1

p h i l i p r e e d

a u t h o r

w w w . p h i l i p j r e e d . c o m

w w w . s t u d i o r o n i n . c o m

The Mad Merchant’s Shop of Curious Wares is copyright © 2003 Philip Reed. Cover and interior art copyright
Christopher Shy, used with permission. All text in this book is designated as open game content. You may not
distribute this PDF without permission of the author.

Dungeons & Dragons® and Wizards of the Coast® are Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are
used with permission.

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Introduction

The Mad Merchant’s Shop of Curious

Wares is a free D20 PDF supplement for use
in any fantasy campaign. This PDF details a
shop that deals in treasures both mundane
and magical. The shop is designed to be
dropped in the largest city in your campaign
world and should need little to no work for
it to integrate with your already ongoing
campaign.

Open Game Content

All of the text in this book is presented as

open game content. You may use this con-
tent in your own work as long as you follow
the terms of the license. The Open Game
License is printed at the end of this book.

The layout, graphics, and illustrations pre-

sented in this book are not open game con-
tent. You may not distribute this PDF with-
out permission of the author.

The Mad Merchant’s

Shop of Curious Wares

A Free PDF for use with

101 Mundane Treasures

Requires the use of the Dungeons and Dragons

®

Player’s Handbook, Third Edition,

Published by Wizards of the Coast.

®

The shop is quite large, with a main shopping

a re a , a large store ro o m , a smaller store ro o m , a n d
an offi c e. Th e re are usually three employees in the
shop during business hours and, when cl o s e d, five
or six employees will be here assisting the Mad

M e rchant with nu m e rous tasks. The Mad
M e rchant lives here and sometimes allow s
e m p l oyees to sleep here. When the Mad Merch a n t
is traveling he leaves an employee in ch a rge wh o
also stays the night to wat ch the shop.

1. The main shopping are a . This massive, o p e n

room is littered with dozens of small tabl e s , e a ch
holding dozens of small items. In this area of the
shop are kept the least va l u able items (any t h i n g
under 100 gp in value). A glass case on the eastern
wall houses we apons and arm o rs (of any va l u e,bu t
o n ly non-magical items). This is also wh e re the
common items can be found (most items from the
P l aye r ’s Handbook can be found in this ro o m ) .

One or two employees wo rk this room duri n g

business hours , ke eping their eyes on all cus-
t o m e rs. Suspicious ch a ra c t e rs will be asked to
l e ave and, if there ’s any tro u bl e, one employee will
run to find the city wat ch while the other continu e s
wat ching the ch a ra c t e r ( s ) .

2. The offi c e. This is also wh e re the Mad

M e rchant sleeps. This room is fa i rly bl a n k ,s t o cke d
with accounting books and the personal belong-
ings of the Mad Merchant. Th e re are no fo o d
p rep a ration areas here since the Mad Merch a n t
e ats all of his meals at a local tave rn .

3. The small store ro o m . This is wh e re the mag-

ical items are held. The room is protected by any
number of magical wa rds and traps the GM fe e l s
ap p ro p ri at e. The local wizards constantly assist the
Mad Merchant in making sure these items are safe
and it is not uncommon to find a wizard in this
room during store hours care f u l ly inspecting a
recent addition to the items kept here.

4. The large store ro o m . D u p l i c ates of items in

the main shopping area are kept here as are the
m o re va l u able items ava i l able for sale. An employ-
ee in this room wat ches the back door wh i ch is
used only by the Mad Merchant and his employ-
ees. The door is locked and will not be opened fo r
a nyone (ex c ep t , p e r h ap s , the city wat ch ) .

2

The Shop

One Square Equals 5 ft.

1

2

3

4

The selection of non-magical merchandise

available in the shop far surpasses the selection
of magical wares. The Mad Merchant is fre-
quently turning his inventory, bringing in new
items and selling those already in the shop.
What follows is a sampling of the selection of
mundane wares found in the shop at the time of
this writing. The GM should modify this selec-
tion as he sees fit, adding or subtracting mer-
chandise from the list. While published descrip-
tions of mundane treasures are not as numerous
as magical item descriptions, mundane treas-
ures are much easier to invent so the GM should
have little trouble devising a large selection of
new treasures unique to his campaign world.

