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Skullduggery

Skullduggery shapes a character's supernatural focus, training, and power set.

Power index

Skullduggery Powers

42 powers, grouped by tier. The rules needed for quick reference are shown directly in each row.

Browse all Aspects

Tier 0

2

Trickster. Make a melee power attack with a light weapon, dagger, improvised object, or unarmed trick. On a hit, the target takes 4 (1d8) piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage and cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn if you had advantage.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Melee
Duration: Instant
Effect: 1d8
Type: Trickster / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Thief. Your hands move faster than attention. Add 1d4 to one Sleight of Hand, thieves' tools, forgery kit, or object interaction check before the start of your next turn.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 1 Round
Effect: 1d4
Type: Thief / Skill

Tier 1

4

Swashbuckler. Use Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. If you are in dim light, cover, a crowd, or cluttered terrain, you may also draw or stow one small object as part of this bonus action.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Type: Swashbuckler / Mobility

Thief. Make a Sleight of Hand check against a creature within range, contested by Perception. On a success, palm, plant, or swap one Tiny object that is not actively gripped or secured by magic.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: 5 ft.
Duration: Instant
Type: Thief / Sleight
Save: WIS

Assassin. Once per turn, when you hit with a finesse, ranged, light, or subtle weapon attack and have advantage, or an ally is within 5 ft. of the target, deal an extra 1d6 damage.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Effect: 1d6
Type: Assassin / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Trickster. Rig a quick snare, caltrop scatter, cord, chair-leg catch, or slippery spill in a 5-ft. square. The first hostile creature entering or starting there makes a DEX save or falls prone and takes 1d6 bludgeoning or piercing damage.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 Minute
Effect: 1d6
Type: Trickster / Trap
Save: DEX

Tier 2

4

Thief. Choose two Skullduggery skills or tools: Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Deception, Investigation, Perception, thieves' tools, disguise kit, or forgery kit. Double your proficiency bonus for checks with them.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Type: Thief / Skill

Trickster. Throw dust, coins, glass, ash, or another distraction. One creature within range must make a CON save or be blinded until the start of your next turn. On a success, it subtracts 1d4 from its next attack roll before then.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: 15 ft.
Duration: 1 Round
Effect: 1d4
Type: Trickster
Save: CON

Thief. Work a lock, latch, hinge, window, grate, or simple alarm with practiced quiet. Make a thieves' tools check with advantage. On success, opening or disabling it makes no meaningful noise.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Touch
Duration: 10 Minutes
Type: Thief / Tools

Swashbuckler. When an attacker you can see hits you, halve the attack's damage against you. If the attack was made from surprise or hiding, reduce the damage by 2d8 + your DEX modifier instead if that is better.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Effect: 2d8 + DEX
Type: Swashbuckler / Reduction

Tier 3

4

Ambusher's Mark

Assassin. Choose one creature you can see. Once per turn, when you hit that target while hidden, with advantage, or while an ally threatens it, add 2d6 damage and learn whether it is above or below half hit points.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: 1 Minute
Effect: 2d6
Type: Assassin / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Thief. Make a thieves' tools or Investigation check against a trap, trigger, warding mechanism, snare, or hidden device you can touch. On success, disable it, jam it for 1 minute, or learn how to bypass it safely.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Type: Thief / Traps

Swashbuckler. When you make a DEX save to take half damage, take no damage on a success and half damage on a failure. If you are restrained or incapacitated, this power cannot be used.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Type: Swashbuckler / Defense
Save: DEX

Trickster. Obscure your passage and plant misleading evidence. For the duration, creatures tracking you have disadvantage, and you have advantage on checks to frame movement, planted items, or signs as belonging to someone else.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 8 Hours
Type: Trickster / Misdirection
Save: WIS

Tier 4

4

Assassin. Make one melee weapon or power attack against a creature that is surprised, flanked, distracted, restrained, or unable to see you. On a hit, deal an extra 4d8 weapon damage and the target cannot take reactions until your next turn.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Melee
Duration: Instant
Effect: 4d8
Type: Assassin / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Thief. Study an area, building, vault, camp, crowd, or guard route. Ask the GM up to three practical questions about entrances, exits, watchers, valuables, patrol gaps, traps, blind spots, or escape routes.

