The Rules for The Merchant's Guild change every Season. The following is a high-level view on what kinds of things change from Season to Season. Some are long-term changes in the name of Game Balance. Others are transient and make sense for a singular Season. Expect some level of change every single Season to keep things fresh and fun.

Season 12: January to March 2026 (Draft - In Progress)

Changing Market Conditions: At Winter Council, there will be a lot of changes to both Main Paths and Professions. Stay tuned as Merchant will dovetail with those changes in order to remain fun but balanced. Perks that simulate Main Path skills are likely to change even midway through the Season.

Polarizing Figure: Reduced Known Quantity's impact to +1 or -1. As much as rolling dice is fun, the potential for wild swings is at odds with more options to influence Affinity.

On the Docket: Packed Itinerary returns! Plot Cards are possible at Winter Council this year, so having the potential to choose one of the two is fun.

Prior Seasons' Changes

Season 11: October to December 2025

Safety Update: Updates to safety guidelines, released by LARP Adventures Organizers, have been reflected in the Merchant's Guild rules (the Getting Services Approved section). As we are growing, we will be increasing the rigor of the Service Checks! Be prepared to walk through everything you're offering at an item-or-service level. Yes, even if you aren't paying upkeep.

Drafty: Season 10 had a substantial number of Draft Picks, but this Season has no campouts to be seen! Because they won't be relevant for this Season, we are vaulting Prodigious Permit and Prime Placement.

Lazaret Legend: A newly revamped mechanic for LARP Adventures is the Lazaret: a physical location where characters must be healed or revived. This appears at select events and modules. Angel Investor is a new option with Charitable Contributions to donate to the Lazaret's efficacy when it appears.

Maker's Takers: To further differentiate Maker's Mark from Accelerated Architect, we simply note that Maker's Mark applies only to consumables, rather than in-game items broadly (like Schematics).

Gem-onomics: We have drastically reduced the coin requirements for Accelerated Architect and Power Node. With the balance changes for coin and gems in the Realm last Season, these Perks have now caught up.

It's about Mari-time: Sea Legs now includes a choice to improve a Fishing Fleet's Food yield in lieu of Dragon Gold. Until now, this Perk tended to benefit Trading Vessels and War Galleys with Gold, but did not offer any bonus for a Fishing Fleet.

Satellite Location: On the Move is a very popular Perk. We have been testing and want to experiment a little with more combinations without making it a de-facto must-pick. We hope this creates Merchant midpoints in adventures that are a little more protected, have greater resilience, or create more potent offerings with Reputation Tokens.

Merchant of Repute: Some people are just known. Known Quantity is an exceptionally late-game Merchant Perk. With a year of work and multiple Reputation tokens, your name and deeds are out there-- even people you randomly meet will likely have an opinion on you: for good or for ill.

Accidentally a Word: Mentor-Maker had its last sentence eaten by a Kraken. Abjuring Cache had one word too many. Both have been fixed.

Season 10: July to September 2025

Ten Seasons: Refresh time! No major changes, but it's to remind Players that we're about circulating currency, elevating experience, and giving to the Game. We've successfully done this for ten seasons at scale, thanks to our generous merchants!

Age of Silver: There's been a balance change in coin of the Realm. All Merchant Licensure, Upkeep, and Token Costs have been reduced to accommodate. This makes Merchants able to provide services in the absence of BIG currencies like electrum/gems

High Floor: New Perks have debuted that reduce the cost of Upkeep for Merchants with greater base costs, such as Headcount and Bribery Fund.

Part-Timers: Additional Perk called Freelance Force added that tests contractors for larger or more specialized services. Less Perks than apprentice, but access to skill point!

No Shirt No Shoes: Offered a clarification for refusal of service, balancing inclusivity with safety. Also, reaffirming boundaries in the conclusion. Neither new, nor a rule shift-- just making it more explicit.

