So my Players might become Merchants. What do I do?

#21

This sounds cool. I guess some ideas for keeping this group connected and still in peril could be:

  • Someone comes into the shop selling a weapon or object, but it ends up being something from one of the other groups.
  • Thieves guild tries to extort the merchants, but they need to involve one of the other groups to act as protection.
  • One of the groups are kidnapped and the merchants have to become reluctant heroes and venture out to save their friends.
  • The town is besieged, the merchants have to protect their section of town, the other groups are protecting outside. So each group would be having their own combat, but they are all related to the one conflict.

Like someone said above, this could be a good chance to teach politics of sorts.

Good Luck.

#22

Establishing a base is excellent!

I just wanted to say something about peril. A lot of advice above concerns some threat to the PCs. This is generally a very good idea. However, I think you should also consider why the players chose to go merchant. Perhaps they want some co-authorship of the world? Or perhaps they donā€™t want to risk their charactersā€™ lives? If so, it might in fact be that thereā€™s too much peril for their taste. Players arenā€™t always interested in danger. So consider offering them adventures that are about other things, such as influence or social standing. For example:
The princess has many suitors. Spy on them to find out who is in it for love and who is a spy (or worse!)
Thereā€™s a price race. Win it to ensure a place in the geographerā€™s hall of fame (and a lucrative contract) but beware, because some might go to great lengths to win!
Thereā€™s a coronation. All citizens are required to present gifts and celebrate, but who are the envoys from ulfland and what is in their jeweled palanquin?
A new competitor opens shop. How far will you go to convince your customers to stay with you?

#23

I like all your ideas and I think the first idea is really interesting and could lead to a lot of cool scenarios.

#24

I think this is an excellent point and since a lot of what I do involves sneaking social skills in and these sort of scenarios and situations will really help with that.