My DM is looking to start up a Waterdeep Heist campaign fairly soon, and I figure it might be my time in the Cleric barrel. I decided that a (2024) Trickery Domain cleric sounds right for a campaign with "heist" in the name, and Waukeen is one of the few Forgotten Realms deities with the Trickery Domain which were not outright evil aligned. Unfortunately, that's about where my knowledge of Forgotten Realms deities ends.

I don't have a lot of ideas, other than perhaps he has a two-headed coin of Waukeen for a holy symbol (one facing left, one facing right), which he occasionally uses to trick people whenever anyone lets him flip a coin to make a decision. But I need more ideas than that. Any suggestions which I can use as inspiration to portray a Cleric of Waukeen would be helpful.

Thanks!

Waukeen's a deity of commerce and business -- merchants, smugglers, moneylenders etc. Tying that to the Trickery domain is, err, tricky, because she's not about outright thievery and conning folks, and chaos and business don't necessarily mix well

However, I could see leaning into disruption (in the modern techbro sense) as an interesting guiding principle for the character. You'd be looking to topple monopolies, the super-wealthy, and old tradition-bound guilds so that smaller, hungrier entrepreneurs can rise in their place and thrive. "Think of me as the middle finger on the Invisible Hand"

A Cleric of Waukeen with the Trickery Domain could be operating in black market market as master of deception, perhaps with a legal business as front while being involved in illicit trade, It could aim to be a disruptive force for the hierarchy, mocking model of traditional commerce with elaborated subterfuge. Example could be a smuggler or fence, or seller of cheap copies of otherwise expensive product or otherwise illegal goods, substances or medecine for less than legal ones. A counterfeiter  of fake coin, toal, tradebar or credit letter to overshadow legal coinage system. It could be a moneylender with lower rates than legal bank, be a promoter of illegal gambling not sanctioned by Waterdeep gambling dens in attemps to undermine the Lords Government or mercantile trade etc...

Such Coinspinner would worship an aspect of The golden Lady as the goddess of illicit trade, patron of many smugglers, fences, black marketeers, and businessmen on the shady side of commerce.

To mock the Masked Lords, suck Cleric could have a secret identity operating with hooded cloak and black mask in back alleys at night, only known by nickname on the streets of Waterdeep. 

It could be member of a sinister group known as the League of the Six-Fingered Gentlemen or League of Six Rings part of church of Waukeen who in the past spread the Harlot's Coin Heresy among Waukeen's faithful, claiming Waukeen had been gradually selling off pieces of her divinity and virtue to Graz'zt and these heretics believe that all who worshiped Waukeen were really worshiping Graz'zt instead, the demon-prince of pleasure, decadence and corruption. 

Epitome of counterintelligence could involve such Cleric often be or having been hired as a private contractor by Waterdeep Officials to identify fake money or art, illegal import/export goods, unapproved drugs etc. It coud have been independant commercial inspector checking businesses for irregularities, fiscal loopholes, illegal practices, a illicit gambling or pyramidal system etc

Quote from AntonSirius >>

Waukeen's a deity of commerce and business -- merchants, smugglers, moneylenders etc. Tying that to the Trickery domain is, err, tricky, because she's not about outright thievery and conning folks, and chaos and business don't necessarily mix well

However, I could see leaning into disruption (in the modern techbro sense) as an interesting guiding principle for the character. You'd be looking to topple monopolies, the super-wealthy, and old tradition-bound guilds so that smaller, hungrier entrepreneurs can rise in their place and thrive. "Think of me as the middle finger on the Invisible Hand"

According to the wiki, her domains are Knowledge and Trickery. Because I was going for the Trickery domain, all I was looking for was a Forgotten Realms deity who (1) has Trickery as a domain, (2) isn't evil-aligned, and optionally (3) isn't super obscure. I don't have a lot of FR knowledge, so if you have better knowledge of someone who fits those conditions, I'm listening.

A merchant who is into disruption is an interesting angle to think about, though, thank you.

