As I’ve been moving my way through recreating Dark Sun for Fifth Edition based heavily off the 2nd edition version (’cause I’m a grumpy old man), one of my players and I have been talking about the actual setting for my own campaign. Dark Sun had a pretty cool supplement back in 2nd called Dune Trader. Basically, players played a burgeoning merchant house trying to gain footing in Athas. It was like the “start-up entrepreneur” campaign of Dark Sun. To me–being an entrepreneur expert as my day job–felt right up my alley.

The Trader Class (Design Notes)

In the Dune Trader supplement, there was a class called trader. The trader was like a hodgepodge of modern bard and rogue with a little fighter thrown in.

The player interested in Dune Trader had the following requests for a Fifth Edition version of the class:

“Trader should be fighter lite (med armor, shields, a few martial weapons) with a little skill monkey thrown in.”

“I’d say trader as a fighter archetype makes more sense if you are attaching it to a class. Bard actually, but Bards [don’t work] here.”

“Expert sidekick is a good start. Remove the Helpfulness, Cunning Action, Helpful action and put in some enhancers to insight and persuasion plus maybe some Mastermind ability to size up NPCs and you’d be in the park.”

With all that in mind, here are what 2nd edition traders were capable of:

They had the same progression as rogues and could use rogue abilities.

Typically, they carried concealed weapons.

“They generally have no qualms about accompanying bands of roving adventurers, acting as negotiators, interpreters, and diplomats, appraising and bargaining for treasure and supplies”

At 10th level and higher, traders attract agents. “These agents are individuals of

exceptional abilities, rather than the large numbers of low-level warriors attracted by fighters.”

Now, of course, this is all hinging on the fact that a lot of 2nd edition special powers were more “roleplaying powers.” Kind of like the background features. They’re only as good as the DM that implements them and sort of hard to ‘RAW’ify (if you catch my drift).

Skill monkey class in Fifth Edition?

One thing I feel is missing out of the core 13 is a generalist/skill monkey that isn’t a “sneaky-stabby” class or “promiscuous dandy” (aka rogue and bard). Even if the bard goes more college of whispers, the whole arcane magic thing doesn’t really fit into my vision of a trader. And one thing my player didn’t really want is for the trader to rely on hiding and cunning action to deal damage.

What we both like, however, is the expert sidekick class. It gets extra attacks and has lots of cool skills. Of course, it lacks the power of a real class, but it does show the potential in a Fifth Edition generalist.

Assumptions and Understanding

Building classes is a pain in the ass. It really is. For one, the core 13 does a great job of covering all the bases. Second, even the lead designers at Wizards seem to have trouble adding in new classes. Don’t believe me? Just go see all the feedback those guys get on Mystics and Artificers. Hell, even the PHB Ranger gets non-stop tinkering from the boys in Renton.

I suppose when I make this build there need to be a few clarifications:

This is a very specific build for a very specific campaign. Sort of like the PHB ranger, it may not fit in every campaign. I’m cool with that. The concept I’m meditating on is one that’s heavy utility, low martial. This may be a turn off to some modern player sensibilities. During the construction of this class, I hope to take a preexisting build (probably a high utility bard, rogue, or even the ranger), optimize it, and do what I call “parallel build”. Basically, I make sure that all of its abilities line up with where it needs to be at that level.

The Parallel Build Itself – Ranger

It was tough deciding on which class I wanted to do a parallel build on. In the end, I went with the ranger. They’re very specific classes for very specific campaigns–just like this class. And they have special powers which help them while traveling and in certain circumstances.

Here is a breakdown of how I plan on doing this (by the way, I based it on the UA ranger and not the PHB version):

1st Level Ranger Favored Enemy is a pretty neat feature. I think it would be cool to change it into something more social. Instead, I think a “favored enemy” style feature that works more for negotiation and dealing would be a good idea. Natural Explorer is also pretty neat and useful for a trader who has to travel all over. This could work in different environments, too, such as urban, etc.

2nd Level Ranger Fighting Style is cool and I might keep it. Spellcasting I think can be replaced with either a feat or something different. At the very least, I’d prefer it to be some sort of power that the trader could lean on.

3rd Level Ranger Primeval Awareness (the UA version) lets you communicate with beasts and sense if your favored enemies are around. Ranger Conclave introduces archetypes: Beast Master, Hunter, and Stalker. I will probably need to add in something similar here for the trader. Trader Conclave?