ARMOR

The following wares are all classified as

“armor.” These include, in addition to full suits
of arm o r, i n d ividual components such as
gauntlets. Shields are also included in this cate-
gory.

Avarkia’s Terrible Armor

Ap p e a ra n c e : This gra y - c o l o red leat h e r

armor is, at first glance, rather common.

Appraise Information: DC 15. This leather

armor is fashioned completely from the flesh of
slain nilbogs. This unusual material gives the
armor an almost magical ability.

Value: 875 gp (10 gp for leather armor and

675 gp for the nilbog flesh.)

Special Rules: Each time the wearer of the

armor is hit in combat there is a 15% chance
that 15 points of damage will, instead of harm-
ing the wearer, heal him. Weight: 15 lbs.

Crazdock’s Chainmail

Appearance: This chainmail is red in color

with the symbol of an open eye painted on the
chest. It is in excellent condition though a few
spots on the back show signs of repair. The
chainmail does not include gauntlets.

Appraise Information: DC 12. This master-

work suit of chainmail is constructed of a steel
and electrum mixture and has been painted a
dull red. It was worn, fifty years ago, by the
human

wa rrior

Cra z d o ck

the

Th i rs t y.

Crazdock’s symbol, the open eye, was painted
on all of his equipment.

Value: 390 gp (150 gp for chainmail, 150 gp

for masterwork, 30 gp for the metal, and 60 gp
historical value.)

Special Rules: None. Weight: 40 lbs.

Crazdock’s Gauntlets

Ap p e a ra n c e : Being the type of shopke ep e r

t h at he is,the Mad Merchant is offe ring these re d,
mitten-style gauntlets sep a rate of the ch a i n m a i l
he purchased them with. The back of the ri g h t
gauntlet fe at u res the same eye design as found on
C ra z d o ck ’s chainmail (ab ove ) .

Ap p raise Info rm at i o n :

DC 12. Th e s e

gauntlets are constructed of a steel and electru m
m i x t u re and painted re d. The gauntlets are
s e c u red to the steel chain glove with iron ri n g s .

3

Mundane Wares

Unusual Material: Nilbog Flesh

The gray-colored flesh of these hideous once-goblins is sometimes used in the creation of armors

or clothing. It is rare that a lawful or good-aligned character will craft or use materials made from
the flesh of these creatures but many of chaotic or evil alignment have no hesitation when present-
ed with the opportunity. A slain nilbog usually leaves behind only enough flesh so that a craftsman
can fashion 3 lbs. worth of this unusual material. It would take many slain nilbogs to create a suit
of armor completely from their flesh.

Value: 45 gp/pound.
Hardness: 2.
Hit Points: 3/inch.
Uses: May be used instead of leather or other tough materials used in the creation of clothing,

armors, satchles, etc.

Special Rules: When used in clothing or armor, nilbog flesh imparts some of the creature’s dam-

age reversal ability on the wearer. For every pound of nilbog flesh used in the creation of clothing
or armor there is a 1% chance (per hit) that 1 point of damage will instead heal the wearer.

Example: A suit of studded leather armor crafted with 10 lbs. of nilbog flesh would have a 10%

chance per hit of reducing up to 10 points of damage from the attack and, instead, healing the wear-
er by that amount.

Va l u e : 193 gp (8 gp for the ga u n t l e t s , 150 gp fo r

m a s t e r wo rk , 15 gp for the metal, and 20 gp fo r
h i s t o rical va l u e ) .

Special Rules: The “ m i t t e n ” n at u re of the

gauntlets fo rces a circumstance modifier of -4 on
all Dex t e rity ch e cks. We i g h t : 1 lb.

Shield of Night

Ap p e a ra n c e : This steel shield with frayed and

wo rn leather strap s , with two dozen small metal
s t a rs. The shield is in almost perfect condition
ex c ept for a large gash in the face and the condi-
tion of the strap s .

Ap p raise Info rm at i o n : DC 12. Other than the

s t a rs , wh i ch are electru m , this shield is fa i rly com-
m o n .

