MLM Owner (5e Background)
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: An MLM owner seems like a very specific kind of merchant based on a certain business model. While it can definitely be generalized more, the fluff here seems very specific to some kind of a general con man. It doesn't really explain MLM owners or how MLM works, and could use some more options and examples so people can better fit this into a game at the table.
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This page is of questionable balance. Reason: The tool proficiencies of adminship and prestige aren't tools. I'm not completely sold on the traits since placebo is kind of just a general snake-oil salesman thing, not unique nor limited to MLM owners. It'd be more interesting to probably have some connections as a retailer or something since this is a connected business.
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MLM Owner[edit]
You’ve always been good with your words and getting others to work for or with you, one day you got the bright idea to use these skills to start your own business. You sell a wide series of items that you choose but they do far less than you advertise or that you insinuate but never say, you sell them at high prices but the people buy them thinking they work. You never sold anything very commercial and standard, it was always something odd, something that ‘does a bit more’ than the classic items, something different. Your ‘potions’ were always easy sales due to the effects people thought they have.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Deception
Tool Proficiencies: Adminship, Prestige
Languages: one language of your choice
Equipment: A set of traveler's or fine clothes, a bag of holding that only holds trinkets, it's currently filled with 10 trinkets, and a belt pouch containing 10 gold
Feature: Placebo[edit]
The way you advertise your products is so believable that often people feel like the effect is working even if it's completely false. Three times per long rest you can claim an item has an effect and roll persuasion for who you’re trying to convince, they will believe the item has this effect until it is disproven in some way, if the effect is disproven you may roll deception with disadvantage giving a reason why the effect failed or the situation doesn’t count.
Alternate Feature: Contract Bind/Break[edit]
Your mastery of words and deception has let you both weasel out of contracts and make inescapable deals with others. Somehow along the line you learned tricks from strange sources that allow you to make contracts that are unbreakable for whoever signs them (unless otherwise specified) to a somewhat magical degree with all consequences are also binding. Your expertise also allows you to be amazing at finding loopholes and ways out of contract. 2 times per day you can spend 3 hours to make a contract you have truly binding or find a loophole in it (loopholes determined by DM).
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
Being someone who runs and owns an MLM, you typically just seem well put together if a little odd
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | You are abnormally friendly to all people you come across. |
| 2 | When you talk you often use trigger words, business lingo or otherwise attention-grabbing language to attract customers. |
| 3 | You are always on the lookout for a sucker to sell something worthless to. |
| 4 | You lie in order to possess items you deem as sellable or valuable such as lying about the items being previously yours. |
| 5 | You like to take the more risky route or longshot option. |
| 6 | You always present as happy and helpful. You keep a smiling, upbeat and a constant joyful customer service voice. You do it enough that it can come across as obnoxious and sickening sometimes. |
| 7 | You prefer to stay quiet so you can learn more about all potential clients more and they learn less about your business practices. |
| 8 | As a salesperson you recognise the importance of talking business while enjoying drinks… this leads to a habit of enjoying them a bit more during non-business times. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Favours. I live by the “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” philosophy, you keep note of every favour owed to you and you owe others. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Helper. I actually believe that the things you give people work and just want to help your customers. (Good) |
| 3 | Deception. I think every person's mind is just a toy. Some are harder to play with than others. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Ignorance. I think everybody is just that littlest bit dumber than you. (Evil) |
| 5 | Adventure. Every little treasure comes from a dark cave or a tall tower. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Greed. I'm only in it for the money and control. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your town was a den of sins and crime, you love your town and want to fix it and make it better so you started an MLM to raise the funds. |
| 2 | There is one thing I own that I would never ever let go of! Other people call it worthless but to you it’s priceless. |
| 3 | I love my friends, I'd almost always give them a fair price for anything I have. |
| 4 | My family was always cruel and shallow so the first chance you got you ran through they ruined your life so bad you can’t really make honest work anymore. |
| 5 | I kind of grew up on my own, I lived on the streets doing whatever it took to survive until they found me and took me in, now I’d do literally anything for them. |
| 6 | After I made my biggest sale by telling the truth about the product for the first time I got robbed so I took it as a sign to keep to the more sketchy stuff. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I’m always in customer service mode which can wear thin after a bit. |
| 2 | I’m always pushy, even if it can get me hurt |
| 3 | Every item I find I must take. |
| 4 | I take a long time to trust and my trust is easily broken. |
| 5 | I’m not good with following orders, I think as the boss I’m the leader. |
| 6 | I have one small tell when I lie, it's hard to notice though thankfully. |
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