Nathaniel Mercer
Nathaniel Mercer
Sheet
AC 15 · HP 176 · 30 ft.Saving throws
Skills
- AcrobaticsDEX
- Animal HandlingWIS
- ArcanaINT
- AthleticsSTR
- DeceptionCHA
- HistoryINT
- InsightWIS
- IntimidationCHA
- InvestigationINT
- MedicineWIS
- NatureINT
- PerceptionWIS
- PersuasionCHA
- ReligionINT
- Sleight of HandDEX
- StealthDEX
- SurvivalWIS
Armor
Weapons
Tools
Languages
Features
48 featuresBonus action
- Parting ShotLevel 3
When After taking Dash, Disengage, or Dodge
Nathaniel takes Dash, Disengage, or Dodge, then expends a Risk Die to fire a Parting Shot as a Bonus Action.
- Cunning ActionLevel 2
Nathaniel can take Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action.
- Steady AimLevel 3
Nathaniel can take the Steady Aim option as a Bonus Action. If he has not moved, he gains Advantage on his next attack this turn, and his Speed becomes 0 for the turn.
- Fast HandsLevel 3
Nathaniel can use a Bonus Action to make a Sleight of Hand check, use Thieves' Tools, or take the Utilize action to interact with an object.
- Bite the BulletLevel 2
Nathaniel can use a Bonus Action and expend a Risk Die to gain temporary hit points equal to the die roll plus his Gunslinger level.
- BlindfireLevel 2
Nathaniel can use a Bonus Action and expend a Risk Die to gain Blindsight out to 30 feet until the end of the turn.
Always on
- Double Tap
When Attack action with the enchanted 1911
Nathaniel fires two precise shots with his enchanted 1911, targeting the head or chest. Apply Sneak Attack to one qualifying hit per turn.
- Dead Calm
When When he has time to set his feet and choose a target
Nathaniel uses Steady Aim, fires a critical-focused shot, and follows with Cunning Strike or a Risk maneuver when necessary.
- Corrective Fire
When After missing with a ranged weapon attack
Nathaniel converts a missed shot into a grazing hit by expending a Risk Die.
- Weapon MasteryLevel 1
Nathaniel gains proficiency with simple weapons and martial weapons that have the Finesse or Light property. He can use the mastery properties of two qualifying weapons, chosen as the pistol and shortsword.
- ExpertiseLevel 1
Nathaniel gains Expertise in four proficient skills or tools. His expertise applies to Deception, Investigation, Perception, and Stealth.
- Sneak Attack, 9d6Level 1
Once per turn, Nathaniel deals an extra 9d6 damage when he hits with a qualifying weapon attack while having Advantage, or when another eligible condition for Sneak Attack is met.
- Thieves' CantLevel 1
Nathaniel knows the secret language of rogues and covert operatives, including hidden signs and coded meanings.
- Ability Score ImprovementLevel 4
Nathaniel gains an Ability Score Improvement or another feat for which he qualifies.
- Cunning StrikeLevel 5
Nathaniel can apply Cunning Strike options when he deals Sneak Attack damage, trading Sneak Attack dice for additional effects.
- Uncanny DodgeLevel 5
When Nathaniel takes damage from an attack, he can use his Reaction to halve that damage.
- ExpertiseLevel 6
Nathaniel gains Expertise in two additional proficient skills or tools, represented by his expertise with Insight and Persuasion.
- EvasionLevel 7
When Nathaniel makes a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, he instead takes no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.
- Reliable TalentLevel 7
Nathaniel treats a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10 whenever he makes an ability check using a skill or tool in which he has proficiency.
- Ability Score ImprovementLevel 8
Nathaniel gains an Ability Score Improvement or another feat for which he qualifies.
- Supreme SneakLevel 9
Nathaniel has Advantage on a Dexterity check made to avoid being detected if he moves no more than half his Speed on the same turn.
- Ability Score ImprovementLevel 10
Nathaniel gains an Ability Score Improvement or another feat for which he qualifies.
- Improved Cunning StrikeLevel 11
Nathaniel can apply two Cunning Strike options to the same Sneak Attack, paying the required Sneak Attack dice for each option.
- Ability Score ImprovementLevel 12
Nathaniel gains an Ability Score Improvement or another feat for which he qualifies.
