Merchant

Main requisites: Charisma
Minimal requisitesi: Charisma 12, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 9
Allowed races: Any
Starting gold: 6d4x10 GP
Alignment: Any

"Merchants earn their living trading goods. Often they are powerful and respected members of the town council and other governative organs, but the Merchants corporation is very powerful by itself."

Merchants are a vital presence in any civilization, because they buy, sell or trade the goods and services that the society demands. The merchant class includes local fishmongers, wandering peddlers, shopkeepers, caravan owners and more. Some have permanent warehouses in the flourishing commercial disctrict, other travel in far lands to take back to their land precious trasures. Adventurers merchants have a trading point to sell material goods such as tapestries, sculptures, gems and jewels which they often find in treasures.

Hit dice, THAC0, saving throws, level progression The merchant uses 6 sided die for hit points. THAC0, saving throws and level progression follow the same rules as rogues.

The possibilities of a multiclass choice of the merchant are the following: warrior/merchant, wizard/merchant, illusionist/merchant (gnomes only), alchemist/merchant (gnomes only), thief/merchant, cleric/merchant (trade and money related cults are preferred), explorer/merchant and herbalist/merchant.

Skills Non weapon proficiencies: the merchant can use 7 CP and can choose among the General and Rogues proficiencies.
Free: Read/write. Required: two among: Appraising, Carpentry, Shoemaking, Etiquette, Modern Languages, Local History, Forgery, Tailor, Weaving, Ride.
Weapon proficiencies: the merchant has 5 CP. The proficiencies' cost are the same as rogues. Finally, the merchant can only choose among the following weapons: club, dagger, hand crossbow, lasso, short bow, sling, broad sword, long sword, short sword and staff.
Traits: Suggested: Persuasion, Empathy, Acute Senses (any), Precise Memory, On guard, Ecleptic culture.
Disadvantages: the merchant receives one more CP if he chooses the Covetous disadvantage.

Equipment and magical items The merchant can't wear armors heavier than studded leather and is limited in weapon choice (see skills) because if he worn heavy armor and he carried with him many heavy weapons, he could unease the clients. The merchant can use the magical items from Rogues, and those about trading.

Special skills The merchant receives 80 CP to spend in the following skills. Unspent points can be spent in nonweapon proficiencies or kept for later use.

Identify (10): the merchant has a 5% chance per level of identifying the aim, function and history of any magical item. It's not needed that the merchant touches it, a close examination is enough. An elven merchant or a merchant/explorer can't cumulate the same skills (since elves and explorers too have this skill).

Bargaining experience (5): it's the skill of bargaining on any good he wants to sell or buy, letting him have a 10% bonus on cost.

Trade sense (10): the merchant has a 5% per level chance of understanding if a trade is worth or not, or if there is a catch or not. If the roll succeeds the character will feel that there is something wrong (the DM must not be precise, letting the character notice only small but useful details); if the roll fails, the merchant will not have any feeling. If the roll fails with 96-00, the merchant will think the opposite of what the trade really is: if, for example, the trade can gain a lot of money, the merchant will instead understand that it is a catch and vice versa.

Single specialization (15): the merchant can specialize in any one weapon. The cost to actually buy the specialization must be added.

Appraising (5): the merchant can add +1 every three levels on his Appraising skill.

Persuasion (10): at 3rd level the merchant becomes very persuasive in his talk. If he is bargaining for something (not necessarily a good) the merchant can, after having talked for one round, persuade the person he is talking to; in game terms this skill works as a Suggestion spell. If the merchant has Charisma 15 or 16, the victim will suffer a -1 on saving throw; if the Charisma is 17 the malus will be -2, while with 18 the malus will be -3. With a 19 or more Charisma the malus is -4, but it can grow for exceptionally high scores (at DM's choice). This skill can be used once per day.

Scroll use (5/10): at 10th level the merchant can use wizard and clerical scrolls. Buying the 10 points ability, the merchant can read scrolls from 3rd level. If the merchant can't read the scroll correctly, usually something harmful happens, for example the spell bounces on him. Consult the table below to determinate the merchant's chance of reading a scroll.

Merchant's level	Chance
3-4	20%
5-6	30%
7	40%
8	50%
9	60%
10	70%
11+	80%

Defend the goods (5): if the merchant must fight to defend his goods he has a +1 to hit and damage.

Reaction bonus (5): as they are usually welcome in the communit, merchants receive a +1 bonus on reactions in urban environments.

Defensive bonus (10): +2 to AC if he isn't wearing any armor and he has no encumbrance.

Charisma bonus (20): the merchant adds 1 point to his Charisma (up to 18).

Fighter merchant (10): the character with this skill uses the priests'THAC0.

Charm Resistance (5): given their care for goods and their high Charisma, merchants aren't easily fooled. Thus, the character with this skill has a +2 bonus on all saving throws against charme spells.

Language lore (10): the merchant gains a new language every 3 experience levels. The languages are limited to Common, demihuman and humanoid races, and the tongues of Arcanes and Githzerai.

Merchants talk (5): merchants speak a particular language that only they know.

Bribe* (5): the merchant can bribe an official offering gifts in money or goods. Only one attempt can be made per person. If the attempt fails, the DM should make a reaction roll for the person he is talking to, to determinate the way he reacts to this corruption attempt. The merchant has a 5% per level chance: the total must be modified according to race, dexterity and encumbrance.

Read languages* (5): the same as the thieves skill of the same name.

Pick pockets* (10): the same as the thieves skill of the same name.

* Here are detailed the chances of the three thieves skills of the merchant. The scores can be modified depending on race, Dexterity and encumbrance.

Merchant's level	Pick pockets	Read languages	Bribe
1	30%	5%	10%
2	35%	10%	15%
3	40%	15%	20%
4	45%	20%	25%
5	50%	25%	30%
6	55%	30%	35%
7	60%	35%	40%
8	65%	40%	45%
9	70%	45%	50%
10	80%	50%	55%
11	90%	55%	60%
12	95%	60%	65%
13	99%	65%	70%
14	99%	70%	75%
15	99%	75%	80%
16	99%	80%	85%
17+	99%	85%	90%

Disadvantages and other perks At the beginning of the game the merchant may own a shop, depending on his social class.  Roll 2d6 and check the result on the following table. 

2d6 roll	Social class	Trade
2-3	Inferior class	Works under a master
4-7	Middle class	Owns a kiosk or rents a shop.
8-10	High class	Owns a shop
11-12	Aristocracy	Owns a large shop

Even if at the beginning of the game they are welcome for the goods and services they offer, not all merchants are honest in their work. Every merchant that is publicly accused of cheating his clients (whether the accuse is true or not), loses the reaction bonus in case he bought this ability. Additionally, he suffers a -2 on all reaction rolls until his innocency is proved.

Source: kmtjch@tin.it

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