Card Shark
"You want a play? I’ll take your coin at any game you’ve ever heard of. And if you want to play dirty, oh believe me kid, I can do that too."
- Steven Hall, Card Shark
The card shark is a hustler through and through. Well practised with a deck of cards, they've read every book on the trade, both games and tricks, and some more mystical in nature.
Make Their Own Luck. A card shark can put on a truly mesmerizing show of sleight of hand if they choose to, but they truly come into their own on a game table. They play fairly using their wealth of experience to lure in the players, then resort to less ethical tactics to turn any card game in their favour.
Deck of Wonder. Card sharks inevitably land themselves in trouble when they hustle the wrong person. Though they can typically talk their way out of most confrontations, every now and then it gets physical. When this happens, the card shark taps into the more mystical of their knowledge, able to imbue any set of cards with a semblance of magic, they can hurl exploding cards, shield themselves from damage, even alter the minds of those attacking them.
Card Shark
Medium humanoid (any), chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
- Hit Points 139 (31d8)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 13 (+1) 17 (+3) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 19 (+4)
- Skills Deception +7, Insight +4, Performance +7, Sleight of Hand +9
- Senses passive Perception 11
- Languages any two languages
- Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Stack the Deck. The card shark can use a bonus action to pick the result of all Pick a Card actions taken before the end of its turn.
Reactive. The card shark can take one reaction on every turn in combat.
Actions
Multiattack. The card shark makes two attacks. It can use Pick a Card in place of any attack.
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Pick a Card. The card shark draws a card from its deck. Roll 1d4 to see which suit is drawn on the following table:
d4 Effect 1 Clubs: The card shark throws a card at a target it can see withing 30 feet. The target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 2 Diamonds: The card shark gains resistance to one type of damage until the end of its next turn. 3 Hearts: The card shark attempts to charm a humanoid that it can see within 30 feet. The creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by the card shark for one hour, or until the card shark does anything harmful to the creature. While charmed, the creature is in love with the card shark and will take reasonable actions to make the card shark love them back. 4 Spades: The card shark throws a card at a point on the ground within 30 feet. The ground within a 5-foot radius of that point becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute, and any creature in the area when it appears must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Reactions
Fast Hands. When a target succeeds on a saving throw against Pick a Card, the card shark can use Pick a Card.
Quick Draw. When an attack misses the card shark, it can use Pick a Card.