4th Level Ranger Ability Score Improvements – no need to change this.

5th Level Ranger Conclave feature is at 5th. This is a big departure from the PHB ranger, since the PHB ranger has extra attack here. Two of the three conclaves get the extra attack, with Beast Master getting extra goodness from the companion. I may follow the same path but with an “agent” instead. 2nd Level Spells come in at this level, too, offering more utility.

6th Level Ranger Greater favored enemy allows a +4 bonus to damage rolls (plus all the other favored enemy stuff) when dealing with big-time threats. I’m not a huge fan of this in general. Traditionally, 6th level features are on the weaker side.

7th Level Ranger Conclave feature here.

8th Level Ranger Ability Score Improvement. Fleet of Foot lets the ranger take the Dash action as a bonus action. This replaces Land’s Stride which allows rangers to move through difficult terrain.

9th Level Ranger 3rd Level Spells say hello here, so I’ll keep that in mind when building this out.

10th level Ranger Hide in Plain Sight gives creatures a -10 penalty to detect you. I may substitute this with another ASI.

11th Level Ranger The 11th level archetype feature is pretty powerful so I’ll need to adjust accordingly.

12th Level Ranger Ability Score Improvement.

13th Level Ranger 4th Level Spells

14th level Ranger Vanish adds Hide to the ranger’s bonus action economy. This is pretty dang useful all around but comes in so darn late in the game. Again, I might just replace this with one last ASI.

15th Level Ranger The final ranger conclave feature.

16th Level Ranger Ability Score Improvement

17th Level Ranger 5th Level Spells

18th Level Ranger Feral Senses are very similar to blindsight in a lot of ways, removing disadvantage from unseen creatures and making it so you can detect invisible things.

19th Level Ranger Ability Score Increase

20th Level Ranger Foe Slayer lets the ranger add its Wisdom modifier to its attack rolls or damage rolls once per turn, more or less bumping up their DPR by 5. Not the best capstone ever, but shouldn’t be hard to replace.



Now that we understand how the UA Ranger is structured, it’s time to start building the Trader Class.

Trader

In a world where life’s basic necessities–food, water, metal–are in short supply, the individual who can provide them wields enormous influence. While disliked and often openly reviled by the sorcerer-kings, traders are popular with ordinary citizens. They are tolerated everywhere, for without them life on Athas would come to a grim end.

Quick Build

You can make a trader quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom or Charisma. Second, choose the guild merchant background.

The Trader

Level Proficiency Bonus Features Knacks Known 1st +2 Insightful Influencer (1 minute), Expertise – 2nd +2 Tactical Maneuver, Knacks 2 3rd +2 Trader Archetype 2 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 5th +3 Trader Archetype feature, Insightful Influencer (10 minutes) 3 6th +3 Expertise 4 7th +3 Improved Agility 4 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 9th +4 Tenacious 5 10th +4 Ability Score Improvement 5 11th +4 Trader Archetype feature, Insightful Influencer (1 hour) 5 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 6 13th +5 Polyglot 6 14th +5 Stealth Maneuver 6 15th +5 Trader Archetype feature 7 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 7 17th +6 Mind Fortress, Insightful Influencer (8 hours) 7 18th +6 Reactive 8 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 8 20th +6 Quick Thinker 8

Class Features

As a trader, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per trader level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per trader level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, scimitars, shortswords

Tools: One toolset of your choice

Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma

Skills: Choose four from Animal Handling, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Survival

Equipment

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

(a) a steel scimitar, (b) a bone longsword, or (c) any simple, non-metallic weapon

(a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

One toolset of your choice

Leather armor and a bone dagger

Insightful Influencer

Your keen insight and experience aid you in fostering relationships, developing trust, and brokering deals. At 1st level, you gain the ability to immediately gain insight on a potential mark or foe. As a bonus action, choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The creature must make a Charisma saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. On a failed saving throw, you gain the following benefits against that creature:

You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability checks directed at that creature.

You gain a bonus to attack rolls against the creature. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.

These benefits last for 1 minute, until you are incapacitated, or you use this feature on another creature.

If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target realizes that you were trying to gain insight on it, and you can’t gain these benefits against that creature again for 24 hours.

