The Merchant Class
A sleazy bar owner gleefully counts his gold and then sighs as he hears footsteps coming from the roof. As an assassin falls from the ceiling, the bar owner throws a coin that embeds itself in the skull of the assassin, killing him as the bar owner laments the loss of his gold coin.
A strange woman covered in a mass of robes and bandages sells a strange, otherworldly artifact to a professor for a large sum of gold.
A band of kobolds is suddenly brought to piece when a tall looking elven noble delivers a large sum of money to their priestess, only to find out that the gold has gone missing the next day. The elven capital has never heard of this noble, but it did not matter now as the war was on.
A merchant is someone who primarily deals in the practices of economy and wealth. They use their vast knowledge of gold and treasure to gain a one up in battle and in life.
Money is Magic
Merchants have the ability to harness money for magical powers and feats such as throwing coins for damaging attacks or using gold as a way to heal their allies.
On top of this, they have the ability to seemingly conjure a pool of money from nowhere, effectively always allowing them to have fuel for their magical money based abilities.
How they acquire these money based abilities varies from merchant to merchant, but it is often widely considered that gods of wealth grant these powers to merchants who have great potential in becoming highly economically powerful, but their powers truly could come from any gold based source such as an otherworldly entity, general magical study, or a connection to the powers of gold itself.
Abuse the Market
Merchants are usually only in it for their own economic gain and will do anything to acquire a little extra coin. Starting wars or simply lying to sell their product, whatever it takes to affect their bottom line and get them more money.
Some of the world's most tragic events can occur from a greedy merchant trying to make a little bit of extra money, which is why they are often considered a very polarizing type due to the possible good they could use their money for but often don't.
For example, a merchant could use their funds to feed the poor or wipe out homelessness in a local town, but it is likely that they'll only do it if it makes them more money in the long run by either building up trust with the public or by using those homeless people as workers for their shops or factories.
Merchants have the capacity to do a lot of good in the world and affect those around them's lives in a truly meaningful way using their wealth, but they'll likely only do something for more gold or for a personal goal they have in mind such as rebuilding their hometown that was burnt down or putting their children through college.
Creating a Merchant
When deciding on the merchant class, think about how you became a merchant in the first place and how it is you came to acquire your gold based powers.
Did you learn your powers from a merchant that you've looked up to for several years? Did you make a deal with an entity that allows you to harness gold for magical purposes? Did you discover that you have a connection with a legendary figure such as a god of wealth or the legendary King Midas?
How do you use your powers of wealth and gold and why? Are you extraordinarily greedy and only wish to use your powers of gold for the purposes of getting more money? Do you wish to use your gold based powers to help all of those in need such as feeding the poor or giving homes to the homeless? Perhaps you have some ultimate goal that requires an obscene amount of money to see to the end?
What is your relationship with your gold based powers? Do you see yourself as a baron of wealth and fortune for having these strange gold powers or do you think of yourself as a humble profiteer of some kind?
Quick Build
You can quickly create a merchant by following these suggestions. First, charisma should be your highest ability score followed by either Dexterity or Constitution. Second, take the noble background.
Class Features
As a merchant, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per merchant level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per toon level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor
- Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, shortswords, rapiers
- Tools: An artisan's tools of your choice
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
- Skills: Choose any three
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a Rapier, (b) a Longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
- (a) A diplomat's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- An artisan's tools of your choice
- Leather Armor and 10GP
Multiclass
To multiclass into the Merchant class, you need a Charisma score of 13 and at least 20GP in your inventory.
The Merchant
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Disposable Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Disposable Income, Pay to Play, Economic Conversion | 10GP |
| 2nd | +2 | Market, Quarterly Profits | 12GP |
| 3rd | +2 | Expertise, Appraisal | 14GP |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 16GP |
| 5th | +3 | Pay to Play II | 18GP |
| 6th | +3 | Subclass | 20GP |
| 7th | +3 | Hedge Risk | 22GP |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 24GP |
| 9th | +4 | Sale | 26GP |
| 10th | +4 | Subclass, Expertise | 28GP |
| 11th | +4 | Pay To Play III | 30GP |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 32GP |
| 13th | +5 | Gilded Talent | 34GP |
| 14th | +5 | Subclass | 36GP |
| 15th | +5 | Saving Grant | 38GP |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 40GP |
| 17th | +6 | Pay to Play IV | 42GP |
| 18th | +6 | Sale Improvement | 44GP |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 46GP |
| 20th | +6 | Millionaire | 48GP |
Disposable Income
Starting at 1st level, during a short or long rest, you may create temporary GP equal to the amount displayed in the Disposable Income column of the Merchant class block. The coins created through this feature are always the same coins, meaning you can never create more coins than the listed amount, and spending these coins at a shop and then using this feature again causes those coins to teleport back to your hand.
