Merchant Scholar

You Step into a back ally and notice a sighn on a door that reads jewelry for sale. We have extra rare cut diamonds, Magical rubies also available.

As you walk in you notice a small provincial jewelry store being run by a few teenagers however as you start to inquire more thoroughly you are lead to a  closet in the back of the store in which one of the teen ages knocks a specific code into the wall after scrutinizing you for thirty seconds.

After a short argument you decide to walk through the door in the closet and down the stairs. Into a basement

The long winding staircase takes about ten minutes to traverse but at the end of your journey you are taken to a world of staine glass doors each of which is decorated with pictures of different magical treasures.

As you enter the one other doors marked with rune covered ruby rings you walk in a find a small army of tiny homunculus golems inscribing runes onto jewelry.

From nowhere apears a cloaked in holding aa red leather bound story book. As she opens it up you see an immaculately realistic picture of a ring  shaped like a milk snake with perfectly formed band of tiny ruby bands. Connected to onyx gems on gold.

Below the ilustration is written “Ring of Invisibility 4000 gold.

The merchant whispers “Red on black friend of Jack” as  reaches into the book itself and pulls out the very ilustration into reality.

The room shakes for a movement and its a sighn that heirophant forces have located the area now is the time to decide what to do. 4000 gold is an incredible bargain.

You hand off your entire gold bag and after a few minutes you get it back with the ring minus 4000 gold from your purse

Without a moments notice pause you slip the ring on turn invisible and slip out as you turn around you armed guards storm down the stairs and you hear a merchants voice call out “black on yellow kill a fellow” she say as she pulls out another ring from the book. his ring seems to be pumping out massive amounts of a green gass.

The guards roll over gasping for air as the Broomfield up with green gass somehow and as quickly as it spreads it diapers without even harming you.

As you look back you see the cloaked figure waiver to as she claps her hands causing the stairs beneath you to move on their own and lift up on your way out the door.

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How Merchant Scholars Work.

Throughout the bronze and iron age it was thought art science and philosophy  were were Nobel disciplines and within them was great power but experts in those fields were not mages themselves

Yet each of those three fields represented an equilibrium between love, power, and truth. Merchants scholars are as magic as any bard or artificer except they produce art instead of performing it.

Yet when things like magic potions and swords were put on sale in locale shops it was assumed that the magic required just to make such an object was very low. Otherwise the merchants would become adventurers

As the heirophant rose to power for safety these items went off the public market and most folk assumed that the tiny bits of magic they were supposed to have vanished.

With class ridden magic societies on one side and Murderous warlords on the other these mages created their own market demographic for themselves eachother.

Mystic colledges all over thune were built to train others to become both arcane customers and artistic merchants in an enterprise people didn’t wish to believe was real.

Admittance into one of these schools was simple simply create a piece of art that can make one of their scouts feel something and then you can be covertly admited into one of many night schools that seems normal but hides a troubling secret

Magic is an Art. Magic is a Science. Magic obeys the laws of philosophy. Magic is not a genetic superpower but some lines of heritage have more initial talent with magic.

Even when all the conventional doors to magic are locked  the mere act of deep consideration can often tear down a wall.

Behind such walls it is often revealed that one was incredibly magical the entire time, but magic doesn’t always live in forms we expect it to.

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Merchant Scholars in Thune

Scholars  of Thune come in all  stripes.

Any good or service you can purchase has a merchant scholar associated with it. Any magic good or service has scholar of great power associated with it

Scholars in Thune on one hand dont want any hostile forces knowing they can enchant magic goods and services because then that would mean they would know they are one of the magical threats aiming at the heirophants power.

On the other hand they were never thought of as being magical enough to be magical to be invited in close circles with other magical beings. Little do others know that a masterpiece can be so perfectly made that it takes on magical properties

For now the incredulous perceptions of arts power over the mind and soul serve your purposes in covertly spreading  your power base around. But to what ends who can tell

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Creating Your Scholar

When creating your Scholar its important to consider a few key questions such as what sort of genius are they. Are you a playwrirte who will move an audience to tears through tales of redemption or a a painter determined  to capture the perfect beauty of death

Next consider how science and philosophy influence your Art. Do sell the the deadliest weapons to the highest bidder or do you write long form books on compassionthat have the power to save even the most tormented souls

Finaly get an idea of yourself as an adventurer and entrepreneur as a part of the world. Are going to build a crossbow that can kill any demon and become famous or Perhaps you are going create a song so beutiful that causes everybody who hears it to fall in love with you.

