The Charlatan

By Alex Bakunin with minor adaptations by Sage1029

Most of these rubes wouldn't know a real wizard if one came along and turned them into a duck. So, I come through a town, put on a little show, make a few coins. Everybody wins. I leave with full pockets, and they get a story to tell for the rest of their lives about their brush with the mystic. As a matter of fact, I'd say they get the better end of this whole deal.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it seems the villagers want to present me with some honorary pitchforks.

Building a Charlatan

Pick both a personal name and a stage name (The Wonderful Pirelli, Wise Circe, Great Timea, Sage Medea, Amazing Gustav, etc)

Pick your Race

Dwarf

You never go anywhere without some booze to ease your way. Add the following item to your Bag of Tricks:

• The good stuff (counts as two uses of Halfling Pipeleaf)

Elf

Everyone just assumes you are magical. When you demonstrate your 'magic' powers, observers will require explicit proof before doubting you

Halfling

As quick with your hands as you are with your mouth, you may use Sleight of Hand with +DEX instead of +INT

Human

You may use the fact you have just met someone as leverage, but only once per person

Choose your Background as a Charlatan

Peddler

You always have a trove of useless trinkets at hand. When you purchase something, the price is reduced if you trade some of those trinkets in addition to COIN

Stage Magician

Long past your days of stage fright, when you perform a move in front of a crowd, take Advantage

Storyteller

Trained to tell all sorts of stories, you can always use your tall tales as leverage when you Parley

Starting Moves

Your charlatan starts with 25-COIN and their Bag of Tricks. Your Damage Die is d6. You start with all these moves:

Con Artist

When you tell someone something they are inclined to be skeptical of, roll +CHA. ✴On a 10+, they buy it. ✴On a 7-9, they believe you, but the GM will choose one: they need proof of your trustworthiness before doing anything that could get them in trouble, or they realize you aren't to be trusted in a few minutes.

Sleight of Hand

When you pick a lock, conceal a small object from view, pick a pocket, or escape your restraints roll +INT. ✴On a 10+, you succeed unnoticed. ✴On a 7-9, you are still successful but the GM will offer you two options between suspicion, danger, or cost. Pick one.

Bag of Tricks

Your bag of tricks contains a number of useful props, such as 'magic' wands, powders that change the color of fire and smoke, crystals, and tarot cards. When you take a few minutes to inventory and sort through your bag, gain 2-Props. As long as your bag is at hand, spend Props, one for one, to use the following items:

• Flash paper (blind a Close enemy for a few moments
• Cherry bomb (Thrown, Near, +1-Damage, Loud
• Firework (Loud, bright and colorful, can be set on delayed timer

An Eye for Mark

When you enter a settlement you've never visited before, or one you've visited previously that has had a major shake-up, the GM will name a gullible NPC who resides there. This figure will welcome you and defend your reputation even long after your true nature has come out.

Advanced Moves

Levels 2-5

When you gain a level from 2-5, and you choose to take an Advanced Move, you may choose from these moves:

Nothing up my Sleeve

When you inventory your bag, gain one additional Prop. When your bag is out of reach, you may spend all your remaining Props to use an item from it as if it were in reach.

Patent Medicine

Add the following item to your Bag of Tricks:

• Snake oil (ignore all levels of a debility for a few minutes)

Just a Misunderstanding

When you're in a crowded place and need to get lost, roll +INT. ✴On a 10+, you're gone. ✴On a 7-9, you can leave but if you do you either leave something behind or take something with you, GM's choice.

Master of Disguise

You have added a disguise kit containing various wigs, makeup, etc. to your Bag of Tricks. You'll need an appropriate amount of time to create a convincing disguise, and any needed clothing or accessories must be found separately. Your appearance will not give away your disguise, but your actions may.

Fortune Teller

When you tell a mark their future, roll +CHA. ✴On a 10+, they will believe you and act as if that is their fate until your prediction is proven wrong or you are shown to be a fraud. ✴On a 7-9, you are still successful, but the mark will be suspicious and look for reasons to disbelieve you.

A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

When you Spout Lore on a 7-9, you may ask your GM to give you two pieces of information instead of one piece of moderately useful info. One of these pieces of info will be true and useful. The other will be completely wrong.

