This is an old revision of the document!
Table of Contents
Rokko Hustle
Rock Gnome Barbarian - 1 / Artificer - 2
Background: Charlatan
Hit Points: 28
Armor Class: 19 (Breastplate, Infused Shield, Dexterity)
Rokko is played by Andrew.
STR 14 (+2)
CON 14 (+2)
DEX 14 (+2)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 8 (-1)
CHA 12 (+1)
Weapons: Gun-Hatchet (Infused Battleaxe: +5 To Hit / 1D8+1 Slashing, Versatile), Two Hand-Axes (1D6 Slashing, Light, Range, Thrown 20/60), Hand Crossbow (1D6 Piercing, Light, Loading, Range 30/120)
Stuff: An explorer’s pack and four javelins. Healer's Kit. Tinker's Tools. Thieves' Tools. Forgery Kit. A set of fine clothes, a Disguise kit, ten sets of tinker toy creations along with spare parts, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: Disguise kit, Forgery kit, Thieves' Tools, Tinker's Tools
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Athletics, Deception, Perception, Sleight of Hand
Background Features
False Identity
You have created a second identity that includes documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises that allow you to assume that persona. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy.
Race Features
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Darkvision
Accustomed to life Underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim Conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only Shades of Gray.
Gnome Cunning
You have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma Saving Throws against magic.
Artificer’s Lore
Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices, you can add twice your Proficiency Bonus, instead of any Proficiency Bonus you normally apply.
Tinker
You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials to Construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). The device ceases to function after 24 hours (unless you spend 1 hour repairing it to keep the device functioning), or when you use your action to dismantle it; at that time, you can reclaim the materials used to create it. You can have up to three such devices active at a time.
When you create a device, choose one of the following options:
- Clockwork Toy. This toy is a clockwork animal, monster, or person, such as a frog, mouse, bird, Dragon, or soldier. When placed on the ground, the toy moves 5 feet across the ground on each of your turns in a random direction. It makes Noises as appropriate to the creature it represents.
- Fire Starter. The device produces a miniature flame, which you can use to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action.
- Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.
Class Features
Rage
In battle, you fight with primal ferocity. On Your Turn, you can enter a rage as a Bonus Action.
While raging, you gain the following benefits if you aren’t wearing heavy armor:
- You have advantage on Strength Checks and Strength Saving Throws.
- When you make a melee weapon Attack using Strength, you gain a bonus to the damage roll that increases as you gain levels as a Barbarian, as shown in the Rage Damage column of the Barbarian table.
- You have Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
If you are able to cast Spells, you can’t cast them or concentrate on them while raging.
Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked Unconscious or if Your Turn ends and you haven’t attacked a Hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on Your Turn as a Bonus Action.
Once you have raged the number of times shown for your Barbarian level in the Rages column of the Barbarian table, you must finish a Long Rest before you can rage again.
Rokko has two rages and gains a +2 rage damage bonus.
Unarmored Defense
While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. You can use a Shield and still gain this benefit.
Magical Tinkering
At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice:
- The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
- Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
- The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
- A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early.
You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.
Spellcasting
You've studied the workings of magic and how to cast spells, channeling the magic through objects. To observers, you don't appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you appear to produce wonders from mundane items and outlandish inventions.
Rokko knows two cantrips and has two first level spell slots to use a day.
Rokko has chosen the following cantrips: Mage Hand, Sword Burst
Tools Required
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus-specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool-in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature (meaning the spell has an “M” component when you cast it). You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way. See the equipment chapter in the Player's Handbook for descriptions of these tools.
After you gain the Infuse Item feature at 2nd level, you can also use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Artificer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells. To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of artificer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the artificer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of artificer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your artificer level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level artificer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you can cast it using a lst-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of artificer spells requires time spent tinkering with your spellcasting focuses: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Rokko can carry up to three artificer spells at once.
Infuse Item
At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items.
Infusions Known
When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one.
Rokko knows the following infusions: Enhanced Defense, Enhanced Weapon, Homunculus Servant, Replicate Bag of Holding
Infusing an Item
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide).
Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion.
You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies.
If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space.
Character Pitch
I'll play a rock gnome who introduces himself as “Rokko Hustle.” That is clearly the identity he chose for himself not the name his mother gave him, which is a sweet and vulnerable “Beeboo.” He grew up as a street-smart hustler raised by a backwoods single mother in the city of The Residence. Kind of like Bill Burr or Joe Pesci, Rokko grew up on the wrong side of the wealth gap. He continually “innovates” which means coming up with crazy ideas that were then co-opted by those with wealth and power into success stories. Maybe a little like Kramer with rage issues. He is a gnomish take on Marvel's Rocket Raccoon.
The continual grinding and cynicism makes him cocksure and a braggart. He's a natural motivator and he would pull the PCs together for a job he needs to do for sure. However, he makes a poor leader because of his single mindedness. He has never met the gnome he thinks is his father, a famous artificer who has created some important artifacts in his time. Maybe this gnome even has a brand-name or handiwork that is seen all over the place.
Rokko loves the sound of his own voice, and is wary of any plan that is not his own. He likes being “in control.” He's not crazy about his barbarian rage, but he will show his anger when he has to. Maybe it is like a “nerd rage” kind of thing. I'm not quite sure yet.
Rokko has always had a way with people. He knows what makes them tick, and can tease out their hearts' desires after a few minutes of conversation. With a few leading questions he can read them like they were children's books. It's a useful talent, and one that he often uses to his advantage.
Rokko knows what people want and he delivers. At least, he promises to deliver. These marvels sound implausible, but he makes them sound like the real deal. Sometimes his ego writes checks that his talent can't cash. At the end of the day, he either makes the deal happen by hook or by crook, pulling off a daring heist or delivering clockwork knockoffs that work just long enough for him to get away.
Possible Arcs
His arc(s) might include:
- Rokko simultaneously always “knows a guy” but in just about all cases he owes them something.
- Learning who his true father is, or learning who his father truly is.
- Getting revenge on the douchebags and moochers who put him down and then steal his awesome yet bonkers ideas and get rich. He's got a mean streak.
- Keeping his half-feral mother fed and alive. He will continually be seeing that she gets money all the while complaining about how she lives. As a former barbarian in the city recovering from a substance abuse problem she has her own demons that he is struggling against. Even once he becomes successful, she is an easy mark for grifters.
- Learning that being part of an adventuring party is about sacrifice and forethought and not just about getting “what's his” in the deal.
- Getting over his inferiority complex. He's on the small side, even for a gnome.
- Watching his insane and kooky schemes all somehow come together at the end despite how improbable and/or suicidal they might seem at first.