The trickster is a person who lives by his wits. Smooth-talking,
quick-thinking and flashy, the trickster uses weapons as a last resort,
since his natural talents usually allow him to get in and out of trouble
without a fight.
Role-Playing: Tricksters can be role-played in a number of different
ways. At heart, however, all tricksters love adventure and love to work
a crowd. Some end up to be con-artists, others end up to be true showmen,
and still others work as part-time pickpockets.
Requirements: Tricksters need to be prepared for all sorts of
different situations. This being the case, tricksters must have a score
of at least 5 in Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, Strength, Reason, Perception
and Spirit. All tricksters love to be at the center of attention (as long
as the crowd isn't entirely composed of the city guard) and to work crowds,
so they must have a minimum score of 7 in Presence.
Since wit and show are a trickster's most important characteristics,
his Reason and Presence scores have no limit, but unfortunately, every
other ability score is limited to a maximum of 7. Furthermore, no trickster
can ever be a sorcerer, and so an ability code of X is required for his
Reason score. A trickster can have an ability code of up to B in Spirit,
but he must choose Alteration as his mystical sphere if he does. All other
abilities are limited to a maximum code of C.
Civilized humans, half-elves and kender can be tricksters.
Tricksters may not start out with a wealth score higher than 4, but
if he pulls any "scams" during the game that prove to be fruitful, this
score can be raised.
Advantages: Whenever trying to smooth-talk, hustle, charm, entertain
a crowd, or perform a similar Presence action, tricksters enjoy an automatic
trump bonus. This does not apply if the other party is hostile towards
the trickster.
Tricksters can also use their talents to work the opposite way. Whenever
trying to start a brawl, insult or enrage people, tricksters receive the
same bonus.
Every trickster has a specialty with some common item, such as a deck
of cards, a set of bean bags, a handkerchief, and so on (not a weapon).
A trickster can do all sorts of tricks and sleight-of-hand stunts with
this item, and so receives an automatic trump bonus whenever using it.
Furthermore, this bonus does not just apply to the one deck of cards or
one set of jacks that the trickster has always had, but to any similar
deck or set. The Narrator should use some discretion with this bonus.
For example, if the trickster attempts to sever the red dragon Malystryx's
head with a playing card, the Narrator should not allow the bonus.
A hero cannot acquire the trickster role during play.
Disadvantages: Tricksters rely heavily upon luck in their everyday
lives. Consequently, every trickster carries around a token of luck, like
a rabbit's foot or a lucky coin. If a trickster discovers that his token
is missing, he can never receive any trump bonuses, all of his actions
must be random draws, and he suffers a -3 penalty on all action scores
until he gets the token back. If this token is actually destroyed, he
must abandon this role. If he finds a new lucky token (on a quest) while
still without a role, he may re-adopt the role of Trickster immediately
without penalty. It is up to the Narrator to decide whether or not the
lucky token actually grants the hero any real bonuses.
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