Ragnarok Online/Merchant

The merchant is a man of money. Most of his skills, in fact, are not combat-oriented. They allow him to have a cart for item storage and for setting up item shops that other players may buy from. His main damage skill, Mammonite, involves throwing away money to attack.

The 10 Commandments of RO
It shames me that I need to make a section like this. In fact, I'm sure most of you could skip right over it and be fine. I still hope everyone will read this section though, if anything else.

Then again, if you follow rule 1, theres no reason for the other 9 ^_^
 * 1) Remember that behind that graphic, there is a living and breathing person. Like you, he/she has feelings, and deserves proper respect.
 * 2) Not everyone on the English server speaks English, oddly enough.  So if your having trouble communicating, that's probably why.
 * 3) Do NOT kill steal.  Kill stealing is attacking a monster another has already begun to attack.  Please find your own monster, as the attacker only gets 1/2 of the normal experience.
 * 4) Do NOT loot.  Looting is taking the items from a monster that you did not kill. Luckily a system to prevent looting was implemented in a recent patch, but it still can be a problem.
 * 5) Before speaking with a discount merchant, please check to make sure you have enough zeny for the item you intend to purchase.  Most offer 20 or 15 percent off, so the math is not difficult.  You can also just guess as well.
 * 6) Also, if you don't have the money, don't ask the merchant to sell you the item at a considerably lower price.  Discount merchants don't make that much of a profit, and none of them are willing to pay for some of your item out of their own pocket.
 * 7) After you have agreed to purchase the item, you are bound by a verbal contract to buy it.  Don't try to worm your way out.
 * 8) Please don't beg for money.  We all know novices are poor, and you will be until around level 15.  We all had to go through exactly what you did.  So just be patient.
 * 9) Don't scam, and don't fall for scams.  The less people that fall for them, the less scammers will do them!  Popular scams are offering weapon upgrades, which are not in the game yet, and offering potions for 161z instead of 16, hoping nobody would notice.  Caveat emptor, and if something sounds way too good to be true, it probably is.
 * 10) Sidewalk Vend!  This movement started from merchantguild.net, to vend from sidewalks to keep the streets clear.  It's a fantastic idea.  How many times have you been frustrated to even walk 4 feet in Prontera square due to all the people?  Always vend from the sidewalk, and spread the word!

Getting Started (Novice Class)
Before you go leaping into the Merchant, you need to start as a novice. All new characters start as a novice. This is to get you used to the game, as well as give you time to decide on your class. (But you are going to be a Merchant, right? ^_^)

First, create an account at http://www.ragnarokonline.com, and obviously get the client and all patches. Assuming all goes well, log in to your account, and choose the chaos server. (only one thus far) You will see 3 blank slots. Choose one, and you will get to the character setup screen. First enter your name and choose your hair style. Then distribute your stats. As a general rule, INT and AGL are not that useful for a Merchant, but check out the Stat Point Distribution Section for more info.

Hit OK, and you'll be back to your character select screen. Select your new guy, and your in! You will begin in a randomly determined town. As a Merchant, your goal will be to get to Prontera. But that comes much later. For right now venture out of town, and fight Porings (the red blobs). Fight by simply clicking on them, and be sure to pick up whatever they leave. You will gain both base levels and job levels. For base levels, focus on stats important to a Merchant (see Stat Point Distribution). As a novice, you only have one skill, do guess where your points go? Do right click on it to read information about your skills though.

Eventually you'll be able to take on harder enemies. If your in the desert, that means Pickys. If in the forest, that means Farbes and Lunatics. Around level 6 or so, you should be able to take on ChonChons. Also, whenever you see a PecoPeco Egg or Pupa, keep hitting it until it dies. It gives good EXP and never hits back. It can also drop good gear.

At job level 10, when your basic skill is level 9, you can change class. This involves going to Alberta and paying 3000z. That's a whole lot if this is your first character. Hopefully it isn't, as you'll be having one hell of a time gaining that 3000z on your own. Don't worry though. Once you become a successful Merchant that will be pocket change.

As a general rule to novices though, you should sell all those items you pick up to a store. A Falchion sword will be plenty to get you through the novice stages, so thats a good buy. A Guard should be first on your shopping list though as it gives +3 defense for only 250z. If you still have money to burn, a Leather Jacket and Sandals would do nicely.

Becoming a Merchant
So after you've muled 3000z from another character, or had some sort of divine intervention, go to Alberta in the southeast. This can be a long walk depending on where you're from, so visit RO sites like the ones I listed for a map.

Go into the lower left hand building and talk to the man behind the counter. Ask to change jobs to a Merchant. He will ask you for the 3000z. You can pay either 1500z now, and 1500z later, or pay it in one lump sum. Pay as much as you can.

He now gives you a task to go to Moroc. Pack your bags, it's very far away. Again, look at a map. Moroc is west of Alberta.