No matter what you chose know that your magic was not considered worthy of adventurers or even soldiers. You were just the guy that sold health potions but now your genius will change the world.

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Quick build

You can make a merchant scholar quickly by following these suggestions. First decide if you want to be a  Charisma should be your highest ability score if you become an escribe sorcerer, or a balistic ranger

The general rule for this class is that power always costs you something so you can take a restriction and some lesser abilities or you can feed your desire for power and pay the price that such power costs.

 Second, choose the community your part of it can be a field of science that you can get involved in either physics for more robotic might or chemistry for some explosive power

Third in general decide if you want to be a darker charecter who talks about philosophies of power. Or one who call on our better angels and teaches us to be a better society. Consider the overall flair and message you wish to teach with your life.

Finaly  look over the bards spell list and write down all the first level spells that enchant. Select up to any 5 that seem like they would work well. Also with the guidance of Your DM try designing one or two of your own.

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As a Merchant Scholar, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Scholar level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per bard level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Tools: two musical instruments of your choice and two other tool sets

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma

Skills: Choose any five

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) a rapier, (b) a longsword, or (c) any simple weapon
(a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
(a) a lute or (b) any other musical instrument
Leather armor and a dagger

Spellcasting
You have learned to untangle and reshape the fabric of reality in harmony with your wishes and art..Your spells are part of your vast repertoire, magic that you can tune to different situations. Charisma is your best stat  but you are free to add your inteligence bonus to this ability.

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Scholarly travel sales equipment

• In adition to everything else every mechant scholar receives a magical back pack that can unfold into a shop at any time.
• The merchant is expected to sell their wares whenever possible. And while fir a awhile they dont make revenue directly from selling things they do however get a 10% commission on whatever they sell. Aditionaly many perks come with being a merchant include the folowing.
• The chef feat and proficiency with brewmasters tools along with the ability to cook and provide certain kinds magic lunches.
• Family Friend Benefits include the folowing.
  • 20% discount on all trade goods
  • One two free mage meals each of which provides a + 1 luck bonus to attacks and saving throws for the next three hours
  • One personal storage locker for traveling companions.
• Aditional hear is a list of things that can be ordered and purchased  from the backpack shop.

• Level 1
  • Generally wares
  • Non magic items less than 500 gold pieces
  • Consumable uncomon magic items
  • One ever ready magnificent mansion door to an ever ready kitchen where you can build and supply all manner of magical food at cost.
• Level 3 also features
  • One fast craft table where you can  produce an item to be sold in your shop in 1 hours time for only 25% the normal cost

• All uncomon magic items
• Rare weapons armor and wands
• One trap door office space under the table.
• Level 6 also features
  • All rare magic items
  • Very rare weapons rings
  • One weapons foundry

• Your a model employee and are now a team leader when making sales you gain the assistance of four unseen servants. To aid you in whatever way you want
• Specialty services like hired body guards  and mercenaries
• Level 9 service also features
  • Lodging in a magnificent mansion for 5 gold
  • One unfolding magnificent merchant tent.
  • Congratulations your now a manager and you can conjure 6 cute homunculi to aid your business in any way  from greeting guests to stocking shelves

• Most reasonably ethical very rare items
• You get a mages library where all enchantment and ilussion spell scrolls can be coppied out of ready used spell books for your use
• Level 11 also features
  • You now own your shop and can take a 30% commission on sales as long as you pay your suplier 20% of your total assets for the month  or  4 thousand gold. After you do this the will supply you for the month

• You have about 10 shares in the brand hero enterprises  this means you get a 1 d20 + the number of sales you x 10 in gold each week
• New shares cost 2000 gold when you buy 5 mor shares the price of each share goes up 500 gold. As does the multiplication factor from 10 to 11 When you fail to to make any sales the price goes  down 500 gold but so does the multiplication factor of 10 to 9
• 2 first level bards ghosts to help you sell things they can be conjured once safe grounds

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Spell slots per level

1. 1 (///)
2. 1 (////)
3. 1 (////) , 2(//)
4. 1,(////), 2(///)
5. 1, (////), 2(///), 3 (//)
6. 1, (////), 2 (///), 3 (///)
7. 1,(////), 2 (///), 3(///),  4(/)
8. 1, (////), 2 (///) , 3(///), 4(//)
9. 1 (////), 2 (///), 3(///), 4(///)
10. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (/)
11. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//)
12.1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6: /
12. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6: /
13. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6:/, 7: /
14. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6:/, 7: /
15. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6:/,
7: /, 8: /
16. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6:/, 7:/, 8:/
17. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (//) 6:/, 7:/, 8:/, 9:/
18. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (///), 6(/) 7: /8:/, 9:/
19. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (///), 6 (//), 7(/), 8,(/), 9, (/)
20. 1 (////), 2(///), 3(///), 4, (////), 5 (///), 6 (//), 7(//), 8,(/), 9, (/)

