First Place Winner in the SJ Business Challenge!
The following is an example of a frontier tinker in SJ. Basically it's a spelljamming version of the tinkers feudal society relied on to provide their news and most metal tools.
Harl Davinson and his family are traveling tinkers than ply the small farming colonies of the Empire. They own a dragonfly with a minor helm that they call the Tinker's Retreat. Harl is a retired Colonial Marine who settled down at the insistence of his wife, Wethie. Together they have raised 3 sons and a daughter and run a prosperous business selling metal and other manufactured goods to settlements that have little access to such things. They are willing to take barter instead of money as long as it is something like crops that they know they can resell at a port. In addition Wethie is a cleric and she ministers to the faithful and the needy wherever they go. She has trained her daughter to also be a cleric of her religion and she uses her to aid in ceremonies and ministering to the injured and sick.
The Tinker's Retreat (retreat as in a summer house not running away) is a standard configuration dragonfly for combat purposes but inside it is arranged differently. A forge exists in a room built in the cargo area. This room is covered in ceramic tile to prevent fire. A large loom or weaving and vats for curing leather also take up part of the cargo area. The crew quarters are where the 3 sons sleep while young Elsie gets a room to herself. This room was part of the captain's quarters but Harl built a wall and put in a door so the captain's quarters are now two rooms, one for him and his wife and a small one for their daughter. Finally the bridge also serves as a shrine to the family's chosen god.
The family not only manufacturers and repairs goods but they also carry an assortment of items picked up in port that they know their customers will want. In addition they carry mail from place to place and family to family, made especially easy by the fact that they know many of the people they sell to so they can easily locate the receiver. If the mail is to go to somewhere outside the area they travel they pass it on to another vessel when in port. Finally they are a source of news and whenever they drop by a small festival will develop during which they are encouraged to tell the stories they've heard and inform people about what is going on in the rest of the Empire and the spheres.
Harl and his family do not live an easy life, though it is a good one. In order to get his ship Harl had to get a loan (from a merchant who is breaking into the lower ranks of the nobility). As such he has to drop off payments on a monthly basis an sometimes money is short. So far he's never had to default on a payment or make it late, however. Secondly spelljamming can be a dangerous business, especially for a lone dragonfly without a full crew. As such every member of the family has learned how to fight and operate the ship in case of a battle. Wethie used to be the primary helmsman but that job has begun to fall to Elsie as part of her training. The ship's catapult is well maintained and a large supply of rocks is kept on hand in case of trouble. The family would rather flee from a fight than try to fight a battle, however, and never initiates hostilities. Harl relies on his friendship with the local Imperial Navy vessel to provide added security as he ensures that the ship's captain is aware of his general movements.
The family charges only slightly inflated prices for the items they sell (they have to make a profit on the resale of goods) and does repairs for a modest price based on the extent of the repairs and the value of an item (remember though, some repairs may end up being more costly than a new item of the same type). Prices should be assigned by the DM using the PHB, Arms and Equipment Guide, equipment lists from the various Handbooks and Complete Books, and Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue to determine a base price (on common items that are in demand mark up will be about 10% and it will rise based on how specialized the item is, how common it is, and how often people buy it, e.g. a skillet may be common but once you've got one it'll last a while so skillet sales are not as high as the item's frequency would indicate).
Harl Davinson, hm F4: hp 36; AL N(L); S 16; I 12; W 11; D 15; Cn 15; Ch 9; Cm 10; proficiencies: armorer ss, blacksmith, spacemanship, blind-fighting, carpentry, heavy crossbow specialization, morning star, shortsword, dagger, club; studded leather, buckler, morning star, shortsword, dagger, heavy crossbow, quiver of 40 heavy crossbow bolts
Harl started out as a Colonial Marine in the Imperial military (he has the marine kit from the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook). There he served on a couple outlying farming colonies and met his wife, Wethie. The two fell in love but she refused to marry him unless he left the dangerous life of a military man. So he decided to join the ranks of the traveling tinkers who plied their trade as he saw the outlying communities need more tinkers to support them. He enjoys his new life and the ship he bought with a loan he's still paying off. His family has grown with 3 sturdy sons and a daughter who's just reaching marrying age herself. Harl makes a decent living and is even saving up for the future. He plans to retire to one of the outlying trading town asteroids someday and give the ship, the loan, and the business to one of his sons. More immediately, however, he's concerned with finding a suitable husband for his daughter. Harl has traveled the area he does business in long enough that he gains all the benefits of having wildspace navigation in this area. Once outside it he gains no special benefits, however.