Action: 1 Minute
Use: At-Will
Range: Self (120 ft.)
Duration: 1 Hour
Effect: 3 questions
Type: Thief / Investigation

Trickster. Choose one creature within reach. It must make a DEX save or suffer one dirty trick until the start of your next turn: speed halved, disadvantage on its next attack, cannot take reactions, drops one held object, or falls prone.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Melee
Duration: 1 Round
Type: Trickster / Control
Save: DEX

Thief's Reflexes

Swashbuckler. When combat starts, a trap triggers, or a creature you can see moves within reach, move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks and draw or stow one small object.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Type: Swashbuckler / Mobility

Tier 5

4

Blackmail Ledger

Trickster. Gather rumors, pressure points, and compromising details from an area or social circle. Ask the GM two questions about who can be bribed, threatened, distracted, impersonated, or turned against another target.

Action: 10 Minutes
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 24 Hours
Effect: 2 questions
Type: Trickster / Social

Swashbuckler. For the duration, you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain, can move through occupied spaces if you do not end there, and do not reveal yourself when you miss with a ranged attack from hiding.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 1 Minute
Type: Swashbuckler / Mobility
Roll: Attack

Reliable Talent

Thief. When you make an ability check using a skill or tool you are proficient with and the task fits Skullduggery, treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Effect: 10 floor
Type: Thief / Skill

Trickster. Build or modify a compact trap in a 10-ft. square using available materials. Choose snare, alarm, poison needle, falling object, flash, smoke, or blade. The first hostile creature triggering it makes a DEX save, taking 5d8 damage or suffering the trap's nonlethal rider on a failed save.

Action: 1 Minute
Use: At-Will
Range: Touch
Duration: 8 Hours
Effect: 5d8
Type: Trickster / Trap
Save: DEX

Tier 6

4

Assassin. Make one weapon attack against a surprised creature, a creature that has not acted this combat, or a creature unaware of you. On a hit, add 6d8 damage. If the hit is a critical hit, add 6d8 again.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Melee or Ranged
Duration: Instant
Effect: 6d8
Type: Assassin / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Skullduggery Dominion

All archetypes. Your Skullduggery powers ignore disadvantage from darkness, crowds, clutter, noise, or pressure when the task is stealth, theft, locks, traps, ambush, duel movement, or escape. You can identify mundane locks, traps, and concealment methods by sight within 30 ft.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Effect: 30 ft.
Type: All / Roguecraft

Trickster. When you fail an INT, WIS, or CHA save against fear, charm, interrogation, compulsion, memory reading, or truth magic, reroll the save and add your DEX modifier. Use the new result.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Effect: DEX
Type: Trickster / Mental Defense
Save: INT / WIS / CHA

Smoke Bomb Exit

Trickster. When you are targeted, surrounded, or trigger danger, create smoke, dust, noise, or cover. The emanation is heavily obscured to enemies until the start of your next turn, and you may move up to your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self (20 ft.)
Duration: 1 Round
Effect: 20 ft.
Type: Trickster / Escape

Tier 7

4

Exploit Weakness

Swashbuckler. Study one creature within range. For the duration, once per turn when you hit it with a weapon attack, add 3d8 damage and choose one: no reactions, speed reduced by 10 ft., disadvantage on next attack, or cannot benefit from half cover until your next turn.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: 1 Minute
Effect: 3d8
Type: Swashbuckler / Debuff
Roll: Attack

Thief. Attempt to open one mundane or magical lock, seal, vault, chain, shackle, or container of Tier 7 or lower. Make a thieves' tools check against DC 10 + the effect's tier. On success, open or bypass it without visible damage.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Type: Thief / Locks

Thief. Plan an infiltration, theft, escape, or ambush in the area. Choose up to six allies. Each target gains 1d8 that it may add once to Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Deception, Investigation, Perception, thieves' tools, or initiative before the duration ends.