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List of Features

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1. . Spark of magic/ artistic genius <svelare+1>

2. . Merchants Guild <Scrivere+ 2d4>

3. Sage Circle ability, Borsetta +1

4. . [score boost]/ Carello: +2 <svelare+2>

5. Scientific genius, Borsetta+2

6. Sage circle ability< Scrivere +6d4/ Umoto>

7. Borsetta +3 <svelare +3> < score boost>

8. . [Ability score boost] Carello+4

9. Sage circle ability. Borsetta +4

10. <Scrivere+ 10d4> philosophical genius

11. Guild Master, <runes of power>

12. Sage circle feature [ability boost]

13. Carello +6, Boresta+5, svelare+4 Scrv +12

14. . Noetic Genius, Docente +1

15. .  Sage circle ability, Miracle elixer

16. . Docente +2 ability boost

17. .Mistero genius

18. .Sage Circle ability, Docente+3

19. .Mistero genius 2

20 .Epic boon

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• Spark of magic: you can cast all bard cantips as bonus actions you can also cast all non aggressive bard cantrip Aditionaly all Bard enchantment spells are now a part of your spell list. You know a number of enchantment spells equal you charisma mod + your inteligence mod + your proficiency modifier
• You may know only a infinite number of 1st level spells and cantrips. However after that it you can only know two enchantment spells per level after that

• Artistic Genius:  You can write your own 1st level spells each does 2d4 pts  damage in an energy of your choice in  either a to radius ball  a 30 foot cone or a 60 foot line. Dex save only. Aditionaly your spell save DC and your spell atack modifier are determined by your inteligence mod + your charisma mod
• In adition to writing that grant you the the knowledge of enchantment you can also choose one more special artistic specialty.
• Painting: your creations are super perfect your Svelare is twice as long, holds twice as many beads and may include ilusion or enchantment spells. Aditionaly you may add ilusion  spells from the bard list to your core list
• Music: Your songs build or shatter souls at their deepest levels. From this moment on you add enchantment spells from any class list to to your list of known spells. Aditionaly you can know and learn an infinite number of level two enchantment spells and write your own level two enchantment spells.

• Svelare: you get a string of artisticly made beads or other small art objects when you create a large minor image with a cantrip of one its inner spell gets released. Each spell bead can hold one spell you know. You may have one one spell bead per spell level.
• Svelare + 1 : you get a number of beads to use of any spell you can cast but only one per spell level. Aditionaly your total number of beads is equal to your charisma + 1
• Merchants Guild. You either choose to become an escribe and receive the sorcerer spell list, and your original spells use a factor of 2d6 instead of 2d4 but you must give up your gauntlet slot or a boot slot,
• Alternatively you you can just become a ballistic in which case you can choose the bards abjuration spells that become apart of your list. Likewise you add both the paladin and ranger spells to your spell list. Additionally you can select one meta magic feeat a level. However you can only manifest spells of 6th level or higher once per short rest.
• Regardless of whatever option you choose you get to know a number know of  two aditional spells per level from your expanded list of second level and above

• Scrivere as a scholar all the original spells you write can be augmented so that they work at higher levels. For every spell level until 6 lvl your original spells do an extra 2d4 points of damage per spell level aplied to them. The a snd level spell you desisighn does 4d4 points of damage
• Sage Circle ability: This when you are granted a feature from your sub class called a sage circle a group of artisans who will also use their talents to help you create your art.

• Borsetta: This a small collection of feats you can place on your purse. At each rank you get 2 two sorcery points+ 1 metamagic feat of your choice which can be one the select scholar metamagic feats. Aditionaly you get to take the arcane adapt spell for free, and any arcane adapt spell that apart of your Borsetta gets to be automatical scaled to a spell level equal to your proficiency modifier
• At fourth you also receive an ability boost, or as per the usual class feature.

• Carello: you have a collection of knowledge that is just for you. In this knowledge you add  a number of 1st level spells of your own design get added to your spells knownthese spells are always memorized and aditionaly you may select one magic relevant feat to add to pool of knowledge.

