Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy-based role-playing game that has been around for a while and is very popular among young and old players. where you are allowed to create your character and control that character in certain situations. Each character you choose must also have a certain dnd 5e background. This article will help you with every aspect of creating a character in D&D 5th edition, focusing on the Charlatan 5e background.
DnD Charlatan 5E Overview
A character full of controversy, sometimes with a hidden identity, and the one who will act out of curiosity rather than charlatan is the one who will just wait and watch and act accordingly in secrecy without letting anyone know.
You know people well and you know what they want. As a D&D Charlatan, you know their weaknesses and strengths, and not only this but you are also aware of your own skills that you use for deception. With your charming looks and flattering personality, you constrict people into your deals and make them do what you wanted them to do.
These attributes of a typical Charlatan background is the result of long-term exposure to such an environment and interaction with such people that somehow or somewhere deceived him for their personal gains and this deceitfulness of the society made him what he is today; so, this is what molds a naïve person who lacks any worldly wisdom, experience, and sophistication into a person who knows the psyche of a person and how to manipulate him/her for his own personal gains.
| Skill Proficiencies | Deception and Sleight of Hand |
| Tool Proficiencies | Disguise Kit, forgery kit |
| Equipment | A set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, a tool of the con of your choice (ten stoppered bottles filled with colored liquid, a signet of the ring of an imaginary duke), and a belt pouch containing 15 GP. |
Favorite: Scheme
As a Charlatan 5e, you have to choose your favorite scheme; it is like a deception in which you are good at or your favorite kind of Deception. Roll on the table or choose from the following table:
| D6 | Scam |
| 1 | I cheat at games of chance. |
| 2 | I shave coins or forge documents. |
| 3 | I insinuate myself into people’s lives to prey on their weakness and secure their fortunes. |
| 4 | I put on new identities like clothes. |
| 5 | I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. |
| 6 | I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money. |
Feature: False identity
Being deceitful and notorious in nature a typical Charlatan has to maintain another identity that he wears most of the time just to make sure that he is not being caught by anyone. False identity enables a charlatan to do those things which he cannot carry out as a real him because it will ultimately get him caught and not the body wants it. This dual nature helps him in getting out of troublesome situations and also helps a Charlatan to take advantage of the people.
Now the question is what motivates a Charlatan to do all these things?
Well, the answer to this might be a hard nut to crack because no one knows the real Charlatan 5e because of his false identity, his flattery, and his happy-go-lucky nature. He will not expose his real self at any cost, but it is certain that a Charlatan does that because he people to know of his presence in society by not exposing his real identity and he manipulates people by getting friendly and by knowing the deep insecurities and taking advantage of it and indirectly forcing them to make decisions in a Charlatan’s favor.
Suggested Characteristics
Personality Trait
| D8 | Personality Trait |
| 1 | I fall in and out of love easily and am always pursuing someone. |
| 2 | I have a joke for every occasion, especially on occasions where humor is inappropriate. |
| 3 | Flattery is my preferred trick for getting what I want. |
| 4 | I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. |
| 5 | I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. |
| 6 | Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice. |
| 7 | I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. |
| 8 | I pocket anything I see that might have some value. |
Ideal
| D6 | Ideal |
| 1 | Independence I am a free spirit— no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Fairness I never target people who cannot afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful) |
| 3 | The charity I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) |
| 4 | Creativity I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Friendship Material goods come and go. Bonds of friendship last forever. (Good) |
| 6 | Aspiration I am determined to make something of myself. (Any) |
Bond
| D6 | Bond |
| 1 | I fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure that this individual never crosses paths with me or those I care about. |
| 2 | I owe everything to my mentor—a horrible person who’s probably rotting in jail somewhere. |
| 3 | Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. |
| 4 | I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who stole them from me. |
| 5 | A powerful person killed someone I love. Someday soon, I’ll have my revenge. |
| 6 | I swindled and ruined a person who didn’t deserve it. I seek to atone for my misdeeds but might never be able to forgive myself. |
Flaw
| D6 | Flaw |
| 1 | I can’t resist a pretty face. |
| 2 | I’m always in debt. I spend my ill-gotten gains on decadent luxuries faster than I bring them in.. |
| 3 | I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others. |
| 4 | I’m too greedy for my own good. I can’t resist taking a risk if there’s money involved. |
| 5 | I can’t resist swindling people who are more powerful than me. |
| 6 | I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I’ll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough. |
Why roleplay a DND Charlatan?
The best thing about a Charlatan background is that he or she has to maintain two personalities, so, it is like you are not only playing the actual character but an additional character as well. People are not aware of your hidden identity and also the motives behind why have you maintained another identity. So, role-playing a Charlatan 5e is a kind of interesting and enjoyable thing to do.
