Traders and Merchants

With a filled keg over each arm, a male dwarf trudges away from the snowy peaks of his homeland, a similarly-laden mule following in his footsteps. Though the dwarf knows the closest town is weeks away, he has full confidence in the quality of his wares. Smelling profits on the wind, he ventures ever forward, seeking riches and glory for his clan   In the midst of a bustling market a mousy female halfing with round thick glasses scribbles away within a tome. Beside her lies a pile of her completed works, finely bound, proclaiming their titles in bold lettering. Concerned only with her writing, the halfling pays no heed to attracting customers, trusting that her books and reputation will be more than enough to entice passerbys.   Set against the edge of an alleyway, a male kobols clad only in a burlap sack waves his arms and chitters frantically, attempting to attract buyers. The kobold eventually gives up, sighing, glacing over towards his nearly identical burlap sacks, complete with arm and head holes. No buyers today - but tomorrow, who knows?   Adventurers are far from being the only individuals enterprising and fool-hardy enough to journey the wider world in search of fortune and glory. Merchants travel far and wide, often finding themselves at bustling hubs of business such as port towns, trade hubs, and the more mercantile strongholds that pepper the disparate reaches of the world. Included here are sample merchant inventories for the merchants that visit and take up residence at player-owned strongholds aswell as for merchants found throughout the wider world.  

Merchant Characteristics

Much like adventurers themselves, merchants often have hopes, dreams and fatal flaws of their own. If you wish to characterize a merchant for roleplaying purposes, roll on or choose from the following tables for examples.  

d8	Personality Trait
1	i greet absolutely everyone with a warm hug
2	i have a much better head for numbers than people
3	i'm often more willing to barter in favors than coin
4	i don't trust adventurers, not even a little bit
5	it's all business with me, no need to be personable
6	Repeat customers are my best friends
7	I'll haggle all day, until your ears fall off
8	I'm convinced my natural showmanship is what earns me customers

 

d6	Ideal
1	Commerce. Free echange is the world's greatest equalizer (Lawful)
2	Monopoly. Undercutting my rivals and price gouging are the only ways to get ahead (Evil)
3	Salesmanship. I'll sell absolutely anything. My horse, my mother, everything has a price. (Chaotic)
4	Charity. I try to give discounts or handouts to those that are truly in need (Good)
5	Finality. No refunds. Ever. (Any)
6	Enjoyment. Buying and selling wares is all a big game to me, one that I love playing. (Any)

 

d6	Bond
1	I have a sick relative that my business supports.
2	I owe a lot of money to organized crime, and they're threatening to collect. Violently.
3	I'm counting down the days to a peaceful retirement with my spouse or loved ones
4	I hope to earn enough money to pursue my true love, who is well above my station.
5	I'm on the run from the law, and plan to leave town before they finally recognize me./td]
6	A large portion of my money is spent atoning for my shameful past.

 

d6/th]	Flaw
1	Most of my money is spent every night in the tavern
2	I have no real faith in the quality of my merchandise, wether or not it is actually good.
3	If someone undercuts my prices, i'll cut their throat.
4	I counterfeit currency on the side, and slip it in with the change i give customers.
5	I never, ever, ever know when to quit, and refuse to lose a sale.
6	It's hard for me to respect someon e who doesn't know everything about what I'm selling.

 

Merchant Inventories

Select rooms will entice merchants to visit or take up residence at your structure, bringing commerce to your doorstep. Whenever a room tells you to roll on the Merchants table, do so with the information below. If a room allows you to select a merchant, you may choose any merchant on this table that isn't a legendary merchant.  

d100/th]	Flaw
1-6	Alcohol and refreshments
7-10	Animals
11-15	Books and Maps
16-19	Flowers and seeds
20-25	Food and animal parts
26-29	Furniture and interior decor
30-34	High fashion
35-38	Jewelery and Gems
39-43	Knick-knacks
44-48	Leatherworking
49-52	Mechanical contraptions
53-57	Medium and heavy armor (and shields)
58-61	Potions, poisons, and herbs
62-66	Religious idols and blessings
67-71	Songs and instruments
72-75	Spell tomes and scrolls
76-80	Thieving supplies
81-86	Tools
87-91	Vehicles and transportation
92-96	Weapons
97-100	Legendary Merchant (roll once on the Legendary Merchants table)

  If a legendary Merchant is rolled on the Merchants table, roll once on the following table to determine which Legendary Merchant your players encounter.  