• Scientific Genius: at this level your knowledge of unseen forces is so advanced that you can create small models of things and conjure full working scale versions of things. From this moment on you add all conjuring spells to your list of spells known but all your conjurations create small models mechanical versions of that creature. You may memorize and know one more conjuration spell level. You may also choose one more school of science to specialize in
• Physics: Your a phenominaly briliant engineer and conjuration are phenomenal advanced. When you spend 2 sorcery point on a conjuration spell you may add one of these effects to your conjuration.
  • Grant your summons a number of class levels in fighter or rogue equal to your proficiency modifyer
  • Your summons can have an on board gun that discharges a 1st or 2nd level spell.
  • Your summons has special weapons and armor and gets +2 armor and her weapon does an aditional 1d6 forc e damage
  • You may spend up to 6 sorcery poi to and each time you do you can choose another option from the menu
• Chemistry: Your knowledge of mater is so sophisticated that you can brew anything into anything  from this moment on in adition to conjuring mechanicle creatures you can also call model grenades and rune casters as well this grants you the folowing advantedges.
  • You know one Evocation spell per spell level.
  • Your Svelare is now extra long and allowed you to unveil one more spell per spell level you know but this must be an Evocation spell.
  • From this moment on you may know an infinite number of first or 2nd level spells and write into spellbook either 1st or second level spells and these spells also include Evocation spells.

• Scrivere,  Umoto: when you spend two sorcery points you can conjure a special kind of mobile weapon called an umoto this is a robotic animal with the ability of an animal listed in the DMG however this conjured also has the ability to cast your main spell from her organ point after that she vanishes. Otherwise she vanishes in 1d4 rounds.
• Philosophical Genius: You are profoundly brilliant insightful thinker when it comes to knowing what is true and how the world works. From this moment on you add all Divination spells to your list of known spells and you you add and subtract these spells to your list as well. Aditionaly you gain a number of spells beads equal to your proficiency modifier each of which may be used to manifest a  a divination spell once per short rest. Aditionaly you can choose one more philosophy to specialize in.
  • Ethics: you know right from wrong better than anyone. Your mind and heart are both powerfull. From this moment on moment you gain a number of spells beads that can recreate any healing or restorative spell on the cleric spell list you gain a number of these prayer beads equal to your proficiency mod. Aditionaly you can now write your own healing spells of first or second level.

• Effectiveness/ Efficiency: You know better than anybody what it takes to win and why people fail. You can take any problem and see its solution. With this you get the following  bonuses.
  • All transmutation spells from the bards list are added tour you own.
  • You permanently know and have memorized a number of transmutation spells equal to your proficiency modifyer. These spells are always considerd memorized
  • The first two metamagic feats spent to enhance these spells are always free.
  • Once per short rest you can cast this spell without useing up a spell slot.
  • The cash component to cast this spell is always zero
  • You permanently wear a magic ring this ring let’s your proficiency modifier be considerd one point higher but you can never take the ring off
  • You can swap out what your power spells ate at each level with this ring as well.

• Guild master: You automaticaly gain a number of three merchant feats of your choice + one prestige bonus per point in your charisma
• Runes of Power: Whenever foe rolls a 1 or 2 on a saving throw or whenever you roll a a 19 or twenty on a spell atack roll you can choos to subject your victim to one of these runes of power. Each power rune automatcialy takes effect without the foe needing to make a saving throw.
  • Sigil of pain: foe takes psychic damage equal to 1d4 per point in your proficiency mod.
  • Sigil of doom: Foes is stuned for 1 round
  • Sigil of Dred: Foe is subject to fear spell
  • Sigil of Fate: Foe is banished for 1d4 rounds.
  • Sigil of Blood: Foe gains a vulnerability of your choice for 2d4 rounds.

• Noetic Genius: You are such deep and profound thinker that your intelugence must come from uneartly sources from this moment on you get a second divin svelare of prayer beads each prayer bead allows to to cast one cleric spell from the knowledge domain when you are not in combat. Aditionaly a prayer bead be invoked like this for free once per short rest. After that you need a proportional spell slot to activate a prayer bead. Aditionaly you can choose  one of these options
  • Empathic Genius: you know why people suffer and you know the best way to alleviate their suffering. You can do theraputicaly what priests can not accomplish in decades. You get these features
    • Your prayer beads now features all spells from the clerics life domain and you may call upon these spells for free once per short rest.
    • Aditionaly you channel the power of the divine and you can now twice per short rest use any prayer bead of 1st or 2nd level twice per short rest.
  • Ruthless Battlfield Brilliance: You always know how where and why something hurt and how to tear anything apart. With an attitude of caution and responsibility this is what you can do
  • You unlock the prayer beads of war and you you can unveil them as often as you unveil your other prayer bead effectively doubling your unveils for all you Svelare.
  • Whenever you unveil a component of your svelare in combat you take damage equal to the spells level × 3
  • Each time out of combat you unveil your svelare take 1 point of damage for each spell level you unviel.
  • Each automaticaly roll a d6 each round of  on a 5 or 6  you manifest an  aura of power that lets you tap into your svelare un harmed. When out of combat your aura of power let’s resist as much as 3 points of automatic damage

