D&D 5E The Smooth Talker

TenkayCrit

First Post
I'm thinking about trying out a Smooth Talking character build during my next campaign. I want him to be able to persuade or decive his way out of just about any situation. The DM has allowed just about any unearthed arcana. My questions are, have any of you ever created a character like this? What class works best (bard was my thought, though I could also see rogue or sorcerer)? What feats would be worth picking up? Any other ideas or tips would also be appreciated :)
 

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Don't discount the value of Wisdom and Insight on this character. In social interaction challenges, being able to ascertain the target's hidden motivations or needs can impart big advantages to your attempts at deception or persuasion depending on how you use that information. See DMG pages 244-245.
 

Yeah, if you're going to focus on social interactions, you'll want a good offense and defense, so to speak.

I do like playing Faces, and have done so with both bards and rogues. Both have Expertise, which will really help you shine in social checks.
 

I have no experience playing such a character (despite it being good charop in my group's main campaign), but my first thoughts go to rogue with a SCAG subclass. Mastermind is probably made to work like what you want, and the swashbuckler can at some level make others charmed just like that.

If you don't mind cheating I guess both wizards with the school of charms and feylocks might have a good chance to make it, but then we are talking using "charm person", not talking your way past.

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Don't discount the value of Wisdom and Insight on this character.

This and this again. While Charisma can be said to represent knowing how to say what you need to say, Wisdom can also be said to represent knowing WHEN to say what you need to say. And obviously, Intelligence allows your character to understand and connect with what needs to be said, rather than simply parrot information.

Personally, I'd go for the Mastermind rogue-sub class. Your character, using their keen observational skills and ability to sway others, could quickly amass a body of useful agents, from muscled goons to assassins.

Focus on the mental stat before the physical, with the assumption that, with planning and by playing smart, you'll avoid most direct confrontations. And when you can't - they better kill you outright. If they take you alive, fantastic. You can now work your charms from within their ranks.

Stat wise, I'd go for: Charisma = Wisdom, Intelligence. And then Con, Dex and Str. Or, of you wish to plan long term, Wis for Insight and Perception, Int for planning and Cha for persuasion, relying on proxies and puppets to act as your speakers while you work from behind the throne. You can get by on average charisma if you have enough leverage, for example, knowing where your target's family are located. That would grant, at the very least, advantage on intimidate at our table. (Likewise, knowing what your target's family needs and offering to supply it would grant advantage on persuasion.)

Saying all that, you could simply roll a bard, paladin or sorcerer and play a dashing, quick tongued (if not witted) rascal. All good fun!
 
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Go bard, focus on Charisma and Wisdom, choose Deception, Persuasion and Insight as skills (focusing on your choice with Expertise), and choose spells from the school of enchantment (such as friends, charm person, etc.).
 

I'd go with either a lore bard or a mastermind rogue (or a mix of the two), possibly with the Actor feat. Maybe also the Observant feat (so you can read lips - might help you pick up on talking points that'll help you get what you want).
 

Warlock is actually pretty good; it's Cha-based, an invocation can give you 2 free Cha skills, another invocation gets you at-will disguise self, you can cast upleveled charm person on a per-encounter basis, you can get guidance cantrip, and there's probably a bunch of more cool stuff that I am now forgetting. Oh yeah, in combat you can blast people to smithereens.

If you really want to be nasty, splash a level of rogue to get Expertise in your Charisma skills, and then in combat do the Devil's Sight + darkness routine to get sneak attacks constantly.
 

Yes - my character in a Tuesday night game.

Lore Bard, with Expertise in Insight and Deception, and proficiency in Perception, Persuasion, Stealth and Sleight of Hand. Highest ability scores are CHA then WIS then DEX. The character is a spy for the government. As a tiefling, she's pretty memorable, so she steals secrets not by being unnoticed, but by making sure no-one associates the cool tiefling who knows everyone in every city with any data theft.

"That Tiefling? No, mate, she's no spy, she's the quartermasters assistant for the army base at Emmech. Tom's mate Erin knows here from when she was posted there."

Between a short sword, a crossbow, and cutting words, she's plenty effective in a fight, especially when every combat starts (and once, ended really quickly) with a sleep spell.

In the exploration tier, she has detect magic and comprehend languages as rituals (both just as useful in a dungeon as in an enemy town hall) as well as Perception and Thief's Tools proficiencies. Over half the party has stealth, so on one occasion the "scout ahead" group was ¾ of the party!
 

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