Trader

This Homebrew is experimental. Its ability to balance with official content is unknown, terminology and wording may be misleading, and it may be updated suddenly. Consult your DM before using as a player, consider its effects on your campaign before using as a DM. Comments and advice on this Homebrew are welcome and requested.

You are a Trader, a person that travels the roads, selling and buying items for profit. The world is a dangerous place, but also a lucrative one. Your skills in combat have been developed by your time on the road, or you've decided to use your existing combat skills to aid you in trade.

Heavy Hauler

Successful trade requires the ability to get one's products to market. When you select this Archetype at 3rd level, you count as a large creature when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Sap

Starting at 3rd level, you can now Sneak Attack with one-handed melee weapons that deal bludgeoning damage.

Additionally, if you make a Sneak Attack with a melee weapon that deals bludgeoning damage against a creature, you can force that creature to make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier), or become stunned until the end of your next turn. You may only do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses of your ability to stun creatures though this Feature after taking a Long Rest.

Mercantile Skills

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit, and one skill out of deception, insight, intimidation, or persuasion. You also learn one language of your choice.

Nose for Treasure

When you reach 9th level, you begin to recognize the smell of treasure and valuable materials. This feature allows you to make Wisdom (perception) checks to smell out items worth more than 100gp in value, valuable materials such as Adamantite, Gold, Mithral, gemstones worth 100gp or more, or other materials the DM considers precious. Normally these checks allow you to smell these items and materials at a distance of 60 feet. 5 feet of non-valuable material in the way blocks the scent.

Just Business

When you reach 13th level, your renown attracts an experienced Mercenary follower, who is just in it for the Gold. Normally this Mercenary is a Human with an Alignment of True Neutral, but your GM may change this. This Mercenary is separate creature with its own Attunement Slots, and its own gear. The default statistics for your Mercenary are as follows:

Mercenary

Medium humanoid (human), True Neutral

Armor Class 17 (Breastplate and Shield)

Hit Points 5 times your levels in Rogue (with a number of d8 Hit Dice equal to your Rogue Levels)

Speed 30 ft.

STR

16(+3)

DEX

13(+1)

CON

13(+1)

INT

10 (+0)

WIS

10(+0)

CHA

10 (+10)

Saving Throws Str +3 (plus PB), Con +1 (plus PB)

Skills Athletics +3 (plus PB), Perception +0 (plus PB)

Senses passive Perception 10 (plus PB)

Languages Common, Thieves' Cant, Any one other

Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your proficiency bonus

Brave. The mercenary has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Gear. The mercenary has a Breastplate, Shield, Longsword, Crossbow, Heavy, Case, Crossbow Bolt with 20 Crossbow Bolts, Clothes, Traveler's, 5 Rations (1 day), and a Waterskin.

Actions

Multiattack. The Mercenary can make two attacks with one of their weapons.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 (plus PB) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+3 slashing damage, or 1d10+3 slashing damage if used with two hands.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +1 (plus PB) to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 1d10+1 piercing damage.

Reactions

Overtime. During combat, when the Trader this Mercenary is attached to offers and gives them a valuable item worth 100gp or more, they may immediately use this reaction. They gain the effects of the Haste until the end of the combat or 10 turns pass.

During combat, the Mercenary takes the Attack Action, will take their Overtime reaction whenever possible, and take the Opportunity Attack reaction if they can. You may direct your Mercenary as a bonus action. The Mercenary acts right after your turn unless directed. If directed, and friendly, the Mercenary will take their turn during your turn as you direct them.

Also as a bonus action, you may give your Mercenary a valuable item worth 100gp or more to trigger the Overtime reaction, so long as the Mercenary remains friendly. You may trigger the Overtime reaction a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). You regain your uses of Overtime after a Long Rest.

You must pay the Mercenary 10gp each day for them to remain friendly, failure to do so will render their attitude towards you neutral. If you fail to pay them while neutral, they will become unfriendly. Taking away any Treasure either allocated to the Mercenary, or given through the Overtime reaction will also reduce them from friendly to neutral, or from neutral to unfriendly. Other actions that you take that are dismissive of, or dangerous to, the Mercenary may also do so at the DM's discretion. Once unfriendly, the Mercenary will leave you, and you must find a new Mercenary. Repaying any failed payments with triple the amount will undo a reduction in attitude. Other actions may also improve the Mercenary's attitude towards you at the DM's discretion.

The Help

At 17th level, when you manage to Sneak Attack a creature because of your Mercenary, you deal an additional number of d6s of damage equal to the number of items your Mercenary is attuned to.

You manage to Sneak Attack because of your Mercenary if:

• You have advantage on the attack roll because of the Mercenary. OR
• The Mercenary is within 5 feet of the creature, isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.