Merchant

Merchant is the vendor-and-storefront specialization that branches from Artisan. The profession exists in a unique state in the NGE: the late-NGE restructure consolidated Merchant into the broader Trader profession, so the standalone “Merchant” box was effectively absorbed into the Trader subspecializations. Restoration’s NGE base inherits this structure, and the Merchant role is preserved through the Trader’s vendor-management and business-systems toolkit — the gameplay role and its skill set continue to exist even when the profession label is folded into Trader.

Role

Merchants are the player-economy infrastructure. Where Architects build the buildings that house shops and crafters produce the goods to fill them, Merchants run the storefronts — hiring NPC vendors, placing them in player-city shops, writing sales contracts, managing advertising, setting prices, and growing a brand that other players recognize on the bazaar. The profession is foundational to player cities, where the Merchant population determines how active the local commercial district feels.

Skill tree highlights

• Vendor Management — hire and place NPC vendors in player storefronts
• Maximum Vendors — scales the number of vendors a Merchant can maintain simultaneously
• Advertising — increase storefront visibility and search rank
• Sales Contracts — bulk-sale agreements with other players
• Pricing Tools — UI tools for pricing tiers, promotions, and bulk listings

In the late NGE these skills moved into the Trader profession’s Domestic/Engineering/Munitions/Structures lines as ancillary vendor mods rather than a dedicated Merchant box; older content and Restoration-style preserves treat them as a coherent role.

Best trained at

Merchant skills are trained at Trader profession counselors in major starport cities — Coronet on Corellia, Theed on Naboo, Mos Eisley on Tatooine — and at the player-city civic terminals that handle vendor-license paperwork. Tyrena, Kor Vella, Keren, and Bestine also host trainers for crafters specializing in their regions.