Atlas   Rules   Resources   Adventures   Stories       FAQ   Search   Links



Merchant: Monsters & More for Sale

by Aoz

Merchant: Monsters for Sale

or

Merchant Class from:
GAZ11: The Republic of Darokin

1 Gold piece(s) = 1 Daro(s)

Merchant Class

The character will be actually have two classes.

The character will still have a prime class: fighter, magic-user, cleric, druid, thief, halfing, elf or dwarf.

Merchant Experience Points: Daro made as Merchant [Profit earned after buying and selling things and deducting expenses]. Each Daro equals one MXP. See Page 14 for full details.

Learning Merchant spells takes time: 1 to 8 weeks [depending on level] per spell. Must learn from another Merchant.

However, let us 1st talk about capturing and sale of Monsters!! [Edit] See below (Scroll on down) for Other Ways to Make Daros (MXP)
Suggested Monster Price on page 28 is 100 daros per HD then times by 10 for each asterisk. Example given is a 2 HD** monster would be worth (100x2) x 20 = 4000 daros.

 
A few examples of Monster and prices:
Black Pudding: 10HD* = 10,000 daros
Cockatrice: 5HD**= 10,000 daros
Displacer Beast: 6HD* = 6000 daros
Gargantua Carrion Crawler: 25HD* = 25,000 daros
Gelatinous Cube: 4HD* = 4000 daros
Giant Oil Beetle: 2 HD* = 2000 daros
Owlbear: 5HD = 500 daros
Rust Monster: 5HD* = 5000 daros
Undead Beholder: 20HD******* = 140,000 daros
Zombie: 2HD = 200 daros

 

1. What monsters would you focus on first to "power level" your merchant level along with your own personal wealth?

2. Should the Merchant be worried if a "Client" wants 100 Rust Monsters and is willing to pay +50% more?

3. Should popular monster be worth more? Gelatinous Cube for Dungeons would be a number one seller. The what would the cost be +50 to 400% more??

4. "Clients"? [Arenas, Dungeons (even the "amusement" parks), Wizards, ... Any extra ideas??]

5. How would build your "Monster" selling Company?

Other Ways to Make Daros (MXP)

[Ideas are Morally Grey to Evil]

Secretly buy up a ton of Herbs [30%], Herbs heal a specific condition, "Allies " corrupt a large city then sell Herbs for 300+%.

Charm, Dominate, Suggestion, or use "Allies" to make a village sell to the Merchant at rock bottom prices and then the Merchant sells at the product at 60-70% in another town.

Sell Snakeoil: Bought at low cost (10-15%) and sell at 80-120% [May or may not have helpful or harmful effects from usage].

War Profiteer: Buy used weapons and armors at 40% and sell for 200% to Enemies.

Buy all Monster Harvested goods at 30% and sell to other Guild/Merchants/Craftsman for 50-60%

Buy up food[grain](40%), Winter time, "Allies" summon/unleash rats on other food storages throughout a city then sell to food city 80-120%.

A work around: Buy the rights to an area of Woods or mine from a young elf or dwarf for a bow or an ale, cut down trees & harvest herbs or mine for ores and sell to other merchant for 40 to 60% of value [May have Older Angry Elves and Dwarves]

Buy Master Work items, Disguise self, Place magic aura on item [like Nystul's Magic Aura] and Sell it as a "Magic" Item at Huge increased cost [4k to 20K each].

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An extreme example would be going to another world or dimension and transport goods back to Mystara. I will use Earth from IM1 The Immortal Storm as an example. There could be other planets/dimensions that may offer better and easier Daro(s) opportunities.

IM1 The Immortal Storm

 
Earth: No Magic

Photo from Nasa

Getting there and back could be an an epic quest in itself unless the character finds a stable gate [or some other means of travel].
The basic exchange ratio is 500 dollars per gold piece/daro.
IM1 The Immortal Storm Pg 26 to 28 with vehicles to modern day items. Food, drinks, medicines even science.

Taking 1000 daros to Earth and getting about 500,000 dollars. Then just purchasing truck loads of fine clothing and taking back to Mystara [remember to sell for Daro(s) back on Mystara]

1980's Earth Based on: Investing just in Clothing Fine $100 each (Peanut Butter cost $1.40 back then). Take back about 5K pieces of Fine clothing [Selling Price for Fine Clothing is 20 gold/daros each...sell for 10 gold each to other Merchants and the Merchant Guild will love you.]

5K units x 10 = 50k daros/gold

From Forbes

Rise and repeat as needed [expand into other merchandise: food, personal care products, even modern crossbow]

There could be better worlds out there for your Merchant for "buying and selling".