Cardsharp

As they say: “go big, or go home.” Among rogues there are those who always take the long odds. They risk everything to land the biggest scores and pursue the most dangerous targets. These are the cardsharps, masters of beating the odds and winning big. Should you count yourself among their prestigious ranks, you will wield strange magic channeled through your deck of enchanted playing cards. The tingling fear of anticipation coupled with the swooping thrill of success is lifeblood to a cardsharp, an experience you will encounter many times over the course of your adventures.

Cardsharps are always charismatic, cunning, and athletic. To perform at anything less than peak performance is to risk catastrophic failure at whatever unwise endeavor you are attempting. Your friends struggle to handle your reckless habits, assuming they survive.

For this reason, these rogues rarely live long enough to make a name for themselves—veteran cardsharps are living legends of unrivaled caliber.

Playing Cards at the Table: Cardsharp players are encouraged to use a physical deck of playing cards when rolling their characters, for two reasons. First, it’s fun to have props at the table. Second, it’s helpful for tracking the class’s expansive resources. Players using this prop should be mindful to shuffle their decks thoroughly and not peek at the top cards. Attempting to load the deck or cheat the odds beyond what the cardsharp features allow is the moral equivalent of fudging one’s dice rolls.

Luck of the Draw

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to imbue an ordinary deck of playing cards with magic, transforming it into a weapon and tool of deception. When you finish a long rest, you can grant an ordinary deck of fifty-four playing cards (including two jokers) the following properties. The deck becomes a magical weapon in which you are proficient, which has the following statistics.

Throwing Cards 1d4 slashing damage, Properties: ammunition, finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60 feet)

• When you make an attack with the cards, you must draw the top card and throw it at your target as a part of making the attack. Cards thrown in this manner vanish immediately after the attack hits or misses, only reappearing mysteriously on your person when you finish a long rest.
• The deck is always in a state of uncertainty until a card is drawn. It is impossible to load or cheat the deck with sleight of hand other than via the ways detailed in this subclass. Peeking at the top card of the deck causes it to vanish, and it reappears mysteriously on your person when you finish a long rest.

If you use this feature to imbue another deck of cards with these properties, the properties you imparted to the first deck immediately end. Additionally, any properties you imparted end if the deck of cards is ever outside your possession for more than 8 hours.

Strong Hand

At 3rd level, you learn to draw magic from your imbued deck of cards. When you roll initiative and at the end of each of your turns if you have a free hand, you can draw a number of cards from your magical deck, which you then hold in your hand. The maximum number of magical cards you can hold in your hand at 3rd level is two; if you attempt to hold more, the cards magically vanish and are reshuffled into the deck. At 9th level, and again at 13th and 17th level, your hand size increases by two, to a maximum of eight magical cards at 17th level. When you hit a creature with an attack made with throwing cards and qualify for your sneak attack, you can instead gain no benefit from the sneak attack and utilize the magic of the cards in your hand, playing any number of them you are holding. Playing a card causes it to vanish from your hand, reappearing mysteriously on your person whenever you finish a long rest. The magic of the cards grants mystical benefits to your attack, the details of which can be found in the Magical Deck Effects table. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it or your Sneak Attack feature again that turn.

Effects produced by the cards are magical. If an effect from a magical card would force the target to make a saving throw, the DC for that saving throw is calculated as follows: Card Save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Magical Deck Effects

Suit	2–10	Jack	Queen	King
Clubs	The target takes additional slashing damage equal to the combined total of all numbered cards played on the hit, or twice as much on a critical hit. This effect cannot occur more than once per attack.	The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be pushed 15 ft. in a straight line in a direction of your choice.	You learn the target’s current hit points and hit point maximum.	Damage dealt by the attack becomes acid damage. If you have already played a king of any suit, the target takes an additional 7 slashing damage, or twice as much on a critical hit.
Diamonds	The target takes additional slashing damage equal to the combined total of all numbered cards played on the hit, or twice as much on a critical hit. This effect cannot occur more than once per attack.	The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be magically teleported to an unoccupied space of your choice within 15 ft. of you.	Until the start of your next turn, you gain a +4 bonus to your AC.	Damage dealt by the attack becomes fire damage. If you have already played a king of any suit, the target takes an additional 7 slashing damage, or twice as much on a critical hit.
Hearts	The target takes additional slashing damage equal to the combined total of all numbered cards played on the hit, or twice as much on a critical hit. This effect cannot occur more than once per attack.	The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of your next turn.	You regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt by the attack.	Damage dealt by the attack becomes psychic damage. If you have already played a king of any suit, the target takes an additional 7 slashing damage, or twice as much on a critical hit.
Spades	The target takes additional slashing damage equal to the combined total of all numbered cards played on the hit, or twice as much on a critical hit. This effect cannot occur more than once per attack.	The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or drop whatever it is holding.	The target is stunned until the start of its next turn.	Damage dealt by the attack becomes force damage. If you have already played a king of any suit, the target takes an additional 7 slashing damage, or twice as much on a critical hit.
Ace [Symbol]	Ace (All Suits)	The attack deals an additional 11 slashing damage, or twice as much on critical hit.	Joker (All Suits)	Immediately draw and play two cards from your deck. The effects of the cards played apply to the attack.

Play the Odds

At 9th level, as a bonus action on each of your turns you can discard your current hand granted via your Strong Hand feature and draw a number of cards equal to your maximum hand size. Cards discarded in this manner vanish, reappearing mysteriously on your person when you finish a long rest.

Magical Mischief

At 13th level you can use the magic of your imbued deck of cards to cast spells. If your hand contains six or more cards, as an action you can discard your hand to cast one of the following spells at 5th level without the need for material components. Cards discarded in this way vanish, reappearing mysteriously on your person when you finish a long rest. The spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma.

Magical Mischief Spells: dimension door, invisibility, knock, locate creature, pass without trace, suggestion, telekinesis

Trump Card

At 17th level you can choose a single card in your deck to become your trump card. When you make an attack with your throwing cards and throw your trump card, the attack automatically hits and scores a critical hit. Additionally, when you play your trump card from your hard using your Strong Hand feature, the attack gains the benefits of your Sneak Attack feature in addition to its usual benefits.

Epic Cardsharp (Epic Rogue Archetype)

At 26th level your mastery of your magical deck is unparalleled, granting you the following benefits.

• All damage dealt with your throwing cards and cardsharp features is doubled.
• When you have no more cards left in your imbued deck to draw, you can immediately take a reaction to cause the entire deck to reappear mysteriously on your person, fully shuffled.

Once you have used this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

• As a reaction when you make an attack with your throwing cards or draw a card from your deck, you can take a reaction to exchange the card used with any card remaining in your deck.