Darokin Merchant
by Rick LaRueAn AD&D (2nd. Ed.) Thief Character Kit for Mystara
This class is a special Thief kit for merchants from the Republic of Darokin in the Known World of Mystara. It is based loosely on the Merchant D&D character class first presented in GAZ11 Republic of Darokin. Changes were made to remove magical abilities and replace them with mercantile skills. The class was changed to a thief kit and updated to AD&D.
Kit Description:
Darokin Merchants are the ultimate traders and business persons. They live for the sale and enjoy nothing more than skilful haggling with intelligent customers. Many love to travel, moving from town to town buying goods low and selling them high. These honest merchants are often welcomed where ever they go and sought out above other, less honourable traders. Some search for unique and wondrous goods in strange and distant lands. They will cross many miles of dangerous territory in search of something new that might be sold elsewhere for a fortune. They are an adventuresome lot that finds danger and excitement as often as profit. To help them in their mercantile ventures, they must learn many useful skills and abilities.
Minimum Ability Scores:
Intelligence 13
Charisma 12
If both Int and Cha are 16+ add 10% to earned experience
points.
Available Races: Human, Dwarf, Elf,
Half-Elf and Halfling.
Level Advancement: As Thief
Hit Dice: D6
Saving Throws: As Thief
Combat: As Thief
Weapons Allowed: As Thief
Non-Weapon Proficiencies: General, Rogue and Warrior.
Alignments Allowed: Any non-chaotic
Merchant Abilities: (i.e. Thief Abilities) Ability: Base Score: Bribe 10% (see below) Detect Lie/Alignment 20% (see below) Find/Remove Traps 5% Read Languages 10% Followers (see below)
Darokin Merchants begin at first level with 30 discretionary skill points to be applied to their abilities. They gain an additional 15 points for every level after. They do not have any other abilities normally associated with thieves.
Bribe:
The bribe ability is not used as often in Darokin business transactions as in other cultures. Since not all business people share Darokin business ethics, the ability represents a merchant's understanding of the subject, and is saved for times when less scrupulous merchants, tax collectors, or customs agents require such added motivation. Darokin Merchants' code of ethics prevents them from using this skill, except when all else fails and never on a fellow Darokin. This ability cannot be used to circumvent normal law, only as a defence against already dishonest business people.
Detect Lie/Alignment:
Since merchants deal with people every day of their lives, they tend to become good judges of character. On a successful roll the merchant can determine if someone is lying to them OR what their general alignment is.
Followers:
Darokin merchants will begin to attract employees as soon as they establish a trading company or a branch of an already established company. These employees will need to be paid, but are exceptionally loyal will stick by the merchant even when profits are down. The number, type and quality of the followers is up to the DM, but the reputation of the merchant and the recruiting location should be taken into consideration.
Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
Appraising, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Merchant, Orientation, Packing, Survival(Temperate), Teamster and Weather Knowledge. Suggested: Alertness,
*Non-Weapon Prof. listed in Italics are new and are described below.
Special Advantages:
1. All Darokin Merchants have the ability to estimate quantities of items after only a quick inspection. They are accurate within 20% -1%/level high or low.
2. Darokin Merchants are trained to be friendly and personable. This confers a reaction bonus of +2 to anyone they encounter. The bonus is increased to +4 in business situations were the other person knows the merchant is from Darokin due to their excellent reputation.
3. Darokin Merchants receive only 1 experience point per gold piece of treasure found. They gain 3 XP. for every gold piece of PROFIT they acquire in business transactions. This bonus is for net profit only, meaning any expenses incurred while the deal is being made are subtracted from the gross profit. This includes stock costs, overhead or any other expense directly related to the current deal.
Special Disadvantages:
Darokin Merchant's Guild: All Darokin Merchants must become members of the Darokin Merchants Guild. The Guild is highly respected in Darokin. In order to join the guild, you must be sponsored by an existing member in good standing and be approved by the membership committee. Annual dues are 1000 daros plus one-half a percent of all wholesale transactions made by the merchant. Guild members may not deal with non-guild members, but this prohibition does not include merchants from lands outside Darokin. Members can be expelled cheating a fellow guild member, doing anything to give the guild a bad name or committing a major crime.
Honesty: In general, Darokin merchants are scrupulously honest and fair. They believe that anything achieved unfairly isn't worth it. This gives them an excellent reputation but limits their behaviour. All transactions should be conducted honestly. This does not mean a merchant cannot sell shoddy goods, he just has to be honest with the customer about their quality. It also means that a deal is a deal. If a Darokin Merchant makes a deal, he will not break it later if someone comes along offering more gold. Merchants behave with honour and expect it in return. Anyone who cheats a Darokin merchant will soon find that other Darokin merchants refuse to deal with them.
New Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
| Proficiency | Type | Cost | Ability |
| Fast Talk | General | 1 | Cha +2 |
| Merchant | General | 1 | Int |
| Packing | General | 1 | Int +1 |
| Smuggling | Rogue | 2 | Int -1 |
| Teamster | General | 1 | Wis +2 |
Fast Talk:
This skill allows the user to convince others that his point of view is correct. A successful roll gives a +4 reaction bonus to situations where the reactions of others can be influenced by the character.
Merchant:
This skill provides basic understanding of business and mercantilism. It includes skill in book keeping and accounting, inventory maintenance, advertising, customer service and sales. It provided characters with knowledge of the laws governing trade in their homeland. It allows characters to maintain a business on a day to day basis. A successful roll once a month can increase profit by 1-10%. A failed roll will reduce profits by the same amount. If no profits were made for that month, this skill has no effect.