Pay to Play
Starting at 1st level, you may spend your gold to perform several feats.
- Takeover (1GP): As an action, you may make a ranged weapon attack using your gold pieces. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 Bludgeoning damage. You may use your Charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls when using this feature. The gold pieces vanish into thin air after using this feature.
- Engolden (3GP): As a bonus action, you may cause a creature you can see within 60ft of you to add a d4 to their next attack roll or ability check.
- Health Care (4GP): As a bonus action, a creature you can see within 60ft of you regains 1d6 hit points.
Economic Conversion
Starting at 1st level, you may magically convert money into different forms of money. You may spend one minute to transfer any amount of currency into a different form so long as you have the correct amount to exchange. For example, if you have 10 silver pieces, you can transform them into 1 gold piece, or if you have 1 platinum piece, you may transform it into 10 gold pieces.
Market
Different merchants chose different markets to exploit for money.
Starting at 2nd level, you choose your market. Your market grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.
Quarterly Profits
Starting at 2nd level, during every long rest, you may tally your profits for the day. You gain GP equal to half of any disposable income not spent before the long rest (rounded down) + your Charisma modifier. Gold earned through this feature does not teleport back to your hand when you take a short or long rest.
Appraisal
Starting at 3rd level, as an action, you may accurately predict the market or second-hand price on an object you are holding.
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your Proficiency Bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies. At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Pay to Play II
Starting at 5th level, you may spend your gold to perform more feats.
- Takeover II (2GP): As an action, you make an attack using your Takeover feature. Your Takeover feature deals 3d6 damage instead of 2d6 when using this feature.
- Pharma (6GP): You may remove one of the following conditions affecting a target creature within 60ft of you as a bonus action, blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.
- Invest (8GP): As an action, you may target a creature within 60ft of you, when that creature uses it's action to perform the attack action, it may perform an additional attack. The target creature cannot perform an additional attack if it is affected by the Haste spell and the creature cannot add it's proficiency bonus to the damage of this attack.
Hedge Risk
Starting at 7th level, as a reaction, when you take damage, you may spend gold equal to the amount of the damage taken to half the amount of damage you take.
Sale
Starting at 9th level, once per short or long rest, when spending gold on one of your features, you may reduce the amount of gold you spend an amount equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1GP). At 18th level, this amount doubles. This feature cannot reduce a feature's cost below 1GP.
Pay to Play III
Starting at 11th level, you may spend your gold to perform even more feats.
- Takeover III (4GP): As an action, you make an attack using your Takeover feature. Your Takeover feature deals 4d6 damage instead of 2d6 when using this feature.
- Insured (12 GP): As an bonus action, you may target one creature you can see within 60ft and remove any charm, petrification, curse, or reduction of it's maximum hit points or ability scores affecting the creature.
- Universal Health Care (16 GP): As a bonus action, you cause up to six creatures you can see within 60ft of you to regain 1d6 hit points.
Gilded Talent
Starting at 13th level, as a reaction, when you roll an ability check using a skill you are proficient with, you may spend 10GP to re-roll. You may do this twice per reaction using this feature, spending gold both times. You may choose to re-roll after the result of the roll is seen but before the outcome is determined.
Saving Grant
Starting at 15th level, as a reaction, when you make a saving throw using a saving throw that you are not proficient in, you may spend 15GP to roll add your proficiency bonus to the roll.
Pay to Play IV
Starting at 17th level, you may spend your gold perform the greatest feats of the Merchant.
- Takeover IV (8GP): As an action, you make an attack using your Takeover feature. Your Takeover feature deals 5d6 instead of 2d6 when using this feature.
- Cheque (24GP): As a bonus action, you may target a creature within 60ft of you. That creature's next attack roll automatically hits regardless of whether or not the creature's attack roll was less than a creature the target is attacking's AC.
- Industrial Rebirth (40GP): As an action, target a creature that has died within 60ft of you within the past 10 minutes. The creature is brought back to life with 1 hit point.
Millionaire
Starting at 20th level, when you start your turn and you have no more gold remaining from your Disposable Income feature, you re-gain 5GP. This 5GP is treated as if it was created from your Disposable Income feature.
Markets
When you reach 2nd level, you choose a market in which you draw your economic powers from.
The Swindler, The Interdimensional Salesmen, or The Traveling Merchant markets are all detailed in this section.
Your choice grants you features at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Swindler
Swindlers are merchants that use their economic prowess and knowledge of crime to get ahead in the economic world. Usually this means by participating in the creation of counterfeit goods or illegal trading services. The can usually be found in the Black Market, trading ill-gotten goods, usually with a false identity.
