should be easy to obtain. And yes, characters can totally be "bribed" outside of their shop. This would have to be a strictly IC-event, and no stat changes will be earned (apart from those for completing the thread adequately). If you choose to make the "bribe" happen in the shop thread, but, say, behind the scenes or what-not, or taking character B to the shop to utilize the facilities when it ordinarily wouldn't be allowed, they may still earn those stat points.

For other gains, such as IC knowledge, items, and so forth...just be realistic. ("charms" and "curses" aren't really allowed). So long as the character teaching the knowledge or offering the service has the skills available to them, a quick little roleplay is enough to say "character B was taught X, and now knows how to Y."

Any bribing that happens outside of the shop itself is going to be unofficial. It may happen for roleplay purposes, but actual exchange of knowledge or stats isn't permitted. The same with selling items unique to your shop: Your character can sell fertility fruit they've bought/won outside of their shop thread, and have that transaction official, but if you're selling, say, specialized custom jewelry or combs...it has to stay in the shop thread.

Now, the shop thread doesn't necessarily have to be an actual shop, kiosk, or building! You can totally have it taking place in a backstreet alleyway or in the character's home.

[ferabird]

Ooooooooh. NEAT. Alright, that's all that I was trying to puzzle out :3 Imma think more about what to do with my girly.

Another question- will any sort of 'magical' items be available in player shops? I understand the rest so far, but wht I'm thinking involves my bone girly, who may well sell ritual impliments. Now, there's no reason at all they can't be for roleplay, but is there anything else that PCs will be able to do with their shops to effect change on their patrons?

[iprince]

You can totally create magical items...so long as they don't change the physical appearance of the character (ie. require line changes) or teach the character type powers.

I'll be able to give you more in-depth information (and advice) if you explain exactly what you want the items to do. If you don't want it to be public just yet, feel free to send me a PM. C:

[ferabird]

I SHALL! I don't have anything super specific yet, but I know the gist of what I want to do.