 |
For a cross-game overview of this skill, see Barter. |
|---|
“Trading and trade-related tasks. The ability to get better prices for items you sell, and lower prices for items you buy.”— In-game description
Barter is a skill in Fallout: New Vegas whose initial level is governed by the primary statistic SPECIAL attribute Charisma.
This skill affects the prices for buying and selling items.
Initial level[]
Example: A starting Charisma of 5 and Luck of 5.
Description[]
The Barter skill is primarily used in the buying and selling of items, such as trading with a merchant or scavenger, and is the primary factor in price determination. The Courier's reputation with the merchant, town, or faction can also affect price with additional increases or discounts. In general, purchase prices will be lower and selling price will be higher with a higher Barter skill. It is offset by the Barter skill of the non-player character in question.
General price (before application of reputational price increases or discounts) is calculated with the same formula as in Fallout 3. This progression is linear, meaning each point in Barter gives increasingly favorable prices. Note that reputation does not affect prices unless that particular merchant is scripted to modify worth based on the Courier's reputation. For example, Chet will use only the PC's barter skill value to determine prices even if they are Idolized with Goodsprings, but with a mixed reputation (regardless of how good or bad it is), he will offer at 1:1 prices.
| Barter | Sell % | Buy % |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 45 | 155 |
| 20 | 54 | 146 |
| 40 | 63 | 137 |
| 60 | 72 | 128 |
| 80 | 81 | 119 |
| 100 | 90 | 110 |
The Barter skill is also used in dialogue interactions with non-player characters, where certain responses require Barter skill checks. These can help advance in quests by displaying a good sense with money, talking down costs, and talking up rewards.
Perks that require Barter skill[]
| Perk | Barter | Level | Additional Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pack Rat | 70 | 8 | Intelligence 5 |
| Long Haul | 70 | 12 | Endurance 6 |
Ways to increase Barter[]
- Permanent
- Leveling up (up to +15 depending on Intelligence, up to +17 with Educated perk)
- Tales of a Junktown Jerky Vendor book (+3, or +4 with Comprehension perk)
- Intense Training in Charisma (+2)
Lonesome Road completion any SPECIAL +1 in Charisma (+2)- Empathy Synthesizer implant (+2)
- Tag! (+15)
- Skilled (+5)
- Good Natured (+5)
- Temporary
- Salesman Weekly magazine (+10, or +20 with Comprehension)
- Mentats (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Party Time Mentats (+10, unless Charisma is 6-9 which will see +2-8 benefit, 10 will see no benefit, can be stacked with Mentats)
- Ant queen pheromones (+6, unless Charisma is 8-9 which will see +2-4 benefit, 10 will see no benefit)
- Moonshine (+4, unless Charisma is 9 which will see +2 benefit, 10 will see no benefit, can be stacked with other alcohol)
- Absinthe/Beer/Irradiated beer/Whiskey/Irradiated whiskey/Jake Juice/Scotch/Irradiated scotch/Wasteland tequila/Large wasteland tequila/Vodka/Wine (up to +6 with 100 Survival, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit, 8-9 will see reduced benefit)
- 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 (+5 and another +2 if Charisma is under 10)
Daniel's outfit (+5)- General Oliver's uniform (+4, unless Charisma is 9 which will see +2 benefit, 10 will see no benefit)
- Eulogy Jones' hat (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- T-51b power helmet (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Bounty hunter duster (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Regulator duster (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Sheriff's duster (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Elite riot gear (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Sleepwear (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Sexy sleepwear (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Armor of the 87th Tribe (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- Dr. Mobius' scrubs (+2, unless Charisma is 10 which will see no benefit)
- "Mood Light" (+5 and another +2-4 if Charisma is under 9-10, lasts 12 hours or until the player uses the "Smart Lights")
Available discounts[]
- Goodsprings: Trudy will give a discount for saving the Goodsprings settler during Back in the Saddle, or helping the town during Ghost Town Gunfight. The discount is tied to achieving an Accepted or better positive reputation with Goodsprings, not any one specific act. Conversely, the discount will be lost upon gaining infamy such as completing Run Goodsprings Run.
- Goodsprings: Chet will give a discount with a mixed reputation in Goodsprings, but doing so will void the discount with Trudy. However, Chet has a much wider inventory and more caps than Trudy. He can also give a discount after passing a 25 Barter check to get supplies for the Powder Gangers during Run Goodsprings Run.
- Primm: Johnson Nash will give a discount if My Kind of Town is completed by recruiting Meyers as the new sheriff.
- Novac: Cliff Briscoe will give a discount only after speaking to Jeannie May Crawford about the Dino Bite gift shop and then telling him she sent them to him. The discount will not be lost even if Cliff is told they killed her, whether independently or during One for My Baby by helping Boone.
- Old Mormon Fort: Julie Farkas will give a discount upon achieving an Accepted reputation with the Followers of the Apocalypse, with further discounts of a 1:1 ratio once Idolized and she offers Follower membership.
