Shopkeep (Human Expert 3)

[This content was created for the Pathfinder rules by Paizo Publishing LLC and is part of the Pathfinder RPG product line.]

Shopkeeps operate a city’s trade emporiums, a town’s shops, a village’s general store, and the frontier’s isolated trading posts. Whether a canny traveling peddler, a wheeling and dealing bazaar stallholder, or a respected businessman with a position on the town council, shopkeeps are found across the world, forming the backbone of a settlement’s economy as they keep the river of trade flowing freely through its gates. Shopkeeps can be used to represent a variety of minor occupations in villages, towns, and cities. Changing the focus of a shopkeepers Profession skill can create a wide variety of characters, from bakers to fishermen to millers.

DESCRIPTION

Replacing a shopkeep’s Profession skill with a Craft skill creates a craftsman rather than a salesman, whether it be an alchemist, weaver, or smith. Exchanging Profession for a Knowledge skill or two makes a sage or scholar. in this case, the trade goods listed in the stat block above can represent books, maps, or scrolls. Shopkeeps are not skilled in combat, but could be used to represent a citizens’ militia mobilized in times of war. In this case, adding Padded or leather armor, and perhaps replacing the dagger with a club or spear, or even a crossbow, can make them into more effective combatants. A shopkeep will often partner with another shopkeep or a vagabond (CR 3) for long journeys, sometimes hiring a guard if they deal in expensive commodities (CR 4).

Shopkeep CR 1

XP 400 Human expert 3 N Medium humanoid Init +0; Senses Perception +8

DEFENSE

AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 hp 13 (3d8) Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +4

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +1 (1d4-1/19-20) Ranged dagger +2 (1d4-1/19-20)

STATISTICS

Strength 9, Dexterity 10, Constitution 10, Intelligence 11, Wisdom 13, Charisma 12 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 11 Feats Alertness, Deceitful, Skill Focus (Profession [merchant]) Skills Appraise +6, Bluff +9, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Linguistics +6, Perception +8, Profession (merchant) +10, Sense Motive +9 Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Halfling Combat Gear smokestick, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear dagger, Disguise kit, heavy horse and wagon, 433 gp worth of trade goods Boon A shopkeep can give a 10% discount on any item of equipment less than 400 gp.

Section 15: Copyright Notice – Pathfinder RPG Game Mastery Guide

Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Cam Banks, Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Butler, Eric Cagle, Graeme Davis, Adam Daigle, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Kenneth Hite, Steven Kenson, Robin Laws, Tito Leati, Rob McCreary, Hal Maclean, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, David Noonan, Richard Pett, Rich Redman, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber Scott, Doug Seacat, Mike Selinker, Lisa Stevens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, Penny Williams, Skip Williams, Teeuwynn Woodruff.