Trickster

Class Stat

With piercing eyes and a cool mind, none can best the tactical mind of a Trickster. Spinning a web of deception and twisting the flow of battle to their advantage, Tricksters are to be feared. And yet, not for their overt strength. While not as obvious as a Berserker, or as flashy as a Black Mage, they make up for it in spades with their social prowess and subtle spells.

To be a Trickster is to walk into a card game knowing you hold all the aces, or at least, feeling confident you hold all the aces no matter what hand you're dealt. To a Trickster, the mind is definitely sharper than the sword.

Hit Points (HP)

Hit Dice 1d8 per level
HP at Level 1 8 + CON modifier
HP at higher levels 1d8 (or 4) + CON modifier per level

Proficiencies

Armour Light armour, bucklers
Weapons Simple weapons, cane swords, bladed fans, whips
Tools Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Gaming Set (Cards)
Saving Throws WIS, CHA
Skills Choose four from Arcana, Acrobatics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Trickster Table

Spell slots per spell level
Level Proficiency Bonus Abilities Tricks Known Traumatize Skills Known Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1 +2 Cardslinger, Traumatize - 1dX 1 - - - - - -
2 +2 Dealer's Gambit, Spellcasting 3 1dX 2 3 2 - - - -
3 +2 Expertise, Insightful Manipulator 3 2dX 3 4 3 - - - -
4 +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 2dX 4 5 3 - - - -
5 +3 Cardslinger (2), Tactical Strike 3 3dX 4 6 4 2 - - -
6 +3 Ability Score Improvement 5 3dX 5 6 4 2 - - -
7 +3 - 5 3dX 6 7 4 3 - - -
8 +3 Ability Score Improvement, Opportune Backstab* 5 4dX 7 7 4 3 - - -
9 +4 Insightful Manipulator (1 min) 5 4dX 7 8 4 3 2 - -
10 +4 - 7 4dX 8 8 4 3 2 - -
11 +4 Psychic Veil 7 5dX 9 9 4 3 3 - -
12 +4 Ability Score Improvement 7 5dX 10 9 4 3 3 - -
13 +5 - 7 5dX 10 10 4 3 3 1 -
14 +5 Soul of Deceit 7 6dX 11 10 4 3 3 1 -
15 +5 - 9 6dX 12 11 4 3 3 2 -
16 +5 Ability Score Improvement 9 6dX 13 11 4 3 3 2 -
17 +6 - 9 7dX 13 12 4 3 3 3 1
18 +6 Magickal Prowess 9 7dX 14 12 4 3 3 3 1
19 +6 Ability Score Improvement 9 7dX 15 13 4 3 3 3 2
20 +6 Calling Card 9 8dX 16 13 4 3 3 3 2

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

Or, you could choose to start with 4d4 × 10 gp and purchase your equipment.

Class Abilities

Variant Trickster and Spellcasting Ability Score

As a Trickster, you generally use your Charisma modifier for your spellcasting and some of your class and subclass (particularly Speechcraft and Shadowspell) features. However, with your DM's permission, you can choose to instead use your Intelligence modifier for all of your Trickster features that use your Charisma modifier by default. This represents you as a Trickster relying more on your tactical intellect to empower your abilities, rather than your ability to exert your force of will on the world.

Cardslinger

Not many people can fling a playing card at a straight line while maintaining the appropriate velocity for slashing the target. This is one prominent talent you acquired during your life as a trickster. With an appropriate adjustment on the card beforehand, a deck of playing cards is ammunition for you.

You are proficient with combat cards, a deck of cards with sharpened edges for the purpose of combat weaponry. A combat card is a ranged weapon that has the light, finesse, thrown (8m/20m) properties, and it deals 1d6 SLASH damage on a hit. Whenever you would draw or stow combat cards, you can draw or stow up to five cards at a time. Having multiple cards in one hand does not disadvantage you in any way from making a weapon attack with a combat card from that hand.

You can spend 10 minutes (e.g. during a short rest or a long rest) to prepare a deck of playing cards into combat cards. One deck of playing cards can be prepared into 56 combat cards this way.

From 5th Level onwards, whenever you use your bonus action to make a weapon attack using a combat card with two-weapon fighting, you can now apply your ability modifier to the damage of the attack.

Traumatize

Your attacks take advantage of creature's debilitation. Once per turn, whenever you hit a creature with an attack using a finesse weapon, you deal an additional 1dX damage, where X is dependent on the number of unique negative conditions on the target, as given below.