Upon arriving, take a break. You deserved it. Head to the lower right hand corner of Moroc. Across the street, you should see a building with an emblem of a sun on it. Walk in, and talk to the man. He will notify the man in Alberta you've arrived, as well as giving you 6 Red Potions. These heal your life, and should be bound to a hotkey. (Hit F12) You then have to walk all the way back to Alberta. This is also the most time consuming class change in RO. Talk to the man again, and pay him 1500z if you didn't pay the full sum. Bada-bing, Bada-boom, your a merchant. Be sure to re-equip your gear, and go out leveling. Lets get those skills up!

What kind of Merchant are you?
There are essentially 3 kinds of Merchants - Vending, Overcharge, and Discount. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. If you intend to spend a LOT of time on your Merchant, you can do all 3, but it's easier to make just 1 or 2.

So pick what one you want to be, the earlier the better.
 * Vending: This Merchant uses the Vending skill to sell stuff to players out and about. I recommend everyone has one of these to sell the various rare items you pick up in the game.  Access to a discount Merchant is nice as well so you can sell Red Potions for 16 or 17z.  Everyone eats these up.  The money for vending merchants can be slow at times, but you don't need to do much work to get it.
 * Overcharge: Good with math? Than go with an overcharge Merchant.  They pay for people's items and sell them back to NPCs for more.  They make pretty good money due to the fact very few Merchants overcharge than 10%.  Which means you get 14% of the pie.  However, you need to be fast to add up ALL those items people give you as well as figuring out the return rate for each item. Calculator required.
 * Discount: The most popular Merchant, and for good reason. You sit in weapon shops selling armor/weapons to people at around 15 to 20%.  Basically, if everyone in the shop is giving a 15% discount, give yours for 15% as well.  If everyone is giving 20%, you give 20%.  You can make some good money this way, but it can be dull so have a TV next to your PC so you can kill time waiting for customers ^_^.  You also have to deal with a lot of jerks, just like any other retail store.  Combine both Discount with overcharge to be the uber merchant. ^_^

Stat Point Distribution
Merchants are usually designed like Swordsman. The only downfalls they have to Swordsmen is their lack of combat skills and being unable to wield Plate Mail. Still, design them as such:

Starting Stats
Since a newer patch made LUK much more useful, I've changed my opinion on starting stats! When beginning your character, I NOW recommend 9 STR, 1 AGL, 7 VIT, 1 INT, 3 DEX, and 9 LUK. The 9 LUK will give you a chance of dodging some attacks here and there, and a critical is always nice.

After getting all your stats, get leveling! For the first level, put 1 point in LUK to make it an even 10. Put 1 point in STR too next level. For the next few levels, work on your DEX, get it up to around 5. From then on, for pretty much the rest of the game, put points into DEX and VIT, focusing more on VIT. You will have high defense as well as being able to hit almost all the time.

Skill Point Distribution
First, I'll give a quick run-down of the skills...

Increase Weight Limit

 * Pre-Requisites: None
 * Active or Passive?: Passive
 * Level 1 : +100
 * Level 2 : +200
 * Level 3 : +300
 * Level 4 : +400
 * Level 5 : +500
 * Level 6 : +600
 * Level 7 : +700
 * Level 8 : +800
 * Level 9 : +900
 * Level 10: +1000
 * Comments: Not a very useful skill, as you rarely go over your weight limit. If you do, thats what pushcarts and storage are for.

Pushcart

 * Pre-Requisites: Increase Weight Limit Level 5
 * Active or Passive?: Passive

There is no advantage to level this up more than 1. You still get to use a cart.

Update: node (node@hotmail.com) pointed out to me that increasing the pushcart skill level will slowly return your walking speed to normal. I still don't think it's worth more than 1 point though.


 * Comments: Essential for vending, as you can't make a shop without it. It does lower your walking speed, but greatly increases your weight limit, so keep that in mind.  Buy a Pushcart from a pushcart merchant for these prices.
 * Geffen : 1100z
 * Moroc  : 900z
 * Prontera: 800z
 * Izlude : 600z
 * Payon  : 500z
 * Alberta : 300z

Discount

 * Pre-Requisites: Increase Weight Limit Level 3
 * Active or Passive?: Passive
 * Level 1 : 7% Discount
 * Level 2 : 9% Discount
 * Level 3 : 11% Discount
 * Level 4 : 13% Discount
 * Level 5 : 15% Discount
 * Level 6 : 17% Discount
 * Level 7 : 19% Discount
 * Level 8 : 21% Discount
 * Level 9 : 23% Discount
 * Level 10: 24% Discount (Why didn't they just make it 25%?)
 * Comments: Obviously Essential for a Discount Merchant, as it allows you to buy items cheaper.

GO SEIREITEI RO!!!!! BLACKOUT RO STINKS!!!!! SPECIALLY TOUHOU!!!!!