As you gain levels in this class, the duration of your benefits increases. At 5th level, the duration increases to 10 minutes; at 11th level, it increases to 1 hour; and at 17th level, it increases to 8 hours.

Expertise

At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that use either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 6th level, you can choose two more of your skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Tactical Maneuver

Starting at 2nd level, your experience and quick thinking allow you to assist your allies in combat. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Disengage, Help, or Use an Object action.

Knack

As a wanderlust king or a queen, you’ve picked up specialized skills and talents that give you an edge over your competitors.

Starting at 2nd level, you gain two knacks of your choice. The knack options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain trader levels, you gain additional knacks of your choice, as shown in the Knacks Known column of the Trader table.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the knacks you know and replace it with another knack that you could learn at that level.

Trader Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you emulate in the implementation of your knowledge and skills: Diplomat, Menace, or Silver-Tongue. Your archetype choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 5th, 11th, and 15th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level 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 feature.

Improved Agility

At 7th level, you gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws.

Tenacious

Whether it’s innate stubbornness or incredible luck, you’re exceptionally difficult to take down. Starting at 9th level, if you fail a saving throw, you can roll it again with advantage. Once you do so, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and frightened.

Polyglot

Thanks to your travels and experiences, you’ve learned a smattering of every spoken language, including archaic and alien ones. Starting at 13th level, through a mix of limited vocabulary, body language, and keen insight, you can carry on a normal conversation with a creature that does not share a common language with you. It takes four times longer than normal to convey messages than it does to speak the same idea plainly in a shared language. You still cannot read and write in a language that you do not know.

In addition, you learn Thieves’ cant.

Stealth Maneuver

Starting at 14th level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Tactical Maneuvers to take the Hide action.

Mind Fortress

Starting at 17th level, you are difficult to read and nearly impossible to persuade. You gain the following benefits:

Unless you allow it, you are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions or read your thoughts, including divination spells.

You can’t be affected by enchantment spells of 5th level or lower unless you wish to be, and you have advantage on saving throws against all other enchantment spells.

When another creature makes a Wisdom (Insight) check to discern your motives or detect whether or not you are lying, it makes its check with disadvantage.

Reactive

At 18th level, you are so good at reading other creatures and their motives that you can use it to your advantage in combat. When a creature that you can see targets you with a melee or ranged attack, you can use your reaction to make a single weapon attack against the attacker. If your attack is successful, the creature must succeed on a concentration check. If the creature fails its concentration check, its attack automatically misses.

Quick Thinker

At level 20, your ability to read a situation is unparalleled. After you roll initiative, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Trader Archetypes

While it may seem like all traders are wheelers-and-dealers cut from the same cloth, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Some traders use finesse and honesty in their negotiations while others may rely on deceit and lies. A few even use intimidation to get their way.

Diplomat

The diplomat is the consummate persuader and relationship builder. Diplomats know that trading is a long game and the quick-wins won through lies and cheating are easily washed away.

Fascinating Presence

At 3rd level, while you are wearing light armor or no armor, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to half of your Charisma modifier (rounded down). You still gain the benefit of shields while using this feature.

Charmer

Starting at 3rd level, you can beguile others with your words and repartee. As an action, you can charm a creature that is affected by your Insightful Influencer feature. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed saving throw, the creature is charmed by you for the duration of the Insightful Influencer effect or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. When the Insightful Influencer effect ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Calming Presence

Beginning at 11th level, you have a peaceful demeanor that comforts others around you, even those that are hostile toward you and your allies. Any creature who targets you with an attack or a harmful spell must first make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. This effect doesn’t protect you from area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball.

In addition, you can immediately use your reaction to calm a creature that fails is initial saving throw. The creature must make another Wisdom saving throw against the same DC. On a failed saving throw, the target becomes indifferent towards you and any creatures of your choice that it is hostile towards. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed.

If you attack a creature, cast a spell on it, or deal damage to it, you lose the benefits of this feature until you finish a long rest.

Rouse

At 15th level, your calming presence inspires your allies to defend you with vigor and determination. As long as you maintain the benefits of your Calming Presence feature, each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you gains a +2 bonus to their attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.

