Merchant (5e Class)

## **The Merchant**

*"I am Chairman Profiteur, Merchant of Death! Prepare to die, little worms!"*

*-Erutus Profiteur, the 'Merchant of Death'*

A small man with a top hat tall enough to eclipse his entire body is confronted by a group of four adventurers, that proclaim he is committing wrongdoings. The merchant simply laughs, and calls his bodyguard to his side, then pulls out his cane and a sphere constructed out of golden coins. The bodyguard hacks the party to pieces, as the merchant throws multiple spheres at them, until they are reduced to dust, the merchant sitting back in his chair, grinning, with the bodyguard disposing of the remains.

An exceedingly tall jet-black skinned man with a mouth filled with triangular teeth and a long overcoat speaks with a customer, a nervous man looking back and forth. The overcoat-wearing man turns around to face the man that was sneaking up behind him, an accomplice of his customer, and his eyes glow golden for a moment, as he pierces his neck with a dagger with uncanny accuracy, then turns to the first man. The man turns pale, as the merchant merely smiles and tells him that they're closed for the day, walking away.

Most merchants are simply those who sell items, and don't possess any combat abilities of their own, however this class is not for those merchants. This is for

### **Tribalistic Spellcasters**

Though many might confuse them for druids, the magic of merchants is both very similar, and yet very different. While druids usually rely on being blessed by nature itself, merchants all come from some sort of tribe, with symbolic paint coating their flesh to give them their magic. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the smallest goblin to the tallest ogre, fulfilling the needs of both their tribe, and those they travel with.

### **Prayers to Forgotten Gods**

The totems are among the most iconic part of a merchant's arsenal; a vessel to be controlled by a tribalistic god or being, to aid the merchant that still acknowledges them as being as mighty as they are. These take on the appearance of a carved shape of a creature of some sort that resembles the symbol of the being, and surges to life as the merchant deems fit. However, if these beings are not directly controlled, they have no sense of who their merchant wishes to curse and bless, and will choose to affect all who are around them.

### **Speakers of the Fallen**

While many would see the dead as being unreachable, merchants all possess the ability to speak with the dead for long periods of time, by a process known as communing. The merchant offers their body up as a vessel to the spirit temporarily, in exchange for some request; be it to aid their allies with the body in combat, or merely to speak with those who had cared for the spirit in life, or anything in between. Sometimes confused for mediums or necromancers, the merchants do not control the dead, rather they are partners with those who have been taken by the underworld.

## **Creating a Merchant**

All merchants come from a group, almost always a tribe, so while creating your merchant, think of how to incorporate this into your backstory. How well was your merchant liked in your tribe? Was your character nominated to be a merchant, or were they power-hungry and tried actively to become one? What about their tribal marking, the source of their power? Did they choose the mark that their tribe typically gives all their merchants? Or did they decide to take on a different mark, throwing tradition to the wind for the sake of becoming their own merchant? Ask your GM about the different tribes of your campaign world, and if your merchant might be well-known due to their tribe.

### **Quick Build**

You can make a Merchant quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Wisdom, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the hermit or outlander background. Finally, choose a scourge, scholar's pack, and the beetle totem.

## **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 + Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Merchant level after 1st

Proficiencies
**Armor:** Light armor

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, shortswords

**Tools:** Two artisan's tools

**Saving Throws:** Wisdom, Charisma

**Skills:** Choose any three

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (*a*) a shortsword or (*b*) any simple weapon
* (*a*) an entertainer's pack or (*b*) a diplomat's pack
* a magic pouch & leather armor

### **Profiteer**

You have a magical pouch, which is blessed by some sort of divine being related to money. This pouch fills itself with a magical fake gold, known as Pyrite, when you are in combat. At the start of each of your turns, you gain 1 pyrite, to a maximum shown on the Merchant class table. When you are not in combat, all of your pyrite disappears from your pouch. If you lose your pouch, over a long rest you can expend 50 gold pieces worth of leathers and incenses to create a new one.

