PDA

View Full Version : Playing a Merchant character, tips and experiences



supermonkeyjoe
2012-04-30, 07:25 AM
I'm currently playing a character who is analogous to a dwarf merchant/trader (it's a very homebrew d20 system and setting) and I'm having a blast, I was wondering if anyone else had played a similar character in any games and how they found it.

Some highlights:-

Getting a shopkeep to discount his healing potion for his own safety by convincing him a patron was a foreign spy.

Managing to convince a trader to give us a reward for killing local monsters by the power of profit margins.

Getting a double share of all loot as another PC is technically under my employ (don't worry, I pay her well enough)

It's great fun despite the fact the characters contributions in combat involve shouting encouragement and taking the occasional shot with a crossbow.

Siegel
2012-04-30, 10:30 AM
I can see myself doing that in BW or other systems that give you a mechanical money system and other mechanics that help you with your merchant/crafting stuff.

FATE would also be cool for that.

Not in D20.

gomanfox
2012-05-01, 08:44 PM
I tried making a Gnome merchant character once. Our group rolled up random backgrounds and it practically screamed "merchant" and I had been thinking about making a merchant before, so I went for it. He was a bard//fighter and tons of fun to play... until our second session where he got split in half.

My only tip: Stay away from the critical hits of an orc with a greataxe. :(

Crafty Cultist
2012-05-01, 09:50 PM
Most of what I know about medival econimics comes from the anime spice and wolf. If you haven't seen it, its about the adventures of a travelling merchant and a pagan wolf deity, and it goes into a lot of detail regarding the economy.

For an RPG player, I'd reccomend buying a mundane and low magic items that you can think of a variety of uses for. If your character is designed with a non-combat focus, then emphasise your usefulness out of battle.

If you want to improve your combat abilities, magic items are the way to go. Use your merchantile skill to grossly exceed your wealth by level and purchase magic items that let you incapacitate enemies or strengthen your allies. Think Jarlaxle.

Cieyrin
2012-05-01, 10:52 PM
Most of what I know about medival econimics comes from the anime spice and wolf. If you haven't seen it, its about the adventures of a travelling merchant and a pagan wolf deity, and it goes into a lot of detail regarding the economy.

Indeed, everything I needed to know about medieval economics, I learned from Lawrence or I picked up from Recettear. :3

Every time I've tried to run a character at least somewhat knowledgeable about economic forces doesn't tend to pan out, due to not having the DM be into that level of minutiae or if the story doesn't have the time or resources to really support such an endeavor, though I suppose my most successful was when a game ended with the group, instead of killing the big bad dragon instead working for him and I became his economic adviser, though the reason I was seeking his lair was originally to get the rights to the mine that's part of it to get it producing again and using my new supply to corner the market in ore and metal goods. The Dragon locked up deeper and accidentally releasing him from his imprisonment was entirely not my goal...