Running #DarkSun: Trading on the Trail (by request!)
A player over on a DARK SUN Discord server asked for some random tables for things that traders might have when encountered on the road in Athas, with an eye to things that could motivate an adventure, so here we go!
Of note, if you want your players to engage in bartering with traders over mundane goods, or to look for opportunities to buy something that they can sell at their eventual destination, the Dune Trader sourcebook has a wonderful list of goods on pp. 72-73. To decide if a trader is carrying something mundane in worthwhile quantities, look at the trader’s point of origin (the city-state from which they started their trip), and find something with a D supply rating. The trader’s carrying that good, hopefully to some place with a B or A supply rating, where they can sell it for a huge mark-up, but if the PCs want to buy it (or steal it), they can probably turn a profit if they do the same!
Now without further ado, some tables to generate random trader adventure goods!
The trader has…
D10 Roll
Notable Item
1
A small feathered necklace or bracelet, claimed to be a family heirloom for an important noble house
2
A broken metal weapon, said to be wielded by a famous gladiator, that could be repaired
3
A clay bottle with an unusual/rare vintage of beverage
4
A small wooden cage with a cute animal of an unknown type in it
5
A partial map showing a notable landmark
6
A preserved hide from a rare and dangerous animal like a drake or a klar, suitable for use as a rug or blanket
7
A riding crodlu trained for war, smart enough to recognize its name and come when called
8
A strange device with moving parts made of ceramic and metal (!), use unknown, supposedly from an earlier age
9
A humanoid skull, yellowed with age, lacquered, with several teeth still intact
10
A small single gemstone said to have come from a matched set in a statue found in a nearby ruin
… but it’s actually…
D10 Roll
Secret Quality
1
A lost heirloom of one of the sorcerer-monarchs
2
A magical item that can have its powers re-awakened at an elemental shrine
3
A tracking item followed by a member of the Order in a very long-range plan
4
A cursed object that draws bad luck to the owner and can only be transferred to someone else if the owner dies, gives it away, or sells it for less than they bought it
5
A precious family heirloom for which the original owners, who live far away, will pay a significant sum
6
Holding a small nest of bugs that carry a virulent plague
7
A “marker” object that the trader uses in conjunction with a small band of thieves or assassins to indicate a target
8
A lost relic from a prior age that has somehow survived to the current era
9
A psionically-empowered item that’s just been asleep for a year and will finally wake up when it comes into the hands of a psionicist
10
A dangerous creature that has been shapeshifted into this form but will be released if it is ever subjected to dispel magic
Enjoy and don’t get into too much trouble!
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Of note, if you want your players to engage in bartering with traders over mundane goods, or to look for opportunities to buy something that they can sell at their eventual destination, the Dune Trader sourcebook has a wonderful list of goods on pp. 72-73. To decide if a trader is carrying something mundane in worthwhile quantities, look at the trader’s point of origin (the city-state from which they started their trip), and find something with a D supply rating. The trader’s carrying that good, hopefully to some place with a B or A supply rating, where they can sell it for a huge mark-up, but if the PCs want to buy it (or steal it), they can probably turn a profit if they do the same!
Now without further ado, some tables to generate random trader adventure goods!
The trader has…
D10 Roll
Notable Item
1
A small feathered necklace or bracelet, claimed to be a family heirloom for an important noble house
2
A broken metal weapon, said to be wielded by a famous gladiator, that could be repaired
3
A clay bottle with an unusual/rare vintage of beverage
4
A small wooden cage with a cute animal of an unknown type in it
5
A partial map showing a notable landmark
6
A preserved hide from a rare and dangerous animal like a drake or a klar, suitable for use as a rug or blanket
7
A riding crodlu trained for war, smart enough to recognize its name and come when called
8
A strange device with moving parts made of ceramic and metal (!), use unknown, supposedly from an earlier age
9
A humanoid skull, yellowed with age, lacquered, with several teeth still intact
10
A small single gemstone said to have come from a matched set in a statue found in a nearby ruin
… but it’s actually…
D10 Roll
Secret Quality
1
A lost heirloom of one of the sorcerer-monarchs
2
A magical item that can have its powers re-awakened at an elemental shrine
3
A tracking item followed by a member of the Order in a very long-range plan
4
A cursed object that draws bad luck to the owner and can only be transferred to someone else if the owner dies, gives it away, or sells it for less than they bought it
5
A precious family heirloom for which the original owners, who live far away, will pay a significant sum
6
Holding a small nest of bugs that carry a virulent plague
7
A “marker” object that the trader uses in conjunction with a small band of thieves or assassins to indicate a target
8
A lost relic from a prior age that has somehow survived to the current era
9
A psionically-empowered item that’s just been asleep for a year and will finally wake up when it comes into the hands of a psionicist
10
A dangerous creature that has been shapeshifted into this form but will be released if it is ever subjected to dispel magic
Enjoy and don’t get into too much trouble!