Player characters always want to buy ( or need to sell) things that are illegal.  I have found this article to be very helpful over the years of gamemastering 2300 AD.  My thanks to Matthew for granting permission for me to host his article on my web site. - Kevin Clark - Jul 4th, 2000.

INTRODUCTION

This article formed the basis of the section on the black market in GDW's module Rotten to the Core, for which the module's author graciously thanks Mr. Prager.

Throughout the history of man, a marketplace has existed to allow commerce, regardless of trade regulations or laws.  This marketplace is commonly referred to as the black market, and it spans the entire sphere of man's influence, from Earth to the most distant colony.
 

CONTACTS

Entrance to the black market is gained through the use of contacts -- NPCs who specialize in buying and selling particular goods or services that cannot normally be bought on the open market.  Specialty areas include:

Financial Manipulation: Provide money-laundering services, special access accounts, and financial loans ( at a very high rate of interest).

Medical Facilities: Medical clinics that provide discreet treatment or service to anyone.  These facilities include the black clinics that provide cybernetic implants or plastic surgery without all the paperwork that normally goes along with such operations.

Drugs: These specialists deal in both pharmaceuticals and biologicals.  Some can also provide special labs for the analysis of substances.

Arms Dealers: These contacts deal in everything from surplus military arms to specialized weapons, including explosives.  Various military vehicles can also be obtained through these contacts.

Hardware: Dealing in electronic equipment, these contacts can provide special computers, cyberdecks, security and security circumvention equipment, and other items of this sort.

Vehicles: Untraceable vehicles of various sorts ( nonmilitary) are available from these sources.

Information: One of the most valuable commodities on the black market, this contact can provide dossiers on people, places, or things.  This information can be one of three levels:

• Level One: General information that is fairly easily obtainable.
• Level Two: Specific information that requires a specialist to circumvent normal access security.  Information is more in-depth.
• Level Three: High-level corporate or military information.  This information is highly classified and is difficult to access.

Forgeries: Specialists in falsifying official papers and documents.

Training: These specialists can provide in black skills that cannot be found anywhere else.  These skills are highly confidential and are not taught to just anyone.

People: A specialized employment agency that provides the right people for the right job.  This contact could also be a source of employment for the characters.

To find a contact the characters must spend some time looking for the specific specialist they need.

Task: To find a contact.  Difficult.  Streetwise.  Two Days.

Contacts are rated on a scale of 1 through 10, with 1 being a very low-level contact, while 10 indicates a very large organization.  The referee should roll 1d10 to determine the contact's effectiveness.

Because black market contacts are so valuable to the player characters, they will be important in an ongoing campaign.  NPC black market contacts will add color and intrigue to the campaign.  They should have a background, motivation, and skills to match their profession and the situation in which they operate.
 

BUYING ON THE BLACK MARKET

Once a character has located the appropriate contact, he may attempt to obtain the items he needs.  The referee must determine the availability of the items.  Generally, the more specialized an item is, the harder it will be to find.  The Availability Table gives a good indication of the availability of goods and services.  To use this table, the referee rolls to achieve the success number associated with the indicated difficulty level on 1d10, then adds the contact's effectiveness.  If the modified roll is successful, the item is available.

The price of the item will depend on the characters attempting the purchase.

Task: To purchase item.  Difficult.  Bargain.  90 seconds.

The referee should roll 3d6, then find the difference between seven and the number actually rolled and multiply it by 10 percent.  Use the resulting percentage as a positive or negative modifier to the normal base price of an item, depending on whether the task was successful.

Example: A character wants to buy an item whose base price is Lv1000.  The referee rolls a three on 3D6, for a result of 4 ( 7 - 3).  This number multiplied by 10 percent yields a modifier of 40%, which becomes +40% because the task was unsuccessful.  When this modifier is used with the base price, a final price of Lv1400 is indicated, and the character may purchase the item for that price.

The base price for information is determined either from the normal 2300 AD equipment lists or by using the Price Table.  The referee rolls 1d10 and then multiplies this number with the appropriate number specified in the Price Table.
 

SELLING ON THE BLACK MARKET

Characters may sell items in their possession on the black market through their contacts.  If the characters know a contact that normally deals in the items they have, they may sell them to the contact.

Task: To sell an item.  Difficult.  Bargain.  90 seconds.

This is handled much like the purchase of an item.  Generate a number on 3D6, subtract 7, and multiply the result by 10 percent.  This will give a modifier to be added to the base price if the task was successful, or subtracted if the task was unsuccessful.
 

AVAILABILITY TABLE

Item                                                     Difficulty

General items and services, Level One Information        Routine

Surplus military equipment and weapons                   Difficult

Current military equipment and weapons,                  Formidable
Level Two Information, Specialized items 
and services              

Special purpose items, Level Three Information           Impossible

PRICE TABLE

Information Level      Base Price

Level One              Lv100

Level Two              Lv1000

Level Three            Lv10,000

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