d20	Legendary Merchants
1-2	Astral Traveler
3-6	Enchantments
7	Fey bargins
8-11	Magical Items
12-14	Magical Creatures
15-18	Necromancy
19	Needful Things
20	Time-Lost

 

Item Quality

Whenever you roll or choose a merchant, roll on the Quality table, below, to determine the quality of their goods. Legendary merchants do not exist below medium quality and their quality should be rerolled until it is medium or higher.  

d12	Quality	Currency On-hand
1	Astrocious	1d10 x 20gp
2-4	Poor	1d10 x 50 gp
5-7	Medium	1d10 x 100 gp
8-10	Good	1d10 x 250 gp
11-12	Excellent	1d10 x 500 gp

  Based on the results of these tables, the DM will determine the contents of a merchant's inventory. Merchants may be willing to buy items the players are selling, usually those that are of a good make and similar enough to the items they already carry. Merchants often are willing to pay half the ordinary price for wares the players are selling, expecting magic items, which obey their own special rules (found on pages 129-130 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Currency carried by merchants for such purposes is typically kept in a secure location, such as a trapped lockbox.   Some areas are exceptionally good (or poor) locations in which to find merchants. The intersection of two major trade routes can yield merchants of a much higher quality than a forgotten outpost deep in the borderlands. If an Area is exceptionally good for trade, your DM may choose to roll twice on the Quality table, and use the best result. If an area is ill-suited to commerce, however, the DM may likewise decide to roll twice and use the worst result, instead.  

Alcohol and Refreshment Merchant

Quality	Items	Price	Quantity in Stock	Page	Notes
Atrocious	Ale, inferior	2cp / mug	1d4 x 100 mugs	----	Flavor will not leave mouth until next short rest
	Ale, non-alcoholic	2cp / mug	1d4 x 100 mugs	----	----
	Water	1cp / cup	1d4 x 100 mugs	----	Clean and pure
Poor	Ale	4sp / mug	1d4 x 100 mugs	PHB 158	----
	Flask or tankard	2cp	1d4x15	PHB 150	made of either pewter or treated wood
	Tea, green	5cp / cup	1d4 x 10 cups	----	----
Medium	Brewer's supplies	20gp	1d4	PHB 154	----
	Cider	8cp / mug	1d4 x 100 mugs	----	Either apple, pear, pineapple, peach or berry
	Juice, fruit	3cp / cup	1d4 x 25 mugs	----	Of any variety
	Milk	1sp / bottle	1d4 x 2 bottles	----	Goat, cow, or other
	Moonshine	3sp / bottle	1d4 x 5 bottles	----	Disadv on saves to avoid intoxication
	Tea, black	6cp / cup	1d4 x 10 mugs	----	----
	Yeast	4cp / lb.	1d4 x 2 lbs	----	----
Good	Brandy	5gp / bottle	1d4 x 2 bottles	----	----
	Coffee	1sp / cup	1d4 x 10 cups	----	Drink a cup: Immune to sleep for 2 hours
	Hot Chocolate	1sp / cup	1d4 x 10 cups	----	----
	Mead	1sp / mug	1d4 x 100 mugs	----	----
	Rum	8gp / bottle	1d4 x 2 bottles	----	----
	Tequila	8gp / bottle	1d4 x 2 bottles	----	----
	Vodka	8gp / bottle	1d4 x 3 bottles	----	----
	Whiskey	5sp / bottle	1d4 x 4 bottles	----	----
	Wine, common	5sp / bottle	1d4 x 5 bottles	PHB 158	----
	Wine, fine	10gp / bottle	1d4 x 4 bottles	PHB 158	----
Excellent	Ale, dwarven	25gp / mug	1d4 x 10 mugs	----	Drink a mug: facial hair gows perceptibly
	Coffee, dwarfen	15gp / cup	1d4 x 2 cups	----	Drink a cup: Immune to sleep for 8 hours
	Decanter of endless water	650gp	1	DMG161	----
	tea, portentous	20gp / cup	1d4 x 2 cups	----	the leaves in the cup's bottom hint at the future
	Wine, elven	10gp / bottle	1d4 x 4 bottles	----	Drink a cup: Cures the poisoned condition

 

Animal Merchant

 

