Greetings D&D Beyond and Community,

I am putting a One-Shot together for some of our players as our normal session is on hold this weekend as some people are out of town.

The players will be getting off a Ship at the Meztica Port City of Helmsport, and exploring a bit at the beginning.
I want a bustling City Vendor Market, and have some basics for some vndors, but know that some of you will have ideas that I did not think of.
So far I have the following that I plan to include:

• Kabab Stand (All kinds of strange D&D Meats)
• Exotic Pets & Animals
• Produce
• Pottery
• Jewelry
• Musician Instruments
• Candles/Lanterns
• Rugs
• Brooms
• Herbs
• Crystals & Stones
• Clothing
• Hats

Alright everyone, get creative, and fun!

Cheers!

Gotta have a spice merchant. Spices have historically been an enormous driver of long-distance trade in real life.

• Little wind-up toys or items with minor enchantments
• Livestock
• Building materials
• Wine/ale/mead/etc
• Some kind of local treat the city is famous for like Chicago deep dish pizza or Coney Island hot dogs or New Orleans beignets
• A shop selling items for a holiday/festival coming up - wreaths or ribbons or something

I always try to showcase a few things that are specific to that time and place. It helps personalize the town and gives it a life beyond whatever time the party will spend there.

An arcade where people can play various games of chance or skill.

A bookstore

A coffee house

Rent-a-porter - a place to find manual labor, a guide, a scribe, or other such, that gives employ to local orphans. 

Handcrafted toys for children. Dolls, little lead soldiers, horse-drawn carriages made of sparkling blown glass. That kind of thing.

Quote from Erik_Soong >>

Handcrafted toys for children. Dolls, little lead soldiers, horse-drawn carriages made of sparkling blown glass. That kind of thing.

Is anybody here old enough to remember the glass blowers in Sears?

When I was a kid, that stuff was like magic.

Quote from Wysperra >>

An arcade where people can play various games of chance or skill.

 This, and if you know the password, they let you into the back room where the real high rollers play.

A florist full of weird and wonderful plants, including ones that are alive and have to be beaten back by the shop keeper to stop them eating patrons. A news paper vendor would be useful for seeding plot hooks. Some sort of black market vendor is always good too

Thank you all for the wonderful ideas!

I knew I could count on you all :)

Cheers!

Quote from Laird_Denton >>

Greetings D&D Beyond and Community,

I am putting a One-Shot together for some of our players as our normal session is on hold this weekend as some people are out of town.

The players will be getting off a Ship at the Meztica Port City of Helmsport, and exploring a bit at the beginning.
I want a bustling City Vendor Market, and have some basics for some vndors, but know that some of you will have ideas that I did not think of.
So far I have the following that I plan to include:

• Kabab Stand (All kinds of strange D&D Meats)
• Exotic Pets & Animals
• Produce
• Pottery
• Jewelry
• Musician Instruments
• Candles/Lanterns
• Rugs
• Brooms
• Herbs
• Crystals & Stones
• Clothing
• Hats

Alright everyone, get creative, and fun!

Cheers!

If you really want to get the party paranoid, have a stand with a little old lady selling meat pies that has a lineup because the pies are so good. Really talk up how innocent and harmless the old lady seems

Wouldn't be surprised if there was a tools merchant, selling things like knifes, forks, sheers, etc. Also gives a place for party to buy tools if needed.

Quote from AntonSirius >>

If you really want to get the party paranoid, have a stand with a little old lady selling meat pies that has a lineup because the pies are so good. Really talk up how innocent and harmless the old lady seems

 They will definitely think she is either a cannibal or a hag! Also if any of them have played BG3, have her be called 'auntie' it'll definitely get them thinking she is a hag.

Quote from R3sistance >>

 

Quote from AntonSirius >>

If you really want to get the party paranoid, have a stand with a little old lady selling meat pies that has a lineup because the pies are so good. Really talk up how innocent and harmless the old lady seems

 They will definitely think she is either a cannibal or a hag! Also if any of them have played BG3, have her be called 'auntie' it'll definitely get them thinking she is a hag.

 Spoilers for Curse of Strahd but there's a coven of disguised hags in that who grind up children to make addictive pastries and nothing guarantees your players will be hyper paranoid about them then really labouring the point of how innocent they all look. I even went so far as to swap their run down sinister windmill base for a bright and open shop similar to Starbucks that sold Barovia merchandise and was staffed by a cute and smiling barista with piercings and tattoos just to really drive up how innocent they looked

Quote from CunningSmile >>

Quote from R3sistance >>

 

Quote from AntonSirius >>

If you really want to get the party paranoid, have a stand with a little old lady selling meat pies that has a lineup because the pies are so good. Really talk up how innocent and harmless the old lady seems

 They will definitely think she is either a cannibal or a hag! Also if any of them have played BG3, have her be called 'auntie' it'll definitely get them thinking she is a hag.

 Spoilers for Curse of Strahd but there's a coven of disguised hags in that who grind up children to make addictive pastries and nothing guarantees your players will be hyper paranoid about them then really labouring the point of how innocent they all look. I even went so far as to swap their run down sinister windmill base for a bright and open shop similar to Starbucks that sold Barovia merchandise and was staffed by a cute and smiling barista with piercings and tattoos just to really drive up how innocent they looked

Oh, it's a classic trope beyond CoS: Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, the Teen Titan villain Mother May-Eye, etc.

