Brilliance
The armor of the guards doesn't prevent the net from springing out of the wall and holding them down. The distinct tapping can be heard from around the corner as a handsome man in a fancy suit walks around the corner tapping his cane on the ground grinning.
A tiefling has a bellowing laugh with her feet kicked up on the table, a massive pile of goods and coins sitting before her as she slams down another winning hand. The four people around the table fuming and angry at this winning streak. She's been cheating of course, but they have no proof.
"If we move your troops into the villa it will protect from the most likely strikes." the lizardfolk lies as naturally as he breathes, the entire group of wealthy elites convinced he is in fact a strategic diplomat, when in fact he's nothing more than a mercenary.
"G'day" they repeat to each man as they pass, a changeling makes for quite the spy, not many can realistically hope to see through such a deception, so it's not quite their fault. They slip through the door and onto backstage, swiftly planting a knife into the actor's back before stepping back out with a different face.
Smarter than any other, Brilliance are identified by their great plans, deception, or insight. The many different kinds of uniquely intelligent people means you'll never find the same kind of intellect behind someone's eyes.
Some of these skills are learned, others are just born very smart but the one thing that connects them all is their determination.
Brilliance Quick Build
Pick the researcher background and make intelligence your highest stat and either Charisma and Dexterity or Charisma and Constitution your other highest stats.
Multiclassing Brilliance - when using the optional rule for multiclassing with a Brilliance, the character must have a intelligence score of more than 13.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per brilliance level
Hit Points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your constitution modifier per level after 1st
Proficiencies
Brilliance have the following proficiencies at 1st level.
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: any game set or tool set.
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Charisma
Skills: Choose four from Arcana, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand
Starting Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.
- any simple weapon
- any tool set or any game set
- 20 gold
- scholar's pack, priest’s pack, diplomat’s pack, or explorer’s pack
Brilliance Table
| Level | Profiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Brilliance Die, Known Quantity, Intellect Master, Skilled, Specialist |
| 2nd | +2 | Deceptive Calmness, Strategum |
| 3rd | +2 | Evasion |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Unignorable Presence, Skilled (x2) |
| 6th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 7th | +3 | Specialist Feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Known Quantity (x2) |
| 9th | +4 | Incredible Skill, Skilled (x3) |
| 10th | +4 | Specialist Feature |
| 11th | +4 | At a Distance |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Known Quantity (x3) |
| 13th | +5 | Specialist Feature, Skilled (x4) |
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 15th | +5 | Predict |
| 16th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Known Quantity (x4) |
| 17th | +6 | Counter Attack, Skilled (x5) |
| 18th | +6 | Specialist Feature |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Endless Knowledge, Skilled (x6), Known Quantity (x5) |
Class Features
As a brilliance you gain the following class features.
Brilliance Dice
1st level Brilliance feature
You gain Brilliance Dice, and you have a number of them equal to (your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier + your charisma modifier). These are d20's and half of these replenish on a short rest and all of them on a long rest.
Known Quantity
1st level Brilliance feature
You can choose to use this feature before making a roll for an action. Seeing the roll but not knowing the result, you can choose to use this roll or do something else. If you ever go back to do this action in this turn, you must use that roll.
This feature can be used once on the turn. (twice at lvl 8, three times at lvl 12, four times at lvl 16, and five times at lvl 20.)
Using this feature expends one Brilliance Dice for the turn.
Intellect Master
1st level Brilliance feature
You can choose a number of proficiencies equal to your intelligence modifier from the Brilliance proficiency list. (You gain more when your intelligence modifier increases.)
Skilled
1st level Brilliance feature
At 1st level; and again at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th; you gain a feat, a proficiency, as well as expertise in a skill from the brilliance skill list. You can only benefit from this if you've taken all your levels in Brilliance or you have 4 or more levels in brilliance.
Specialist
1st level Brilliance feature
You have put your mind to work learning the skills of a trade, or have become brilliant in some way or another.