Quote from Plaguescarred >>

A Cleric of Waukeen with the Trickery Domain could be operating in black market market as master of deception, perhaps with a legal business as front while being involved in illicit trade, It could aim to be a disruptive force for the hierarchy, mocking model of traditional commerce with elaborated subterfuge. Example could be a smuggler or fence, or seller of cheap copies of otherwise expensive product or otherwise illegal goods, substances or medecine for less than legal ones. A counterfeiter  of fake coin, toal, tradebar or credit letter to overshadow legal coinage system. It could be a moneylender with lower rates than legal bank, be a promoter of illegal gambling not sanctioned by Waterdeep gambling dens in attemps to undermine the Lords Government or mercantile trade etc...

Such Coinspinner would worship an aspect of The golden Lady as the goddess of illicit trade, patron of many smugglers, fences, black marketeers, and businessmen on the shady side of commerce.

To mock the Masked Lords, suck Cleric could have a secret identity operating with hooded cloak and black mask in back alleys at night, only known by nickname on the streets of Waterdeep. 

It could be member of a sinister group known as the League of the Six-Fingered Gentlemen or League of Six Rings part of church of Waukeen who in the past spread the Harlot's Coin Heresy among Waukeen's faithful, claiming Waukeen had been gradually selling off pieces of her divinity and virtue to Graz'zt and these heretics believe that all who worshiped Waukeen were really worshiping Graz'zt instead, the demon-prince of pleasure, decadence and corruption. 

Epitome of counterintelligence could involve such Cleric often be or having been hired as a private contractor by Waterdeep Officials to identify fake money or art, illegal import/export goods, unapproved drugs etc. It coud have been independant commercial inspector checking businesses for irregularities, fiscal loopholes, illegal practices, a illicit gambling or pyramidal system etc

 

Thank you, those are helpful ideas for brainstorming. I'll think about those.

Maybe your cleric is a fire genasi. Maybe they worship the phoenix because of its ability to regenerate and heal.

You could be . . . Waukeen Phoenix. 

Get it? 

(i'll see myself out, sorry)

Would you consider being a cleric of Tymora, the deity of Good Luck? Try using the Trickery spells to aid people while hindering goes?

I've been playing around with my idea a bit more. I still have probably another month before I'll need  to use the PC (I'm finishing up running a one-shot for the regular DM and others).

I've come up with an idea of a priest who acts as a bit of a fence for artworks and jewelry stolen from the richest in Waterdeep; the ones who are unfairly manipulating the flow of con and commerce to their own ends - those who go against her principles of "free and fair trade". He redistributes most of his cut to the needy, with an overall, long-term goal of balancing the scales a bit better. He can act as a bit of a go-between if someone with money wants to acquire something (or even re-acquire something stolen from them). The gods are notoriously fickle, of course, but Waukeen might be more favorably inclined with, say, a sizeable donation to a charity or foodbank.

He's not nearly as subtle or clever as he thinks he is, and has made enemies, some of which might suggest the Archbishop should take a closer look at a certain poor parish's financial books...

 EDIT: Not "Archbishop," but... "Spender." I guess this character will be of the rank "Lender."

Quote from GeijerFeyLock >>

Would you consider being a cleric of Tymora, the deity of Good Luck? Try using the Trickery spells to aid people while hindering goes?

I'm not strictly opposed, but "good luck" is pretty general and doesn't provide a lot of inspiration for background. Essentially, I'd have to ask this exact same question again except for Tymora.

Quote from Stabbey_TC >>

I've been playing around with my idea a bit more. I still have probably another month before I'll need  to use the PC (I'm finishing up running a one-shot for the regular DM and others).

I've come up with an idea of a priest who acts as a bit of a fence for artworks and jewelry stolen from the richest in Waterdeep; the ones who are unfairly manipulating the flow of con and commerce to their own ends - those who go against her principles of "free and fair trade". He redistributes most of his cut to the needy, with an overall, long-term goal of balancing the scales a bit better. He can act as a bit of a go-between if someone with money wants to acquire something (or even re-acquire something stolen from them). The gods are notoriously fickle, of course, but Waukeen might be more favorably inclined with, say, a sizeable donation to a charity or foodbank.

He's not nearly as subtle or clever as he thinks he is, and has made enemies, some of which might suggest the Archbishop should take a closer look at a certain poor parish's financial books...

Putting on my DM hat, I really like this. Also provides a handy reason why he might need to leave Waterdeep suddenly, if the campaign heads in that direction