I Need Debtors!

[The Bandicoot]

Recently the party rogue broke into a merchant's house and went looking for, of all things, papers and books rather than money. After a bit of pondering I decided to give him a book of debts owed to the merchant. After a bit of random dice rolling the total number of debts comes out to around 50 and the total amount owed is around ten thousand gold pieces.

What I need is a list of possible debts and debtors so that is what I come to you playground.

If it helps anything the group consists of two rogues(one with magic one without), two beatsticks(one with strict moral code one without), and one healer. Everyone is ECL 6.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions you can provide!

[BowStreetRunner]

First, most merchants will use some sort of shorthand in their books. So even if the information is not in code, it will still take some sorting out. You could require a decipher script check to figure out the actual identity of each debtor. The DC for some names would be harder than others.

As for the debtors themselves, that would depend entirely upon the type of goods in which the merchant deals. Assuming a sort of general shipping-magnate sort of merchant, then his customers are not likely to be just anyone. A local farmer would likely get his merchandise from a general store, whereas the proprietor of the general store would be more likely to get his product from the shipping-magnate. So most of the debtors would be owners of stores in the region, or individuals likely to purchase directly from the merchant rather than from the general store - like the quartermaster of the local cavalry regiment. Since the shipping magnate owns transportation for goods - wagons and ships and such - it is also likely that others who need to ship something would hire the merchant's services. So another debtor might include a group of adventurers who hired the merchant to ship their treasure home for them.

[Aegis013]

Any further information would be useful, particularly about the merchant who owned the debt-book. I can offer a number of specific ones with more information, but I'll just toss some general ideas out for now.

If the merchant supplies goods to any other businesses, it's not uncommon to give them an advance of materials and demand payment back after a short period.

Trusted long-time customers may have tabs or accounts that allow them to get items that will use to get money and pay for them later.

He could be running an illegal gambling ring in his basement and have a number of people in town who have gambling issues owing him various amounts of money.

He could bet on random things with his friends and maybe he's ahead but isn't pushy about getting the money in a timely manner.

Maybe he's running a "rent equipment scheme" and charging a (significant) fraction of the price for a short time and confuses people into agreeing and then tries to get their money (like paying 1/5th of the cost of the longswords every week forever and never actually becoming the owner), and by having contracts tries to use the local authorities to enforce them.

There's a few.

[Lightlawbliss]

If you just want a long list of random names with a small amount of conections, I would google "random name generator" and just start grabbing names off one that fits your time and desires.

also, the goods he deals is would help with the sirnames a lot. Many people in the standard dnd time span had last names that was what the family did and certain people are more likely to deal with certain types of merchants.

For example: He might do a lot of trading of ground wheat from point a to point b and salt from b to a. It would make sense then that a lot of people named Baker would owe him money in region b and a lot of people with a name involving pelt or meat trade would owe him money in region a. And maybe a captain or two (or more) owes him for lost shipments.

edit: nice ninja guys

[Slipperychicken]

Unless the PCs have some special skill or roll high on an Int check, they shouldn't be able to decipher accounting sheets at all.

[The Bandicoot]

The merchant is a jack-of-all-trades sortve guy. One that doesn't care much about what he deals in or who he's dealing with.

The city is a medium-sized metropolis mainly made of stone surrounded by a wall and then a couple miles of middle-class to poor slums that get destroyed and rebuilt numerous times a year. This city is very much into the " survival of the fittest" ideals.

And to be more specific I'm looking for a few creative ideas for debts and debtors. Something like..... The leader of a small cult that owes 50gp for candles and incense.

[Lightlawbliss]

for the "never expect to get this money" kind:

VoP clerics for diamond dust to bring back the lead cleric that died during x (few thousand)

thief's guild for thief's tools for some new members (maby 150 gp) (30 gp per set)

longsword for some young men that went out adventuring (45 gp)


for the stuff they might actually have a good chance of getting cash on:
a local master hunter for 20 lbs of salt (100 gp)

[CaladanMoonblad]

I would suggest.... Donjon's Random NPC Generator (http://donjon.bin.sh/d20/random/#npc) (you shouldn't need full stats until later) as a start.

Just select the menu list among species, alignment, etc., and you will get a mad libs type character suggestion. Such as...

Gimli: Female Dwarf Sorcerer, N. Str 11, Dex 7, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 18. Gimli is tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. She wears topaz robes and wields a heavy mace.

Lota: Female Halfling Bard, NE. Str 11, Dex 8, Con 7, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 15. Lota has a narrow face, with uneven golden hair and narrow amber eyes. She wears leather armor and wields a rapier and shortbow.

Inyen: Female Elf Rogue, LG. Str 6, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 6. Inyen is rough in appearance, with copper hair and soft amber eyes. She wears studded leather and wields a rapier and dagger. Inyen has an animal companion, a black snake named Bruocha.

Sindanio: Male Half-orc Barbarian, N. Str 18, Dex 9, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11. Sindanio is tall and overweight, with gray hair and bright hazel eyes. He wears scale mail and wields a rapier and light wooden shield.

Walla: Male Half-orc Expert (scholar), CN. Str 8, Dex 10, Con 9, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 6. Walla has brown hair and green eyes, and pointed ears. He wears fine clothing and a silver holy symbol. Walla has an animal companion, a white rabbit named Bena.

Zduse: Female Half-orc Monk, LE. Str 16, Dex 8, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 8. Zduse has tangled auburn hair and sharp blue eyes, and a maimed left hand. She wears travel-stained clothing and wields a club. Zduse is cruel and coarse.

Jamath: Male Halfling Fighter, N. Str 14, Dex 12, Con 7, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 8. Jamath is rough in appearance, with white hair and gray eyes. He wears splint mail and wields a glaive.

Boza: Male Half-orc Sorcerer, LN. Str 12, Dex 7, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18. Boza has tangled silver hair and narrow gray eyes. He wears well-made clothing and wields a shortspear. Boza speaks with a mousy voice.

Edhror: Male Elf Bard, N. Str 9, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14. Edhror is fair in appearance, with copper hair and narrow blue eyes. He wears studded leather and wields a short sword and buckler. Edhror has an animal companion, a hunting dog named Eatielyel.

Walteph Abes: Male Half-elf Wizard, NG. Str 7, Dex 12, Con 7, Int 18, Wis 7, Cha 13. Walteph has black hair and brown eyes, and a flat nose. He wears topaz robes and wields a quarterstaff and dagger. Walteph has an animal companion, a horned owl named Athet.


If you want a certain race, then change the menu field. : )