Pick one from the following:
Detective, Gambler, Diplomat, Spy, Pirate
Deceptive Calmness
2nd level Brilliance feature
If you are not attacking, they don’t know you, or there are other targets that look stronger than you, enemies will prioritize attacking you last. They will also generally attack enemies that look stronger than you if they are in range.
You cannot be targeted by a random aggression roll unless the attacker knows you personally.
Strategum
2nd level Brilliance feature
You can spend a bonus action to plan out an attack selecting up to your intelligence modifier number of enemies that are within a 5 foot chain of each other (automatically passing through targets, for example if two targets stand 1_2 you can attack 1, and pass through them to attack two, before passing through them). You use your intelligence modifier when using any finesse weapon on these targets instead of dex. You also deal an additional 1d6 damage to each of these enemies this turn if using a finesse weapon. You can attack all of these targets in one turn.
Using this feature expends a brilliance die for every two enemies attacked.
Evasion
3rd level Brilliance feature
You are light on your feet and avoid attacks by predicting them. Your armor class is equal to 12 + your intelligence modifier when you are not wearing armor. You can wear a shield and still gain this benefit.
Ability Score Increase
4th level Brilliance feature
At level 4 (and again at levels 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, and 19) you can choose to increase one ability score by two, or two ability scores by one. (Up to a maximum of 20)
Alternatively, feats can be chosen if allowed by your DM.
Nimble Dodge
5th level Brilliance feature
You can add 1d4 to your AC when being attacked by an enemy you can see.
If an enemy misses you after this, you can use your reaction to attack them.
Using this feature expends a brilliance die.
Incredible Skill
9th level Brilliance feature
When making a skill check that fails, you can roll a d20 and add it to the result.
This feature costs 2 brilliance dice.
At a Distance
11th level Brilliance feature
When throwing daggers up to 30 feet, you can use your sleight of hand modifier instead of your DEX mod.
You now ignore resistances to piercing and slashing damage and treat immunities to them as resistances, although these do not ignore resistances and immunities to non-magical attacks.
Predict
15th level Brilliance feature
You know what the first enemy after your turn plans to do. They don’t necessarily have to follow through, especially if you call it out, but they will be likely to, especially less intelligent creatures.
Counter Attack
17th level Brilliance feature
If an enemy missed a melee attack on you last turn you have double advantage on hitting them with your first melee attack. (This feature cannot be used if Evasion was used.)
Hitting an enemy with this attack will replenish a brilliance die, missing will expend three.
Endless Knowledge
20th level Brilliance feature
You know the weaknesses and weak points of any creature type that has ever had their weaknesses documented. You also know the strengths and weaknesses of any school of magic that has ever been cataloged.
Specialist
Detective
The detective is a master of investigation. They are complete masters of putting together information and understanding their enemies.
Unknown Genius
1st level detective feature
Gain expertise in investigation. If you already have it, choose another skill from the Brilliance skill list.
Search About
3rd level detective feature
Spending an hour in a populated area you know where to find lodgings, information regarding popular persons of interest, access to rare and illegal goods and services, and local law enforcement.
Experienced Attempts
7th level detective feature
When you roll an intelligence check or save of any kind, after the dice has been rolled, but before the result is called, you can choose to reroll it. You must use this new roll.
This feature expends a brilliance die, but only if it succeeds.
Mark Target
10th level detective feature
After being in proximity to a creature for 10 minutes or 3 rounds of combat, you can cast hunter's mark on that target at will. After this has been cast, the timer resets for other creatures.
Penetrating Perception
13th level detective feature
You have advantage on saving throws and checks on all illusion spells and can usually tell the difference between an illusion and reality.
