Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma
- Skills: Investigation, Persuasion
- Tool: Calligrapher's Supplies
- Feat: Skilled
Description
You have spent years poring over documents and records, honing your ability to uncover hidden details and present arguments with grace. Your keen mind and steady hand make you adept at navigating complex social and bureaucratic webs. Whether drafting correspondence or negotiating terms, you excel at turning words into tools, often catching subtle clues others miss in the course of your duties.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Calligrapher's Supplies, a Traveler's Clothes, a small notebook, a bottle of ink, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Records and secrets
- Family: Urban
- Primary pillar: Intrigue
- Secondary pillar: Social
- Themes: bureaucratic intrigue, document forgery, social negotiation, hidden clues, contract disputes
What this background is good for
Choose Clerk if you want a character who turns bureaucratic intrigue, document forgery, social negotiation, hidden clues, and contract disputes into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Investigation and Persuasion, so the background naturally rewards players who ask questions, notice patterns, and act on practical details. As a Urban background, it gives the character a clear place in the world instead of just a mechanical bonus. The Skilled feat, Calligrapher's Supplies, and Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Cunning Negotiator rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around bureaucratic intrigue, document forgery, social negotiation, hidden clues, and contract disputes.
- You are considering Rogue, Bard, Wizard, and Cleric and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You navigate complex social webs and uncover hidden details through careful scrutiny and precise communication.
Table cues
- Identify forged or altered documents quickly
- Spot social cues during negotiations
- Recall obscure laws or rules
- Notice who benefits from contracts
- Track changes in official correspondence
For Dungeon Masters
Use Clerk when the campaign benefits from scenes about bureaucratic intrigue, document forgery, social negotiation, hidden clues, and contract disputes. The Urban angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Investigation, Persuasion, and Calligrapher's Supplies can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: identify forged or altered documents quickly.