The Merchant
Subclass of: Warlock
The Pact of the Merchant is a Warlock subclass that forms a pact with Ol’ Chap, drawing power from commerce, trade, and the mysterious realms of merchandise. These Warlocks are characterized by their thirst for rare and powerful items, wealth beyond measure, or the simple desire for a peaceful retirement, facilitated by their unique magical hats housing pocket dimensions. With an expanded spell list featuring spells like disguise self, identify, and legend lore, they navigate the world of trade with unparalleled skill, forging connections with merchants and utilizing their hats for storage, transport, or even as a weapon. A special aspect of this subclass is their magical hat, a symbol of their pact and a versatile tool that expands in capacity as they grow in power. Their talents extend to mastering the intricacies of marketplaces and exploiting the magical properties of items and spaces for personal gain or combat, embodying the essence of a merchant in both spirit and practice. Whether bargaining for the best deal or ensnaring foes in a labyrinth within their hats, these Warlocks blend commerce with arcane prowess to navigate and manipulate the markets of both the mundane and the magical.
Warlocks of the Pact of the Merchant are those who have pledged their fealty to the mysterious outsider Ol’ Chap Ettercap. Some kneel before the jolly fellow for reasons of personal gain - seeking his knowledge and penchant for acquiring incredibly rare or powerful items. Others choose to don the top hat as a way to seek greater riches than the worlds have ever known. And still others follow him as a means to an end - longing for the peace and quiet of retiring to a quaint inn of their own that is conveniently stored within the hat on their head. Regardless of their reason, these warlocks are known far and wide for the desire to always find the best deal on goods, trading for the rarest of items, or growing their business as large as they can.
Mushroom Homebrew
Expanded Spell List
The Merchant lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Merchant Expanded Spells
1st disguise self, identify
2nd arcane lock, fool’s gold
3rd blink, warp fate
4th divination, secret chest
5th animate objects, legend lore
Mark of the Chap
1st-level Pact of the Merchant feature
Your patron bestows upon you a magical hat. Choose one of the following hats: bicorne, bowler, or top hat. You always know the location of your hat, as long as it is within 1 mile of you. Within the hat is a small pocket dimension, measuring 1 cubic foot, you can place objects inside the hat so long as they fit in the area. As the pocket dimension grows, you can also place restrained or unconcious creatures within the pocket dimension, or you and other creatures could clamber into the hat. A creature or object of a size that can fit the current space of the pocket dimension can enter the hat by placing a part of its form into the hat, the rest of its form shrinking to fit through the opening.
Once inside, the creature or object returns to its normal size and can leave the same way it entered, exiting through a hole in the wall, which serves as the portal to the exterior of the hat. The pocket dimension can also be entered by way of the plane shift spell or other magic.
The pocket universe inside expands to 10 cubic feet at 10th level, and 50 cubic feet at 14th level.
Master Mercantile
6th-level Pact of the Merchant feature
Your connection with Ol’ Chap allows you to easily form bonds with merchants, shopkeepers, and innkeepers. You are able to spend 1 minute studying a shop, store, inn, or the like and immediately know who runs the establishment, what their motivations are, where their supplies come from, and the best way to gain favor with them (assuming the information is present). This location is now considered to be marked for 1 week. While in a marked establishment, you have advantage on all Charisma-related skill checks and saving throws. You also know the relative location of a marked establishment to yourself, as long as you are within 10 miles. People within a marked establishment initially find you to be of a friendly disposition, and its inhabitants are more likely to offer you information or even discounted goods or rates. Your mark on an establishment can be dispelled as a bonus action.
You may only have 1 establishment marked at a time, increasing to 2 at level 10.
Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until after you have finished a long rest.
Market Mastery
10th-level Pact of the Merchant feature
You can cast identify as a ritual.
You gain the passive benefit of an ongoing detect magic effect.
Flea market. As an action, you are able to summon a swarm of insects (fleas), which manifest in a space within 30 feet of you that you can see. The swarm lasts for 1 hour or until dispelled, and is an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the swarm shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.
Run the Market
14th-level Pact of the Merchant feature
Ol’ Chap has rewarded your allegiance by teaching you how to weaponize your pocket dimension. As an action, you can target one creature up to two sizes larger than you that is within 60 feet of you and make a ranged spell attack, as you throw your hat at them. On a hit, the creature is trapped in an endless maze of empty rooms. The creature will wander aimlessly for what feels like weeks, before suddenly being expelled from the hat, exiting prone within 5 feet of you. What felt like weeks to the target, is only 6 seconds on the original plane where they where sucked into the hat. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature takes 1 exhaustion point for every 2 points it fails the save by, up to a maximum of 3. On a success, the creature does not take a point of exhaustion. The same creature cannot be affected by this effect for 1 week.
Once you have used this twice, you cannot use it again until after you have finished a long rest.