Quality	Items	Price	Quantity in Stock	Page	Notes
Atrocious	parrot, dead	1cp	1	----	Deceased, as in its dead
Poor	Bat	2cp	1d4 - 1	MM 318	----
	Cat	2sp	1d4 - 1	MM 320	----
	Chicken	2cp	1d4 x 2	PHB 157	May instead be a rooster
	Feed, animal	5cp / day	1d4 x 30 days	PHB 157	----
	Frog	1cp	1d4 - 1	MM 322	May instead be a toad
	Goat	2gp	1d4 x 2	MM 330	----
	Lizard	1cp	1d4 - 1	MM 332	----
	Pig	3gp	1d4 x 2	PHB 157	----
	Rat	1cp	1d4	MM 335	----
Medium	Badger	5sp	1d4 - 1	MM 318	Untamed
	Cow	10gp	1d4 x 2	PHB 157	May be a bull, steer, or a cow variant
	Draft horse	50gp	1d4	MM 321	----
	Mule	8gp	1d4	MM 333	May instead be a donkey
	Ox	15gp	1d4	PHB 157	----
	Pony	30gp	1d4	MM 335	----
	Raven	10gp	1d4 - 1	MM 335	----
	Weasel	5sp	1d4 - 1	MM 340	----
Good	Camel	5sp	1d4 - 1	MM 320	----
	Eagle	20gp	1d4 - 2	MM 322	----
	Hawk	15gp	1d4 - 2	MM 330	----
	Lion	200gp	1d4 - 2	MM 331	Untamed
	Mastiff	25gp	1d4	MM 332	Full-grown or pups
	Monkey	25gp	1d4 - 2	----	----
	Owl	20gp	1d4 - 1	MM 333	----
	Riding Horse	75gp	1d4	MM 336	----
	Parrot, alive	20gp	1d4 - 1	----	Alive, as in living
	Tiger	200gp	1d4 - 2	MM 339	Untamed
	Panther	150gp	1d4 - 2	MM 333	Untamed
	Warhorse	400gp	1d4	MM 340	----
	Wolf	50gp	1d4 - 1	MM 341	----
Excellent	Brown Bear	300gp	1d4 - 1	MM 319	Untamed; full-grown or cubs
	Elephant	600gp	1d4 - 2	MM 322	----
	Mammoth	1,200gp	1d4 - 2	MM 332	----
	Rhinoceros	500gp	1d4 - 2	MM 336	Untamed

 

Books and Maps Merchant

Quality	Items	Price	Quantity in Stock	Page	Notes
Atrocious	Treasure map, fake	1 sp	1	----	A DC 10 Investigation check discovers it is fake
Poor	Ink	10gp / ounce	1d4 x 10 ounces	PHB 150	----
	Ink pen	2cp	1d4 x 2	PHB 150	----
	Paper	2sp / sheet	1d4 x 20 sheets	PHB 150	----
	Parchment	1sp / sheet	1d4 x 20 sheets	PHB 150	----
Medium	Book, blank	25gp	1d4 x 2	PHB 150	----
	Book, tawdry	25gp	1d4 x 2	PHB 150	Example title: "My Midnight Tiefling"
	Case, map or scroll	1gp	1d4 x 5	PHB 150	----
	Guidebook, area	50gp	1d4 - 1	----	Pertains to a nearby specific city or location
	Map, accurate	25gp	1d4 - 1	----	Portays an important area within 7 days travel
	Newspaper	2sp	1d4 x 3	----	Printed with the weekly news from a nearby city
Good	Atlas, world	500gp	1d4 - 2	----	Vert accurate, but not overly detailed
	Book, classic	100gp	1d4	----	Example title: "Adventures of Sherlock Gnomes"
	Book, novel	50gp	1d4	----	Example title: "The Drow in the High Castle"
	Calligrapher's supplies	10gp	1d4	PHB 154	----
	Cartographer's tools	15gp	1d4	PHB 154	----
	Guidebook, monster	125gp	1d4 - 1	----	Pertains to a specific monster type nearby
Excellent	Book, forgotten	500gp	1	----	Example title: "The Call of Y'chak"
	Map, planar	1000gp	1	----	Accurately depicts a significant planar location
	Treasure map, real	1000gp	1	----	Depicts an area within 7 days travel

 

Flowers and Seeds

Quality	Items	Price	Quantity in Stock	Page	Notes
Atrocious	Mixed flowers, dead	1cp / dozen	1d4 x 2 dozen	PHB 150	Wilted and slightly browned
Poor	Mistletoe	1gp / sprig	1d4 x 5 dozen	PHB 150	Counts as druidic focus