Ambassador

Though “Ambassador” is usually an unofficial title in the galaxies of Hypertech, their duties tend to follow the same lines as dignitaries and diplomats. Ambassadors are your social-first characters, serving as the front line in personal encounters and taking over for those who might just blunder an important interaction. They have a talent for soothing egos, calming tensions, and negotiating for more than most could hope. When necessary, they can incite violence, lie undetected, and convincingly pass as someone they’re not.

However, the Ambassador is more than just a pretty face. In a galaxy this mean, those who put themselves into dangerous situations of any kind must know how to fight in more ways than one. They’re shrewd dealers with an eye for the escape hatch, and few realize just how capable they can be until far too late.

Ambassadors come about their talents in many ways. Some are naturally adept hucksters and charlatans. Some are trained as entertainers and concubines, only to turn those skills upon their oppressors. Others serve the rebellions of the galaxy as provocateurs and insurgent leaders, instigating trouble wherever they find themselves.

The Ambassador is modeled after the bard.

Class Features

As an Ambassador, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Ambassador level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Ambassador level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, pistols, and either noble swords or vehicle weapons (your choice)
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Insight, Persuasion, plus any 2 of your choice
Tools: One type of your choice

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a noble sword or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) a military pack
• (a) catsuit armor or (b) flight suit armor

Table: The Ambassador

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Tricks Known	Gambits Known	Gambit Slots per Gambit Level
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+2	Pulling Gambits, Ambassador Inspiration (d6)	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Jack of All Trades, Rousing Speech	2	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Ambassador Profession, Expertise	2	6	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	— —
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	3	7	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Ambassador Inspiration (d8), Font of Inspiration	3	8	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+3	Countergambit, Profession feature	3	9	4	3	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+3	—	3	10	4	3	3	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	11	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+4	Rousing Speech (d8)	3	12	4	3	3	3	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+4	Ambassador Inspiration (d10), Expertise, Galactic Secrets	4	14	4	3	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+4	—	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	4	15	4	3	3	3	2	1	—	—	—
13th	+5	Rousing Speech (d10)	4	16	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
14th	+5	Galactic Secrets, Profession feature	4	18	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	—	—
15th	+5	Ambassador Inspiration (d12)	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	19	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	—
17th	+6	Rousing Speech (d12)	4	20	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	+6	Galactic Secrets	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	+6	Superior Inspiration	4	22	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Pulling Gambits

You know a trick or two when it comes to handling yourself in dangerous situations. You also have an area of expertise few others can claim: gambits for influencing others. You goad, fool, or smooth over your adversaries as easily as an ally might gun them down. Your way involves less blood.

Tricks. You know two tricks of your choice from the Deception and Influence gambit schools. You learn additional Ambassador tricks of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Tricks Known column of the Ambassador table.

Gambit Slots. The Ambassador table shows how many gambit slots you have to pull your gambits of 1st level and higher. To pull one of these gambits, you must expend a slot of the gambit’s level or higher.

You regain all expended gambit slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level gambit Thrill of Battle and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level gambit slot available, you can pull Thrill of Battle using either slot.

Gambits Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know four 1st-level gambits of your choice from the Deception and Influence gambit schools. The Gambits Known column of the Ambassador table shows when you learn more Ambassador gambits of your choice. Each of these gambits must be of a level for which you have gambit slots. For instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you can learn one new gambit of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Ambassador gambits you know and replace it with another gambit from the Deception and Influence gambit schools.

This new gambit must be of a level for which you have gambit slots.

Gambit Pulling Ability. Charisma is the gambit pulling ability for Ambassador gambits.

Your gambits come from your powerfully magnetic presence and capacity for manipulating the emotional states of others. You use your Charisma whenever a gambit refers to your gambit pulling ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Ambassador gambit you pull and when making an attack roll with one.

Gambit save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Gambit attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Experimental Gambits

You can pull any Ambassador gambit you know as an Experiment if that gambit has the Experiment tag.

Ambassador Inspiration

You can inspire others through your stirring performance. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear you. That creature gains one Ambassador Inspiration die, initially a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Ambassador Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Once the Ambassador Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Ambassador Inspiration die at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Your Ambassador Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level, a d10 at 10th level, and a d12 at 15th level.

Jack of All Trades

Starting at 2nd level, you can add half your proficiency bonus, rounded down, to any ability check you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.

Rousing Speech

Beginning at 2nd level, you can use oration to help revitalize your wounded allies during a short rest. If you or any friendly creatures who can hear your speech regain hit points at the end of the short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, each of those creatures regains an extra 1d6 hit points.

The extra hit points increase when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d8 at 9th level, to 1d10 at 13th level, and to 1d12 at 17th level.

Ambassador Profession At 3rd level, you delve into the advanced techniques of an Ambassador Profession of your choice: Con Artist, Entertainer, or Provocateur. All three are detailed at the end of the Ambassador class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th and 14th level.

Expertise

At 3rd level, choose two of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.

At 10th level, you can choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Font of Inspiration

Beginning when you reach 5th level, you regain any expended uses of Ambassador Inspiration whenever you finish a short or long rest.

Countergambit

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use your own words to counter the social gambits of others. As an action, you can start a monologue that lasts until the end of your next turn. During that time, you and any friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against gambits from the Deception or Influence schools.

A creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or silenced, or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).

Galactic Secrets

By 10th level, you have plundered knowledge from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Choose two gambits from any class, including this one. A gambit you choose must be of a level you can pull, as shown on the Ambassador table, or a trick. The chosen gambits count as Ambassador gambits for you and are included in the number in the Gambits Known column of the Ambassador table.