Room Investigation
18th level detective feature
As you analyze the area in your immediate vicinity (a room, a street, tunnel, clearing, or the like, up to a 50-foot cube), you are able to determine the routine events that took place in this area, and the types of people traveled through it, going back a number of weeks equal to your Intelligence score. For each minute you spend observing, you discover one significant pattern or break in behavior that occurred in this location. A pattern may include individuals who wore a particular type of clothing or a group who belonged to a certain ethnicity. A break in behavior may include a fight, a dalliance that occurred, or the presence of a stranger. They may include more mundane events that are nevertheless important in your current situation.
Gambler
Tricking others is a trade secret, and you're the master of it. This ability to deceive is used by gamblers to magical and spectacular effect.
Master Deceiver
1st level gambler feature
Gain expertise in sleight of hand. If you already have it, choose another skill from the Brilliance skill list.
Card Draw
1st level gambler feature
You can spend an action to draw magical cards from a deck of cards or roll a magical die. Roll 1d12 and gain a cantrip from the following list. The cantrip can be cast without using an action this turn, but goes away at the end of your turn.
1 Jack of Spades Chill Touch
2 Jack of Diamonds Mage Hand
3 Jack of Hearts Guidance
4 Jack of Clubs Booming Blade
5 Queen of Spades Fire Bolt
6 Queen of Diamonds Light
7 Queen of Hearts Resistance
8 Queen of Clubs Primal Savagery
9 King of Spades Ray of Frost
10 King of Diamonds Prestidigitation
11 King of Hearts Friends
12 King of Clubs Shillelagh
Scam Artist
7th level gambler feature
You gain advantage on deceiving any creature with an INT score of 12 or lower in a bet with your game set.
Fudge Roll
7th level gambler feature
You can attempt a sleight of hand check against an enemy's wisdom saving throw. On a success you can choose which card to draw or dice to roll for the Card Draw feature.
Explosive Deck
10th level gambler feature
Make a throwing weapon attack for your deck of cards. You throw a random card from the list below at the target, the effect triggers on them. Roll 1d10 to determine the outcome. Using this feature expends a brilliance die.
1 1 of Suit Chaos Bolt
2 2 of Suit Chromatic Orb
3 3 of Suit Guiding Bolt
4 4 of Suit Ice Knife
5 5 of Suit Jim’s Magic Missile
6 6 of Suit Ray of Sickness
7 7 of Suit Witch Bolt
8 8 of Suit Catapult
9 9 of Suit Earth Tremor
10 10 of Suit Thunderwave
Can't Con a Con Man
13th level gambler feature
All enemies automatically fail in deceiving you, and you automatically succeed on any wisdom save that involves suggestion.
Deck from Hell
18th level gambler feature
You can spend an action to pull out your final deck of cards. You roll 1d20 and gain a corresponding spell that can be cast as an action in one of your next 3 turns before it fades.
This feature costs 3 brilliance dice to use. If you roll a 20, it will expend 5 brilliance die, but if you have less than that, it will only bring you to zero.
1 The Fool Contagion
2 The Magician Bigby’s Hand
3 The High Priestess Legend Lore
4 The Empress Cone of Cold
5 The Emperor Conjure Elemental
6 The Hierophant Control Winds
7 The Lovers Dream
8 The Chariot Mislead
9 Strength Destructive Wave
10 The Hermit Enervation
11 Wheel of Fortune Animate Objects
12 Justice Insect Plague
13 The Hanged Man Cloudkill
14 Death Raise Dead
15 Temperance Maelstrom
16 The Devil Flame Strike
17 The Star Mass Cure Wounds
18 The Sun Dawn
19 Judgment Banishing Smite
20 The World Time Stop,
Power Word Kill,
Invulnerability,
or Astral Projection
(your choice)
Diplomat
Brilliant strategists, diplomats are excellent at convincing people to do what they want and inspiring others in their wake.
Diplomatic Master
1st level diplomat feature
Gain expertise in persuasion. If you already have it, choose another skill from the Brilliance skill list.
