Merchant
A trader who buys low and sells high.
A Merchant is a trader who operates in the space between the Core and the Rim, buying goods where they are cheap and selling them where they are expensive. They are not smugglers (they pay their tariffs), not pirates (they prefer profit to violence), and not idealists (they sell to everyone). They are the verse's essential middle layer: the reason the Rim has Core goods and the Core has Rim resources.
A Merchant is an elite social encounter: dangerous because of their resources, not their combat ability. They are protected by hired guards, commercial relationships, and the understanding that killing a Merchant means losing a supplier. The lever is their stock -- threaten the cargo and the Merchant will negotiate.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 18 |
| Abilities / Con | 10 |
| Abilities / Dex | 10 |
| Abilities / Int | 16 |
| Abilities / Str | 8 |
| Abilities / Wis | 14 |
| Armor Class | 14 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 1 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 13 |
| Hd Count | 3 |
| Hd Sides | 6 |
| Hit Dice | 3d6+3 |
| Hit Points | 14 |
| Hp Bonus | 3 |
| Initiative | 1 |
| Languages | Trade Cant (fluent); Core Standard; two Rim dialects; one alien trade language; Confederation tariff code |
| Psionics | None |
| Role Tags | Face, Support, Non-combatant |
| Saves / Fort | 2 |
| Saves / Ref | 2 |
| Saves / Will | 6 |
| Senses | Normal human vision; commercial instincts grant +4 to Sense Motive in negotiations; passive Perception 13 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Bureaucracy | 10 |
| Skills / Deception | 12 |
| Skills / Intimidation | 7 |
| Skills / Knowledge Corporate | 10 |
| Skills / Notice | 8 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 14 |
| Skills / Sense Motive | 11 |
| Skills / Streetwise | 10 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 2 |
| Touch Ac | 12 |
| Xp | 100 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-merchant.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Holdout slug pistol ranged +2 (1d6 energy; range 30 ft; concealed)
Habitat: Trade stations, markets, cantinas, and anywhere goods change hands. Found in a stall, a cargo bay, or a cantina negotiating. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Merchant in a market stall (selling, approachable), 3-4 = Merchant in a cargo bay (loading, busy), 5-6 = Merchant in a cantina (drinking, negotiating, vulnerable).
Morale: Unsteady (8); the Merchant retreats when the cargo is threatened or when the guards fall; will negotiate from any position if cornered
Resistances: Commercial reputation (+4 to Persuasion and Deception in commercial settings), Hired guards (included in Hired Protection)
Tactics: The Merchant does not fight. They negotiate. They use Commercial Leverage to defuse situations, Hired Protection to handle violence, and Economic Pressure to punish those who cross them. If the guards fall and the cargo is threatened, the Merchant offers a deal, a bribe, or a favour to survive. A Merchant who fights has already lost.
Treasure: Holdout slug pistol (150 rek), commercial datapad (manifests, contacts, market prices; 500-2,000 rek to the right buyer), cargo (varies; 500-5,000 rek depending on the goods), trade licences and permits (200-1,000 rek), 4d10 rek in commercial funds, personal effects (a ledger, a pen, a sample of rare goods).
Vulnerabilities: Non-combatant (the Merchant has no combat training; in a fight they are helpless), Cargo-dependent (the Merchant's livelihood depends on the cargo; threatening the cargo is threatening the Merchant's life), Economic vulnerability (the Merchant operates on credit and reputation; a financial attack can destroy them)
Attacks
Holdout slug pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | energy |
name | Holdout slug pistol |
notes | Concealed; the Merchant draws only when the deal is over |
rangeFt | 30 |
Special Abilities
Commercial Leverage
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Commercial Leverage |
description: The Merchant offers a deal to one creature within 30 ft. The target must make a DC 14 Will save or hesitate for 1 round (the offer is genuinely tempting: a discount, a rare item, a favour). The Merchant can also use this to negotiate passage, access, or information. Player-visible: the Merchant smiles, spreads their hands, and makes an offer you did not expect.
Hired Protection
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Hired Protection |
description: The Merchant travels with 1d4 hired guards (equivalent to Hive Gangers in stats, but loyal to the Merchant). The guards intercept attackers and protect the Merchant's cargo. The Merchant can call additional guards (1d4 more) from a nearby location with a standard action if in a settlement. Player-visible: the Merchant does not fight. The guards fight for them.
Market Knowledge
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Market Knowledge |
description: The Merchant knows the market. They can identify the value of any item, the location of any buyer, and the price of any commodity with a DC 10 Bureaucracy or Streetwise check. The Merchant also knows who is buying what, and who is selling -- which means they know who needs what, and who is desperate. Player-visible: the Merchant looks at the item, names a price, and the price is always right.
Economic Pressure
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Full-round (1/encounter) |
name | Economic Pressure |
description: The Merchant applies economic pressure to one creature within 30 ft. The target must make a DC 14 Will save or be affected: their credit is frozen (cannot buy or sell in this settlement for 1d4 days), their reputation is damaged (-4 to Persuasion in commercial settings for 1d4 days), or their supply line is cut (they lose access to one commodity for 1d4 days). Player-visible: the Merchant makes a call. The market closes.