Merchants Merchants are vital to any civilization, for they buy, sell, or barter the goods and services that a society demands. Merchants include local fish-mongers, street vendors, shop keepers, caravan owners, and more. Some have permanent stores established in a thriving business district. Others travel to distant lands to bring back rare treasures. Adventurers are natural merchants, as they often visit many strange and exotic places and acquire unusual and valuable goods. Merchant adventurers have an outlet to sell many of the material treasures such as tapestries, statuary, gems, and jewelry they often accumulate.

Social ranks: Merchants come from many walks of life. Roll 2d6 to determine the rank of a merchant. Optionally, grant that merchant the appropriate business and income.

2d6 roll	Rank	Business
2–3	Lower Class	Works for someone else
4–7	Lower Middle Class	Owns a stall or rents a storefront
8–10	Upper Middle Class	Owns a storefront
11–12	Upper Class	Owns a large storefront

Requirements: A merchant must have minimum Intelligence/Knowledge and Charisma/Appearance scores of 9. This kit is closed to paladins, rangers, druids and all charcters of the following races: alaghi, minotaur, mongrelman, ogre, satyr, swanmay, thri-kreen, and wemic.

Weapon proficiencies: Merchants can wield any weapons appropriate to their classes. However, a merchant who wears heavy armor and carries several large weapons might make their customers nervous—unless the merchant is in the business of selling arms and armor.

Recommended nonweapon proficiencies: Appraising, carpentry, cobbling, etiquette, reading/writing, modern languages, local history, forgery, tailoring, weaving.

Equipment: Merchants can carry whatever equipment they desire, however much of it should be useful in their trade. Many merchants make sure they have plenty of leather sacks and other containers to store goods they might acquire. They prize bags of holding and flatboxes.

Recommended traits: Glibness, keen senses, precise memory, alertness, obscure knowledge.

Benefits: Because they are often welcomed into communities, merchants receive a +1 reaction roll bonus in city settings. In addition, merchants with the appraising proficiency gain a permanent +2 bonus to that skill.

Hindrances: While they are initially welcomed for the goods and services they bring, not all merchants are forthright in their business dealings. Any merchant who is publicly accused of cheating his customers (whether the accusation is true), loses the reaction bonus above. Further, he suffers a –2 penalty to all reaction rolls until his innocence is proven.

Wealth: A merchant begins with the maximum amount of gold allotted to his class.

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