In the mystical realm of fantasy, where magic and myth collide, there are those who are adept at using their wits to gain an advantage. Grifters, these smooth-talking rogues, are masters of manipulating situations with their silver tongues, always a step ahead of their marks. Whether it’s working a crowd, distracting with misdirection, or weaving a web of words to sway their targets, the grifter is the ultimate con artist. They thrive on quackery and deception, exploiting the gullible and unsuspecting for personal gain, be it fame, fortune or power. With their cunning and charisma, grifters can bend reality to their will, making the impossible seem possible, and the unbelievable, believable. Their skills are highly coveted in the shadowy underworld of fantasy, where secrets and lies reign supreme, and only the craftiest survive.
Ability Focus: Charisma
Hit Points: d6
Ancestries Allowed: Human, Draco, and Halfling
Starting Reputation: -1
Restrictions: Grifters can only wear leather armor and can only use weapons 3 lbs and lighter
Starting Equipment
A backpack, a bedroll, a belt pouch, caltrops, chalk (10), a flint and steel, a grappling hook, an iron pot, a mess kit, a mirror, pitons (10), rope, soap, thieves’ tools, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), and a water skin.
Starting Money
All characters start with 2d4 x 10 gold pieces
Special: Grifters can speak one additional language
Grifter Skills
As a grifter player, you have a set of specialized skills that are unique to your class. You can distribute +3 points to these skills at each level, as you wish. The numbers in parentheses indicate the starting value of the skill, which is a combination of your ability score and a bonus number. For example, if you have a Charisma of +3 your Deception skill would start at +3.
To use these skills in the game, you would describe to the Dungeon Master how you are using your skill in a specific situation. For example, if you want to use your Bluff skill to deceive a guard and gain access to a restricted area, you would describe how you are going to approach the guard and what you are going to say. The Dungeon Master would then ask you to roll a d20 and add your Bluff skill bonus to the roll.
If your roll is high enough to meet or exceed the difficulty check set by the Dungeon Master, you succeed in using your skill. In this case, the guard might be convinced by your lie and let you pass. However, if your roll is lower than the difficulty check, you fail and the guard might become suspicious and call for backup.
Similarly, you can use your other specialized skills in different situations, such as your Sleight of Hand skill to plant false evidence on someone. In each case, you would describe your actions to the Dungeon Master and roll a d20 to determine your success or failure.
- Deception (Charisma): The art of lying convincingly. Used to convince others to believe something that isn’t true, or to hide one’s true intentions or identity.
- Persuasion (Charisma): The art of convincing others to do what you want. Used to persuade someone to take a particular course of action, or to agree with your point of view – whether by a valid logic or by fear.
- Sleight of Hand (Dexterity): The art of performing small, quick movements. Used to perform tricks or hide objects from view, such as palming a coin or picking a pocket.
- Forgery (Intelligence): The art of creating convincing fake documents or items. Used to create false identification or documents, or to forge a valuable item.
- Insight (Wisdom): The art of reading others’ intentions and emotions. Used to understand someone’s motivations or intentions, or to detect when someone is lying.
- Perception (Wisdom): The art of noticing details and changes in the environment. Used to spot hidden objects or clues, or to detect someone who is trying to remain hidden.
At Level 2 (2,000+ Experience Points)
Gain hit points by rolling 1d6 + Constitution and adding it to your total hit points
Level up any of your Grifter Skills by distributing 3 skill points
At Level 3 (4,000+ Experience Points)
Gain hit points by rolling 1d6 + Constitution and adding it to your total hit points
Level up any of your Grifter Skills by distributing 3 skill points
Increase Ability Focus to 2
At Level 4 (8,000+ Experience Points)
Gain hit points by rolling 1d6 + Constitution and adding it to your total hit points
Level up any of your Grifter Skills by distributing 3 skill points