While the Black Market Contacts rules work better than the “Frostgrave Tesco” (buy whatever you like) there are times when you really need, or want for fluff reasons, a specific Grimoire or item, such as the Book of the Werewolf or owning a Staff of Casting with a spell you don’t know.
For that reason, I’m going to suggest adding the following the next time we play a campaign (and I make no apology that the Black Market sounds like Del Boy in my head )
Search the Black Market.
Before a player rolls on for the Black Market, they may elect to look for a specific item – this must be the first thing they do, if they make a roll they can no longer look.
If the item is found, it must be purchased. If the player does not (decides against it, or can’t afford it) the Black Market is closed to them until they purchase the item (mark it on the warband sheet). A player can make a partial payment, but the item stays with the Contact, and the Market remains closed, until the full amount is paid.
Once the Contact has been asked to look for a specific item, roll a D20:
1 – "Is he coming back?" - The Contact cannot find the item, and takes so long looking the player cannot roll for any other items in this post game.
2 – "Sorry guv, no luck" - The Contact cannot find the item, and takes so long looking the player cannot roll for any other items in this post game.
3 – “It’ll cost ya!” - The Contact finds the item, but it costs an additional 50% to its purchase price.
4 – “That’s Premium” - The Contact finds the item, but it costs an additional 25% to its purchase price.
5 -6 – “I know a bloke” - The Contact finds the item, but it costs an additional 10% to its purchase price.
7-8 – “I had to search hard” - The Contact finds the item, but it takes a while. The item costs its normal purchase price, but the player cannot roll for any more items this post-game.
9-10 – “I know a friend of a friend” - The Contact finds the item, but it takes a while. The item costs its normal purchase price, but the player can only roll for one more items this post-game.
11-14 – “Found it” - The Contact finds the item at its normal purchase price. The player may roll for three more items this post-game.
15-19 – “Oh, I’ve got one of them” - The Contact has the item to hand, at its normal purchase price. The player may roll for four items as normal.
20 – “Oh, I’ve loads of them” - The Contact has multiples of the item and it pleased to off-load one. The item has its purchase price reduced by 10%, and the player may roll for four items as normal.