A merchant prince (known as a merchant princess if female) is a member of the merchant nobility who has acquired his position and wealth either by being born into a wealthy family or by earning every last coin himself. Merchant princes dominate economic activity, using their great fortunes to acquire almost anything imaginable and to defend the foundations of their mercantile empires. Most merchant princes are rogues, literally, although, aristocrats, nobles, experts, and clerics are not uncommon. Few fighters and barbarians have the skill or patience required to become merchant princes, and surprisingly few bards do although they definitely would be capable.

Role: Utility

Characteristics: Limited Casting. Wealthy people with deep pockets, and deeper favor with the gods.

Source: Power of Faerun

Game Rule Information

The Merchant Prince has the following game statistics.

Abilities: {{{Abilities}}}

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Merchant Prince's class skills are {{{Class Skills}}}

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Merchant Prince.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Merchant Prince is proficient with simple weapons and light armor

Spellcasting: You have the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. To cast a merchant prince spell, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level, so if you have an Intelligence of 10 or lower, you cannot cast these spells. Bonus spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + your Int modifier. When you get 0 spells per day of a given level (for instance, 1st-level spells for 1st level), you gain only the bonus spells you would be entitled to based on your Intelligence score for that spell level. Your spell list appears below. You prepare and cast spells just as a wizard does.

You must study your spellbook each day to prepare your spells. You cannot prepare any spell not recorded in your spellbook, except for read magic, which all merchant princes can prepare from memory.

At 1st level, you have a spellbook (often disguised as a business ledger) containing two spells from the merchant prince 1st-level spell list. You learn two new merchant prince spells of any spell level you can cast at each merchant prince level thereafter. There is no limit to the number of these spells you can learn from this list. At any time, you can also add spells found in other spellbooks or scrolls to your own.

Master of Commerce Ex: Merchant princes have mastered the art of commerce. You receive a +2 insight bonus on your profit modifier per class level and a 10% reduction in your capital costs per class level.

Mercantile Knowledge Ex: Like a bard, you have a knack for picking up odds and ends of knowledge. This ability works like the bardic knowledge class feature. If you have bard levels, your merchant prince level and bard levels stack for the purpose of using bardic knowledge.

Lliira's Heart Su: At 2nd, level you receive the favor of the Joydancer, who held Waukeen's portfolio in trust for over a decade. Lliira grants you a +2 sacred bonus on saves against compulsion and fear effects.

Gond's Forge Su: At 3rd level, you receive the favor of the Wonderbringer, who oversees artifice, craftwork, construction, and smithwork. Gond grants you a +2 competence bonus on Craft checks.

Shaundakul's Cloak Su: At 4th level, you receive the favor of the Rider of the Winds, who overseas the caravan trade. Shaundakul grants you a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws against cold effects and a +1 competence bonus to Wilderness Lore checks.

Waukeen's Coin Su: At 5th level, you receive the favor of the Merchant's Friend. Waukeen gives you a +1 insight bonus and a +1 luck bonus on all your class skill modifiers (for a total bonus of +2).