Market Practice
Starting at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in Forgery Kits and Disguise Kits if you did not have it already.
Pay-Off
Starting at 2nd level, as an action, you may spend 6GP to attempt to charm a creature you can see within 60ft. The creature must be able to understand you. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw. (DC = 8+ your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus)
On a failed save, the creature is charmed by you until the end of your next turn.
Counterfeit
Starting at 6th level, you may use your action to instantly create a fake duplicate of an item you are currently holding by spending an amount of GP equal to half the item's market value. If the item is a weapon or magic item of some kind, it is entirely ineffective at combat and only mimics the magical effects of the item by producing illusions rather than the magic being genuine. For example, if you create a duplicate of an item that shoots fire, the fire is simply illusory. A creature can attempt to determine if the item is genuine by performing a Wisdom (Insight) check against your Charisma (Deception) check.
False Identity
Starting at 10th level, you've created a false identity for yourself to hide your crimes. You may spend two hours and 25 GP to create an identity and false legal documentation for your identity as well as a full disguise and clothes. Creatures attempting to check your false identity documentation whether through magical or non-magical means believe you and can only determine that your identity is false through reading your mind or through a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check if they grow suspicious about your false identity.
Counterfeit Feat
Starting at 14th level, during a long rest, you may spend 15GP of your disposable income to gain a feat of your choice. You lose this feat when you finish another long rest and must spend another 15GP of your disposable income to either keep this feat or replace it with a new one.
The Traveling Merchant
Traveling Cash
Starting at 2nd level, when you gain GP through your Disposable Income feature, you can an additional amount of GP equal to your Merchant level. This GP is also treated as GP gained from your Disposable Income feature.
Honest Face
Starting at 2nd level, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when buying or selling an item to a creature.
Recover Funds
Starting at 6th level, when using your Takeover feature, you recover an amount of SP equal to half of the GP you spent using the feature. For example, if you spend 4GP using your Takeover feature, you gain 2SP.
Friendly Discount
Starting at 14th level, when a friendly creature would cast a spell that requires material components with a GP value, you may use your reaction to half the cost of the spell.
Interdimensional Salesman
The Interdimensional Salesman is a merchant who has formed a contract based pact with an otherworldly entity to give them magical powers that they use for monetary gain and spellcasting. Most Interdimensional Salesmen can be found using their powers to get the best deals they can on items, or learning the value of their wares.
Interdimensional Salesman Spellcasting
| Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Maximum Spell Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 3rd | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 4th | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 5th | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 6th | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 7th | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 8th | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 9th | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 10th | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 11th | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 12th | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| 13th | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 14th | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| 15th | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| 16th | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| 17th | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| 18th | 3 | 11 | 3 |
| 19th | 3 | 12 | 4 |
| 20th | 3 | 13 | 4 |
Spells for Cash
Use this table to determine the costs of your spells. Interdimensional Salesman spells can only be cast using gold created from your Disposable Income feature.
| Spell Level | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5GP |
| 2 | 10GP |
| 3 | 15GP |
| 4 | 25GP |
Spells For Cash
Starting at 2nd level, you learn how to cast spells using money. The spells you cast can only be cast using gold pieces created from your Disposable Income feature. Refer to the Spells For Cash table to determine the costs of your spells.
Cantrips
You know two cantrips from the warlock spell list. These cantrips do not cost gold to use. You learn an additional cantrip of your choice from the Warlock spell list at 10th level.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level warlock spells of your choice.
The Spells Known column of the Interdimensional Salesmen Spellcasting table shows when you learn more warlock spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have available. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the warlock spells you know with another spell of your choice from the warlock spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have available.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability, since your magic comes from a binding, otherworldly contract. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
Magic Appraisal
Starting at 2nd level, your contract has given you the power to see the value of magical items. You learn the Identify spell and can spend 10 minutes casting it without needing to expend gold.
Midas's Shortchange
Starting at 6th level, when you spend gold to cast one of your Interdimensional Salesman spells, you may spend an additional 5GP to give yourself advantage on a spell attack if the spell has it, or to give one creature disadvantage on a saving throw if the spell requires one.
If the spell has multiple spell attacks such as the Eldritch Blast or Scorching Ray spells, you may pay this cost individually to gain advantage for each spell attack. (This gold does not need to be from your Disposable Income feature)
Constant Market Watch
Starting at 10th level, you are constantly under the effects of the Detect Magic spell without needing to spend gold or maintain concentration on the spell.
Spell Loan
Starting at 14th level, you've gained so much trust with the entity you've contracted that they now occasionally grant you spells for free.
Once per long rest, you may cast any spell from any class so long as you have the appropriate maximum spell level for it. The spell must be of a level from 1st to 4th level. The spell does not cost any gold when cast using this feature.