Professional Courtesy: Stay tuned for potential changes during the Season-- some Professions might burst onto the scene and we might have a Perk change-out opportunity for them!Season 9: April to June 2025

Critical Acclaim: Added the concept of Acclaim, a temporary boon that lasts one year. This is the result of an Acclaimed merchant-vendor's request. A job well done!

Apprentice Augment: Now Owners can temporarily lend Apprentices their benefits with the Mentor-Maker Perk.

Picky: Prime Placement and Prodigious Permit were added to influence Group order and rolls during Campout placement. There are two this Season, so you have an opportunity to use them twice.

Season 9: April to June 2025

Free Time: Winter Council is over. Removed Packed Itinerary, as we don't anticipate Plot Cards this Season

Fear-some: Made it clearer how often Fearsome Influence can be used (1x event). Likewise, removed the ability to stack multiple tokens in a single event, but preserved its use once each event.

Sore-did: Clarified the usage of Dubious Dealings tokens, reminding that it is not 100% chance of get out of jail free; it is contingent on the character's actions and their relevance to the Guild.

The Vibe is Off: Easier access to this Perk, but more limitations. This will likely evolve in future Seasons as Sanctify does, but its intention hasn't changed meaningfully.

Season 8: January to March 2025

Donor Driven: Added Fundraiser as a Perk to allow Silver Oath merchants to periodically have higher value offerings-- so long as half of it goes back to the Game. The greatest donors may earn a skill point.

Business Travel: The Packed Itinerary Perk allows you to pick two Plot Cards at Winter Council and pick your favorite-- or take both!

My Friend in Construction: Gamble your dubious dealings tokens to expedite your Land Game builds. Really need that ship? Lumber Mill needs to be done by Harvest? Rebuilding a hex that's been annihilated from orbit by He Who Eats? Maybe this one's for you. Just keep in mind: you can't rush art, and sometimes things go wrong with rush orders!

Public Works Projects: Stay tuned for this one. Osterra may benefit from our revenue, and you could make your mark on the World Map.

Season 7: October to December 2024

Abjuration: Added Abjuring Cache to enable non-Wizards to have protections that Wizards can interact with.

Trapper-Keeper: Detain can now be used more often and may be delivered without touch!

Fence Pro[tect]: Clarified that the Decoy pouch can be passed around to any Merchant in the business. Also verified that it can be taken multiple times, but assigned to one each worker.

Season 6: July to September 2024

Expiration Date: Not a Merchant-only rule, but a new ruling by the Game Master: potions now have an expiration date of three events post-creation (even if you have not attended). This is to prevent stacking in war-time scenarios: make sure your potions are labeled with dates of expiration!

Gracious Forbiddance: We are vaulting Gracious Teacher, Business as Usual, and Forbidden Bargain. While powerful, they were difficult to convey simply.

Hot Tip: Introduced the Inside Info Perk, allowing Merchants access to information that helps their mountaineering expeditions or prospecting odds.

Professional Curiosity: Debuted Profession-based Perks, starting with Artificer: Accelerated Architect, Power Node, and Fusebox. These Perks trigger upon selling Artificer-based products and services.

Opportunity for Improvement: Altered Opportunist and Fence Protect Perks for better quality of life.

Seeing Double: Occasionally more-or-less duplicated Perks under other names. These have been removed.

Season 5: April to June 2024

Licensure: The 'Buy-In' term is a little vague or easily misunderstood. We instead have renamed the initial buy-in as a 'license' cost and divorced that from the Upkeep term once licensed.

Silver License: Supporting Merchants who deal primarily in Silver Coin, there is a 90% reduced upkeep benefit at the cost of a few limitations (See Upkeep). These vendors live and die by Silver and must pay their Upkeep in it solely... except sometimes if they're sufficiently dubious and dealing...

Making a Change: Updated the expectation that Merchants give change. While we certainly recommend giving change when feasible, it's not always viable. Normal stores have coin shortages, and we encourage Merchants to indicate where the line is. If they don't want to give change for 1 electrum piece for an offering that costs 2 silver, that's completely fine.