Menace

In your mind, the trick to getting what you want is through power and fear. Intimidation is your favorite tool and you use it liberally. And when intimidation doesn’t work, you turn to physical harm, letting your agents and followers do all the work on your behalf.

Bonus Proficiencies

Starting at 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

Demoralize

At 3rd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with an attempt to demoralize one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed saving throw, the target is frightened until the end of your next turn. On a successful saving throw, the target can’t be frightened by you in this way for 1 hour.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Loyal Agent

Also at 3rd level, you attract the services of a tough right hand that acts as your bodyguard and enforcer.

While in an urban setting, after 8 hours of cajoling and 50 gp worth of bribes, you gain the companionship of a tough assistant (mostly earned through promises of future fortunes). You must select your loyal agent from among the following NPCs: acolyte, bandit, cultist, guard, scout, thug, or tribal warrior. Your GM might pick one of these NPCs for you, based on the surrounding terrain and on what types of NPCs would logically be in that area. In addition, your agent’s name, gender, and race are determined by your GM.

At the end of 8 hours, your NPC appears and gains all the benefits of your Agent’s Creed feature. You can have only one loyal agent at a time.

If your agent ever dies, you can replace your agent with another following 8 more hours of work and an expenditure of another 50 gp.

Should your original agent be brought back to life while you have the services of another agent, your current agent leaves you and is replaced by the restored agent.

Agent’s Creed

Your loyal agent gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.

The agent loses its Multiattack action if it has one.

The agent obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.

Your loyal agent has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your agent uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it

normally uses its proficiency bonus, a loyal agent also adds its proficiency bonus to its

AC and to its damage rolls.

Your agent gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws. For each level you gain after 3rd, your agent gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your agent’s abilities also improve. Your agent can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your agent can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

Your agent shares your alignment and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your agent shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The trader who travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”

When you use your Insightful Influencer feature, your agent gains the same benefits against any target affected by it.

Personality Trait

d6 Trait 1 I’m dauntless in the face of adversity. 2 Threaten my friends, threaten me. 3 I stay on alert so others can rest. 4 People look at me and assume that I am unintelligent; I use that to my advantage. 5 I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time. 6 I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things.

Flaws

d6 Flaw 1 I have a compulsion to steal from others. 2 I don’t trust strangers, and all creatures except the trader are strangers to me. 3 I enjoy drinking perhaps a little too much. 4 I’m deathly afraid of heights. 5 I’m not good at hiding my emotions. 6 I don’t bathe regularly.

Coordinated Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you and your loyal agent become a more potent fighting team. When you use the attack action on your turn, if your agent can see you, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack.

Whirlwind Attack

At 11th level, your agent can use its action to make a melee attack against each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target.

Superior Defense

At 15th level, whenever an attacker that your agent can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it.

Silver-Tongue

You’re a fast-talking, quick-witted charlatan, whose cunning words cajole, delude, and bewilder easy marks.

Master of Deception

At 3rd level when you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency with the disguise kit, the forgery kit, and one gaming set of your choice. You also learn two languages of your choice.

In addition, when you use your Insightful Influencer feature, you have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand and Stealth) checks against that creature.

Feint

Starting at 3rd level, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with an attempt to deceive one humanoid you can see within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed saving throw, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from the target and your attack rolls against it have advantage; both benefits last until the end of your next turn or until you use this feature on a different target. If the target succeeds on its saving throw, the target can’t be deceived by you in this way for 1 hour.

Extra Attack

Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Backstab

At 11th level, you can use your insight to deal extra damage. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 2d10 damage to one creature you hit with a weapon attack if the creature is under the effects of your Insightful Influencer feature.

Undetectable

Starting at 15th level, you are virtually undetectable. You can’t be targeted by any divination magic, perceived through magical scrying sensors, or automatically detected by similar special abilities (such as the invisible stalker’s Faultless Tracker feature). In addition, all Wisdom (Survival) checks used to track you are made with disadvantage.

Knacks

All knacks have proficiency requirements; you must be proficient in the skill or tool to learn it. You can learn the knack at the same time you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. The knacks are grouped by their proficiency requirements, then presented in alphabetical order.

Acrobatics

You must have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill in order to learn the following knacks.

Kick-up

You have advantage on saving throws and ability checks against being knocked prone. In addition, when you’re prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed.

