who often risk their lives, and a person is usually
compensated for the value of the work they do, the
player characters will fare better than most
economically. A merchant character, blessed with the
ability to earn even more Silver Pennies, has the best
of all worlds. Their business acumen enables them to
command a stiff price for those goods they vend, and
to acquire that which they covet at bargain rates. The
merchant is not often fooled in monetary matters, for
them can be an expert in evaluating the worth of rare
and costly goods. The economies of most
DragonQuest worlds do not promote the growth of
capitalism. Basically, the nobility has a vested interest
in all rural lands, which comprise the vast majority of
human-settled areas. An ambitious, dynamic
merchant could perhaps own the entirety of a large
town, but it is quite likely that a jealous duke or prince
would twist the king's justice to break the merchant's
power. Therefore, it behooves a merchant to cultivate
powerful allies when their holdings burgeon. A
merchant must be able to read and write in at least
three languages at Rank 6 to use their assaying
ability.
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item will be classified as one of three types: common, uncommon, and rare or costly. Items
listed on the equipment Cost List are of the common type. Jewelry set with semi-precious
stones, spices from another continent, and fine paintings are examples of the uncommon
type. Rare and costly items include magic-invested objects, diamonds, roc's eggs, giant
slaves, etc. The GM must classify each item with which a merchant wishes to deal. A
merchant can buy items at a cost cheaper than the asking price.
Item Type Discount to Merchant
Common [5 x Rank] Uncommon [2 x Rank] % Costly or Rare [1 x Rank] %
If the GM is actively playing the role of the seller, or another player is the seller, the
merchant must do their own haggling. There will also be those items that the vendor cannot
afford to sell at the usual discount to the merchant. The GM should use their discretion here.
A merchant may mark up the price of an uncommon or rare item. A merchant can gain
(1.5 x Rank)% above the value of an uncommon item they are selling. They can gain (0.5 x
Rank)% above the value of a costly or rare item they are selling.
A merchant can assay an item to determine its exact worth. The player characters will
generally receive a fair quote on the price of basic goods, but must accept the word of the
being with whom they are dealing when conducting a transaction involving uncommon, rare
or costly items. The odds of the player characters being billed increase as they venture forth
from their native land(s). However, if a merchant is amongst them, they can assay the value
of any item after (11 - Rank) minutes. The success percentage for assaying a common
item is equal to the merchant's ([Perception] + [12 x Rank]) %, to assay an
uncommon item equal to ([Perception + [9 x Rank] )%, and to assay a rare or costly
item equal to ([Perception] + [6 x Rank] )%. If the GM's roll is equal to or less than the
success percentages, the merchant character is told the exact value of the item in question. If
the roll is greater than the success percentage, the GM's quote increasingly diverges from
reality as the result approaches 100. If the result is odd, the quote is below the actual asking
price; if even, it is above.
A merchant can specialize in a specific category of item assayal every time they achieve a
positive Rank divisible by three. The merchant chooses their specialty from the following list
(and any the GM should add):
2. Antiques
3. Archeological Finds
4. Art
5. Books
6. Gems
7. Jewelry
8. Land
9. Magic-Invested Items
10. Monster and Animal Products
(e.g., furs, eggs)
11. Precious Metals
12. Slaves
success percentages. It is possible for a merchant to attain a 100% chance of accurately pricing a specialty
item. If a merchant wishes to add a new specialty after they attain Rank 10, they must expend 1500
Experience Points per specialty.
A merchant must spend (15 + [5 x Rank] ) Silver Pennies per week to keep up appearances, and (100 +
[175 x Rank]) Silver Pennies per year to buy assayal reference works. If the merchant fails to spend the
former amount, they operate as if they were two Ranks less proficient for a full month. If they do not spend
the latter amount, they operate as if they were four Ranks less proficient when conducting an assayal
(though they retain all specialties). If their Rank is reduced to a negative number they temporarily lose the
merchant ability.