As a GM, I have always found it time-consuming (though still fun) to build a list of shops, shop-keeps and inventories. Does your group play through the shopping encounter or simply ask the GM "Does he have the item I want?" If your GM has NPCs running stores, are they well-defined characters or are they just present because they must be?
I like playing through it, but it depends on the campaign. If the game has a lot of downtime, playing through every tankard of ale quickly becomes a slog. In a more moment-to-moment game, though, every tankard of ale is a potential plot hook.
Also, nice handle.
I do a bit of both.
I have a bunch of prewritten NPCs (such as shopkeepers) that I can pull out and assign to a shop once it's been visited for the first time. I don't tend to predesign individual shops though in case they're never visited. I may have certain shop locations predesigned but not set to a specific city yet, so they can be dropped in as and when needed.
Inventories - I either make a random roll for availability or just pick what feels likely (or I just decide it's unavailable in the event it's an item I don't want just picked up during a shopping trip.) Mundane items will pretty much be 100% available unless there's a good storyline reason (sorry, I haven't made any armor for weeks, ever since the orcs took over the mine!)
I'm in the same boat as TND. My players aren't big into roleplay, so they tend to focus on what they need/want. If for some reason they do wander and peruse the town, its more than likely with an ulterior motive like starting a fight or gathering info for plot hooks. Still I enjoy creating the shops/NPCs so I do it anyway.
Great feedback! It can be a big slow down, making them role play the store encounters but I do it anyway. For the most part, I swindle my players into the role playing experience when they enter a store, but I rely on 3 mechanisms to make it work:
1. A clear description of the store and the other patrons
2. An well defined Shop-keep NPC
3. A finite inventory
The GM Guide has a section on NPC Quirks which has helped me greatly to create interesting NPC shop keepers. "the over-explainer" is probably my favorite. When my shop-keeper explains to the party thief how to open and safely store the mundane, empty glass bottle she is purchasing, and the player stares back at me like he wants to laugh and leave at the same time, I Love it.
I have all of my shops pre-created with a list of items or at least general descriptions. I.E. has all general merchandise except silk ropes, shopkeeper is allergic to silk, etc.
Once a group has already interacted with a shopkeeper, if they're doing something relatively straightforward, I.E. "We donate all of this second-hand gear to the blacksmith again" - then its just a quick "He really thanks you and is happy to receive the gear."
Does the blacksmith ever offer plothooks, like "go to the dungeon and get this meteorite and I'll make you a magic mcguffin" or whatever?
Does the blacksmith ever offer plothooks..
Totally. I have shop which specializes in rogue "tools of the Trade". There is a sarcophagus in the corner with a hole to drop your gold into and a masterwork lock. Every attempt costs 10 gp. If any player ever gets in there, they'll score the pile of cash, plus a "treasure map". The GM guide offers random dungeon-building tables, if the players actually want to pursue the map, I'll just tell them it's a random dungeon and they'll have to put up with some extra rolling. Maybe even enlist their help to roll up the rooms as we go.