- New Vegas medical clinic: Dr. Usanagi will give a discount of a 1:1 ratio upon achieving an Accepted and then Idolized reputation with the Followers as well.
- Great Khan armory: The Great Khan armorer will give a discount of a 1:1 ratio upon achieving an Accepted reputation with the Great Khans.
- Camp McCarran concourse: Dr. Kemp will give a discount if they help Private Morales during A Final Plan for Esteban. The discount can potentially increase if Morales is not asked for a reward at the quest's end.
- Camp McCarran concourse: William Farber will give a discount after repairing the food processor during Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans.
- Hidden Valley bunker: Achieving a Mixed reputation with the Brotherhood of Steel would result in a paladin approaching and informing them of a discount with Torres. This is currently bugged, however, so only the reputation discount is available.
Interactions that require Barter skill[]
In most interactions as listed below, Barter is offered as an alternative dialogue skill check to Speech, generally to get more money or to prevent paying a lot of money. With few exceptions, the XP earned for a skill check is equal to the Barter skill required to pass the check.
- 20 Barter to convince Trudy to offer additional caps for repairing her radio during Trudy's Radio Repair. Earns 25 XP.
- 20 Barter to convince Major Knight to send NCR troopers to Primm in order to protect the town and its trade route during My Kind of Town (bypasses needing to complete quests around the Mojave Outpost).
- 25 Barter to argue Chet into offering up sets of leather armor and extra ammunition during Ghost Town Gunfight for Goodsprings or Run Goodsprings Run for the Powder Gangers.
- 25 Barter to argue down Rotface's price for information on NCR troopers in Freeside as well as the squatters' secret password during G.I. Blues.
- 25 Barter to convince Billy Knight to more confidently promote himself to Tommy Torini, netting additional caps (and further additional caps with another check with Tommy) during Talent Pool.
- 25 Barter to "helpfully" remind Dean Domino that the collars ensure they have to work together during Strike Up the Band.
- 30 Barter to persuade Johnson Nash to give up information about the attack on the NCRCF for a reduced caps amount during I Fought the Law.
- 30 Barter to argue down Cliff Briscoe's price for his collection of souvenir rockets during Come Fly With Me.
- 35 Barter to get Aurelius of Phoenix to allow trade with Decanus Severus. (Allows trade of NCR dogtags for food, ammunition, explosives, firearms, or armor.)
- 35 Barter to persuade Benny to pay off the Courier's contract for delivering the platinum chip during Ring-a-Ding-Ding!.
- 35 Barter to secure Beatrix Russell as an escort during Wang Dang Atomic Tango (bypasses Speech and bottle of absinthe requirement).
- 35 Barter to argue Crandon that the Courier is capable and useful to him, triggering Someone to Watch Over Me.
- 35 Barter to argue Frank Weathers into paying additional caps for the location of his family during Left My Heart.
- 35 Barter or 35 Speech to argue Francine Garret into paying additional caps for getting all three debts during Debt Collector.
- 35 Barter to persuade Ralph to make a reprogramming holotape for less caps during Wang Dang Atomic Tango.
- 35 Barter to argue Tyrone into giving up the drug chemicals for free during Don't Make a Beggar of Me.
- 40 Barter or 40 Speech to convince James Garret to pay additional caps for each successful recruit (and an additional check for recruiting Fisto in particular) during Wang Dang Atomic Tango.
- 40 Barter to argue down Santiago's price for getting his "super secret codeword" to his Mick & Ralph's discount during Wang Dang Atomic Tango.
- 40 Barter to receive extra medical supplies from Emily Ortal during The Moon Comes Over the Tower.
- 40 Barter to convince George to sell the information on the secret route to safely reach Nellis Air Force Base for less caps.
- Note, this is counterintuitive because George offers to double the caps paid for returning to him safely, meaning a successful Barter for less caps gets an overall reduced amount.
- 40 Barter or 40 Speech to get Lady Jane to give up her inventory to pay off her debt during Debt Collector (Gains less caps than the required debt, 3 sensor modules, 2 cartons of cigarettes to be sold for the remainder).
- 45 Barter to persuade Max to sell his odd gun for significantly less caps.
- 45 Barter to correctly notice that the Happy Trails Caravan Company is not in the best financial shape when talking with Jed Masterson.
- 45 Barter to get Squatter Bill and co. to leave for less caps during Someone to Watch Over Me.
- 45 Barter to convince Big Sal to release Troike from his contract during How Little We Know
- 45 Barter to persuade Private Renolds to offer valuable "encouragement" during Anywhere I Wander.
- 45 Barter to argue down Lieutenant Monroe's price for allowing Jessup and co. to safely leave during Boulder City Showdown.
- 50 Barter to argue Mr. House into paying additional caps for finally delivering the platinum chip.