You learn two additional gambits from any class at 14th level and again at 18th level.

Superior Inspiration

At 20th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Ambassador Inspiration left, you regain one use.

Ambassador Professions

These are the areas of specialty for those who make their way with words. They represent divergent styles as well as literal occupations these kinds of Ambassadors generally find themselves working. Con artists sometimes find their abilities are well suited to working as a trader.

Performers may find that their most useful performance is living a double life. Don’t feel stifled by the naming of these Professions. The Ambassador is a versatile class and ready for nearly any adventure.

Con Artist

Con Artists have honed an ability to gain the confidence of others, telling convincing lies with a smile and wink. They enjoy nothing more than twisting unearned confidence towards their own goals, employing trickery to get exactly what they want.

The Con Artist is an artist after all, celebrating their own finesse with lies and deception. Although all Ambassador class characters employ deception as roughly half of their repertoire, the Con Artist delves into trickery with particular relish.

Fast Talk

At 3rd level you begin to specialize in speech patterns that baffle and boggle the mind. If you initiate a conversation with a sentient creature outside of combat rounds, you may keep them from moving and/or attacking for so long as you continue to speak.

If a creature engaged in this way is confronted with danger, they may escape your entrancement, but only after succeeding in a Charisma save against your gambit pulling DC. This ability may be used at vehicles scale if you are in communications with the target.

Cutting Words

Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the competence of others. When a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a damage roll, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses of Ambassador Inspiration, rolling an Ambassador Inspiration die and subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll.

You can choose to use this feature in one of two ways: after the creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll or ability check succeeds or fails, or before the creature deals its damage. Creatures that cannot hear you or are immune to being charmed are immune to this feature.

Deceptive Nature

At 6th level, you learn 2 of the Deception school tricks (adding 2 to your Tricks Known total). In addition, whenever your Galactic Secrets feature gives you additional gambits (10th, 14th, and 18th level) you gain an additional Deception school gambit.

Whispers

Starting at 14th level, you have advantage on rolls to pull Deception school gambits when your target is within 5 feet of you and can understand your language. Likewise, the target of your Deception gambits are at disadvantage when rolling to resist gambit effects in this situation.

Entertainer

You’ve developed a performance art or two with which to manipulate the whims and motivations of others. Through the perfection of music, dance, or simply companionship, your entertaining personality slips right under their guard.

Your methods make the most of rhythm, motion, and libido, drawing upon your sense of timing and your ability to utterly overwhelm your mark. The Entertainer is, in short, a conduit for emotional force.

The Limelight

At 3rd level, you are trained in either a musical instrument as a tool proficiency, the performance skill, or the acrobatics skill.

Performance Art

Also at 3rd level, you may use a form of dance (acrobatics or performance skill), an instrument (tool proficiency or performance skill), or seduction (persuasion skill) in place of the usual time to pull an Influence school gambit of 5th level or lower, drawing it out over the course of twenty minutes.

When you do so, you do not need to spend a gambit slot to pull the gambit, so long as you succeed in a DC 15 skill roll and the target of your gambit remains within range for your entire performance.

Repeat Customer

Beginning at 6th level, you have advantage on the roll to pull an Influence school gambit against a target that you have successfully pulled an Influence gambit on in the past. This may be as recent as the previous round. Likewise, such targets are at disadvantage on rolls to resist your Influence gambits.

Follow Your Passion At 14th level you are capable of drawing power from your successes in influencing others with your performances. You regain a spent Ambassador Inspiration die whenever you succeed in pulling an Influence school gambit utilizing a performance (as per the Performance Art feature).

Provocateur

The forces of tyranny destroy whole worlds and rip apart the freedoms you’ve come to accept as inalienable. They may fashion themselves destroyers, but you are the agent of their destruction.

You are a rabble rouser and cultivator of contacts sympathetic to your cause. You gain the confidence of those in position to throw a spanner in the works.

Eye for Talent

At 3rd level, upon joining this Profession, you’ve learned to keep an eye out for potential recruits to your cause. You are proficient in Insight and have advantage on rolls related to cultivating sympathizers and informants.

Incitement

Beginning at 3rd level, you are capable of convincing a crowd to act. You may spend an action and an Ambassador Inspiration die to direct any group of 10 or more friendly NPCs who can hear you to take a particular course of action.

This direction lasts for a number of minutes equal to the number rolled on the Inspiration die. Mobs will not take action that puts them in direct danger, but are willing to stand up to armed guards.

The crowd disperses if any members take damage.

Know Thy Enemy

At 6th level you’ve learned to study your enemy. Choose one group, such as the ruling empire or a rival star alliance. You count as proficient on any Intelligence ability roll related to knowledge of their ways, including the operations of their military and security forces.

Additionally, as a bonus action you may spend a gambit slot of any level to simply recall a common protocol or tactic of this group, without the need for a roll.

The Mob Rules

Starting at 14th level, rather than simply finding a crowd to incite, you’ve learned to make one. You may spend 30 minutes contacting local sympathizers and expend 1 Ambassador Inspiration die to assemble a crowd of friendly NPCs. A number of NPCs show up equal to ten times the number rolled on the Inspiration die. They’ll stick around, protesting loudly, for 4 hours before dispersing.

Unlike other mobs, this group is willing to put themselves in direct harm when you use Incitement to inspire them to. This feature may be used multiple times successively to create a bigger and bigger crowd, limited only by the number of potential sympathizers in the area.