Slippery

You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to avoid and escape grapples and to avoid being shoved by another creature.

Tumbler

As an action or bonus action, you can move through a single hostile creature’s space without making a check.

Animal Handling

You must have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill to learn the following knacks.

Animal Whisperer

All non-hostile beasts of your choice within 10 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Beast Command

You can use an action on your turn to command one friendly beast within 60 feet of you that can hear you and that isn’t currently following the command of someone else. You decide now what action the beast will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you issue a general command that lasts for 1 minute, such as to guard a particular area.

Creature Speak

Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Large or smaller beasts.

Arcana

You must have proficiency in the Arcana skill to learn the following knacks.

Arcane Savant

Prerequisite: 13th Level, Intelligence 13 or higher

When you use a magic item that requires your own spellcasting ability when you cast a spell from the item, your spellcasting ability is Intelligence.

Magical Appraisal

If you spend at least 1 hour observing and interacting with a magic or magic-imbued object, you can learn certain information about its capabilities and features. This trait otherwise works like the identify spell but isn’t itself magical. You may use this trait as part of a short rest.

Magic Detection

If you spend 1 minute observing an item or a space measuring no more than 5 feet by 5 feet, you can sense whether or not it is magical or under the effects of magic. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.

Xenologist

Whenever you make an Intelligence (Arcana) check related to the origin or lore of aberrations and monstrosities, you make the check with advantage.

Athletics

You must have proficiency in the Athletics skill to learn the following knacks.

Climber

Climbing does not cost you extra movement, and when you must make a Strength (Athletics) check related to climbing, you make the check with advantage.

Swimmer

Prerequisite: 5th Level

Swimming does not cost you extra movement. In addition, you can hold your breath twice as long as normal.

Grappler

If you are grappling with a creature and it attempts to escape your grapple, you have advantage on your Strength (Athletics) check to resist.

Deception

You must have proficiency in the Deception skill to learn the following knacks.

Distraction

Prerequisite: 5th level

On your turn, you can use your action to distract a non-hostile creature within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you, the creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other than you. On each subsequent turn, you can use your bonus action to maintain the distraction. You can distract the creature in this way for up to 1 minute, at the end of which it can make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check. On a successful check, the creature realizes you were distracting it. Either way, the effect ends for it and you can’t use this knack on the same creature again or 24 hours.

False Thoughts

Prerequisite: 17th level

When your thoughts are read by telepathy or other means, you can present false thoughts by succeeding on a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the mind reader’s Wisdom (Insight) check.

Misdirection

Prerequisite: 13th level

You can cause another creature to suffer an attack meant for you. When you are targeted by an attack while a creature within 5 feet of you is granting you cover against that attack, you can use your reaction to have the attack target that creature instead of you.

Persuasion Synergy

Prerequisite: Persuasion proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

History

You must have proficiency in the History skill to learn the following knacks.

Anthropologist

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin or lore of giants and humanoids, you make the check with advantage.

Engineer

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to architecture, constructs, or technological devices, you make the check with advantage.

Geographer

Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to places in the world, you make the check with advantage.

Historian

When you take the Help action to aid another creature’s ability check, you can make a DC 15 Intelligence (History) check. On a success, that creature’s check gains a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus, as you share pertinent advice and historical examples. To receive this bonus, the creature must be able to understand what you’re saying.

Insight

You must have proficiency in the Insight skill to learn the following knacks.

Arcane Recognition

Prerequisite: Arcana proficiency, 9th Level

When you successfully use your Insightful Influencer feature on a creature, the GM tells you if the creature can cast spells either innately or as a spellcaster. You do not know what type of spells the creature can cast, only that it can cast them.

Conflict Sense

As long as you are not surprised, you gain a +2 bonus to initiative rolls against creatures that you can see.

Deception Synergy

Prerequisite: Deception proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Insightful Defense

As a bonus action, you can make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the Charisma (Deception) check of a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If your check is successful, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC and saving throws against that creature’s attacks until the start of your next turn.

Intellectualism

When you successfully use your Insightful Influencer feature on a creature, the GM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to its Intelligence and Wisdom scores.

Intimidation Synergy

Prerequisite: Deception proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Persuasion Synergy

Prerequisite: Persuasion, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Psychoanalysis

Prerequisite: 7th Level

When you use your Insightful Influencer feature, you also realize you know a piece of the creature’s history or one of its personality traits, if it has any. The GM decides what you learn.

