The Title says it all. I'm looking for a good monster to act as a merchant that sells magical items in exchange for favors or relics my players found. I do plan on them trying to manipulate the party to uncovering a lost demonic temple and betray them.
Note, the party is consisting of 5 level 5 players with 2 npcs helping
You could use a Cambion. They can come from either Devil or Demon parentage. If you go for a Devil then haven them aligned with Mammon or if you go with a Demon have them aligned with Graz'zt. Both options give you the chance to use the Cambion as a interplanar merchant that can lead off into other story or adventure archs.
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
Was going to say this too. In BG:DiA a Rakshasa runs the Wandering Emporium a sort of traveling market bazaar on the first level of Hell. I wouldn't buy the adventure just for it, but it's worth the read for inspiration in this area. The Rakshasa and the Wandering Emporium became a larger thing or more key locale in my games than it is the book, but what's in the book definitely gives a solid foundation for the set up OP may be looking for.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Arcanaloth. It's a charming, neutral evil fiend who loves information and knows every language. He (or she) would take the form of a well dressed, well groomed humanoid merchant who's only too happy to trade the players items, potions, or even maps they may need. "Whats that? You don't have the gold for this item? No problem my friends, there's a certain treasure I need procured. Retrieve it for me and the item is yours...I'll even throw in these nice bracers, they match your eyes."
The best part is that it doesn't even have to be your BBEG, they make great middle men. Maybe one item the party retrieved was a statue for some Barons summer home. Another was the long lost prized recipe for a Dwarven family's award winning beer. The third is part of an artifact that a Devil intends to use to betray his lord.
When the fiend "betrays" them with the demon temple...it literally was nothing personal. The Demon just made a really good offer and "you never asked if it was a shrine to *insert demon here*"
Keep in mind that the base Rakshasa has immunity to magic and spells of 6th level and lower (to say nothing of the spellcasting the BG:DiA one), and the Arcanoloth is CR 12 with the spellcasting abilities of a 16th level Wizard. If the party is supposed to fight either of these before 8th or 9th level (guess) it could very well be a TPK, assuming either uses their actual intelligence. The Rakshas would be very depressing for a spellcaster to fight, and I see no reason the Arcanoloth wouldn’t open up with a 7th or 8th level Chain Lightning. Did you intend for the fiend in question to be a challenge for PC’s of 5th or so level? I might suggest a Night Hag (CR 5) which can, as preferred, take the form of a more harmless humanoid. Also, it can be going to the Temple to reunite with its sisters and become a Coven Variant as needed. Regardless, I’d assume that any of these fiends would betray the party with a mechanical and/or magical trap nearby, or at least as they were about to fight a bunch of other enemies, thus increasing the challenge of the encounter.
The imp represents the weak fiend so it goes well as a deceptive form taken by a more powerful fiend to appear weak or a servant or something more powerful. You can set it to transform to you want.
The succubus ( Easy encounter) is all about seduction. They're tricks include, etherealness a charm and a draining kiss. The kiss is such a signature its hard not to use.
the Oni (Medium encounter) is all about sneaking and deception. They can make a good collector of magic items and can take many forms.
the Chain devil ( hard encounter) is all about chains, imprisonment and suffering. A chain can also represent a debt or contract and the unnerving mask power can be used to show what happens to those who don't pay.
the Nalfeshnee ( deadly encounter) has a pig like form which links to ideas like greed and gluttony. They're a big teleporting meat bag but a snorting laugh is always fun in combat.
The Arcanaloth ( deadly encounter) has a magic theme so can work well as a magic item hoarder. They play like a spell caster, or with their teleporting a trickster powers, a Cheshire cat like figure. If you aren't too brutal with your spell choice one it can be fun without being a tpk despite the power imbalance.
I will say that an Imp with caster levels gained from stolen souls it never used to better it’s caste is a cool idea.
Its often easier to use the generic npc stat blocks in humanoid, like the Illusionist Wizard . If you want you can even transplant movement, senses and resistance/ immunities from another monster like the imp to give the stat block a species. You could do the same for any of the caster stat blocks and using the aesthetics of any fiend.
If you're looking for a more commonplace creature that could be found, you could go with the Impling Tiefling. It has a interesting magical appraisal feature.
The Title says it all. I'm looking for a good monster to act as a merchant that sells magical items in exchange for favors or relics my players found. I do plan on them trying to manipulate the party to uncovering a lost demonic temple and betray them.
Note, the party is consisting of 5 level 5 players with 2 npcs helping
You could use a Cambion. They can come from either Devil or Demon parentage. If you go for a Devil then haven them aligned with Mammon or if you go with a Demon have them aligned with Graz'zt. Both options give you the chance to use the Cambion as a interplanar merchant that can lead off into other story or adventure archs.
A Rakshasa would fit well.
Was going to say this too. In BG:DiA a Rakshasa runs the Wandering Emporium a sort of traveling market bazaar on the first level of Hell. I wouldn't buy the adventure just for it, but it's worth the read for inspiration in this area. The Rakshasa and the Wandering Emporium became a larger thing or more key locale in my games than it is the book, but what's in the book definitely gives a solid foundation for the set up OP may be looking for.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Arcanaloth. It's a charming, neutral evil fiend who loves information and knows every language. He (or she) would take the form of a well dressed, well groomed humanoid merchant who's only too happy to trade the players items, potions, or even maps they may need. "Whats that? You don't have the gold for this item? No problem my friends, there's a certain treasure I need procured. Retrieve it for me and the item is yours...I'll even throw in these nice bracers, they match your eyes."
The best part is that it doesn't even have to be your BBEG, they make great middle men. Maybe one item the party retrieved was a statue for some Barons summer home. Another was the long lost prized recipe for a Dwarven family's award winning beer. The third is part of an artifact that a Devil intends to use to betray his lord.
When the fiend "betrays" them with the demon temple...it literally was nothing personal. The Demon just made a really good offer and "you never asked if it was a shrine to *insert demon here*"
Keep in mind that the base Rakshasa has immunity to magic and spells of 6th level and lower (to say nothing of the spellcasting the BG:DiA one), and the Arcanoloth is CR 12 with the spellcasting abilities of a 16th level Wizard. If the party is supposed to fight either of these before 8th or 9th level (guess) it could very well be a TPK, assuming either uses their actual intelligence. The Rakshas would be very depressing for a spellcaster to fight, and I see no reason the Arcanoloth wouldn’t open up with a 7th or 8th level Chain Lightning. Did you intend for the fiend in question to be a challenge for PC’s of 5th or so level?
I might suggest a Night Hag (CR 5) which can, as preferred, take the form of a more harmless humanoid. Also, it can be going to the Temple to reunite with its sisters and become a Coven Variant as needed. Regardless, I’d assume that any of these fiends would betray the party with a mechanical and/or magical trap nearby, or at least as they were about to fight a bunch of other enemies, thus increasing the challenge of the encounter.
I like to have thematic demons
I will say that an Imp with caster levels gained from stolen souls it never used to better it’s caste is a cool idea.
Its often easier to use the generic npc stat blocks in humanoid, like the Illusionist Wizard . If you want you can even transplant movement, senses and resistance/ immunities from another monster like the imp to give the stat block a species. You could do the same for any of the caster stat blocks and using the aesthetics of any fiend.
If you're looking for a more commonplace creature that could be found, you could go with the Impling Tiefling. It has a interesting magical appraisal feature.
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/429889/Impling-a-Tiefling-of-Imp-Origins?term=impling
Tomb of Beasts Ink Devil is pretty merchant like.
Enjoy your slop. I'll be enjoying good products elsewhere.