In my current campaign setting, there's a bit of running gag regarding a tengu merchant who almost seems to stalk the party, popping out of alleyways and offering exquisite merchandise of varying categories, all stored in his handy overcoat. Whether his merchandise is stolen is questionable at best, though I imagine he'd make for an interesting grave robber.
I figured it was about time I gave him an official stat block just for the heck of it. Any ideas on how he should be built? Current APL is 6, just for reference.
Reminds me of that dude in Resident Evil 4 who keeps constantly appearing out of nowhere:)
Reminds me of that dude in Resident Evil 4 who keeps constantly appearing out of nowhere:)
Honestly? That's where the joke came from. Glad somebody caught it. One of those things that pops up when you're improvising on the fly.
Sounds pretty cool. I wish there was a merchant stalking our party in our current dungeon crawl.
As for your NPC, he would obviously have appraise and maybe umd or arcane casting. On the shadier side, maybe he has sense motive, improved inititive, and the ability to dimension door or teleport with magic item. 6th level, maybe just turn invisible and teleport to get out of grapple.
Maybe he scrys on people to see what to offer, and if they'll double cross him. Or if they have valuable merchandise. I get the sense that you're leaning rougue, but I usually lean castor. Good luck!
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Consider describing the Tengu merchant's faded overcoat from which he produces his stuff a whitish grey, uneven and stained, as a hint to the PCs that it was once white.
Later you can have the PCs subject to an incredibly complicated, devious and unlikely attack that *almost* kills them and their Tengu merchant -- plotted by another Tengu merchant in the BLACK overcoat. The Tengu in the Black overcoat has, it seems, an unlimited trap budget, near prescience in his plotting, and the patience of Job to make it all happen, too.
Lvl 20 Rogue; Trapsmith archetype.
Just another episode of Spy vs. Spy; nothing to see here. Move along. :)
Yep,I know my video games:)
As for the build: Unfortunately there is no haggling skill, but diplomacy and a high charisma should work as well.Maybe give him some means of dimensional travel too. Appraise and a few crafting feats maybe, or a rouge with blackmarket connections.Just spitballin´here.
I say bard, maybe sandman bard (rogue/caster mix). He uses his illusions to sneak up on potential customers to sell his stolen wares. He really does 'pop out of alleys' because he was invisible until he chooses not to be, that sort of thing.
Arcane Trickster or some kind of Bard--probably Archaeologist.
If you have Bestiary 2, could look at the Mercane, seems to fit most of the bill for what you need (as for appearance.. why that is this newly fangled alter self ring I have! Yours at a steal!)
And if levels, etc are what you are looking for... it sounds like this character has appraise, Use Magic Device, stealth, (Diplomacy??), sense motive, bluff and possibly spellcraft. Nothing says needs to be a bard/rogue/wizard, all that is needed is some skill ranks (or magic items that say otherwise!) and sticking with the description as that merchant with questionable methods of obtaining merchandise.
