Criminal 5e
You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You're far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.
Source: Player’s Handbook
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, thieves' tools
Languages: None
Equipment: A crowbar, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, and a pouch containing 15gp
Variants
Spy: Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very different context: as an espionage agent. You might have been an officially sanctioned agent of the crown, or perhaps you sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.
Features
Criminal Specialty: There are many kinds of criminals, and within a thieves' guild or similar criminal organization, individual members have particular specialties. Even criminals who operate outside of such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below.
Criminal Specialty Table
| d8 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Blackmailer |
| 2 | Burglar |
| 3 | Enforcer |
| 4 | Fence |
| 5 | Highway robber |
| 6 | Hired killer |
| 7 | Pickpocket |
| 8 | Smuggler |
Criminal Contact: You have a reliable and trustworthy contact who acts as your liaison to a network of other criminals. You know how to get messages to and from your contact, even over great distances; specifically, you know the local messengers, corrupt caravan masters, and seedy sailors who can deliver messages for you.
Suggested Characteristics
Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.
Criminal Personality Traits
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I always have a plan for what to do when things go wrong. |
| 2 | I am always calm, no matter what the situation. I never raise my voice or let my emotions control me. |
| 3 | The first thing I do in a new place is note the locations of everything valuable – or where such things could be hidden. |
| 4 | I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. |
| 5 | I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. |
| 6 | I don't pay attention to the risks in a situation. Never tell me the odds. |
| 7 | The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can't do it. |
| 8 | I blow up at the slightest insult. |
Criminal Ideals
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Honor. I don't steal from others in the trade. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Charity. I steal from the wealthy so that I can help people in need. (Good) |
| 4 | Greed. I will do whatever it takes to become wealthy. (Evil) |
| 5 | People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Redemption. There's a spark of good in everyone. (Good) |
Criminal Bonds
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor. |
| 2 | My ill-gotten gains go to support my family. |
| 3 | Something important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back. |
| 4 | I will become the greatest thief that ever lived. |
| 5 | I'm guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it. |
| 6 | Someone I loved died because of I mistake I made. That will never happen again. |
Criminal Flaws
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | When I see something valuable, I can't think about anything but how to steal it. |
| 2 | When faced with a choice between money and my friends, I usually choose the money. |
| 3 | If there's a plan, I'll forget it. If I don't forget it, I'll ignore it. |
| 4 | I have a "tell" that reveals when I'm lying. |
| 5 | I turn tail and run when things look bad. |
| 6 | An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I'm okay with that. |
Should You Be A Criminal?
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
The Player’s Handbook backgrounds all share some problems, namely that they don’t stack up well against other backgrounds printed more recently that come with feats. Criminal does rise above many of its competitors, though; its feature isn’t superb, but it does come with excellent proficiencies that make it a consideration for rakish scoundrels, specifically those who aren’t already rogues.
Features: Spy, Criminal Specialty, and Criminal Contact
Criminal offers a “variant” in Spy, which functionally just reflavors the option to use the same proficiencies and features under the presentation of legitimacy. Criminal Speciality, similarly, gives you a backstory and a role related to it- what kind of criminal you’ve been. Neither of these mechanically augments your character.
Criminal Contact comes closest to providing a tangible in-game benefit, but many tables will never bring it up, and the NPC it “creates” often could be lumped into other generic background building. I’d expect a criminal to have some kind of idea on how to communicate with people they’re used to communicating with- it doesn’t need to be codified in a feature in this way.
Skills, Equipment, and Other Proficiencies:
Lacking mechanically enriching features isn’t unusual for the PHB backgrounds. Fortunately, Criminal comes with a unique tool proficiency that largely makes it worth considering against even some options that offer minor features: thieves’ tools proficiency.
This on its own provides every class the opportunity to look roguish and pick up lockpicking. Stack on top two fantastic skill proficiencies that are commonly used while adventuring, Deception and Stealth, and you’ve got a roguish style character without needing to take a single level in rogue.
Gaming sets aren’t particularly useful, nor is their equipment anything special. I will also not it doesn’t start you off with thieves’ tools- you’ll want to seek those out as soon as possible if yo opt to start with your class and background equipment.
A Great Criminal Catch-All
Maybe you want to be a bruiser, arcane smuggler, or back-alley alchemist, and the Rogue class isn’t giving you the tools you need to live that fantasy. Criminal is the perfect fit for you when everyone else is using Custom or PHB-like backgrounds- you get to still gain all the shady resources you’d want while never needing to spend levels on the rogue look. It won’t be worth it when compared to backgrounds that offer abilities that impact combat and world exploration on a larger scale, though.
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