Wethie, hf C3: hp 10; AL NG; S 12; I 10; W 16; D 13; Cn 14; Ch 15; Cm 14; proficiencies: weaving, leatherworking, healing, staff, club; spells: 4L1, 3L2; staff, leather armor, small shield, wooden holy symbol (carved for her by Harl as a wedding present)
Wethie is a kind woman who loves helping others and hates fighting. She serves a local god of healing, family, or some other peaceful pursuit or the planar church of Elysium if there is no appropriate local deity in the campaign. Wethie has a happy life with Harl and shares his dreams of settling down. If they did so she could not only better spread her faith but also minister to those in need on a more regular basis. She memorizes on beneficial spells though occasionally she adds command in case one of her children is being difficult (she doesn't use it on Harl). Wethie is worried about finding a proper and good husband for her daughter, especially with such a strong adventurous streak. She is also not pleased with her sons' womanizing and is thinking of either forcing them to settle down or leave the family business. She doesn't want to do either and in truth is probably too kind hearted to do so even if she felt it was her only alternative.
Danin Harlson, hm F1: hp 8; AL NG; S 17; I 10; W 9; D 13; Cn 15; Ch 12; Cm 13; proficiencies: spacemanship, blacksmith (+2 bonus because he's been doing this all his life), carpentry, club, heavy crossbow; leather apron (AC 8 from the front only)
Danin is the family's eldest child and most likely to succeed his father. He is a charmer with the ladies however (+2 to charisma when trying to impress a woman) and has several scattered across the different colonies his family deals with. His mother is not pleased by his filandering and misleading young women in this way, however, and he may soon find himself ordered to find his own way in life when the Tinker's Retreat visits a port asteroid. Danin grew up at the forge and is intimately familiar with it. He can craft items even better than his father and is slowly being recognized as the master smith in the family. His work is always of the highest quality. Like the other boys in the family he's been trained to use his father's heavy crossbow and a club in battle, just in case.
Davin Harlson, hm F1: hp 9; AL NG; S 16; I 10; W 10; D 12; Cn 14; Ch 12; Cm 14; proficiencies: spacemanship, blacksmith (+2 bonus because he's been doing this all his life), club, heavy crossbow; leather apron (AC 8 from the front only)
Davin is very much like his older brother in personality and outlook but he doesn't like the travel and dangers of the family business. Instead he desires to settle down in a port town where his customers come to him and he can interact with others (especially the ladies) on a constant basis. He loves his family very much but hates the times when they travel and are alone, with no one else to talk to or spend time with. Davin has the same chances of being put off at a port as his older brother for his behavior. He would most likely consider this a blessing than a punishment, however. He has been taught to use a club and his father's heavy crossbow in case of a fight just like his brothers.
Wert Harlson, hm F1: hp 11; AL N(G); S 15; I 11; W 9; D 14; Cn 16; Ch 15; Cm 16; proficiencies: spacemanship, blacksmith, club, heavy crossbow, morning star; studded leather, buckler, morning star
Wert is the youngest son in the family and he and his sister spend much of their free time together talking and daydreaming. He has heard all his father's old stories and loves talking to other Imperial military personnel, adventurers, explorers, and mercenaries whenever he gets the chance. He was trained in club and his father's heavy crossbow like his brothers but his father was dismayed to find his youngest son had been using his old morning star to practice with. Wert is now skilled in that weapon too and with his father's assistance has made one for himself. He also owns a suit of studded leather and a buckler that he made (Elsie secretly made the leather armor for him to add metal plates to for his armor). Wert wants to become an Imperial Marine (not a Colonial Marine like his father was as he feels the regular marines probably see lots more action-and thus adventure) and will probably leave if his sister ever gets married. For now he sticks around to watch after his kid sister (and because he'll be lonely without his best friend). If his eldest brother is denied the family business it will probably be given to Wert, mostly in an attempt to force him to settle down before he does something his mother won't approve of.
Elsie Whitecloth, hf C1: hp 9; AL NG; S 10; I 12; W 14; D 13; Cn 15; Ch 15; Cm 16; proficiencies: weaving, leatherworking, healing, staff, club; spells: 3L1; wooden holy symbol (carved by her father), staff, leather armor
Elsie is 16 years old and shares her older brother Wert's adventurous spirit. Elsie doesn't actually want to be an adventurer or join the military herself, however (though there is no restriction on women doing so). Instead she thinks it is much more romantic to be married to a military man and wait on him to come home to tell of his latest triumphs. Such a life would also allow her to minister to a congregation and spread her faith, something she feels strongly called to do. Her mother isn't happy with the type of men she likes but so far hasn't tried to force her into any matches (her parents feel she's still a little too young to marry anyway, though she doesn't know this).