- Use Magic DeviceLevel 13
Nathaniel can use any magic item regardless of its class, species, spell, or level requirements, subject to the Dungeon Master's adjudication of the item's function.
- Devious StrikesLevel 14
Nathaniel can trade additional Sneak Attack dice for powerful Devious Strike effects, including Daze, Knock Out, or Obscure.
- Slippery MindLevel 15
Nathaniel gains proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
- Ability Score ImprovementLevel 16
Nathaniel gains an Ability Score Improvement or another feat for which he qualifies.
- Thief's ReflexesLevel 17
Nathaniel can take two turns during the first round of each combat. He takes the first turn at his normal Initiative and the second turn at his Initiative minus 10.
- ElusiveLevel 18
Attack rolls cannot have Advantage against Nathaniel unless he is Incapacitated.
- Epic BoonLevel 19
Nathaniel gains an Epic Boon or another feat for which he qualifies. His selected boon is Boon of Luck, increasing his exceptional ability to turn failure into success.
- Stroke of LuckLevel 20
When Nathaniel fails a d20 Test, he can turn the roll into a 20. He regains this ability after a Short or Long Rest.
- Quick DrawLevel 1
Nathaniel has Advantage on Initiative rolls and can draw or stow two non-Two-Handed weapons whenever he would normally draw or stow one.
- Fighting StyleLevel 1
Nathaniel gains the Archery Fighting Style, granting a +2 bonus to attack rolls with ranged weapons.
- Ranged Weapon MasteryLevel 1
Nathaniel can use the mastery properties of two chosen ranged weapons, selected as the pistol and hand crossbow.
- Critical ShotLevel 2
Nathaniel's ranged weapon attacks score a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
- RiskLevel 2
Nathaniel has four d8 Risk Dice. He regains expended Risk Dice after a Short or Long Rest and can spend them on Gunslinger maneuvers.
- Secret Agent GunslingerLevel 3
Nathaniel gains the Secret Agent subclass, including Operative Training, Concealed Shot, proficiency with a Disguise Kit, additional covert skill training, and the Parting Shot maneuver.
- Dodge RollLevel 2
Nathaniel can expend a Risk Die to move up to 15 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks and reload a ranged weapon he is holding.
- Grazing ShotLevel 2
When Nathaniel misses with a ranged weapon attack, he can expend a Risk Die to deal damage equal to the die roll plus his Dexterity modifier. He can use this maneuver once per turn.
- Maverick SpiritLevel 2
When Nathaniel fails an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma ability check or saving throw, he can expend a Risk Die and add it to the roll once per turn.
- Skin of Your TeethLevel 2
When a creature hits Nathaniel with an attack, he can use his Reaction and expend a Risk Die to add the die roll to his AC against that attack.
- Operative TrainingLevel 3
Nathaniel learns the Concealed Shot cantrip, using Wisdom as his spellcasting ability. He gains proficiency with a Disguise Kit and Thieves' Tools, plus additional training in Deception, Investigation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
- TraitHumanResourceful, Nathaniel gains Heroic Inspiration whenever he finishes a Long Rest.
- TraitHumanSkillful, Nathaniel gains proficiency in one skill of his choice, represented by Perception.
- TraitHumanVersatile, Nathaniel gains an Origin feat of his choice. His selected feat is Alert, granting a bonus to Initiative equal to his Proficiency Bonus and allowing him to swap Initiative with a willing ally at the start of combat.
- TraitHumanHuman Speed is 30 feet.
- Savage AttackerSoldier
Nathaniel retains the discipline, battlefield instincts, and authority of a trained soldier. He gains the Savage Attacker Origin feat, proficiency with Athletics and Intimidation, and proficiency with one gaming set, chosen as a deck of playing cards.
Spells
1 spellSpellcasting. Nathaniel Mercer casts with Wisdom (spell save DC 19, to hit with spell attacks).
Cantrips (at will):
Gear
11 itemsWeapons
- Enchanted 1911 pistolAn enchanted modern-style 1911 pistol with an eleven-round magazine. It is a custom magic weapon, and its exact bonuses and damage are determined by the Dungeon Master.
- ShortswordA backup blade suited to close-quarters combat and rogue weapon mastery.
