Mercane (CR 5)
Large Outsider
Alignment: Always lawful neutral
Initiative: +2 (Dex); Senses: Listen +13 and Spot +12
Languages: Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, and at least two other languages; telepathy 100 ft.
AC: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 13
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +8
Speed: 30 ft.
Space: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +7; Grapple +13
Attack: Masterwork falchion +9
Full Attack: Masterwork falchion +9/+4 melee
Damage: Masterwork falchion 2d6+3
Special Attacks:
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha 15
Special Qualities: SR 25, spell-like abilities
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint
Skills: Appraise +19, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (the planes) +15, Listen +13, Profession (bookkeeper) +13, Sense Motive +13, Sleight of Hand +14, Spellcraft +15, and Spot +12
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Company (1-4 mercanes and 3-18 5th-level fighter bodyguards) or progression (1 mercane, 3 14th-level fighters, 1 21st-level fighter/2nd-level Union Sentinel)
Treasure/Possessions: Double standard
Source:
Epic Level Handbook
Manual of the Planes
Mercanes are extraplanar merchants, selling weapons, magic, and other treasures from plane to plane.
They profess neutrality in the conflicts and rivalries of the planes, preferring to do their business and move on. But beneath the mercanes' veneer of impartiality are motives of their own, and they often hire adventurers to set their plans in motion.
A mercane stands out in the most crowded bazaar. A 12-foot tall, blue-skinned creature dressed in voluminous robes, it moves with a slow, languid grace. Its hands are spidery and delicate, with an extra joint on each finger.
Each mercane speaks Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, and at least two other languages.
Combat
Mercanes leave the fighting to their minions and bodyguards - they know that their advantages lie at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield. When pressed, they attempt to disarm their opponents or use invisibility or dimension door to escape. A mercane almost always has a Leomund's secret chest full of treasure and magic ready, and it won't hesitate to recall the chest to grab a potent wand or simply bribe a worrisome foe.
Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day - dimension door, invisibility; 1/day - Leomund's secret chest, plane shift. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 14th-level sorcerer.
Telepathy (Su): Mercanes can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Skills: Because they grow up in a mercantile culture, mercanes receive a +4 racial bonus on Appraise checks.
MERCANE SOCIETY
Nomadic by nature, mercanes travel widely, buying and selling their wares. They favor opulence, so they often rent or borrow villas or palaces when they'll be settling down for a while. Because they're known as rich merchants, mercanes always have a squad of body-guards nearby. They attract bandits and thieves, so mercanes tend to be cautious about any strangers they come into contact with.
Mercanes present a demeanor of patience and elegance as they ply their trade. They never quarrel among themselves, and a rival who insults one mercane often finds that others also bear a grudge. Their family structure and mating habits are unknown, since juveniles and the elderly are never seen by those not of their race.
A squad of 5th-level fighters is a typical bodyguard for a mercane, but it may hire bodyguards for each specific job tailoring them to the task. If a company of mercanes has business in the Abyss, for example, they'll probably be accompanied by tieflings or demons. Unusually dangerous trade missions require extra help, of course, and a company of mercanes sometimes has reason to hire services of adventurers.
The patron deity of mercanes is Boccob.
MERCANE CHARACTERS
A mercane's favored class is wizard, the senior mercane in any company is usually a wizard. Mercanes who are clerics worship Boccob.