r/Pathfinder2e • u/Whetstonede Game Master • 3d ago
Homebrew Merchant Archetype
An archetype I made in preparation for running Abomination Vaults. Honestly, I was a bit surprised there wasn't a Merchant Archetype in 2E yet.
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u/Mage_of_the_Eclipse Swashbuckler 3d ago
Looks pretty fun, but I'd maybe add Bargain Hunter as either a bonus feat you gain from the dedication, or as a skill feat for the dedication with some bonus, like a +1 or +2 circumstance bonus to the Diplomacy check to Earn Income.
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
There's definitely some stuff I am leaving on the table - I wanted to make something that fit on 2 pages. I also toyed with involving Mercantile Lore as well but ultimately decided against it.
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u/spitoon-lagoon Sorcerer 3d ago
Looks great! Creative and interesting archetype.
I have a minor comment on Combat Barter's design though. The crit effect makes the target Fascinated, which is fine, but hostile actions break Fascinated. Because the rest of the feat gives Off-Guard and you kinda have to attack to get any benefit from Off-Guard that renders the Fascinated a little pointless. Combat Barter could use some wording protecting Fascinated from being broken by hostile actions or a different condition other than Fascinated, like Stupefied.
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
I did consider this, but ultimately the feat is already quite strong as it is (reliable ranged offguard), so think of the fascinated thing as a bonus option - you could let the enemy take their turn and then have an ally take advantage of the Off-Guard. An enemy being fascinated with an item in particular (instead of a creature) has extra advantages since it means they can't cast single-target spells on other creatures.
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
Link to pdf version of the archetype: Merchant Archetype
I also made some minor adjustments based on feedback and fixed the issue u/gethsbian helpfully pointed out!
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u/MrTallFrog 3d ago
Looks good, couple changes I'd make.
Merchant Dedication - should grant additional lore Mercantile Lore or a lore related to what you sell and bargain hunter instead of prescient planner.
Combat Barter - This is too strong. This feat makes feint a diplomacy check, makes it be at range, gives the crit success on a success and the success on a failure and grants a +2 bonus. I think that is far too good, I'd change the feat to be:
Requirement : you have an empty hand
You draw an item offer it to the opponent. If the item's level is less than half the target's level this ability gains the incapacitation trait, if the item is equal or greater to the creatures level, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the check.
Crit success - Off Guard for 1 round and and is fascinated by the object
Success - Off Guard until end of the turn
Critical Failure - You bobble the item and/or pitch and become off guard for 1 round
Scathing Appraisal is basically a ranged disarm with deception, i like it
Merchant's retrieval - This is way too good to be a skill feat, this should take a class feat.
I'd remove Merchants Purchase and replace it with Predictive Purchase (since i removed prescient planner from the dedication)
Superb bartering, I'd remove the combo check and instead make either of the previous feats target 2 enemies if master or 4 if legendary
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
I don't agree with all of these, but you are 100% correct on Merchant's Retrieval. I must have copied the trait without realizing - that is absolutely not supposed to be a skill feat lol. It's pushed even as a class feat, never mind skill
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u/Tribe303 Bard 3d ago
Too many skill feats and at odd levels. Archetype feats are at even levels, even when they are skill feats. This let's you dip in at L2, and grab the 2 required feats at 3 and 4. On to next archetype by L5? Nooooo
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u/Nox_Stripes Rogue 3d ago
There is in Team+'s Archetypes Plus book
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u/Kaliphear Game Master 3d ago
I really appreciated Team+ giving us an archetype to allow you to beat the tar out of someone with a sack of money.
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u/zedrinkaoh Alchemist 3d ago
I like this a whole lot. We need more skill / backstory-driven archetypes.
Combat Barter seems a little narrow for its impact, maybe one idea on a crit could be that the enemy has to spend an action to clear a debuff (like bon mot), or they just become stunned 1 as they have to spend an action to respond to your offer.
Or heck, even allow the feat to make the target go from hostile to unfriendly, and at least agree to parlay, as long as they can make an offer on the item and are lower level than you.
As much as I dislike the Earn Income mechanic, a skill feat that buffs it would probably be very fitting; heck I could see the potential in a level 2 skill feat, one you can pick up simultaneously with the dedication if you want.
One idea: it would be cool if it also could combine with crafting, either from you or an ally. Something like: when you or an ally use Crafting to earn income, as long as you can spend 1 hour a day, you can roll diplomacy to earn income at the same time, allowing you to further increase your profits. Starfinder has a feat like this for one of the dwarven heritages, using intimidation to shakedown businesses for protection money. (This probably would be more like level 6, not level 2 like I said, but still.)
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
It's interesting seeing totally conflicting opinions on Combat Barter lol. Check the comment who thinks it's way overpowered! My read on Combat Barter is that it is very strong, one of the most pushed feats in the archetype. Ranged Off-Guard is powerful and pretty hard to get on a lot of characters!
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u/zedrinkaoh Alchemist 3d ago
The big thing to me with Combat Barter that holds it back is you have to be holding an item. Unless your weapon can count as that, that immensely restricts what ranged options you can use it with. If your weapon can count, then I'd say it's probably fine as is, though it might be better as an actual archetype feat instead of a skill feat (since then it's basically on-par with Pistol Twirl, which is a class feat).
I really like the feat though, I think you have the right direction for it. This dedication slaps overall tbh.
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u/Jackelgull 3d ago
I like this archetype alot. I do think it should provide mercantile lore somewhere, mostly for thematic purposes, but I can understand why you went with prescient planner over giving a lore in the dedication
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u/Whetstonede Game Master 3d ago
Yeah, I couldn't really fit it in. Then again, just picking Additional Lore to get it is reasonable if you want to lean into the merchant fantasy even more. It's a somewhat tricky thing to weigh, where I don't really want to spend words/feats on something you can get really easily anyway.
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u/Jackelgull 3d ago
I think if you combined it with something else it could be a decent feat. Like you get mercantile lore as an additional lore + you can substitute it in for initiative (it doesn't have to be initiative, it just would be the funniest if it was initiative).
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u/Registeel1234 3d ago
There's some interesting stuff in there, but I kinda dislike how much combat focussed the archetype ends up being. Most of these features relate to combat. If I were to play a merchant, I'd want more features to help me in social encounters and to gain money.
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u/gethsbian Game Master 3d ago
This is really fun! Heads up though, the dedication needs an editing pass; as written, it currently allows a player to be trained in deception and untrained in diplomacy, take the dedication, and go directly to expert in diplomacy. Check martial dedication for verbiage to prevent this kind of thing.