Negotiator (5e Background)

Negotiator

You're a deal maker, you make a living in through negotiating difficult trade.

Whether your a fiend or evil god that trades in souls, or your a traveling merchant on caravans wending through thick forests or across difficult terrain, to isolated settlements and trading posts scattered in throughout the world.

Or perhaps a merchant that specializes in magical trinkets that you bought from traveling traders and adventures, or even rear gems from miners that are to be sold them in your own little shop.

Or even a slaver or someone that specializes in criminal activity like drug dealing or fencing stolen goods, and other such reprehensible acts.

Whatever your background you are an expert at the art of negotiations. Either born with a silvered tong or forged skills through a teacher and experience, you have an uncanny ability to find the best deal no matter the situation.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight and Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies: A set of artisan’s tools of your choice or a musical instrument of your choice.

Languages: You know two languages of your choice.

Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a letter of introduction from your guild, a set of artisan’s tools of your choice or a musical instrument of your choice, a magnifying glass, a set of traveler's clothes, and a pouch containing 15 GP.

Line of Work

Most of the time, you prefer to make a specific types of deals. Sometimes, these may bleed together. Either way if you have no specialist knowledge of a certain item you probably know someone that is.

You may choose a line of work to represent what your character deals in, or you can determine it randomly by rolling on the table below.

d12	Specialization
1	Adventurer's goods ( such as clothing, rations and rope etc...).
2	Military / Mercenary Companies (Hired help, war engines, war animals or NPC's that can join a party).
3	Black Smithing, Weapons and Armor (This includes the materials needed to make such items).
4	Accommodation and transport. (This includes cost of food and inns).
5	Magical items, weapons and armor.(This includes potions, spell components and scrolls).
6	Rare acquisitions or specialist goods (Items such as jewelry and gem stones, ancient artefacts or works of art etc...).
7	Agricultural, fishing or commercial items (Such as work animals, live stock and other farmed or commercial goods).
8	Tool and crafting items (Such as musical instruments, thieves tools and smiths tool etc...).
9	Political dealings (This can include large scale trade deals between tribes, nations or continents, royal weddings, peace treaties and a myriad of other such dealings).
10	Other worldly pacts (This can range from the granting or receiving boons from magical sources such as gods, angels, demons and devils. Boons being use as a catch all for status buffs, magical items, wishes or other such things that beings of such a caliber would provide).
11	Slavery / and for lack of a better term Human trafficking.
12	Other criminal activities such as the smuggling of contraband and prohibited products, fencing of stolen property and other such activities.

Feature: Insider Information

You have knowledge that may be helpful, especially when pertaining to business or negotiations. You may know something off the top of your head, your DM might have you make a history check, or you may know a place that you could find information that would help you. Either way, this information may come in the form of names, documents, locations, maps, images, or a strange message.

Additional Feature: Silver Tonged

You have a way of getting exactly what you need, usually at someone else's expense. You can usually convince someone to give you food or shelter for the evening, as long as they don't dislike you. However, they may decide that they aren't pleased with their end of the bargain and they may decide not to be as easily inclined to help you in the future. The nature of the interaction and feelings of the other party involved are up to your DM.

Suggested Characteristics

Deal makers unless they have honorably dealt with the individual in the past are often seen as wormy, mean, or un trust worthy. knowing that this is the case they understand the value of hard work and the importance of having connections, and building repour with the right type of people.

If you are playing an evil merchant, demon / devil, or evil god they understand the value of targeting people that are vulnerable to blackmail, and the sins of greed and covetousness.

Deal makers are cultured, well-travelled, and knowledgeable. This generally leads them to act kind and personable in order to build repour with their target. Also, seeing the treasures of the world sometimes opens the door to intense greed in those who practice the trade of trade.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I love a good bargain and have a hard time turning one down, even for things I do not need.
2	I’m full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion.
3	The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden.
4	I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick.
5	I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
6	If you do me an injury or slight, I will crush you, ruin your name, and salt your fields.
7	The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it.
8	I blow up at the slightest insult.

d8	Ideal
1	Honor. I don’t steal from others in the trade and I always honor my deals. (Lawful)
2	Power. If I can attain more power, no one will tell me what to do. (Evil)
3	Aspiration. I work hard to be the best there is at my craft. (Any)
4	Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil)
5	People. I’m loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
6	Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with some dignity. (Any)
7	Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic)
8	Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)

d6	Bond
1	I’m trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.
2	My reputation as a dealer means everything to me.
3	Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back.
4	I will become the greatest that dealer ever lived.
5	I’m guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it.
6	Someone I loved died because of a mistake I made. That will never happen again.

d6	Flaw
1	When I see something valuable, I can’t think about anything but how to acquire it.
2	When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money.
3	If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it.
4	I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying.
5	I turn tail and run when things look bad.
6	An innocent person is in prisoned or damned to hell for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Contacts

Depending on your character you might have different contacts here are a few suggestions.

• Bulleted list item if your merchant Guild / Company representatives, or a supplier.
• If your more of a criminal you may have multiple fences or crime lords that you can contact.
• If you are an acolyte or warlock etc... you might have contacts with your gods or demon lords.

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