Details
- Abilities: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Investigation, Perception
- Tool: Forgery Kit
- Feat: Alert
Description
You are skilled in uncovering hidden truths and piecing together puzzles from scant clues. Your keen senses and sharp mind keep you alert to danger and deception, allowing you to anticipate threats before they strike. Whether tracking secrets or exposing lies, you rely on your dexterity and insight to navigate complex situations with precision and care.
Equipment
Choose A or B: (A) Forgery Kit, Traveler's Clothes, Burglar's Pack, 10 GP; or (B) 50 GP
At a glance
- Table role: Scout and early warning
- Family: Urban
- Primary pillar: Exploration
- Secondary pillar: Intrigue
- Themes: investigating crimes, gathering secrets, forging documents, street informants, hidden clues
What this background is good for
Choose Sleuth if you want a character who turns investigating crimes, gathering secrets, forging documents, street informants, and hidden clues into usable table momentum. Its skill package points toward Investigation and Perception, 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 Alert feat, Forgery Kit, and Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom abilities help define how this character contributes before initiative is rolled.
Play this if...
- You want to play a Cunning Investigator rather than a generic adventurer.
- You want scenes built around investigating crimes, gathering secrets, forging documents, street informants, and hidden clues.
- You are considering Rogue, Wizard, Bard, and Fighter and want the background to support that identity.
How to play this background
You uncover hidden truths through careful observation and clever deception in the city’s darkest corners.
Table cues
- Identify who benefits from hidden information.
- Spot forged documents or altered evidence.
- Track unusual movements in crowded areas.
- Listen for whispered rumors in taverns.
- Note suspicious behavior near crime scenes.
For Dungeon Masters
Use Sleuth when the campaign benefits from scenes about investigating crimes, gathering secrets, forging documents, street informants, and hidden clues. The Urban angle gives you a quick way to attach NPCs, locations, favors, and complications to the character. Build scenes where Investigation, Perception, and Forgery Kit can reveal information, open a route, or change how an NPC reacts. A simple recurring cue: identify who benefits from hidden information.