Don't Bullshit a Bullshitter

When you listen to someone's story, you may make your own addition and roll +CHA. ✴On a 10+, they either accept your addition and confirm it to others listening or pause dumbfounded for a moment. ✴On a 7-9, they can instead choose one of the following: remember a pressing engagement, change the subject, tell you what they think you want to hear, or challenge you physically or verbally.

Behind You!

When you Aid or Interfere, you may spend 1-Prop to get a 7-9 result instead of rolling normally.

Patsy

When you get into trouble with an authority figure, you can have a hireling under your command take the fall and be detained for a day or two before the law learns the truth. Your hireling patsy must be at least somewhat loyal to you (+1 Loyalty), though they may not be loyal after they are released from jail. As long as you have loyal hirelings, you have potential patsies.

Knave of All Trades

You may attempt non magical moves of other classes, however all rolls are made with Disadvantage and you can only obtain the 7-9 result at best.

Levels 6 Onwards

When you gain a level from 6 onwards, and you choose to take an Advanced Move, you may choose from these moves, or the Levels 2-5 Moves.

Troupe

Requires: Master of Disguise
You may apply your disguises to others.

Cowardice

When you're outnumbered, take +1-Armor.

Reputation

When you first meet someone who's heard stories of you, roll +CHA. ✴On a 10+, tell the GM two things they've heard about you. ✴On a 7-9, you tell the GM one thing and the GM will tell you another.

The Long Con

When you set up a complicated scheme targeting a mark, roll +INT. ✴On a 10+, Hold-3. ✴On a 7-9, Hold-1. When you are in your mark's company, you may spend one hold to convince them you had something to do with a recent event, or that you have nothing to do with a recent event.

Know-it-All

When your allies consult you on a topic you claim to be knowledgeable on, tell them what you know. They take Advantage while acting on your advice, no matter how absurd. If your counsel gets them into danger or embarrassment, you both Mark-XP.

Master Magician

When you have time to inspect and prepare a stage or other area without arousing suspicion, name the special effect that you want to set up (trapdoor disappearing act, smoke and mirror conjuring, wire levitation, etc) and spend 1-Prop. At your signal, the desired effect will go off.

Pyrotechnician

You're a skilled fire eater or poi dancer, and can use your skills in a fight if needed. Add the following item to your Bag of Tricks:

• Firewater and Torch (Reach, Piercing-2, Dangerous, Fire)

Desperate Lie

When you have no leverage and need to Parley, you may ask the GM to name a treasure you don't have or an influential figure you don't know. You can claim to know the NPC or have the item and use that as leverage; better hope the target doesn't need too much proof.

Loyal Assistants

Replaces: Patsy
No mere patsy now, your hirelings gain +1 Loyalty and will buy you time to get our of town when the heat is on. They'll meet back up with you as soon as they are able to.

Factotum

Requires: Knave of All Trades
When you want to attempt something, tell the GM what you want to do and roll +relevant attribute. So long as what you are attempting is not magical, you always have the possibility of succeeding, no matter how specialized the skill may be. Rolls are made with Disadvantage and at best you can only obtain a 7-9 result.

Death Move: They Are The Law

You truly were "Amazing", "Incredible" and "Wonderful", and in the last moments of your life you look back to the adventures you had. Through countless towns and countless cons, your luck held. You always got out just ahead of the authorities with your coin pouch laden down with your "hard-earned" coinage. Sure, in every town, the suspicion of the high magistrates grew until they eventually dispatched a special force to hunt you down and bring you in, but its not like "the Law" ever even got close to you. Well... at least not in your life. As you die, these magistrate forces arrive and you can tell them one last lie. It could be a lie that turns them against the foe that killed you, or a lie that ensures the crimes of your friends and allies are forgiven. Whatever it is, once you tell it (and they believe it), you die. For the remainder of the scene, the magistrate enforcer and her goons work to fulfill the last lie of the Charlatan.

Credits

Original playbook by Sears Poncho, found here. Version two of the Charlatan, which this playbook is adapted from by Alex Bakunin and shared under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.