Va l u e : 44 gp (20 gp for the shield and 1 gp fo r

e a ch electrum star).

Special Rules: N o n e. We i g h t : 15 lbs.

CLOTHING

These tre a s u res are fi n e ly - c rafted cl o t h e s

including silk cape, fashionable tunic, and styl-
ish boots.

Black Leather Tunic

Appearance: This leather tunic is common in

appearance, decorated with small metal studs. It
is pulled tight and secured to the wearer with
several leather strings stitched down the front of
the tunic.

Appraise Information: DC 12. The tunic is

an excellently crafted item, durable enough to
offer the wearer a small degree of protection
when in combat. Casual observers will not even
consider that the tunic is a finely-crafted suit of
light armor.

Value: 113 gp (3 gp for the tunic, 10 gp for the

leather, and 100 gp for the craftsmanship).

Special Rules: Armor bonus +2 (does not

stack with worn armor). Weight: 3 lbs.

Elegant Silk Open Coat

Ap p e a ra n c e : This open coat is knee length

and fashioned of a dark green silk that is lined
with a thin leather to give is some strength. Th e
s t i t ching is exquisite and obv i o u s ly the wo rk of
a master. An oriental dragon is embro i d e red on
the back of the coat , made of a dozen bright and
beautiful colors of thre a d.

Ap p raise Info rm at i o n : DC 12. This is a per-

fect example of the type of clothing wo rn by
n o blemen 100 ye a rs ago. The style is a bit dat e d
but impre s s ive.

Va l u e : 330 gp (5 gp for the open coat , 75 gp

for the silk, and 250 gp for the art i s t ry and age of
the coat ) .

Special Rules: N o n e. We i g h t : 6 lbs.

Nobleman’s Boots

Ap p e a ra n c e : These high bl a ck boots, fa s h-

ioned of the ri chest leat h e rs , a re decorated with a
d o zen small red gemstones. The metal bu ckles on
the boots are polished to a high shine.

Ap p raise Info rm at i o n : DC 12. The ge m s t o n e s

a re small rubies. The bu ckles are silve r- p l at e d
i ro n .

Va l u e : 308 gp (3 gp for boots, 25 gp for each

ru by, and 5 gp for the bu ck l e s ) .

Special Rules: N o n e. We i g h t : 3 lbs.

Silk Cape

Ap p e a ra n c e : A beautiful,long silk cape red on

one side and white on the other. A clasp at the
n e ck , metal and white in color, holds the cap e
about the we a re r ’s neck. It is reve rs i bl e, a l l ow i n g
the we a rer to have the red or white side show i n g
when it is wo rn. The clasp locks with a simple
m e chanical device that is adorned with a single
white ge m s t o n e.

Ap p raise Info rm at i o n : DC 14. The ge m s t o n e

is white onyx. The clasp is constructed of plat-
i num. The silk is a sturdy, va l u able mat e ri a l
b rought from the far eastern lands.

Value: 241 gp (45 gp for the onyx gemstone,

19 gp for the clasp, 175 gp for the silk, and 2 gp
for the cape).

Special Rules: None. Weight: 2 lbs.

JEWELRY

Rings, broaches and other fine pieces of jew-

elry created for the wealthy.

Crown of Destruction

Appearance: A large metal crown with six

long spikes protruding from the top, ringing the
wearer’s head. Six skulls are engraved in the
crown, evenly spaced apart.

Appraise Information: DC 12. The crown is

made entirely of steel. Its name comes from the
wo rd “ d e s t ru c t i o n ” t h at is engraved on the
i n s i d e. The exact ori gin of the crown is
unknown though many believe that it was worn
a thousand ye a rs ago by the go blin king,
Rackkarzak.

Value: 515 gp (65 gp for the crown and 450

gp for the artistry and age).

Special Rules: None. Weight: 11 lbs.

Ring of Hell

Appearance: This heavy metal ring is a dark

red in color, almost the color of dried blood.
Silver metal thread is wrapped tight about it,
giving it a slight shine when held in the light.

Appraise Information: DC 14. The ring is

constructed of a rare metal known as hell iron.
Its exact age is unknown though most estimate
that it is 500 years old.