Inspiring Presence
3rd level diplomat feature
You can expend a brilliance die to give an ally within 60 feet advantage on any check they make. You must do this before they make the roll.
Read Features
7th level diplomat feature
You have advantage on insight checks against humanoids. You can also effectively understand the facial features and words that your allies mouth to you up to 100 feet away as long as they are in line of sight.
Enemies Everywhere
10th level diplomat feature
After interacting with a creature for a number of minutes equal to their deception modifier, you know an effective way to defeat them, this includes your own allies.
Action Economy
13th level diplomat feature
You spend your bonus action to expend four brilliance dice to give yourself or an ally 1 extra action on their turn.
Mass Inspiration
18th level diplomat feature
You grant all of your brilliance dice to your allies, split up how you like. They can expend these dice as they choose to give themselves advantage. All of your brilliance dice are now replenished.
This feature can be used once per day.
Spy
Stealthy, deadly, and smart, spies are a lethal force of nature that can trick just about anyone into believing they're someone who they're not.
Master Spy
1st level spy feature
Gain expertise in deception. If you already have it, choose another skill from the Brilliance skill list.
You also gain proficiency in Thieves tools, Disguise Kit, and Forgery Kit.
Of Many Faces
3rd level spy feature
You can use Disguise Kits and Forgery Kits a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier instead of once.
You gain advantage on deception when disguised.
Intellectual Application
7th level spy feature
You can add your intelligence bonus to your sleight of hand and persuasion checks. This does not apply to throwing weapons at level 11.
Backstab
10th level spy feature
When attacking an enemy with a dagger that is unaware of you, you are not in combat, and you are behind them the attack is automatically a crit and your intelligence modifier is added to damage.
This feature costs a brilliance die to use.
Legendary Tools
13th level spy feature
You gain an invisibility watch which allows you, as an action, to cast invisibility on yourself and your equipment for a maximum of 2 minutes (20 rounds) before the tool's power runs out and the user is forced out of invisibility. While invisible, you cannot take any offensive action. If you are touched, you become visible to anyone within line of sight with a passive Perception above 12. You can choose to end the effect whenever you would like.
This feature costs two brilliance dice to use.
Behind You
18th level spy feature
You can now backstab in combat as long as you have sneak attack. The backstab is now magical for the purposes of overcoming damage resistances, and deals 2d10 extra piercing damage.
Pirate
Smart in a unique set of terms, the pirate is brilliant in their unique approach to situations, preferring to make narrow and daring plans and escapes. Pirates excel in bending situations to their favor and making their own luck.
Legendary Pirate
1st level pirate feature
Gain expertise in Vehicles (Water) and Navigator’s Tools. You also gain proficiency in Thieves tools, simple firearms, and acrobatics.
You can also add a flintlock to your starting equipment.
Ship Master
3rd level pirate feature
You have expertise and use your INT mod instead of your DEX mod for acrobatics when on a ship. You also have advantage on history checks about pirates, navvies, history on the sea, and pirate folklore.
You can also, if holding a weapon, move backwards 5 feet when attacked to increase your AC by 1d4, but only when on a ship or dock.
Can be used a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier.
Rapid Reload
7th level pirate feature
You can expend a brilliance die to instantly reload and fire your flintlock.
This can be used a number of times per turn equal to your proficiency modifier.
Duelist
10th level pirate feature
You gain access to a number of battle master maneuvers equal to your INT mod, you can expend a brilliance die to use any of these. (You still use d8s when rolling)
If you hit a creature, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
Incredible Audacity
13th level pirate feature
You gain a bonus to initiative equal to your CHA mod, you can also spend a brilliance die to gain advantage on your initiative after rolling.
Charismatic Prowess
18th level pirate feature
You cannot roll below a 15 on a Deception, Persuasion, or Intimidation check.
You gain advantage on melee attacks made on a creature you are fighting if they are the only creature within 5 feet of you.
Copyright notice
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast, LLC.