Summoning up a shopkeep, balanced for first level?

[frankthedm]

Is it?

Mundane Merchant
Conjuration (Summoning) (see below)
Level: ?1?2?3?
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One extraplanar merchant
Duration: 10 minutes(D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You summon a extraplanar merchant interested in gold and platinum coins. The merchant appears as a member of the caster’s own race wearing nobles clothing standing in front of a small countertop, all taking up one 5’ square. It is able to speak any language known by the caster.

To buy an item from the merchant, the buyer informs the merchant of what item is desired and sets down the item’s cost in gold or platinum pieces on the countertop. The coins then disappear. This is a teleportation effect. The following round the requested object teleports onto the countertop and can be claimed by the buyer.

The majority of mundane items from the PHB are available.
No items form the “Special Substances And Items” listing
No magic items or magical services can be provided.
No animals, food or drink can be provided other than trail rations and fine bottles of wine.
No items over 100 pounds
No silver items
No holy symbols
The only special material that can be provided is cold iron.
Fullplate has to be resized to fit the purchaser.
All items cost double their list price rounded up to the nearest gp, thus minimum 1 gp.
Will sell to anyone, but the caster always has priority over other buyers.
One transaction at a time.
No change is given.

If pestered with inquires related to bartering, magic item or it’s nature, the merchant suggest researching another spell. If attacked, threatened or harassed in any way, the merchant, the countertop and any money on the countertop vanish and the spell ends.

Material Component
A shopping list

 

[szilard]

Balanced for first level? I don't know. I think it may be too flexible.

I also think it is goofy.

-Stuart

 

[Jack Simth]

Depends on the campaign.

In some, it would seriously circumvent obstacles at lower levels:

"Ah, drat. Ledge. The rogue can get up there, but everyone else would need to climb something, like a rope. Hmm.... "
*casts*
"Yes, I'd like a rope, please."

"Grr.... that halfling stole my spell components pouch! Ah well, a bit of parchment, some ink...."
*casts*
"Yes, one spell components pouch, please."

"Dude, we're a thousand miles from anywhere, and you only had the one sword? Blech. Well, it'll cost you, but...."
*casts*.

"Hmm... bridge with angry archers on all sides? A few tower shields for total cover should do the job."
*casts*

"Well, I can't share my Ring of Sustenence, but if you've got a bit of coin...."
*casts*

"We need him back right now, and you have the spell but not the components? Well, it's pricy but...."
*casts*

With Teleport (5th), you'd need two castings, have a chance of failure (of fairly bad failure), but pay normal prices and have everything normally available in the campaign available for purchase. Teleport can be used for other stuff, too, though (Long distance travel and... umm... short distance travel?).

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

I want to say it's a 3rd or 4th level spell. I does what many other 0th and 1st level spells do, but much moreso. If there was a chance the shopkeep didn't have an item (like 20%, minus 1% per level)or a limited quantity of one or more items (Like can only buy 1 item/level, or only has 1 of any single item in stock/level), then I feel it would be a good 3rd level spell. Right now it looks like a very strong 3rd or possibly 4th level spell. Plus he acts as a money changer - albeit one with a very high fee.

 

[borble]

i seems stupid, i mean, lower the gold cost ( to 1 and 1/2) and dont put so many restrictions on it, and have there be a roll of dice to see if its in stock say roll d20 1-4 is a fail and dose not have the item. then its a nice 4th lvl spell.
ben

 

[Pyrex]

*ponders*

As written, it's a bit wonky. The concept is still workable as a low-level spell though. Or perhaps even a cheap magical item.

Posit the following spell instead.

Drawmij's Order Form
Level: 2
Conjuration(Teleportation)
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One Touched Parchment
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Functions as per Teleport Object as follows. The object to be teleported must be a single sheet of parchment weighing no more than one pound. The destination must be a specially-prepared "inbox" worth 1000gp that the caster has personally observed.

Drawmij's Shipping Company
In order to make use of the shipping companies services, a wizard visits the nearest location, examines their "inbox" and establishes an account with an initial deposit of not less than 2000gp. Afterward, whenever the caster submits an order via the Order Form spell they will be contacted within an hour with an estimate of delivery time via a Sending spell (as long as the caster maintains a balance of at least 2000gp with the company the typical NPC fee for casting this sending is waived). Once the materials for the order have been gathered, they will be shipped to the caster by means of a Teleport Object spell for a reduced fee of 500gp (This fee is waived if the caster maintains a balance of 5000gp or more). Shipping outposts are typically located in large cities and can generally procure items worth 10gp or less individually within minutes and items worth 1000gp or less within a few hours. Items worth more than 1000gp are generally special-order and crafted as orders arrive, resulting in a delivery time of 1d8 days + 1day per 1000gp in value.

 

[Spatzimaus]

For balance, compare to three psionic powers.

call weaponry was in the original PsiHB. As a 1st-level spell, it could summon you a nonmagical simple weapon that lasted something like 1 minute per level and disappeared as soon as it left your hands. But you could get better effects by spending more; a martial weapon was ~1 level higher, magical weapons added more levels, and so on.

In the Mind's Eye (WotC website addition), they added two more: call armor, which functioned similarly to the weaponry version, and call item, which could summon any DMG item below a certain cost (10gp) for 1 pp, up to 100gp for 3 pp, and up to 1000 gp for 5 pp.

Anyway, the point is, having a 1st-level spell that gives you an item you need isn't a new concept, but allowing them to buy or sell ANYTHING is too much for a 1st-level spell.

 

[Pyrex]

Anyway, the point is, having a 1st-level spell that gives you an item you need isn't a new concept, but allowing them to buy or sell ANYTHING is too much for a 1st-level spell.

Not necessarily true. You can buy and sell anything without casting any spells at all. Just walk to the store.

It stands to reason that there should be a useful 1st level spell that makes buying and selling stuff easier. The difficult point being just how easy a 1st level spell should make it.

 

[CleverNickName]

To answer your question, I would say no...it looks like it would be closer to a 5th or 6th level spell. The ability to never worry about packing enough food, water, components, or items is a pretty big advantage, IMHO. Suddenly, getting lost out in the middle of the desert, trapped in a mine, besieged for months, or marooned on a deserted island is no big deal.

Consider minor creation, which yields one single item made of cloth or wood only, and it's a 4th level spell. Your spell would yield any number of pre-built mundane items you want, from torches to catapults, and the only "components" needed are a shopping list and some gold.

To balance it for 1st level, I would suggest adding the following to your list of restrictions:

1. Only one transaction per casting.
2. Item cost (in GP) cannot exceed caster level.
3. Items bought from the merchant disappear at midnight.
4. Purchase only; the merchant does not buy items

 

[Felnar]

i guess i'm the only one that doesnt see problems with the spell being 1st level
the shopkeep doesnt take copper or silver
all prices are doubled, minimum 1 gold
no change given
100 lbs max
one transaction per round (i read this as one item, not multiple)

a few thoughts tho,
why is cold iron allowed but not silver?
perhaps masterwork items and holly/mistletoe (druid spell focus) shouldnt be available
maybe any nearby combat could scare the shopkeep away
duration could be cut, and scaled up by caster level