Value: 82 gp (2 gp for the ring, 50 gp for the

hell iron, 5 gp worth of silver, and 25 gp for the
age and artistry of the ring).

Special Rules: None. Weight: 1 lb.

4

Silver Broach

Appearance: A 5” round silver broach with a

single green gemstone set in the center and a
dozen small red gemstones set carefully around
it.

Appraise Information: DC 12. This broach

is constructed of pure silver. The green gem-
stone is a flawed spinel stone while the red
stones are imperfect sardonyx.

Value: 64 gp (1 gp for the broach, 27 gp for

the spinel, and 3 gp for each sardonyx).

Special Rules: None. Weight: 1 lb.

Winged Amulet

Appearance: A gold amulet sculpted in the

shape of an angel. The wings of the angel, silver
in color, are spread wide. The eyes of the angel
are made of small, white gemstones.

Appraise Information: DC 15. The entire

piece is a marvelous work of art. The amulet is
without a chain though the hook to thread a
chain through is still intact. The gemstones are
white onyx. The amulet is at least two hundreds
years old and free of markings. The wings are
s l i g h t ly wo rn but a masterc raftsman could
repair the damage with a day of work.

Value: 702 gp (2 gp for the amulet, 100 gp for

the gold and silver, and 600 gp for the artistry
and age). If in pristine condition, the amulet
would be worth 750 gp.

Special Rules: None. Weight: <1 lb.

MISCELLANEOUS

These wares do not fit simply within any of

the other categories in the store.

Assassin’s Goblet

Appearance: This metal goblet, white in

color and bejeweled with ten small red gem-
stones, stands about 8” high. The inside of the
goblet is bright red in color.

Appraise Information: DC 14. The goblet

known as an “assassin’s goblet.” Assassins use
goblets like this to kill their targets with a poi-
son that is coated on the inner surface. The poi-

son lies dormant until wine is added. At that
time the poison becomes active, striking the vic-
tim within five minutes of consumption. Once
used the poison must be readministered to the
goblet. The gemstones are rubies.

Value: 965 gp (15 gp for the goblet, 250 gp

for the poison, and 70 gp each ruby).

Special Rules: The poison is quite deadly

(DC 15, 1d12 hp initial damage, 2d6 temporary
Con secondary damage). Weight: 1 lb.

Bottle of Cologne

Appearance: A small, metal container with

an open top that’s currently sealed with a cork.
Removing the cork reveals a clear, pleasant-
smelling liquid. The container is labeled “love”
in elvish.

Appraise Information: DC 12. This bottle of

elvish cologne is quite commonly used by
nobles of elvish and human communities.

Value: 15 gp.
Special Rules: The wearer of this cologne

re c e ives a +1 circumstance bonus to all
Charisma checks for a period of two hours after
the cologne has been applied. There is enough
cologne in the bottle for twenty applications.
Weight: <1 lb.

5

Unusual Material: Hell Iron

This metal, only found surrounding the base

of recently active volcanos, is crimson in
color and as hard as steel. Using it increases
the difficulty of crafting items (+5 to craft
DC) but it does make the items more valuable.
The dwarves who first discovered this metal
some five thousand years ago named it “hell
iron” and, over time, it came to be known as
irons of hell, helliron, and iron of hell. Any of
these names are appropriate for describing
this odd-looking metal.

Value: 60 gp/pound.
Hardness: 10.
Hit Points: 30/inch.
Uses: May be used instead of iron or other

metals.

Special Rules: None, really. The metal is

treasured for its artistic qualities, and not any
benefits it grants items constructed from it.

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While playe rs may find the contents of this 26-page book intere s t i n g, it is the ga m e m a s t e rs who will re a l ly ben-

e fit from the items within.

www.philipjreed.com

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15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of
the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document Copyright 2000, Wizards
of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook,
Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary
Gygax and Dave Arneson.

The Mad Merchant’s Shop of Curious Wares Copyright
2003, Philip Reed, www.philipjreed.com

N i l b og from Tome of Horro rs , C o py right 2002,
Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author Scott Greene, based
on original material by Roger Musson.

'D20 System' and the 'D20 System' logo are Trademarks
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6