• Docente. From this moment on you teach instead of learn in the guild but that doesn’t mean you dont do regular research. Your Carello, Borsetta, Svelare, and Scrivere all increase all other scalable features increase by one. Aditionaly  whenever you get another point to your Docente all those traits increase again.
• Miracle elixer: Your acts of science are now magical not just your art whenever you cast a buff spell you conjure a gold cloud that brings with it different benefits based on what you roll on a D6
  • 1: Subject gets the Bless spell.
  • 2: Subject/s get the Aid spell.
  • 3: Subject gets a cure wounds spell level 2
  • 4: Subject gets the enlarge spell
  • 5: Subject gets the haste or stone skin spell
  • 6: subject chooses the benifit they get and one more subject receives all these benefits.
• Mistero Genius: You thinking is so advanced that there is no reason to think of it as being unmagical in its level of power. From this moment onyou get the folowing benefits.
  • You can select one feature from the wizard class feature arcane recovery you are now a full wizard in terms of useing that feature.
  • Aditionaly you can choose one of these two bonus features for yourself.
    • You have use of bardic inspiration feature as a bard of half your level. You can also use your bardic inspiration to grant hit points.
    • You get the elemental affinity featur from unlocking the power of dragons buried deep inside you blood you can also add both your inteligence and charisma damage to a single target when you deal damage with your chosen energy.

• Mistero Genius 2:  Somehow through pure brilliance your magic is even greater than any of those who would dare to call themselves pure. Get bonus sorcery points equal to a sorcerer of half your level and may choose for yourself one of these packages.
  • Ascendant One: You receive the bards songe of rest feature and may use it as a bard of half your level. You are also coniderd a a Path of Hope by the Moon of Love am you may if you want become a bard of Valor as well and take up bard coledge features typical of a third of that level as well. Aditionaly you add the wish spell to your list of spells known but you can only use your wish spell on behalf of another but when yo do the price in all ways is cut in half.
  • Furry at the Gate: The moon of power declares you as one of her Lunar Vengance as such you are allowed to fully indulge in the sorcerer class. You are considerd to be a dragon blood sorcerer of half your level in regards to that sorcerer subclass abilities.
    • Aditionaly the Moon of Power assures you that Merchant scholars were always expert enchantment wizards who caught the favor beutiful dragon sorcerer’s sometimes resulting in magi of mixed and tempermental blood. Thus the Moon of Power also tells you all the secrets of the enchanment wizard tradition. You are also considered to an enchanter of one half you level
    • Next the Moon of Power gives you secret of power word and you add Power Word Pain, Power Word Stun, And Power Word Kill are Also added you your list of spells known
    • Finally the Moon of Power warns you that if somebody of your power level kills a non evil innocent bystander recklessly then  their is a good chance that they will come back to get them as undead creature of some kind seeking Vengance. Then if at that point the scholar has shown they can be responsible with power by not doing that thus far the moon adds on more favor.
    • For those who can be responsible. You can get a special boon at 20th level
    • Finally as long as you strive to retain a non evil alignment you have the option of always registering as a good aligned celestial, however if you do become evil in a willful way and remain unrepentant the undead will start to be angered by your aura.

• Epic Boon:
  • If in the end you selected the Moon of Love you can have whatever epic boon you wish to choose. You can also have a boon that helps other in some way.
    • Aditionaly you are also now considered immortal and after 250 years on Thune you have the option of becoming an angel where your job will be to protect young spell casters from harm
  • If in the end you selected the moon of power you get a a number of bonuses
    • The first bonus is that now your magic cant permantly kill non evil Humanoids other non evil creatures can die by your hands if granted a fair contest first.
    • The second is that as long as you avoid causing undo harm as best you can you will always read as good aligned celestial to all who examine you magicaly.
    • The third is those who seek to harm you personally must first battle the moon of power in a realm of dreams and through just contest demonstrate why you deserve punishment.
    • The fourth is one boon of your choice that will help you with your spell casting.
    • The last one is to realize that you were a Charron an Angel of Death this whole time. After 250 years  your body will wear out and you will get to escort those who have died to their appointed afterlife. If you do so you wont need to watch what happens to the world when you neglect to save it.