Action: 10 Minutes
Use: At-Will
Range: Self (1 mile)
Duration: 24 Hours
Effect: 1d8
Type: Thief / Planning

Thief. Make a Stealth check even while observed if there is any crowd, smoke, shadow, cover, doorway, furniture, moving creature, or distraction within 30 ft. On success, observers lose direct track of you until you attack, speak loudly, or enter open view.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 10 Minutes
Type: Thief / Stealth
Save: WIS

Tier 8

4

Assassin. Make one weapon attack against a creature that is surprised, restrained, unconscious, unaware of you, or unable to see you. On a hit, the target takes an extra 12d10 weapon damage and must make a CON save or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Action: Action
Use: 1/Long Rest
Range: Melee or Ranged
Duration: Instant
Effect: 12d10
Type: Assassin / Weapon
Roll: Attack
Save: CON

Impossible Escape

Swashbuckler. When you are grappled, restrained, trapped, imprisoned, swallowed, cornered, or bound by non-Artifact means, make a DEX save against the effect DC. On success, you escape to an unoccupied space within 30 ft. that you could plausibly reach.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Instant
Effect: 30 ft.
Type: Swashbuckler / Escape
Save: DEX

Perfect Infiltration

Thief. Adopt a full infiltration mode. For the duration, you leave no scent or tracks unless you choose, mundane locks and latches do not slow you, and casual observers rationalize your presence if you are dressed or positioned plausibly.

Action: 1 Minute
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 8 Hours
Type: Thief / Infiltration

Trickster. When a trap, hazard, ambush, or hidden device triggers within range, make a thieves' tools or DEX check against its DC. On success, redirect it toward a creature or space of your choice within its normal reach, or suppress it for 1 round.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: Instant
Type: Trickster / Redirect
Save: DEX

Tier 9

4

Swashbuckler. Make one precise attack against a creature, object, ward, rope, chain, trigger, weapon, or magical focus. On a hit, deal 10d10 weapon damage and disable one non-Artifact held item, worn device, trap element, or ongoing physical restraint until repaired.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Melee or Ranged
Duration: Instant
Effect: 10d10
Type: Swashbuckler / Disable
Roll: Attack

Mastermind's Exit

Trickster. When a plan fails, an alarm is raised, or combat turns against you, choose up to six willing creatures within range. Each may move up to its speed, Hide, Disengage, or interact with one prepared escape object without provoking opportunity attacks.

Action: Reaction
Use: At-Will
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: Instant
Effect: 6 creatures
Type: Trickster / Escape

Thief. Choose one theft, intrusion, frame-up, sabotage, escape, or planted clue you are about to perform. For the duration, add 1d12 to all Skullduggery checks tied to that job, and the first failed such check may be rerolled.

Action: 10 Minutes
Use: 1/Long Rest
Range: Self
Duration: 24 Hours
Effect: 1d12
Type: Thief / Planning

Sovereign Roguecraft

All archetypes. Your Skullduggery powers ignore mundane countermeasures and treat magical locks, traps, alarms, dueling tells, and ambush signs of Tier 9 or lower as mundane for detection and tool checks. You cannot be surprised by mundane ambushes.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Type: All / Roguecraft

Tier 10

4

Legendary Assassin

Assassin. Declare one mythic mark with the GM: a tyrant, monster, betrayer, witness, or impossible target. Until resolved, circumstances bend toward a possible kill path. When you finally strike from surprise, concealment, or perfect timing, the attack may end the mark if no Tier 10 protection, divine intervention, or story condition prevents it.

Action: Action
Use: 1/Ever
Range: Self
Duration: Until Resolved
Effect: Unique
Type: Assassin / Story
Roll: Attack
Save: Varies

Legendary Swashbuckler

Swashbuckler. For the duration, your movement does not provoke opportunity attacks, you may Disengage or Dash once per turn without an action, and once per turn when you hit a creature after moving at least 10 ft., add 6d10 weapon damage and prevent it from taking reactions until your next turn.

Action: Bonus Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: 1 Minute
Effect: 6d10
Type: Swashbuckler / Weapon
Roll: Attack

Legendary Thief

Thief. Your reputation becomes a method. When making a Skullduggery skill or tool check, treat a d20 roll of 14 or lower as a 15. Mundane locks, traps, crowds, and patrols cannot stop you unless they are story-protected.

Action: Passive
Use: At-Will
Range: Self
Duration: Permanent
Effect: 15 floor
Type: Thief / Skill

Legendary Trickster

Trickster. The battlefield becomes a con. For the duration, once per round you may impose one dirty trick on a creature in the emanation that fails a DEX or WIS save: blinded, prone, no reactions, drops an item, attacks the wrong space, or triggers a trap or hazard you prepared.

Action: Action
Use: At-Will
Range: Self (120 ft.)
Duration: 1 Minute
Effect: Varies
Type: Trickster
Save: DEX / WIS