Here’s a long and diverse list of vendors you might find in a bustling Dungeons & Dragons 5e marketplace near the ship docks of a large city:

General Goods & Provisions

1. Dockside General Store – Sells basic supplies, rations, torches, rope, and other adventuring essentials.
2. Salty Seafarer’s Sundries – Specializes in sailors' gear: waterproof cloaks, spyglasses, maps, compasses, and logbooks.
3. Shipwright’s Supply – Offers ship repair materials, nails, planks, pitch, and sails.
4. Rogue’s Resupply – A shady stall selling lockpicks, hidden compartments, and dark clothing.
5. Cartographer’s Corner – Sells maps of known lands, sea charts, and possibly some forbidden maps.

Weapons, Armor & Combat Gear

1. Blackpowder & Blades – Specializes in firearms, gunpowder, and exotic weapons.
2. Dockside Smithy – A forge crafting cutlasses, harpoons, and anchors.
3. The Iron Kraken – Sells tridents, nets, and armor suited for aquatic adventurers.
4. The Duelist’s Den – A high-end weaponsmith catering to nobles, pirates, and dueling enthusiasts.
5. Sharktooth Leatherworks – Leather armor and gear made from exotic sea creatures.

Magic & Mystical Vendors

1. The Wailing Whispers – Sells enchanted items recovered from shipwrecks.
2. Stormcaller’s Charms – Sells magical trinkets said to calm the seas or summon winds.
3. The Cursed Relic – A mysterious stall dealing in cursed and haunted objects.
4. Eldritch Echoes – A shop run by a sea hag, offering potions, charms, and fortunes.
5. Moonlit Tomes – A bookstore carrying rare sea lore and arcane scrolls.

Food & Drink Vendors

1. Briny Bites – A seafood stall selling fresh fish, dried squid, and salt-cured meats.
2. The Kraken’s Kettle – A soup stall offering chowders, bisques, and spiced rum.
3. Stormbrew Distillers – A brewer selling ales, rum, and experimental magical drinks.
4. Gilded Grog – A high-end establishment selling rare wines and elven spirits.
5. Tidewalker’s Tavern Stand – A mobile bar cart with exotic cocktails from across the seas.

Clothing & Accessories

1. Captain’s Finery – Sells elegant coats, boots, and tricorn hats for wealthy ship captains.
2. The Rugged Sailor – Practical, waterproof clothing for sailors and adventurers.
3. Exotic Silks & Satins – A merchant selling luxurious fabrics from distant lands.
4. Stormchaser’s Boots – Specializes in boots for different terrains, including enchanted ones.
5. The Golden Hook – A jeweler selling earrings, rings, and amulets favored by pirates.

Exotic & Illicit Goods

1. The Smuggler’s Stash – A shadowy vendor dealing in contraband, stolen goods, and black-market items.
2. The Alchemist’s Shadow – A secretive potion vendor selling poisons and experimental concoctions.
3. Sunken Treasure Salvagers – Sells artifacts recovered from the ocean floor.
4. The Cursed Coin – A gambling stall where fortunes can be won or lost.
5. The Blackened Pearl – A shop specializing in cursed jewelry and trinkets.

Beasts & Creature Handlers

1. Siren’s Menagerie – A beast vendor selling trained parrots, monkeys, and exotic creatures.
2. Seafarer’s Stables – A stable offering strong horses and pack animals suited for long journeys.
3. Deep Tide Aquatics – Sells rare and magical sea creatures, including trained dolphins.
4. The Falconer’s Roost – Specializes in messenger birds and hunting falcons.
5. Drake’s Dock – A high-end beast tamer dealing in wyverns and other exotic mounts.

Craftsmen & Oddity Merchants

1. Barnacle’s Baubles – A trinket stall filled with oddities from shipwrecks.
2. Scrimshaw & Boneworks – Crafts delicate carvings from whalebone and coral.
3. Clockwork Curiosities – A gnome-run stall selling small mechanical devices.
4. The Inked Kraken – A tattooist offering magical and mundane tattoos.
5. Stormglass Artistry – Sells glass-blown goods infused with elemental magic.

Religious & Supernatural Vendors

1. The Tidemother’s Blessing – A cleric’s stand selling charms and sea-blessed holy water.
2. Shrine of the Forgotten Gods – A mysterious vendor selling offerings for obscure deities.
3. The Star Reader – An astrologer offering prophecies and star charts.
4. Candle of the Depths – Sells enchanted candles said to ward off spirits.
5. The Drowned Priest – A strange figure preaching cryptic messages of the deep.

Entertainment & Performance

1. The Siren’s Stage – A makeshift stage for traveling bards and storytellers.
2. The Trickster’s Booth – A games stall offering rigged but amusing contests.
3. The Masked Mummer – Sells masquerade masks and performance attire.
4. The Bard’s Satchel – A shop catering to musicians, selling instruments and songbooks.
5. The Firebreather’s Guild – A performance troupe selling exotic fire-based tricks.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Gotta have a spice merchant. Spices have historically been an enormous driver of long-distance trade in real life.

 
Spices have been the cause of more wars than religion or territory!

Bobberuchi beat me to what I would have done (and even gave names!). I actually took the time to break the PHB equipment tables into individual shops and stalls for my game.