Number of conditions X
1 6
2 8
3+ 10

The amount of extra damage increases as shown on the Trickster Table.

Dealer's Gambit

Being a Trickster is not only your profession but also your style of life. At Level 2, you learn tricks which show a representation of your confidence in your skill.

Tricks

You learn three special tricks from the list below. Many tricks enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one trick per attack.

You learn additional tricks of your choice at the Levels shown in the Trickster Table.

You can use tricks a number of times equal to your DEX modifier (minimum once), and this replenishes on a short or long rest.

Saving Throws

If a trick requires a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your DEX modifier.

Trick Choices

Cut

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon; or a whip

You strike with your weapon in such a way as to leave a long lasting wound on your foe. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, it must make a CON saving throw or receive 3 stacks of

Sap
for 1 minute.
Deal

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon

As an action, make a weapon attack against three different creatures within range that are within 6m of each other. You must make a separate attack roll for each target, as normal, with a separate weapon. You can still use other Tricks in conjunction with this Trick.

Discard

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon; or a whip

You aim your weapon in such a way that it would make a creature drop an item that it is holding. For example, you try to aim at their hand if you want them to drop a sword. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can attempt to disarm the target. The target must make a DEX saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands 4m away from the creature in the direction of your attack.

Flourish

Requires: Combat cards

As an action, you can perform a flamboyant card trick, that dazzles the spectators. Each hostile creature within 6m of you must succeed on a WIS saving throw or they become distracted by your performance; until the end of their next turn, the next Attack Roll made against the creature is made with Advantage.

Fold

A good gambler knows when to fold. When you move on your turn, you can add your DEX modifier to your AC (does not stack with itself) until the end of the turn.

Long Shot

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon

You put some more force into the weapon you throw. When you perform the Attack action with a light, finesse, thrown weapon, you can perform this trick, causing all of your weapon attacks this turn to be Long Shots. Long Shots have their range increased by a number of metres equal to your DEX score, and you ignore the Disadvantage imposed if the target is within the long range of the weapon. You can still use other Tricks in conjunction with this Trick.

Mucked Deck

Requires: Combat cards

You throw a minimum of 26 combat cards into the air to distract your target and perform a Hide action as a bonus action. You are considered to be doubly proficient when you make this DEX (Stealth) check. Cards used in this way can still be collected afterwards, provided you spend 1 minute picking them up.

Penalty

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon; or a whip

You use your weapon in such a way that the creature loses balance. When you hit with a weapon attack, if the target is Large or smaller, it must make a STR saving throw or be knocked

Prone
.

Trick Shot

Requires: Combat cards

You take some time to throw a card to ensure that it hits your target, angling and curving the throw. When you perform the Attack action with a combat card, you can perform this trick, causing all of your weapon attacks this turn to be Trick Shots. Trick Shots have their range increased by a number of metres equal to your DEX modifier. Furthermore, you can target a creature that you have seen in the past minute, make the card swerve up to a maximum angle of 90°, which means you can hit creatures around corners, around cover, and even ignore the Disadvantage imposed by Prone, if the correct shot can be made. You can still use other Tricks in conjunction with this Trick.

Trump Card

Requires: A light, finesse, thrown weapon; or a whip

Your confidence really rubs others the wrong way at times. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can attempt to goad the target into attacking you. The target must make a WIS saving throw. On a failed save, the target has a Disadvantage on all attack rolls against targets other than you for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns to remove this effect.

Spellcasting

Spell Slots

The table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these Trickster spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At Level 2, you learn three Level 1 Trickster spells. You gain new Trickster spells at certain levels, as shown by the Trickster Table. Further, every time you gain a level, you may swap one of your Trickster spells with another one. These spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Trickster spells, since the power of your magick relies on your confidence and flair to exert your will on the world when you use spells. You use your CHA whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your CHA modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Trickster spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your CHA modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your CHA modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You can use combat cards as a spellcasting focus for your Trickster spells.

Insightful Manipulator

At 3rd Level, your insight into other creatures have improved dramatically.

If you spend at least 10 minutes observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:

At the DM's option, you might also realize you know a piece of the creature's history or one of its personality traits, if it has any.

At 9th Level, you only need to spend 1 minute in observation or interaction, and become able to learn the specific values of the creature's scores or levels.