Stealth Synergy

Prerequisite: Stealth proficiency, 11th Level

Whenever you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Talk Down

Prerequisite: 7th Level

You can use your action to end one effect on a creature within 30 feet of you that is causing it to be charmed or frightened.

Intimidation

You must have proficiency in the Intimidation skill to learn the following knacks.

Fearsome Combatant

When you score a critical hit against a creature, you can immediately use your bonus action to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, the creature is frightened of you for 1 minute. On its turn, the creature can use its action to end the effect on itself.

Interrogator

If you spend 1 hour interrogating someone who can understand what you say, at the end of the hour you can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If the creature has less than half its hit points, it makes its check with disadvantage. On a successful check, the creature cannot deliberately lie while within 30 feet of you for 1 minute. You know whether or not you succeed on the check.

An affected creature is aware of the effects of your interrogation and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.

Menacing Presence

If you spend 1 minute talking to someone who can understand what you say, you can make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If you or your companions are fighting the creature, your check automatically fails. If your check succeeds, the target is frightened of you as long as it remains within 60 feet of you and for 1 minute thereafter. While frightened of you in this way, the creature has disadvantage on all of its ability checks.

Mock

Prerequisite: 5th Level

As a bonus action, you can unleash a string of insults at a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the target can hear you, make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by its Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, the creature has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

War Cry

When a creature within 30 feet of you that can see you and hear you targets you with an attack and before it makes its attack roll, you can use your reaction to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by its Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, the creature must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from its attack roll.

Alternatively, you can use your bonus action to make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the Wisdom (Insight) check of a creature within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you. On a successful check, can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to your attack roll.

Once you use this knack, you can’t use either of these benefits again until you complete a short or long rest.

Investigation

You must have proficiency in the Investigation skill to learn the following knacks.

Domain Familiarity

You can spend 8 hours becoming intimately familiar with an area no bigger than 15 feet by 15 feet. Once you are familiar with the area, you gain the following benefits while you are in the area:

You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) scores.

You can detect invisible creatures and objects in the area. You can’t see them, but you are aware of their presence.

You know whether or not any creature other than yourself has entered the area within the last 24 hours.

If anything is missing from the area or out of place, you immediately recognize what it is.

These benefits remain until you spend more than one week away from the area or you use this knack to become intimately familiar with another area.

Finder of Secrets

You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to detect the presence of secret doors and traps.

Quick Study

You can take the Search action as a bonus action.

Medicine

You must be proficient in the Medicine skill to learn the following knacks.

Combat Medic

You have advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks to stabilize a dying creature.

Student of Anatomy

Prerequisite: Perception proficiency, 5th Level

As long as you can see your target, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 against humanoids and beasts.

Triage

During a short rest, you can clean and bind the wounds of up to six willing beasts and humanoids. Make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check for each creature. On a success, if a

creature spends a Hit Die during this rest, that creature can forgo the roll and instead regain the maximum number of hit points the die can restore. A creature can do so only once per rest, regardless of how many Hit Dice it spends.

Nature

You must be proficient in the Nature skill to learn the following knacks.

Animal Handling Synergy

Prerequisite: Animal Handling proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Biologist

Whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) check related to the origin or lore of beasts, fey, or plants, you make the check with advantage.

Medicine Synergy

Prerequisite: Medicine proficiency, 9th Level

Whenever you make a Wisdom (Medicine) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Survival Synergy

Prerequisite: Survival proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Wisdom (Survival) check, ou can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Perception

You must be proficient in the Perception skill to learn the following knack

Discern

Being in a lightly obscured area doesn’t impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks if you can both see and hear.

Investigation Synergy

Prerequisite: Investigation proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Lookout

If you and your allies are surprised at the beginning of combat and you aren’t incapacitated, you and your allies gain a +2 bonus to your AC and saving throws until the start of your first turn.

Pinpoint

You can use your action to gain brief insight on the defenses of a target within 30 feet of you. On your next turn, you gain advantage on your first attack roll against the target. If your turn ends and you don’t make an attack, you lose the benefit of this knack.

