Nobility from Crime

You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them

Your family consists of experienced criminals with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You’re far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.

Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth, History, Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies: Two types of gaming sets, thieves’ tools, 

Languages: One of your choice

Equipment: A crowbar, a set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Nobles are born and raised to a very different lifestyle than most people ever experience, and their personalities reflect that upbringing. A noble title comes with a plethora of bonds—responsibilities to family, to other nobles (including the sovereign), to the people entrusted to the family’s care, or even to the title itself. But this responsibility is often a good way to undermine a noble.

Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.

d8	Personality Trait
1	My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world.
2	I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
3	No one could doubt by looking at my regal bearing that I am a cut above the unwashed masses.
4	I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
5	My favor, once lost, is lost forever.
6	The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it.
7	If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.
8	I blow up at the slightest insult.

d6	Ideal
1	Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
2	Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil)
3	Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
4	People. I’m loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
5	Family. Blood runs thicker than water. (Any)
6	Redemption. There’s a spark of good in everyone. (Good)

d8	Bond
1	I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.
2	I’m trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.
3	My house’s alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs.
4	My ill-gotten gains go to support my family.
5	Nothing is more important than the other members of my family.
6	Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
7	I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.
8	My loyalty to my sovereign is unwavering.

d10	Flaw
1	I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me.
2	When I see something valuable, I can’t think about anything but how to steal it.
3	When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money.
4	I too often hear veiled insults and threats in every word addressed to me, and I’m quick to anger.
5	I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying.
6	I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures.
7	I turn tail and run when things look bad.
8	In fact, the world does revolve around me.
9	An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.
10	By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.