- 50 Barter to convince Old Lady Gibson to sell the thrust controllers for less caps during Come Fly With Me.
- 50 Barter to extort additional caps from Orris during G.I. Blues (6 Intelligence required).
- 50 Barter to persuade James Garret to release Hadrian from his contract at the Atomic Wrangler for free during Talent Pool (35 Barter results in still paying, albeit a reduced amount).
- 50 Barter to persuade Dr. Hildern to offer additional caps for the Vault 22 research data during There Stands the Grass.
- 50 Barter to get The Lonesome Drifter to give the Mysterious Magnum during Talent Pool.
- 50 Barter to argue down Ralph's price to craft a counterfeit passport to enter The Strip.
- 50 Barter to get Antony to return Sergeant Teddy immediately without having to fight his hounds during Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy (bypasses Animal Friend requirement).
- 50 Barter to extort additional caps from Mr. House in exchange for not destroying the Securitron vault for Caesar during Render Unto Caesar.
- 50 Barter to argue Cass into accepting Alice McLafferty's offer with a bonus payment during Heartache by the Number.
- 50 Barter to argue Tommy Torini into increasing the Courier's cut of the profits from The Aces during Talent Pool.
- 50 Barter to extort additional caps from Pacer to promise not to talk to The King during G.I. Blues.
- 50 Barter to convince Greasy Johnny and co. to stop causing trouble for less caps during Someone to Watch Over Me.
- 50 Barter to extort caps from Sgt. Contreras to kill Keller during Dealing with Contreras.
- 50 Barter to extort caps and a promise to leave New Vegas from Clanden in exchange for not publicizing his snuff tapes during How Little We Know.
- 50 Barter to convince Diane to sell medicinal chems instead of drugs during Aba Daba Honeymoon.
- 50 Barter to successfully convince various merchants to sell their meat goods at a discount to Farber during Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans.
- 50 Barter to more easily convince Dean Domino to cooperate during Find Collar 14: Dean Domino.
- Note, this will prevent the peaceful resolution to Dean's storyline in Dead Money.
- 50 Barter to persuade Daniel to sell medical supplies at the Narrows.
- 55 Barter to argue down the Gomorrah receptionist's price for Cachino's room key during How Little We Know.
- 55 Barter to convince Philippe to sell his recipes (for 100 caps or for free via 55 Speech) during Beyond the Beef.
- 60 Barter to get additional caps and Cachino's "friendship" after blackmailing him with the contents of his journal in How Little We Know.
- 65 Barter to convince Alice McLafferty to let Janet get out of debt in exchange for a trade deal with the Boomers during Young Hearts.
- 65 Barter to argue Becky Hostetler into paying additional caps if Alice Hostetler chooses to stay with her family during Someone to Watch Over Me.
- 65 Barter to persuade Motor-Runner to pay more caps for selling chems to him during Aba Daba Honeymoon (requires successful Speech check when entering Vault 3).
- 70 Barter to argue Old Lady Gibson into obtaining Rey's brain for free during Nothin' But a Hound Dog.
- 70 Barter and 70 Speech to convince Keller to make Sgt. Contreras an informant instead of arresting him during Dealing with Contreras.
- 75 Barter to successfully challenge Cass to a drinking contest in exchange for her taking Alice McLafferty's offer during Heartache by the Number.
- 80 Barter to successfully bribe the NCR missionary for the squatters' secret password during G.I. Blues.
- 80 Barter to successfully persuade Sgt. Contreras to act as Keller's informant by promising potential profits during Dealing with Contreras.
- 85 Barter to successfully bribe the Omerta thugs into backing off during Bye Bye Love.
- 90 Barter to persuade Red Lucy to pay additional caps for all requests of hers during Bleed Me Dry (50, 60, 70, and/or 80 Barter for their respective requests).
- 90 Barter to successfully convince Dr. Klein to give extra items such as: Fixin' Things, Programmer's Digest, Patriot's Cookbook, multiple cases of additional caps, 2 doctor's bag, 3 stimpaks and one super stimpak.
- 50 Barter to convince Ricky to carry additional gear for the Courier if the Survival, Strong Back, and/or Pack Rat checks with Jed Masterson fail. An additional check decides how much Ricky is paid to carry the gear (50 barter pays 100 caps, 75 pays 75, 100 pays 50).
- 100 Barter to successfully argue Legate Lanius that the Legion's efforts to sabotage the NCR have ensured its own destruction, getting him to retreat without conflict during Eureka!, All or Nothing or No Gods, No Masters.
- 100 Barter to successfully persuade General Oliver to order an NCR military withdrawal from Hoover Dam during All or Nothing in exchange for protection for NCR merchant caravans in the Mojave
Notable Barter skilled non-player characters[]
- Elizabeth Kieran (98) - NCR Major providing aid to NCR squatters living in Freeside.
- Lady Jane (98) - a caravan merchant living in Freeside.
