The 9 copper/silver/gold merchants

The 9 Copper Shop/9 Silver Store/9 Gold Hawker is inspired by the 1 Dollar Store, where everything is cheap and around the same price. Most often it’s a merchant with a cart that goes through the streets. Or you meet him on the road eager to empty his cart. He won’t buy anything from you, but he might have some great items.

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How does it work mechanically?

Roll 1d8, the merchant has this # of items. If you buy 5 or more of his items, he also offers item 9.

For example, if you roll a 2 on the Copper Shop, the merchant only has the toy wagon and ale available. Even if you both buy them he won’t offer you the book. If you roll a 7, he will have everything except the goggles. If you buy all 7, he will also offer you the book with a wink.

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The 9 Copper Shop has and sells the following items (for 9 Copper):

1. A wooden toy wagon and a wooden toy horse. For if you would like to bribe a kid.

2. Dragon’s Fury. An ale made spicy by including peppers. You get a one liter bottle.

3. The Cowl of Madness. A colorful cowl with small, jingling bells stuck to it.

4. Little Felicia’s Doll.  A warforged doll with toy wrist rockets. If you talk to the doll, the merchant can hear you magically and can reply once per conversation (you don’t know this).

5. The Sword of Many Thunders. If you carry this sword up in the air in a thunderstorm in an open field, lightning may strike twice.

6. A ‘Treasure Map’. Bound with a beautiful ribbon, this map leads to the heavily-guarded storage of a merchant within the city.

7. A Wooden Golem Figure. A crude, 3 feet tall golem figure of dead marsh wood.

8. Goggles of a Weird, Unknown Magic Origin. Protects eyes from attacks and accidents, indestructible. The Arcana check to figure them out is a DC18 and takes a week. If failed, try again next week.

9. A Book of Demonic Gibberish. Just unintelligible handwriting thrown on a page. Somewhere in between is the spell: Bone to stone. It might be illegal to carry this, or even cursed. It takes a week to find the spell with Arcana DC 20, roll after week has passed.

Bone to Stone:

^2nd level transmutation spell

Turn 4 bones into stone by touching the bone itself or the flesh around it. For every spell slot level higher you also turn 4 more bones into stone.

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The 9 Silver Store has and sells the following items (for 9 Silver):

1. A Set of Stainless Steel Sporks. Enjoy your dinner carefree, because these sporks never rust.

2. A Depleted Wand of Cure Wounds. Looks fancy, but does nothing anymore.

3. A Wooden Dagger. It is Unsheatable with a poisoned needle between hilt and blade. Take off the blade to use it.

4. A Hooded Lantern. Rusted, creaks when opened.

5. A Patterned Quiver. The pattern is of diamond shapes that go all around the cloth that is attached to the quiver.

6. “The Man and the Goat”. A historical novel about a farmer that travels across the mountains.

7. An Unknown and Uncommon Holy Symbol. It is engraved with the words: “Time is the Shepherd”.

8.  A Comfortable Tent. It can hold two persons for a good night sleep in the wilderness.

9. A Potion of Cure Wounds that Went Over Date.  If you roll a 1 or 8 on the healing, gain +5 speed for 2 minutes instead of curing your wounds.

The merchant has 3 in stock.

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The 9 Gold Hawker has and sells the following items (for 9 Gold):

1. A Set of Alchemical Vials. They are empty, but come with a cork.

2. A Pristine and Exclusive Set of Playing Cards.  No bends in the corners.

3. A Detailed Map of a Far-Away Town. You might never get there, but at least you know what the lay-out is.

4. A Wizard’s Glasses. They are not magical, but they used to belong to an Archmage.

5. A Metal Star. Hold it up in the air at night to have it predict a horoscope for you.

6. An Ivory Statue of a Woman. It holds an empty secret compartment the merchant doesn’t know about.

7. A Cart with a Broken Wheel. Mending will repair the damage.

8. An Invitation to a Fancy Party. Enough networking opportunities on this party, the date is one month from now.

9. The Testament of “Jorven Melin” from “Seranon”. You don’t know him at all, but he leaves a cabin with belongings to the owner of this testament.

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How would I use these merchants?

These merchants don’t have a permanent space for their shop. They sell out of the carts they are pushing through the streets and across the road. If your players would be in a town or city, your merchant could be yelling that he is selling goods for a cheap price. Kids flock to see what the merchant has to offer. If your players encounter him on the road to a small village however, he could be pushing his cart through the mud towards the houses. He will briefly stop there, before continuing to the next place.