### **Spendthrift**

Your magical monetary gains can be used to fuel your attacks to be better. When you make a weapon or spell attack roll, you can expend 1 pyrite to make your attack roll have advantage, and the next attack roll made against you within the next minute has disadvantage.

### **Corporate Business**

Beginning at 2nd level, your talents in merchantry have made you join a mystical corporation. Choose from the Charity Corporation, Fear Corporation, the Greed Corporation, the Swashbuckler Corporation, all found at the bottom of this page. Your choice grants you features at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

### **Pharmacy**

Starting at 3rd level, you are able to communicate with the powerful being of money, and exchange pyrite to restore hit points to an ally, in the form of buying potions that are instantly used on the ally. As an action, you choose one creature within 30 feet of yourself and commune with the being, and expend pyrite. For each pyrite you expend, the creature restores 2d4 + 1 hit point, plus additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier (min 1).

### **Takeover**

Additionally, at 3rd level, you are able to conjure up a ball of false gold and throw it at a target. As an action, you can make a ranged spell attack on a creature within 60 feet of yourself. On a hit, the creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 plus your Charisma modifier. The damage increases by 1d8 at 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

### **Ability Score Increase**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10, 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.

### **Speculate**

Beginning at 5th level, you are able to take a business risk when you attack. When you roll damage for a weapon or spell attack, you can expend 1 or more pyrite to add a d12 to it. The first pyrite adds the damage no matter what is rolled, but for every pyrite after, there is a rule; All even numbers add the number rolled as damage, and all odd subtract it, to a minimum of a +0 bonus to damage from Speculate.

### **Silver Card**

Starting at 7th level, you understand exactly how merchantry works, and know how to barter from it. You have advantage on all Charisma checks made to barter for a cost, or sell an item.

### **Hedge Risk**

At 9th level, your money is able to fuel the defense of your allies, or yourself. As a reaction to a creature within 30 feet of yourself (this can be yourself) either being attacked or making a saving throw, you can expend 1 pyrite to give the creature a bonus to their armor class for that attack or saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (min +1). You can do this either before or after the roll, but before you know the result.

### **More Money**

Starting at 11th level, when in a pinch, you can quickly pull out more money than you had a few moments ago. When you roll initiative and have no pyrite, you gain pyrite equal to half of your maximum, rounded down.

### **Energy Drink**

Beginning at 13th level, you are able to purchase a drink of pure energy from the monetary being that granted you your powers. As an action, you expend 3 pyrite to obtain an energy drink, which lasts for 1 minute. As a reaction to a creature within 30 feet of yourself using their action, you can make them drink this, giving them another action. This does not stack with Action Surge or similar effects. After using this feature, you must take a long rest before doing so again.

### **Big Pharma**

At 15th level, your healing improves by a large margin from your Pharmacy. Your Pharmacy now heals 3d4 + 2 hit points per pyrite expended on it.

### **Pay to Play**

Starting at 17th level, you are able to pay pyrite to aid your allies in striking. As a bonus action, you can expend between 1 and 3 pyrite and choose to bless a creature within 30 feet of yourself. The creature's critical hit range increases by one step for an amount of attacks equal to the pyrite spent.

### **Payoff**

Beginning at 18th level, your bribery works on even the most vile of creatures. As an action, you can choose a creature within 5 feet of yourself to give pyrite. If you give pyrite equal to half the creature's challenge rating, it is charmed by you and cannot take any actions, for 1 minute. If it is hit or forced to make a saving throw, this effect ends early.

### **Insurance**

At 20th level, your pouch is able to give you money for being closer to death. If you take more than 20 damage before the start of your turn, you gain 2 pyrite instead of 1, for that turn.

### **Corporations**

No man rules alone; this small phrase is true for all people, and especially all merchants. Each of them joins some sort of business corporation for the purpose of furthering their power in some way, allowing them to focus themselves in ways that some other merchants might not.

