Best Tool Proficiency for a Conman

[Trustypeaches]

So for my next campaign (Dragon Heist) I've decided to play a Halfling Warlock street urchin who works as a small-time conman on the streets of Waterdeep.

As an Urchin I've already picked up Proficiency in Thieve's Tools and Disguise Kit, but I was considering training in another Tool Proficiency to enhance / flavor my scams.

What Tool Proficiency (excluding Forgery Kit) do you think has the most potential for conman shenanigans?

[Jophiel]

Jeweler's Tools, Painting Kit, Cartography Supplies or Alchemist Supplies all seem like good options for scamming people with fake jewelry, forged paintings, fake treasure maps (but with enough detail to be convincing rather than just an X on a sheet of parchment) or selling impressive foaming or smoking snake oils. Depending on your DM, you might even be able to use Cartography to make official looking fake land surveys and sell some swampland.

[Ganymede]

A conman might be proficient in a gaming set in order to scam some coins off tourists with rigged games. Perhaps he would be proficient in Three Dragon Ante?

[Draken]

Forgery Kit would be how you forge documents, if you want to climb the stairs of conmanship.

[Unoriginal]

Brewer's Kit to make "painkiller tonics" is also an option.

Funny thing is that Brewer's Kit proficiency actually DO give you an advantage if you're also proficient in Medicine, for ability checks related to dulling pain.

Tinker's tools to sell cheap but impressive mechanical doodads?

Cooking utensils to sell bad fast food a la CMOT Dibbler?


Basically everything can be in a conman's arsenal, you just need to choose what your main con is.

[Tiadoppler]

I've seen a criminal character get excellent mileage out of Woodworking Tools. Their specialty was fine cabinetry, and they'd get themselves invited into mansions and estates, with a bag full of tools, and be allowed to do things like:

They build a fancy desk, with a "secure" hidden drawer or compartment, so they know exactly where the NPC will keep his secrets/valuables. When a burglar breaks in and smashes the desk, stealing the contents, there's no clue that they knew the exact location of the secret drawer.
They're allowed to wander around different rooms, taking careful measurements (and being able to figure out the locations of secret rooms/passageways). They can make great maps and diagrams of the entire building, for planning purposes.
They start working on their projects in the building, while eavesdropping on conversations. They can learn a lot of interesting information that way.

They never, ever steal or cheat while on the job, so their persona as "honest carpenter" remains intact, but come nightfall...

[stoutstien]

And the old books he actually was a train blacksmith.