- 2×DaggerA pair of concealed daggers for emergencies, utility, and silent work.
Tools
- Thieves' ToolsA practical kit containing tools for bypassing locks and disarming traps.
- Disguise KitDisguise materials, cosmetics, wigs, false facial hair, and other covert identity supplies.
Gear
- Modern formal suitA fitted black three-piece suit with a red tie and black dress shoes, tailored for movement and concealment.
- Playing cardsA deck used for gambling, coded signals, and reading opponents across a table.
- Healer's KitMedical supplies retained from Nathaniel's military service.
- Burglar's PackA pack containing rope, containers, rations, bedroll, and common adventuring supplies.
- 20×ArrowsA quiver and ammunition for a backup ranged weapon.
Purse
- 50×Gold piecesA reserve of field money and mission expenses.
Appearance
Nathaniel Mercer is a tall, roguishly handsome human man with an athletic build, close-cropped dark hair, and a carefully trimmed beard. He wears a perfectly fitted black three-piece suit, a crisp white shirt, a deep red tie, polished black dress shoes, and discreet enchanted holsters. His expression is calm and unreadable, even under fire. His custom eleven-round 1911 pistol rests in his hand with effortless familiarity, its dark metal engraved with subtle arcane lines.
Mannerisms
Nathaniel adjusts his red tie before entering danger, checks every exit without appearing to look, and pauses for exactly one heartbeat before answering a question. He maintains steady eye contact when someone speaks, then watches their hands when they finish. He rarely raises his voice. When irritated, he quietly polishes the pistol's slide with a spotless white handkerchief.
Personality
Nathaniel is calm, collected, observant, and unfailingly professional. He speaks with measured confidence, rarely wastes words, and treats every conversation as an intelligence-gathering exercise. He is courteous even to enemies, provided they are honest about their intentions. His humor is dry and understated, appearing most often when everyone else is already panicking. He has a strong protective instinct for civilians and loyal companions, though he disguises concern beneath tactical instructions.
Ideals
Precision. Every action should have a purpose. A clean solution protects more innocent lives than a dramatic one. Justice is not about anger, it is about identifying the true threat and removing it.
Bonds
The surviving members of Nathaniel's old military unit are his family. He will risk everything to protect them, even when doing so compromises a mission. He also keeps a scorched brass casing from the first operation in which he failed to save an informant.
Flaws
Nathaniel trusts his ability to read people more than he should. When someone deceives him successfully, he takes it as a personal failure and becomes fixated on exposing the truth. He also has difficulty abandoning a mission once it has begun, even when the tactical situation has changed. Beneath his composure is a deep fear that, without a target, an objective, or an order, he will no longer know who he is.
Quirks
Background
Nathaniel Mercer remembers very little of his life before the army. What he does remember is movement, commands, and the steady certainty that survival belonged to the person who noticed danger first. He rose through military intelligence as a scout, marksman, and counter-infiltration specialist. His ability to read a room became as valuable as his ability to put a round through a target. Nathaniel learned to recognize hesitation, false confidence, rehearsed answers, and the tiny physical betrayals that separated truth from carefully manufactured lies. After leaving military service, Nathaniel became an independent operative for hire, specializing in extraction, sabotage, and the quiet removal of threats that could not be addressed openly. His work eventually brought him into contact with a clandestine network of spies and assassins known as the Black Ledger. There he learned to disguise himself as a gentleman, a servant, a guard, or a corpse, depending on what the mission required. His enchanted 1911 was built from an impossible fusion of modern craftsmanship and arcane engineering. It holds eleven rounds, never jams in his hand, and responds to his will with unnerving precision. Nathaniel does not spray bullets. Every shot is deliberate, aimed at the head or chest, and fired only after he has decided the target truly deserves it. Now a master thief and secret agent, Nathaniel operates in a modern world of secure vaults, corrupt officials, magical surveillance, and carefully hidden wars. He is equally comfortable slipping through a gala in a black suit, breaking into a fortified estate, or walking calmly through a firefight. His greatest weapon is not the pistol. It is the absolute confidence that he has already considered every possible outcome.
“What he does remember is movement, commands, and the steady certainty that survival belonged to the person who noticed danger first.”
- Background
- Soldier
Connections
Species
Human
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