Packing:
This skill provides knowledge of packing containers, animals and vehicles for travel. No roll is needed to pack something properly. If items are prepared for travel by someone with this skill, the chance of damaged goods is reduced by 25% and the distance travelled in a day is increased by 10%. A roll is required for extraordinary circumstance.
Smuggling:
This skill provided an understanding of smuggling. It includes knowledge of customs laws for a specific area as well as punishments for smuggling. Player's still have to come up with how they intend to smuggle something. The exact effects of a successful roll are left up to the DM, but successes should increase the chances of their plan working. Failure does not mean capture or discovery (unless they fail by a lot), but should make the player's jobs much more difficult and provide suitable role-playing opportunities.
Teamster:
This skill is identical to Animal Handling, but is specific to animals used for transporting goods.
APPENDIX 1: Spell Casting Darokin Merchant
For those of you who are purists, use the following rules to create a spell casting merchant . Spell casting merchants gain the use of low level spells at the cost of an increase in the number of experience points need to achieve new levels, fewer bonus non-weapon proficiencies and higher ability requirements. Their choice of spells is limited to those that are somehow related to the daily life of a merchant. Spell casting merchants must have a minimum 12 Dex in addition to those listed above.
Level Advancement: As Thief + 25%
Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies:
The spell casting merchant may choose any five of the following as bonus non-weapon proficiencies: Appraising, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Merchant, Orientation, Packing, Survival(Temperate), Teamster and Weather Knowledge.
Special Advantages:
Spell casting Darokin Merchants have the same special advantages as listed above.
Spell Casting Abilities:
This type of merchant gains limited spell casting ability at fifth level. Use Table 1 to determine spell progression. Spell casting merchants have a limited choice of available spells, see Table 2 for a list. When determining the caster's level for range etc., subtract 4 from the caster's actual level (i.e. a fifth level Merchant casts spells as a first level mage). All spells must be memorised from a spell book as a magic-user and require 10 rounds of study per level per spell.
Table 1. Spell Progression
| Level | |||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | - | - | - |
| 5 | 1 | - | - |
| 6 | 1 | - | - |
| 7 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 8 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Table 2. Spell List
1st Level:
Affect Normal Fires
Alarm
Cantrip
Charm Person
Clear Sight
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Enlarge
Friends
Identify
Ignore Road Conditions
Light
Magic Missile
Mending
Message
Mount
Protection from Evil
Read Magic
Tenser's Floating Disk
Unseen Servant
Wizard Mark
2nd Level:
Animal Friendship
Calm Animal
Crowd Summoning
Continual Light
Deeppockets
Detect Evil
Detect Invisibility
Endure Heat/Cold
Knock
Know Alignment
Know Direction
Leomund's Trap
Levitate
Locate Object
Misdirection
Magic Mouth
Scare
Strength
Wizard Lock
3rd Level:
Detect Lie
Dispel Magic
Explosive Runes
Find Traps
Hold Animal
Hold Person
Infravision
Item
Know Custom
Lighten Load
Non-Detection
Phantom Steed
Protection from Normal Missiles
Secret Page
Suggestion
Tongues
Weather Prediction
New Wizard Spells:
1st Level:
Clear Sight (Divination)
Range: 500 feet per level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 30 foot radius
Saving Throw: None
This spell allows the caster to view distant locations as if they were ten feet away. The caster must have a direct line of sight to the spot to be viewed. This spell does not allow the caster to see through objects or inside buildings and such. The material components for this spell are two magnifying glasses held up to the eyes, , which are not expended in the casting..
Ignore Road Conditions
(Enchantment/Charm)
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 2 hours/level
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: One creature per level
Saving Throw: None
This spell can be cast on the animals and drivers of a caravan. It provides them with the ability to choose the best course over whatever terrain they are travelling, reducing movement penalties. It does not increase the rate of movement so much as decrease the negative effects of terrain on movement. The spell negates penalties of one mile per day per level up to the normal maximum for the creature concerned moving over a good quality road. This spell does not effect a creature's combat movement, only their ability to move safely and quickly over long distances. The material component of this spell is a small silver horseshoe of 100gp value, which is not expended in the casting.
2nd Level:
Animal Friendship
As the 1st level priest spell of the same name. PHB
p.198
Calm Animal
As the 1st level priest spell of the same name. PO:S&M
p.161
Crowd Summoning
(Conjuration/Summoning)
Range: Special
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 25 foot radius per level
Saving Throw: Neg.
This spell allows the caster to attract the attention of any intelligent creatures in the area of effect. Their attention will be subtly drawn to the casters' actions and words. The spell does not provide the caster with the ability to influence the summoned crowd, he or she just holds their attention for the duration of the spell. All intelligent creatures are entitled to a saving throw versus magic each round to attempt to break the spells hold if they wish. A successful save frees the recipient before the end of the spell duration. His attention is still momentarily drawn to the caster, but not long enough to disrupt spell casting.
Endure Heat/Cold
As the 1st level priest spell of the same name. PHB
p.200
Know Direction
As the 1st level priest spell of the same name. TOM p52.
3rd Level:
Detect Lie
As the 4th level priest spell of the same name. PHB
p.217
Find Traps
As the 2nd level priest spell of the same name. PHB
p.204
Hold Animal
As the 3rd level priest spell of the same name. PHB
p.211
Know Custom
As the 3rd level priest spell of the same name. TOM p.67