Merchant (by Ray & nytflyr)
At best a boon to a country, at worst a necessary evil, Merchants travel the veins and arteries of the world to transport that which is blood for the countries... Trade Goods and Gold. Often working at this prosperous, if thankless job, merchants travel the dangerous and lonely roads with wagons and carts filled with wealth that any brigand would love to get their hands on. Their pursuits, be it for the betterment of their coin purse or their country, allow civilization to function, and bring communities together.
Adventurers: Merchants aren’t adventurers per say, but rather, usually have it thrust upon them when attacked by the roaming beasts and brigands of the world. Some, however, are in search of truly rare and wondrous items that could improve their reputation or offer up for sale.
Characteristics: While portrayed as greedy (And most are), the one major trait that ties Merchants together is that they are gamblers. Not with games of chance, but with The Game that is the trade, the deal, the cargo, the road, and the weather.
Alignment: The vast majority of Merchants are Lawful, requiring those laws to protect their wares from the many trials and tribulations that are in the world, from pirates and highwaymen, to other Merchants that seek to steal their wealth and good fortune. Due to their greedy nature, they are often Neutral or Evil as well, but a sizeable portion are still Good.
Religion: Most Merchants worship Gods of Travel or Trade. Gods of Greed and Wealth are also worshipped. Some, however, see religion as the claptrap of Barbarians, and worship nothing but their piles of Gold.
Background: Merchants usually are from a family line, or are apprenticed to one. They start out sweeping and stocking shelves in a store while they learn their numbering and letters. After they learn that, they learn of the value of items, how to identify good workmanship from poor, how to gauge customers, and when to push a sale. Finally, they set off on their own after mastering these skills.
Merchants have a tendency to stick together, with friendly competition for sales in the most part, although there are quite a number that make this not-so-friendly. However, they will stick together, particularly if something comes along to threaten the prosperity of a region that they cannot leave with their valuables.
Other Classes: Merchants work well with Bards, who they will often use to tell of their wares. Clerics of Gods of Travel will often find Merchants willing to donate a few gold coins (If not bars) in exchange for some blessings, and will often travel with them to try and win a few converts along the way. Fighters and Rangers are often hired by Merchants as Body Guards. Rogues can sometimes be found trailing Merchants, robbing from those that the Merchant just sold to, or with them, assisting with fleecing the Peasants. Wizards and Sorcerers are sometimes hired to help defend convoys, or to craft magic items for resale. Merchants usually have little use for Barbarians and Druids, and their greed can cause problems with Paladins.
Abilities: Charisma is the primary attribute of Merchants, as that is what the basis of their ability to trade is, as well as the basis for how powerful their spells are. Intelligence and Wisdom are secondary for crafting items and watching their clients, and a decent Strength can make unloading and reloading the wagon easier, as well as make it more likely for him to defend against attackers.
Races: The nomadic Halflings make excellent Merchants, traveling as they do in large numbers. Humans and Dwarves are also common Merchants. Half-Orcs and Elves are not commonly Merchants, but for very different reasons. Savage Humanoids tend to not have Merchants at all whatsoever, save for the Merfolk.
Alignment: Any, though the vast majority are Lawful
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills: The Merchant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (INT), Appraise (INT), Bluff (CHA), Concentration (CON), Craft (INT), Decipher Script (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Disable Device (INT), Forgery (INT), Gather Information (CHA), Handle Animal (CHA), Innuendo (WIS), Intimidate (CHA), Knowledge (INT), Listen (WIS), Open Lock (DEX), Perform (CHA), Search (INT), Sense Motive (WIS), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (INT), Spot (WIS), and Use Magic Device (CHA).
Skill Points: At 1st Level (6+ Int modifier) x 4; Additional Level: 6+ Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All Simple Weapons, All Small Martial Weapons & Rapier; All Light Armors and Shields.
Class Features
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Favored Clientele 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Favored Clientele 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Favored Clientele 11th +5 +3 +3 +7 12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Favored Clientele 16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Favored Clientele TABLE: Merchant Spells Per Day ---Spells per Day-- Level 1 2 3 4 1 - - - - 2 - - - - 3 - - - - 4 0 - - - 5 0 - - - 6 1 - - - 7 1 - - - 8 1 0 - - 9 1 0 - - 10 1 1 - - 11 1 1 0 - 12 1 1 1 - 13 1 1 1 - 14 2 1 1 0 15 2 1 1 1 16 2 2 1 1 17 2 2 2 1 18 3 2 2 1 19 3 3 3 2 20 3 3 3 3
SPECIALS:
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a merchant gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, the merchant must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Merchant bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When the merchant gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 4th level, the merchant gets only bonus spells. A merchant without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A merchant has access to any spell on the merchant spell list and can freely choose which to prepare. A merchant prepares and casts spells just as a sorcerer does (though the merchant cannot use spontaneous casting to lose a spell and cast a cure or inflict spell in its place). Through 3rd level, a merchant has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a merchant's caster level is one-half his class level.
Merchant Spell List:
Level 0: Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light,
Mage Hand, Mending, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Resistance
Level 1: Alarm, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Secret Doors,
Detect Snares and Pits, Erase, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Grease, Hold Portal,
Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Weapon, Message, Mount, Sleep, Tenser's Floating Disk,
Unseen Servant
Level 2: Arcane Lock, Blindness/Deafness, Calm Emotions, Cat's Grace, Continual Flame,
Darkness, Daylight, Delay Poison, Detect Thoughts, Enthrall, Find Traps, Hold Person,
Hypnotic Pattern, Levitate, Locate Object, Magic Mouth, Obscure Object, See Invisibility,
Silence, Snare, Suggestion, Tongues, Web, Zone Of Truth
Level 3: Charm Monster, Cure Moderate Wounds, Dispell Magic, Emotion, Greater Magic Weapon,
Haste, Illusory Script, Keen Edge, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Magic Vestment, Neutralize Poison,
Phantom Steed, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Secret Page, Sepia Snake Sigil, Slow
Level 4: Dimension Door, Discern Lies, Freedom Of Movement, Hallucinatory Terrain,
Hold Monster, Leomund's Secure Shelter, Minor Creation, Quench, Rainbow Pattern,
Repel Vermin
Favored Clientele: This ability grants the merchant a +2 to bluff, diplomacy, gather information, intimidate and sense motive checks when dealing with members of the selected clientele. When selecting a favored clientele one must either pick a class of people (Paladins, Rangers, Clerics, etc.) OR pick a race [human, dwarf, orc, etc] and it’s social standing [peasants, freeman, or aristocrats] i.e.: Human Freeman, goblin peasants, elven aristocrats. In the case of the latter, this special ability also gives the merchant the language of his favored clientele.