Travelling merchants only have space for limited inventory, often taking on bits and pieces wherever they travel, rather than an organized set of wares. That said, a travelling merchant who walks the roads might have all sorts of interesting things to trade, Here are a few examples:
- A set of halfling-sized full plate armour, the left leg rent and torn terribly, with some rust-marks (650 gp) - A small paper twist of diamond dust, wrapped in a velvet bag bound with silver wire (280gp) - The taxidermied head of a Manticore, improperly-preserved but able to be mended (120gp) - Three stakes of iron about half an inch thick, each with the face of a different devil sculpted at one end (5gp the lot) - A longsword with a leaf-shaped blade, the veins of the which are traced in silver on the surface (50 gp) - A battered game-board with lovingly hand-painted pieces and cards, unknowingly once the property of the Prince of a nearby city (20gp) - A shattered lance, painted with winding golden leaves and studded with decorative brass pieces, which can be refitted with some work (5gp) - A coil of silk rope, the thread waxed for better grip (10gp) - A thick rug looted from a cult's headquarters, depicting diabolically depraved acts (300gp) - A silver locket belonging to a kidnapped girl, sold to the merchant by three travellers going the other way (20gp) - A belt made of braided leather, stamped with the smiling face of a Green Man (10gp) - A battered steel shield bearing a faded coat of arms, which can be identified as having once been the bulwark of a famous blackguard and traitor (5gp) - A hand lantern with one glass pane cracked, and a single lens inlaid with gold wire, which can be used to See Invisibility for up to 1 hour per day in a 30-foot cone, currently unidentified (10 gp) Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 5 May 2021. When storytelling, it's sometimes tempting to try to reinvent the wheel, to come up with something utterly new andnever-before-thought-of. If you're writing a book, sure- but if all you're doing is entertaining your friends of a Friday night, you're allowed to steal from popular culture and rewrite stories which you can find elsewhere.
Consider, for example, the story of star-crossed lovers from families on opposite sides of a war, trying to unearth magical secrets within themselves, and of their own inheritances. And somehow, an ancient enemy has returned! The concept itself is compelling, even if you found the execution of the story itself imperfect. The base story like this can be used (and you can find all sorts of critique on errors made within the story, and potential fixes for them, from fans online). Or, as was done with the original story, consider stealing the story of a small band of heroes trying to infiltrate a hidden fortress ruled by a dangerous warlord; or to evade an army arrayed against them, bringing down their defenses and even turning once-trusted allies against them while they seek to find a little peace in a war-torn land; or to engineer a strike against a seemingly-invulnerable warlord, only to find that he has predicted their attacks and lad a lethal trap for them. And let's not forget the immortal parable of political appointees settling a trade dispute. But then, setting that against a tapestry of betrayal, ancient and secret foes, and protecting a queen whose land has been stolen, and you've got yourself something that can really capture someone's attention! So think about the sources near and dear to you when you write a story, on this day of all days. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 May 2021. Knight's Fall, the blade which was shattered and shall one day be reforged, the blade of seven shards, the ender of two kings, is a sword of great legend. Now its shards rest on a curtain of velvet, cradled by a statue of the assassin who once wielded it. The Rutherford line, descendants of the legendary assassin, hone their skills in secret and keep their true ambitions deadly close to their chests.
Statistics: Knight's Fall was a magical longsword, which granted a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls. When you hit a target with royal blood with this weapon, that creature takes an extra 2d10 slashing damage. Currently, the shards of the sword can be used to inflict damage as a dagger, but attacks made with this weapon have disadvantage. How you can use Knight's Fall in your games: - The Rutherfords are a ruthless line of vicious assassins, disguising their intentions for generations. Their youths are sent to learn the arts of the blade at a dozen different locations, bringing back their learnings to share- perhaps one of the PCs is even one of these. If the shards of the sword were ever to go missing, the search for them would be immediate and ruthless, sparing no effort to recover their weapon and conceal their identity. - At some point, the elders of the family may attempt to reforge the weapon, perhaps even recruiting or kidnapping a master weaponsmith for their efforts. Their vengeance goes back a dozen generations, and has its roots in an ancient rivalry. - The ruling family know well the story of the master assassins who have slain two ruling members of their family in the past four generations, and of the sword which was shattered in the last attempt. They have no clue as to the identity of the assassins' family, although one of the Duke's young nephews vanished in the heat of battle last year, only to be found violently murdered several weeks later. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 1 May 2021. |
AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|