Friday Encounter: Goblin Market

Dwiz over at Knight at the Opera has mentioned on more than one occasion the value of running a goblin market in RPG campaigns - a market staffed by the fair folk, where wondrous magical items can be bought for the prices only the fairies can trade in. As the enjoyer of obscure folklore I am, it should go without saying that I'm all for it. Many people find shopping for equipment in games tedious, and I'm inclined to agree - but when the items are unique and interesting and there's plenty of opportunity for roleplaying and problem-solving, even shopping can be made into an enjoyable experience. It's also one of the few times I find it acceptable to let PCs buy magic items. I've run goblin markets before, and I figured it was about time I documented my own spin on the concept.

Goblin Market

This encounter can be used anywhere. It probably makes the most sense in the wilderness or in a dungeon, but it could even be used in a town, perhaps at the end of some forgotten alley or in a boarded-up building at the edge of the city limits. Whatever the case, the party should find themselves in the midst of a goblin market. The boundaries of reality are weak here, and the realm of Faerie has spilled over into the mortal plane, giving the PCs a rare opportunity to sample the wares of fairy merchants.

The market is lively and bustling, with fey creatures of all shapes and sizes muscling their way through crowds and buzzing through the air overhead, while others cry out boasting of their merchandise. If the PCs stop to examine the wares, the merchants will be delighted to see that mortals would be interested in what they have to sell - after all, it isn't often that they have the opportunity to interact with visitors from the mortal world.

However, the fairies insist that the PCs follow the rules of the goblin market, and one of those is that the merchant sets the price of each item - which must be paid and cannot be negotiated over. This might seem reasonable enough, until you realize that the fair folk have no use for gold and silver. The fairies trade in more peculiar things - and some bargains may be steep indeed...

Roll 1d6+1 to determine the number of items on sale, then roll on the table below, or choose some from the list that you think would be interesting. You can also substitute other magic items if you wish. For each item, roll on the Fairy Prices table to find what the vendor is asking for it.

Items for Sale (1d20)

1. A flute that can charm others. Any creature that hears its music must make a Charisma saving throw opposed by a Performance check from the creature playing it or will be forced to perform the next action they command.

2. A human soul in a bottle. Useful for bargaining with demons.

3. A wise fish that can speak the tongues of men and knows the answers to many questions. Also tastes good, incidentally. Breathes water just like a regular fish, and must be kept in it.

4. Leprechaun ale. Strong enough to get a mortal drunk from just one pint. Has a 25% chance of causing the drinker's skin to turn green for 1d4 days.

5. A pair of shoes that dance on their own. If worn, they can guide the wearer's movements.

6. A horseshoe that will allow the horse that wears it to walk on top of water. Made of tin, as the fey are allergic to iron, which also means it will wear out faster.

7. A bag that produces three gold coins every night. The coins will turn to lead after five days. 

8. A candle that never goes out. Storing it without causing a fire will be difficult.

9. A bag of 1d10 seeds. If a creature consumes a seed, they must make a DC 12 Constitution save or fall asleep as though affected by a sleep spell.

10. A preserved eyeball in a jar. If attuned to, the user can see through whatever the eyeball sees, no matter the distance.

11. The skull of a long-dead king. It can still speak, but can't do much else. It complains about its situation incessantly. 

12. The cloak of a skin-changer. When worn, it causes the wearer to transform into a (1d4: 1. wolf; 2. bear; 3. hawk; 4. seal). Once purchased, the skin-changer will know who and where the new owner is, and may not be happy.

13. A talking bird in a cage that claims to be a princess cursed into the form of a bird. 50% chance she's telling the truth.

14. A severed hand that responds to any of its master's orders (stats as a crawling claw).

15. A coinpurse that complains loudly if someone tries to steal it.

16. A hat that, when worn, will cause no one to recognize you, even your own party members. 

17. A bomb that gives off a pungent odor when detonated, lingering for 1d6+1 hours.

18. The true name of a rival fairy. If one invokes the fairy's true name, that fairy will be forced to obey their commands.

19. A document proclaiming the owner to be a friend of the fair folk. Fey will not attack any creature who shows them this document, and they may be more inclined to assist them.

20. A key that can open a treasure vault in a fey castle somewhere.

Fairy Prices (1d20)

1. Your luck. If paid, you must reroll the next natural 20 you roll.

2. Your left eye. It has to be the left; the merchant won't explain why.

3. Your child, no older than one year. If you don't have a baby of your own, the fairies will accept someone else's. 

4. Your strength. If paid, your Strength stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent.

5. Your speed. If paid, your Dexterity stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent.

6. Your health. If paid, your Constitution stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent. 

7. Your knowledge. If paid, your Intelligence stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent. 

8. Your wits. If paid, your Wisdom stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent. 

9. Your rhetoric. If paid, your Charisma stat decreases by 2. This effect is permanent.  

10. Your youth. If paid, you age 1d10 years on the spot.

11. Your voice. If paid, you become mute. This effect is permanent.

12. A lock of your hair. This may be used to scry on you later.

13. Exactly half of all the money you own, which will vanish into thin air upon agreeing to the deal.

14. In return for the item, you must return to the Land of Faerie after a year and a day.

15. In return for the item, you will be afflicted with a hunched back. This effect is permanent.

16. The ability to swim.

17. The memory of one of your friends.

18. In return for the item, you will fall ill and be bedridden for the next week.

19. Your courage. You must make a DC Wisdom save when facing any creature with Hit Dice greater than yours or be stricken with the effects of a fear spell. This effect is permanent.

20. In return for the item, you must undergo a quest to slay a suitably fearsome foe, and return to the merchant with proof of your deeds.

If the PCs have any outstanding debt to the fairies, the market will remain around as long as it takes them to pay the vendor in a timely fashion. Once the PCs leave the market, assuming they don't owe the fairies anything, attempting to return to it will reveal that the entire market has mysteriously disappeared.