## **Charity Corporation**

While many people imagine that those who are classified as merchants are all terrible, greedy people, this is not true to all. Members of the Charity Corporation are far more generous than most other corporations, with most members giving money to the needy. However, this does not mean that all are good people; a few may simply be using it as a facade or an excuse to do bad things.

### **Bonus Proficiencies**

When you join this corporation, at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in medium armor and shields.

### **White Knight**

Additionally at 2nd level, you are able to protect those around you. As a reaction to a creature within 30 feet of yourself taking damage, you can expend 1 pyrite to choose to half the damage they take, with you taking the other half.

### **Gift of Giving**

Starting at 6th level, you are able to offer a drink to those whom you bed with. While taking a short rest, you may choose up to ten creatures that are resting with you. Those creatures all have one spell of 6th-level or lower of your choice ending on them, and gain temporary hit points equal to your merchant level plus your Charisma modifier (min 0).

### **Knight's Guard**

Beginning at 10th level, when you use your White Knight feature, the creature you defend instead takes no damage, with you taking half.

### **Full Pharma**

At 14th level, your pharmaceutical skills improve dramatically. Your healing from Pharmacy no longer rolls dice, and instead heals for the maximum value of each die.

## **Greed Corporation**

The greed corporation is one full of worshipers of the sin of greed, the typical merchant that many would imagine when one thinks of a rich noble scamming those who are less fortunate. They are about taking from others to give to themselves, or trying to attain more money if possible.

### **Bonus Proficiencies**

When you join this corporation, at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills; Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks using your choice involving money in some way.

### **Tongue of the Gilded Liar**

Starting at 2nd level, your words themselves are able to influence others with ease. You can cast *friends* and *vicious mockery* at will, and can expend 1 pyrite to cast *charm person*. Your spellcasting ability for these is your Charisma modifier.

### **Fountain of Wealth**

Beginning at 6th level, pyrite pours out of you when you are at your maximum. At the start of your turn, if you already had maximum pyrite before the start of the turn, you make a special Takeover attack with no action required. This attack does not add your Charisma modifier to damage, is one die smaller (2d8 to 1d8, for example), and deals necrotic damage.

### **Counterfeit Coin**

Starting at 10th level, you are able to make false gold in an instant. As a bonus action, you can give yourself pyrite equal to your Charisma modifier (min 1). After using this feature, you must take a long rest before doing so again.

### **Getting Greedy**

At 14th level, your greed allows you to ignore a bit of the laws of the universe. After using your action to make a weapon attack or use Takeover, you can expend 1 pyrite and use your bonus action to make either one weapon attack or use Takeover.

## **Swashbuckler Corporation**

While many imagine a merchant as being one who does not go onto the front lines, members of the swashbuckler corporation couldn't be any more of the exact opposite. They have trained themselves to use the weapons seen typically by pirates and privateers, and swashbucklers.

### **Bonus Proficiencies**

Starting at 2nd level, when you join this corporation, you gain proficiency in martial weapons and medium armor.

### **Charming Pirate**

At 2nd level, your charm comes in when you are spending money. When you use Spendthrift or Speculate on a melee weapon attack, you add your Charisma modifier to your damage roll.

### **Extra Attack**

Beginning at 6th level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make two attacks instead of one.

### **Gold and Blood**

Starting at 10th level, the thrill of spending gold makes your reflexes work faster. When you use your action to use a feature that expends pyrite, you can make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action.

### **First Mate**

At 14th level, a member of your party can be chosen as your first mate. As a 10-minute ritual, you and a creature within 5 feet of yourself can converse together. When you make a melee weapon attack and that creature can see you, they can use their reaction to make a weapon attack.

## **Multiclassing**

**Prerequisites.** To qualify for multiclassing into the Merchant class, you must meet these prerequisites: Charisma 13, Dexterity 13

**Proficiencies.** When you multiclass into the Merchant class, you gain the following proficiencies: Light armor, simple weapons, shortswords, one skill,