Vending

 * Pre-Requisites: Pushcart Level 3 (kind of dumb since Level 2 and 3 do nothing)
 * Active or Passive?: Active, 30SP per use
 * Level 1 : Can sell 3 items at a time
 * Level 2 : Can sell 4 items at a time
 * Level 3 : Can sell 5 items at a time
 * Level 4 : Can sell 6 items at a time
 * Level 5 : Can sell 7 items at a time
 * Level 6 : Can sell 8 items at a time
 * Level 7 : Can sell 9 items at a time
 * Level 8 : Can sell 10 items at a time
 * Level 9 : Can sell 11 items at a time
 * Level 10: Can sell 12 items at a time
 * Comments: The Vending Merchant's skill. Most people will be fine with Level 1.  When it says 3 items at a time, that means 3 different items.  So you could sell 10 red potions, 10 animal blood, and 10 aloes if you wanted. Pushcart is needed to open a store.  -The Game- also pointed out to me that each piece of equipment is separate, so you could only sell 3 Hats with level 1 vending.

Mammonite

 * Pre-Requisites: None
 * Active or Passive?: Active, 5SP per use
 * Level 1 : 150% Damage, 100z per use
 * Level 2 : 200% Damage, 200z per use
 * Level 3 : 250% Damage, 300z per use
 * Level 4 : 300% Damage, 400z per use
 * Level 5 : 350% Damage, 500z per use
 * Level 6 : 400% Damage, 600z per use
 * Level 7 : 450% Damage, 700z per use
 * Level 8 : 500% Damage, 800z per use
 * Level 9 : 550% Damage, 900z per use
 * Level 10: 600% Damage, 1000z per use
 * Comments: If your rich, you can use this skill. It's very cheap SP wise, and hurts a hell of a lot.  In fact, if you have a ton of money, this could make you better than a Swordsman.  Most shouldn't bother with it though, unless you intend to take your Merchant all the way.
 * There is also supposedly a skill called Identify that allows you to see what an item does. It is not implemented in the beta yet.

Recommend Merchant Equipment
You have to fight like everyone else, and like every other warrior you need Equipment. I've divided this part into 2 sections, what you realistically could get, and what you might want in terms of Rares if you've got money flowing out of your ears. All prices are with no discount.

Realistically
Another configuration I've grown fond of is to forget the Buckler and go for a 2-handed axe from Alberta. It does MUCH more damage.

Ultimate
Actually the only things a Merchant could not buy from an NPC are Accessories. There is no good rare Merchant Sword or Armor.
 * Accessory: Globe  - +3 DEX   Street Price: 150000z - Dropped by Mummy

Prime Hunting Spots
Here are some good leveling spots for you up and coming Merchants: Few get their Merchant higher leveled than that.
 * One Screen Away from town: Stay here until you get to be a Merchant. Hunt Porings into around Level 2 or 3, then Farbes/Pickys.  Around 5, fight Lunatics/ChonChons.  If your in Payon, fight Willows around Level 8 or 9.  Be sure to always fight Pupas or PecoPeco Eggs, as they don't hit back.
 * 2 Screens south of Payon, or 2 east of Alberta: After you become a Merchant in Alberta, move 2 screens east. Fight Spores in this skinny map, they'll level you up in a big hurry.
 * Pyramid near Moroc: Has Thief Bugs and Spores for good EXP, but there are aggressive Familiars and if a Poporing takes your loot, your in no position to get it back.
 * Half Desert, Half Forest Map, 3 south of Prontera: A very good spot, as it has PecoPeco Eggs, Pickys, and ChonChons. A much better spot is one screen south though....
 * THE forest, 1 map south and 1 east of Payon: Note the caps on THE. This is the ultimate spot to level, and ALL of my characters spent levels 10-20 here. Start off with Spores and Condors.  When you get stronger, around Level 15, start fighting Wolves.  Around 18, fight PecoPecos.  Finally, at 20, fight Wormtails.  Theres also Snakes, I recommend fighting those at level 25.  All of these monsters are easy, give good EXP, and great drops.  The map is also not very crowded.  This is THE ultimate place.  I can't stress that enough.
 * Northeast corner of Prontera: This dungeon is known as Culvert, and I've changed my opinion on it. After you hit about level 20 in THE forest, go here.  Go to the 2nd floor, on the 3rd map.  There will be long rows of pipes with no water in them.  Most importantly, no aggressive bats.  Stay here until around Level 27 or 28.
 * Payon Caves, Level 1: Great experience here, if you can put up with the outstanding lag and kill stealers/looters. Leave the undead to Acolytes folks, you'll be doing everyone a favor by not going here.
 * 1 screen south, 1 west of Prontera: Also known as Rocker field, Rockers are good enemies to fight as well. However, this place can be laggy.  Stick to the forest.
 * 1 screen north and 2 east of Prontera: Known as Yoyoland, fight Smokies around Level 23 or so. Bring potions, as they'll be quite hard.  Take on Yoyo's around 27, and finally Elder Willows around 29.