I am suggesting that merchant characters get XP for doing there duty by making the server more alive, by creating a living PC merchant, this adds drastic flavor to a server in which you don't have to go on every DM quest to get your loot, and the said merchants make the server seem more alive by funding player projects that will see them profit.

This is mainly for classes who can craft/brew/scribe arcane/divine items and lose XP over it, I cannot recount how many times I have died because I had to quest for the XP to craft/brew/scribe.

As of such, merchants shall no longer have to quest, and die, and give the players in the group to steal there fat loot while fugued.

Thank you for reading.

They already do get XP, I believe frum got to level 7 without going on one quest.

Also- giving a character XP just because they are a merchant is a little bit bleh to me, since a merchant can be someone who is a 20 str half-orc and can quest with 500 lbs.

I believe the DM Team isn't at all cheap with DM Experience if you take it another step.

Hold public auctions, host events and as you mentioned yourself you can support ongoing projects and get involved, or create plot and interaction.

This doesn't have to mean donating money here and there for this and that. There are all kinds of things a Merchant can do besides standing in the Bazaar.

If you do play a fun merchant who contributes to the setting and involves other players in a positive way, then of course we will notice you, and of course we will reward you for being awesome.

We do expect that you do more than simply stand around the Bazaar selling potions and wands, though.

Frum Highill, lowly merchant to powerful Councilor, all whilst heavily encumbered. Result!

Within days of me joining the server, I was wandering around Upper Sanctuary when I noticed an open door.. Being rogueish, I decided to check it out - landed myself in the middle of a DM quest that I knew nothing about.. Frum Highill was a part of that quest. So he did quest - mind you he wasn't carrying 3050lbs of goods at this time. :P

As I discovered over time, Highill was involved in alot of other activities besides being a congenial bazaar merchant. He also started his business by opening up a stall in Lower Sanc as well.

The Legend of Frum Highill continues...

I would like to see more merchants with appraise and also RPing barters.

Imagine how it was to make business in medieval times. You can pretty much see it till this days in the arabian world.

Perhaps by doing this if a DM is around the merchant really acting like a merchant could get some XP.

I dont know. Asking for xp for just sitting around showing people items, seems kind of lame. I mean, you're already getting gold, most merchants (if they do it right) will get more gold than the average adventurer anyways. That should be reward enough, in the grand scheme of things. I mean you're playing a merchant. you sell stuff. chances are you dont go out leveling anyways, so why would you need the xp to begin with ?

As has been said before, the DMs will reward interesting and unique merchant characters, who involve themselves in the setting. There will likely be less rewards for those that just sit around spouting, "WANDZ 4 SALE!".

Frum got alot of experience for his excellent use of his fortunes behind the scenes. Just selling goods is not a source of experience that will get you very far because you're not going to die while doing it.

I'm against the idea. (Dalman sighs)

Merchants make a lot of gold which makes their job well worth their time in the long run. IMO you need to do more than loiter in front of town hall shouting "potions for sale" to gain those precious XP.

You sure need xp to craft/scribe/brew, but it's not like you can't find those xp the usual way (er-except perhaps at lvl 9, which we hardly ever reach anyway).

DMs already give out XP for just chatting your life away, be it selling stuff, playing lute, insulting folks, begging or whatever.

Letsplayforfun DMs already give out XP for just chatting your life away, be it selling stuff, playing lute, insulting folks, begging or whatever.

Agreed.

Ofcourse you can't get XP just by been a merchant selling stuff and setting good deals, but you'll get if you RP it well enough affecting other players and DMs and if they feel it was "cool". No matter what you "are" IG just RP it.

Or we'll start to see many bards playing songs and acting stupy in middle of town hall crying in tells for xp ... :(

Letsplayforfun

DMs already give out XP for just chatting your life away, be it selling stuff, playing lute, insulting folks, begging or whatever.

Think of the people!

KingCreeper I hate grouping with merchants, they walk too slow.

He he, the one you're thinking of needs to find himself a pack-rothe or a pack-orc.

KingCreeper

I hate grouping with merchants, they walk too slow.

Then don't! That can be dealt with IC.

I sit on both sides of this issue.

I have played an item merchant and never even thought about the need for XP for being a merchant.

Now I am playing a crafting merchant, and I can, in some ways, see Thomas's point. At times a crafting merchant runs out of XP and then has to come up with some convoluted reason why they cannot provide their customers with potions or wands.

I could see the usefullness for crafters of having a quest, once a reset, where they can gain a small amount of XP to at least put them high enough above the level limit to continue crafting.

Questing for XP as a crafter wasn't tough at lower levels, after level 6 it can be difficult to find a party and you can sit for quite some time waiting to quest to get enough XP to craft.

There is also an easy solution to the problem, it being an action RP server:

Quest more.

You can choose as a merchant to specialize in your stock as well, so you don't have to lug around 5 full plate armors and such. Pick and choose what you really think will sell, or what you want to become a specialist in and cater to it. Exmamples could include but are not limited to: Arms merchant, musical instruments and magical items, wands/potions/crafting stuff.

Granted, with the broad PC class base, it is easier to sell if you have a little of everything. I would argue though that if you quest more, and choose to pick up/buy off the other PCs those neat pieces of loot you know you can unload, then you will be profitable -and- gain the XP you need.

By way of involvemnt, there are numerous ways a merchant can interest other players to interact with him. Seek those ways out so you can create something beyond just yourself and your single merchant PC, and you will find not only more rewarding RP experiences but that your character will grow in influence as well. These observations and suggestions come both from my past characters, as well as seeing people attempt merchant PCs that have either succeeded or failed. The solutions to your problem/concern are present already in the game, and limited only by the elbow grease and imagination you put into it.

As for the question of XP just for being a merchant, I do not think that is needed at all. The xp cost of items creation is not that high, and even casual questing can defer that expense.