When I was in IT and finally had some money, I spent it on miniatures. I would drive out to Concord, near where my store is now, and visit Games Unlimited. This legacy game store was the king of their local market. They had a small mezzanine level where they kept their role playing stuff, including every Reaper miniature on its own hook. Nobody else had this breadth and depth of stock, which is why I drove 30 minutes to get there.
That mezzanine wasn't air conditioned, so in the summer months, you would rush up, grab what you were looking for, and exit as quickly as possible without getting scolded for running in the store. Our own mezzanine can't handle the heat when it's over 90 degrees, so I have more sympathy now.I would take these minis to another store, Gamescape San Rafael, where the manager would speed paint them for me using an ink technique. I am told he got fired for doing this on the clock. My bad. I had an assembly line of recently bought, to be painted, and painted miniatures on their way to my table.
I once couldn't make it to Games Unlimited, so I started pulling large numbers of minis off the Gamescape wall to buy, when the clerk accused me of attempting to shoplift. Running a good game store is hard. You can see why I thought I could do better.
In case you were wondering, I was running a home brew Ptolus inspired game, based on Monte Cook's notes and some other odds and ends, before there was a Ptolus product. That Ptolus campaign lasted in various forms for 10 years.
Eventually I would open my store, becoming a small competitor of Games Unlimited, one of six stores within that recommended 10 minute drive time. Games Unlimited had the traditional young grognard at the counter, some relative of the owner, who would take your money while telling you your game was bad and you should be ashamed for playing it. He never told me this, but his customers would regale me with these tales of poor customer service.
I liked all the games and had time to listen to you tell me about your campaign. I was in a learning mode and legitimately fascinated. I also had every role playing game in distribution on my shelves. It was dumb, but it marked me as an ally to the RPG community. I was ignorant to most things not D&D, but open to learning. I also had every Reaper miniature in stock. So why brave the attic? Three years later I moved to a three times larger location, Games Unlimited's owner fortuitously retired at the same time, and they closed the shop.
The shop closed because the grognard couldn't wear the crown. I grabbed the crown as they departed, their last gasp an attempt to sell the store to a regional competitor, and hoped I would be worthy of it one day. Being all things to Games Unlimited customers, minus the grognard, became a goal. Of course, there were many things we did things differently, as I would explain to customers, because there was a reason they closed. We inherited a lot of their business. Six years later I was wearing the crown when realized I had become the surly grognard, at which point I left the front counter for good. The crown apparently has side effects.
Crown of the Grognard's Legacy
Rare, requires attunement
This tarnished silver crown bears the faint embossing of miniature swords, dice, and scrolls along its band, and its crest is shaped like the mezzanine of a grand hall, complete with tiny shelves carved into the metal. Despite its unassuming appearance, the crown emanates an air of authority and nostalgia, its weight heavier than it seems, burdened with the memories of countless gamers and the spirits of bygone game stores.
Properties
- Merchant’s Wisdom. While attuned to the crown, you have proficiency in the Persuasion and Insight skills. If you are already proficient, your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks using these skills when interacting with customers or negotiating business deals.
- Stockmaster’s Precision. The crown grants you the uncanny ability to always know what’s in stock. As an action, you can name an item, and the crown will give you a mental image of its exact location within your shop or storage area.
- Beacon of Fellowship. While you wear the crown, customers and allies within 30 feet feel a faint sense of camaraderie and are subtly compelled to trust you. You gain advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks to foster goodwill or encourage purchases.
Curse: The Weight of the Crown
The crown is a relic of legacy, and its influence comes at a cost. Over time, the wearer begins to feel the strain of its expectations and the voices of customers past, present, and future weighing on their mind. This curse manifests subtly at first but worsens with time:
- Heat of the Mezzanine. The crown’s wearer becomes inexplicably sensitive to heat. Any area above 90 degrees Fahrenheit feels unbearable, causing the wearer to suffer disadvantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist exhaustion while in such conditions.
- Grognard's Burden. Each day you wear the crown, there is a cumulative 5% chance (to a maximum of 50%) that your attitude begins to sour into that of a traditional grognard. This manifests as surliness, dismissiveness, or an inability to recognize the value of other perspectives. This effect lasts until the crown is removed and a Remove Curse spell is cast.
- Indelible Nostalgia. The crown instills an unshakable longing for “the old days.” The wearer has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws to resist becoming distracted by memories of their past or lamenting changes in their field.
History
The Crown of the Grognard’s Legacy is said to have passed from shop owner to shop owner, carried on the shoulders of those who sought to dominate their local market and make their mark in the gaming community. But each bearer learned the crown was more than a symbol of success—it demanded sacrifice. Legends say those who wore the crown too long became reclusive, bitter, and obsessed with their ideals of the "perfect store." The crown’s final bearer abandoned the counter entirely, realizing that its weight could only be endured for so long before it consumed them.
Do you dare to don the crown and seek to carry on the legacy, or will you forge your own path, free of its burdens?
