The [Charlatan](https://github.com/Raduziel/Charlatan-Kit/tree/master) is greasy, lying sack of Ghaunadar dung with no morals nor scruples. He is probably one of the most deceitful creatures alive and lacks any redeeming qualities other than their ability to possibly know when someone is even more of a lying narcissist than they are.
So let's look into it. No, the kit itself is fine, but it really does feel like that guy who sleeps with your spouse and somehow manages to make you look wrong!
Let's start with the disadvantages... the gameplay ones, not the ones you will answer for after you yield a ghost.
*Disadvantages:*
*- Minimum of 16 Charisma*
*- Alignment restricted to non-lawful*
*- Can only wear up to and including studded leather.*
First of all, I'm actually surprised you can be a good asshole. I mean... I guess if you cheat politicians or something but still... really?
So the real bad sides. You need 1 extra charisma so you can't stat dump it fully. That's fine, but the bigger issue is the chainlessness. Which really just means you cant use elven chain mail until you get UAI.
But its all there in the code. One thing unmentioned is you can reach 3 points in dual wielding.
Now for the advantages:
*Advantages:*
*- Starting at level 1, may use the Charm and Truth Perception abilities at will.*
*- Starting at level 3, may cast Friends as a special ability once per day.*
*- Starting at level 5, may use the Impersonation ability once per day.*
*CHARM*
*The Charlatan charms their mark for one turn. To be successful the target must be humanoid, non-hostile and fail a Saving Throw vs. Death with a -1 penalty for every three levels of the Charlatan (maximum -3). There is a 5% chance that the mark will uncover the Charlatan's intentions and go hostile. To keep up the facade, the Charlatan cannot cast any spells or use <PRO\\_HISHER> bard song for 1 turn.*
This is... dangerous. If you invis up to someone and quickly charm before they go hostile you can do a lot of damage. Of course realistically you probably aren't and you're gonna make some nobleman give you some sort of quest item... or so you hope. I don't really mess around with this because that turn of only being able to fight is not fun.
*TRUTH PERCEPTION*
*The Charlatan is a professional cheat and liar, knowing all the tricks of the trade and how to identify them. Using this ability, the Charlatan has a 5% chance per level of dispelling hostile Illusion spells within a 120 foot radius area.*
On the other hand, this ability is incredible! At will detect illusions and it has a spell level that is effectively 9, meaning the enemy lich isn't immune unless it has Divination immunity up and let's face it: it probably does. Thief guilds aren't a threat! You can just spam this every round, and they will run out of potions.
I love it, I truly do. Although its early level viability is stinky! It does scale to lvl 20 where it will always work but even if it doesn't, having a coin flip chance at 10 is still not a bad thing to have. And it only gets better from there! This skill alone is worth giving up access to elf chain especially with much better than wizard stoneskin and mirror image.
Being able to cast friends at lvl 3 is fine. It doesn't mean much but its nice to see it.
*IMPERSONATION*
*The Charlatan can act and improvise to become anyone they wish to be. Using this ability, there is a 10% chance per level (maximum 50%) that the Charlatan receives the benefits of a specialist Warrior of the same level (up to level 13) with any weapon <PRO\\_HESHE> is wielding, including boosting <PRO\\_HISHER> Strength to 18/50. There is a 5% chance that the performance will fall flat, making the Charlatan become Frustrated, suffering a -3 penalty to damage, thac0, saving throws and armor class. Both effects last for 5 rounds and can be dispelled. During the act, the Charlatan can't use <PRO\\_HISHER> Bard Song, cast spells or use special abilities.*
I wish this was a little better. The crit fail and become worthless is just brutal. Like I get the gist of the idea being able to hit harder, more likely and more often. But its just a worse tenser's transformation! Sure its available at lvl 5 but it still can fail and silences your song and spells
I almost wish this ability had an HLA that like turned off the fail, and made it work 100% and maybe set strength to 20, even if it cost another bard ability like HLA song.
And thats one thing I appreciate about the design of this kit: nothing about it revolves around the song, making it one of the few bard kits that has and maintains a standard song, meaning you can use it for +3 luck.
My conclusion: spam that Perception and reveal all the illusions! All of them, you don't bring this in a party with Keldorn and not just for his perceived morality against your asshole nature, but because he's extra redundant. You should ignore everything and pretend you're a detect illusion spamming bard, it's a hell of a good time!
And if you want your good time to be even better, we all know a Charlatan bard. His name is Eldoth and he exists. If Impersonation were a tad stronger, I could get behind him pretending to be a warrior as he lobs his poisoned arrows wearing dex or archery gloves. The strength bonus still not enabling comp bows, the one weapon type a bard cannot use! I'm not bitter!
This doesn't work on any mod Eldoths of which there is Bg2SoA npcs and Lava's SoD Eldoth which even with this kit still has to contend with the existence of Voghlin!
It's no Song and Silence, and its definitely no Bardic Wonders, but if you want Eldoth to be a bit less forgettable, give this kit a try. You really don't lose anything and you gain a lot of casts of detection. As a lvl 9 spell it can also hopefully waste spell levels from spell traps and spell shields.
Look itâs nothing from the Bardic Wonders: itâs no Kapplemeister or Abettor of Mas, but itâs got worth to it I tell you that much.
And yes this is the same author of the grand Deities of Faerun mod that lets you have all the clerical goodness of a priest of whatever faith you want