Hemorrhaging Facts: Made it more explicit that LARP Bleed and min/maxing are not encouraged within the Guild.

Taller Fence: Buffed the Fence Protect Perk to also include one-time pickpocket resistance per event free (and recharged within events by Charitable Contributions tokens), provided the Merchant has a phys rep that explains it-- in addition to the protection from Fence.

Season 4: January to March 2024

Security Upgrades: Security-based Perks, like Locked Down, are buffed to be more protective and protect against interlopers.

Upkeep Reduction: Founding of a business is down to 20 gold from 25 gold. Upkeep is reduced in base value from 9 gold to 6 gold. Winter Council didn't allow for much Merchant Activity this year.

Phys Rep Reminders: Some Perks require phys reps to indicate to interlopers how they should interact with your stand. While there are mandatory phys reps, often provided by the Guild, we've put a reminder that you can have optional signage to decrease the risk of non-Merchants misunderstanding your protective elements of your merchant stand.

Stacking: Clarifications were added to indicate when Perks can stack on a single adventuring party (e.g., Exploration Financier).

Multi-HQs: co-Owners have options to found multiple headquarters (see Merchant Emissary)

Season 3: October to December 2023

Profession: We are introducing Profession-centric language, as other Professions are coming to the forefront, like Bard. We are attempting to create more of a common framework.

New Perks: Center of Commerce, Fearsome Foe, Hometown Advantage, Merchant Emissary, Sea Legs, Trade Route, and Venture Insurance are new Perks to take, focused on feedback for characters who focus on non-game-items. With the overwhelming positivity of Exploration Financier, we're expanding these offerings to help your Factions.

Vaulted Perks: Some perks are in the vault this season, but may return: Meal Plan.

QoL Updates: Shortened sections, made it less wordy.

Season 2: July to September 2023

Badges: The Merchant’s Guild will now formally utilize a Merchant’s Guild badge for those buying into each Season. While cosmetic before, this is now a phys rep that allows you to utilize powerful perks-- but you must present the badge to invoke its power!

Inflation: The initial fee to found a business for this Season is 25 gold, up from 20 gold last season. The base initial upkeep is now 9 gold, up from 6 gold. This strengthens Charitable Contribution tokens remaining at the end of the Season, which can be used to deduct 33% per token from this total. Remember, once you pay that upkeep, your tokens recharge for the coming season.

New Perks: We’ve added new perks that make use of your Reputation tokens (or lack thereof) during the Season. We’ve also updated and buffed several existing perks with the ability to use a token to increase efficacy, like Opportunist, Smuggler, Locked Down, and Good Vibes Only. We’re testing some new perks that help with people selling non-game items (e.g., Exploration Financier) or roleplay opportunities (e.g., Business as Usual, Detain). Progress will be as slow or as fast as people take them or break them.

Safety First: Safety, especially food safety, is explicitly mentioned throughout this version of the Rules. Ingredients information, even if not bought-in, is essential at stands if you are providing food.

Work Less, Get More: Minimum Working Time is now multiples of 1.5 hours, down from 2 hours last season. This allows Merchants to enjoy at least some of the Day Event activities, even if working Overtime.

NPC Allowance: There’s now an explicit mention that NPCing for an Organizer may count for Minimum Working Time (and Overtime, but you must actually be set up for the event). We want people to help out for the overall event, so closing shop periodically to help pad the NPC roster is encouraged.

Fence: Added a Clarification on the Rogue’s Fence ability, as well as buffed abilities that interact with it.

Super Sordid: Removed once per event to allow more power for Dubious Dealings. Be devious at your own rate.

Vaulted Perks: Some perks are in the vault this season, but may return: Cleric’s Clarity, Sorcerer’s Secrets, and More with Less.

Mild grammatical mistakes: Sometimes I’m bad at this.

Season 1: April 2023 to June 2023

LAUNCHED THE MERCHANT’S GUILD!