Spotter

Prerequisite: 9th Level

When you take the Search action, you have advantage on your Wisdom (Perception) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Vigilance

Prerequisite: Survival proficiency

While you are traveling at a fast pace, you do not suffer a penalty to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score.

Performance

You must be proficient in the Nature skill to learn the following knacks.

Deception Synergy

Prerequisite: Deception proficiency, 5th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Distracting Performance

Prerequisite: 5th Level

You can create a distraction through dance, poetry, singing, or some other method to cause creatures within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If you are fighting the creature or the creature can’t be charmed, it succeeds on its saving throw automatically. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other than you until the end of your next turn. On each subsequent turn, you can use your action to extend the effect until the end of your next turn, up to 1 minute.

Mimicry

You can unerringly mimic the speech patterns and accent of a creature that you hear speak for at least 1 minute, enabling you to pass yourself off as a native speaker of a particular land, provided that you know the language.

Play Dead

Prerequisite: 5th Level

After a creature makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to fall prone in your space. You then make a Charisma (Performance) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If successful, on your next turn, you gain advantage on your first attack roll against the target. If your turn ends and you haven’t attacked the creature, you lose this benefit. Once you use this knack, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.

Persuasion

You must be proficient in the Persuasion skill to learn the following knacks.

Deception Synergy

Prerequisite: Deception proficiency, 7th Level

Whenever you make a Charisma (Deception) check, you can treat a d20 roll of 7 or lower as an 8.

Gossip

If you spend 1 hour in a populated area gathering information on a specific topic, you can make a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, you learn one piece of lore. The GM is the final arbiter concerning exactly what you learn. For example, for a monster or an NPC, you can reveal elements of its statistics or personality. For a location, you can reveal secrets about it, such as a hidden entrance, the answer to a riddle, or the nature of a creature that guards the place. The information gleaned in this way does not have to be true or correct (GM’s discretion).

Motivational Talk

You can inspire others through stirring words. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 30 feet of you that can hear you. That creature gains one Motivation die, a d4.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Motivation die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Motivation die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Motivation die at a time. If the creature already has a Bardic Inspiration die, it cannot gain a Motivation die.

Once you use this knack, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Religion

You must be proficient in the Religion skill to learn the following knacks.

Necrologist

Whenever you make an Intelligence (Religion) check related to the origin or lore of undead, you make the check with advantage.

Planar Theologian

Whenever you make an Intelligence (Religion) check related to the origin or lore of celestials, elementals, and fiends, you make the check with advantage.

Sleight of Hand

You must be proficient in the Sleight of Hand skill to learn the following knacks.

Concealer

When you conceal an item weighing no more than 1 lb and measuring no more than 12 inches on a side on your person, passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) checks used to spot the item are made with a -5 penalty.

Concealed Weapons Expert

Prerequisite: 5th Level

You can use your bonus action to draw a concealed weapon. When you do, you can make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by a creature’s Wisdom (Perception) check. On a successful check, your next attack against that creature is made with advantage as long as you make the attack before the end of your current turn.

Pickpocket

You have advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks made to lift an item off another person or slip something out of another person’s pocket as the long as the object weighs no more than 1 lb and measures no more than 12 inches on a side.

Quick-Fingered

As a bonus action, you can make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to plant something on someone else, conceal an object on a creature, lift a purse, or take something from a pocket.

Stealth

You must be proficient in the Stealth skill to learn the following knacks.

Alertness

Prerequisite: Perception proficiency

While in the wilderness, you have a +2 bonus to your initiative checks.

Hunter

Prerequisite: Survival proficiency

If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.

Move Silently

If you are hidden, you can move up to 10 feet in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in a position where you’re not clearly visible.

Sneak

Prerequisite: 12th Level

You have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you more no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Survival

You must be proficient in the Stealth skill to learn the following knacks.

Circumspect

Prerequisite: Perception proficiency

While traveling at a normal pace in the wilderness, you can actively notice threats and perform one of the following activities at the same time: navigate, track, or forage.

Forager

While traveling for an hour or more in the wilderness, when you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.

Pathfinder

While traveling for an hour or more in the wilderness, difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. Also, your group can’t become lost except by magical means.

Tracker

When you make Wisdom (Survival) checks to track a creature, you make your check with advantage. You also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

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Art by Brom and Wizards of the Coast

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