You have always had a knack for games of chance. You can count cards with ease, run the odds on a bet in a moment, and with a few leading questions you can read other's tells like they were children's books. It's a useful talent, and one that you're perfectly willing to use for your advantage.

You know know how to take advantage of the greed and desperation of others. Common sense should steer people away from things that sound too good to be true, but common sense seems to be in short supply when you're around. Whether you are running a street corner shell game stall, hustling Farkle in an alleyway, or sitting at the high roller table at the most upscale casino in town, you know how to come out a winner, or at least how to keep the bookies at bay long enough to pay them back.

Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from: Deception, Insight, Performance, or Sleight of Hand.

Tool Proficiencies: Any two gaming sets.

Equipment: A set of common clothes, a gaming set of your choice, tools of the con of your choice (three seashells and a kola nut, a set of weighted dice, a deck of marked cards, or a two-headed coin), and a pouch containing 15 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Use the tables for the charlatan background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a sharper.

Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues.

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 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.

d6	Ideal
1	Independence. I am a free spirit—no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
2	Fairness. I never target people who can’t afford to lose a few coins. (Lawful)
3	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’m determined to make something of myself. (Any)

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. Some day 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.

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.