Example: Merchant Prestige Class

Hi,

On 12 Dec 2002, at 20:17, Mark T. Doolan wrote:
> Hi All
>     I have decided that I want/need a merchant prestige class for one
>     reason or another (reason being kept under hat as it were). And I
>     need some suggestions for class abilities and what requirements
>     you all think should belong to such a prestige class.
>
> Thanks
> Mark T. Doolan

Here is an attempt to do a trader prestige class:

Space Merchant

The are tales of great traders, that even the mercane envy for their
ability to sell the right things to the right customers and make good
money that way. Among their abilities is the knack that those who
deal with them always feel that they have made a good deal,
usually rightfully so. Most of these merchants deal only in valuable
items, starting with masterwork quality and rare items, that most
other merchants do not necessarily have. There are rumours that
these merchants are part of a larger House or similar organisation,
whose purpose is not precisely clear.

Requirements
  Alignment: Any lawful
  Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, each 5 ranks
  [Feat: Silver Palm (if you have access to the FR campaign
setting)]
  Special: Must be experienced trader (DM's call)

Class Skills

  The space merchants class skills (and the key ability for each)
are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather
Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Wis), Knowledge
(Economics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession
(Wis), Scry (Int), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spot (Wis). Skills per
level: 6 + intelligence modifier. See Chapter 4 in the Player's
Handbook for more information on skills.

Class Table
BAB: weak (as wizard)
Good Saves: Reflex and Will
1. Silver Palm, Expert Haggler
2. Uncanny Appraisal
3. Know Customer
4. Identify
5. Locate Object
6. Scry
7. Dimension Door
8. Customer Satisfaction
9. Find the Path
10. Remote Trade

Class Features
  Hit Dice: d6
  Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Space Merchants do not gain
any proficiency in weapons or armour.
  Silver Palm: +2 to all Appraise and Bluff checks (as the FR feat,
unless you use it as a requirement, in which case the character
already has the advantage)
  Expert Haggler: +2 to all Appraise, Bluff and sense motive checks
which apply to haggling or negotiating trades. These boni stack
with those from the silver palm feat / class ability.
  Uncanny Appraisal: With a successful appraise check (DC 20)
the space merchant knows the precise value of any object, unlike
the range given in the skill description. The space merchant always
gets a +10 competence bonus on all appraise checks. This ability
does not work on magic items worth more than 5,000 GP.
  Know Customer: The space merchant knows what the customer
wants, by making a successful sense motive check (not opposed,
DC 20) and gains an edge in the negotiation.
  Identify (Su): With a successful appraise check (DC 10+ the
item's caster level) the space merchant can identify the precise
value of a magic item and its most basic magical ability, as the
spell of the same name.
  Locate Object (Sp): Thrice per day the space merchant may
locate any rare or unusual object, that the customer wants, is legal
to trade in wherever the merchant is and can be acquired by legal
means. The ability works on objects only known through divination,
such as the scry class feature. Otherwise this ability works like the
spell of the same name.
  Scry (Sp): Three times per day the space merchant may scry, as
the spell scrying, except that the ability works on any object,
which fits  the conditions of the locate object class ability above.
  Dimension Door (Sp): Once per day the space merchant may use
this ability, which is identical to the spell. Usually it is used to
escape a dangerous situation.
  Customer Satisfaction (Ex):
  Find The Path (Sp): Once per day, as the spell, except that it
works on any object identified with the locate object and scry class
abilities defined above. If the object is in a dangerous area, the
space merchant may hire adventurers to retrieve it or serve as body
guards.
  Remote Trade (Sp): The space merchant may no project an
image through scrying (and use the ability on intelligent beings)
and negotiate through them. When the trade is closed, the items
used are exchanged as though affected by teleport without error
spells, which transport them instantly to the right location.

Notes:
  Since text e-Mail does not properly support tables, I used a short
description for saves and BAB. There are only two save
advancements, so that should be fairly obvious. There are also only
three BAB advancements: Good (as Fighter), Medium (as Cleric),
Weak (as Wizard), which you can look up in Table 3-1 in the
Players Handbook.
  Besides the obvious trading abilities, I gave the space merchant a
few skills and an ability whose major purpose is escaping trouble
and violence, hide, move silently and dimension door.
  You might want to make access to the Silver Palm feat (If you
want to use it) easier than described in the FR campaign setting,
e.g. expanding its regional requirement to space ports or
something like that.

What do you think?

Lars Löher
The Mystical Old Bard
http://www.geocities.com/loeher