Expertise

At 3rd Level, choose two of your skill proficiencies (in skills or with the Disguise Kit or Forgery Kit). Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

Ability Score Improvement

At Levels 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 19, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this skill.

You can forgo taking this feature to take a Feat of your choice instead.

Tactical Strike

Beginning at Level 5, your attacks allow you to determine a creature's weak points, making them vulnerable to a future attack, and letting your strikes and effects take hold.

Whenever you perform an attack with a finesse weapon, if your attack roll is greater than or equal to 5 + the target's AC, then the creature receives one stage of

Vulnerability
for 1 minute.

Moreover, when you hit with an attack or a creature makes a saving throw against one of your Trickster effects or spells, you can expend a spell slot after knowing the result of the roll to either increase your attack roll by +2 or increase your save DC by +1. For each spell slot above the first, up to 5th level, add an additional +2 to the attack roll or +1 to your save DC.

Note that if this feature applies Vulnerability, then you can trigger Traumatize because you can choose the order of when your on hit effects trigger.

Opportune Strike*

From 8th Level onwards, you are able to capitalise on the distraction when your enemy is hit by your ally. You can choose to forgo spending a skill point to learn the Opportune Backstab reaction below:

Reaction Trigger: A creature within your reach of your melee weapon, or within range of your ranged weapon, is hit by a melee attack from one of your allies.

Effect: Make a weapon attack against the creature.

*Attack of Opportunity variant: You can only learn this feature if you are using this variant.

Psychic Veil

Starting at 11th Level, you can weave a veil of psionic static to mask your physical presence.

As an action, you can magickally become

Invisible
, along with anything you are wearing or carrying, for 10 minutes. While invisible in this way, you are Resistant to all damage except for FORCE damage. This invisibility ends if you make an attack, or force a creature to make a saving throw.

If you make an attack or target one creature with a spell or ability while you are Invisible from this ability, they must succeed on a CON saving throw against your spell save DC, or else become

Stunned
until the end of your next turn, as you channel the psionic energy into the attack or spell.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your CHA modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Soul of Deceit

At Level 14, your mind becomes protected by your personality and force of will. You gain 1 stage of Resistance to PSYCHIC damage, and your thoughts can't be read by telepathy or other means, unless you allow it. You can present false thoughts by succeeding on a CHA (Deception) check contested by the mind reader's WIS (Insight) check. Additionally, no matter what you say, magick that would determine if you are telling the truth indicates you are being truthful if you so choose, and you can't be compelled to tell the truth by magick.

Moreover, you cannot be perceived by magickal scrying sensors unless you so choose to be.

Magickal Prowess

At Level 18, you have learned enough about the workings of magick that you can improvise the use of items even when they are not intended for you. You ignore all class, race, and level requirements on the use of magickal items.

Calling Card

At Level 20, you have learned to infuse your Mist into a card in such a way that you can cast powerful magicks from it. When you prepare your combat cards, you can also use that time to infuse up to two cards, which can hold a spell of 1st through 5th Level. To infuse a card, you and the person casting the spell must be touching the card. You expend any spell slot, and the spellcaster expends the appropriate spell slot, storing the spell into the card. Depending on the card you chose, the infused spell gets the following bonuses:

Suit/Card Spell
♣ If the range of the spell is 2m or greater, then the range of the spell is doubled, with a minimum range of 100m. Otherwise, if it has a range of touch, its range becomes 30m.
♦ The creature has Advantage on maintaining Concentration on the spell that was cast.
♥ You can reroll any number of damage dice displaying a 1 or a 2, and must use the new result. If a spell performs healing, it heals the maximum amount.
♠ The spell save DC of the spell increases by 1.
Red Joker The casting time of the spell becomes 1 bonus action.
Black Joker If the duration of the spell is 1 minute or longer, it increases duration as follows: 1 minute → 10 minutes → 1 hour → 8 hours → 24 hours → 5 days

As an action (or a bonus action when using the Red Joker), a creature can speak a command word designated by you and hold up an infused card, releasing the magick from within. The spell uses the slot level, spell save DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability of the original caster, but is otherwise treated as if the user cast the spell. When a card is used in this way, it becomes a normal combat card again. You can only have up to 5 infused cards at a time; infusing more cards beyond this limit dispels the magick from one card of your choice. The magick within an infused card fades after 10 days.