Con Artistry

The Art of the Con

Written by Edward Carmien
Artwork by Raven Mimura



And often times, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.

    --Banquo, speaking to Macbeth Macbeth, Act I, Scene 3

One thing needs to be made clear, gentle reader, before I go farther. That is the simple fact that the fantasy world in which you run your characters, chasing dragons, rescuing maidens, bashing orcs, and so forth, has very little to do with the actual real world history the genre draws from. Oh, that's obvious, you may be thinking. Of course there weren't real dragons back then.

That's only half the point. If you've always thought of peasants as those relatively cheerful, wholesome folk who make up the background of various Robin Hood and King Arthur type films, think again. In the European Middle Ages, peasants lived short, brutish lives. They could go a lifetime without seeing a coin of the realm. Living to fifty was an accomplishment, because most peasants lost their teeth to crud and corruption (or stone dust in their bread) long before that time, and not having any teeth means something if you don't have high quality dentures to take up the slack.

Why do I bring this up? This article is about medieval fantasy con artists. Here's the catch - there weren't any. Real cons didn't flourish until the advent of the Renaissance, and even then the scope of cons was relatively limited. Hardly anybody had any money, and those that did needn't con anyone out of it. Then, as during the middle ages, a strong right arm was all that was needed to squeeze money out of someone.

But most of us don't role-play in such a depressingly real environment. Most of us play in a decidedly Disneyesque version of the middle ages - we want swords and sorcery - and so these cons are taken from the contemporary era and translated into terms that should work for any fantasy roleplayer. These cons could also be adapted to any role-playing game, in any genre, with a little work and creativity.

Before we move on, let me acknowledge the contributions of Richard H. Blum's book, Deceivers and Deceived. While a bit dated, it contains many direct quotes from con artists that are enough to make you doubt the innate goodness of humanity.

what is a con?

A true con is any activity that causes a mark (see below) to give something to a con artist. This sort of fraud is more common than you might think in our real world, though the cons must constantly evolve to keep up with changing times. The key word here is "give". No con artist uses physical force. Muggers use force. Bank robbers use force. Con artists... con.

some terms

The world of con artists is rife with many strange terms. Most will be defined in the text, as necessary, but a few terms need special attention.

short con

The short con takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to complete. Short cons usually cost a mark a relatively small amount of money, though some short cons can net quite a bit. As always, the gullibility of the mark is the true measure for a con's success. If used in a game session, this sort of con works best if executed quickly, as the group atmosphere will short-circuit the PC foolishness necessary to make a short con work.

long con

Long cons take days, weeks, or months to complete. The amounts involved are usually significant, though sometimes a large number of marks can be conned out of a little bit of money each; the net result is the same, but more marks are involved. Long cons are a good option for role-playing stories, as they can develop over time... and leave a group of players thirsting for revenge when the con becomes obvious.

mark

The mark is the victim. Marks are a dime a dozen for a practiced con artist. The mark might be a player character, a character's servant, or an NPC the characters are associated with.

Fundamentally, a mark must be greedy. A mark, like most people, wants something for nothing, or for very little. A con artist plays upon that natural desire. Note that sometimes a mark will want something for someone else; the idea is the same. People who avoid cons often do so by repeating the mantra "if it sounds too good to be true..."

con artist

Whether working alone, or with one or more associates, a con artist talks people out of something he desires. See the next section for more information on con artists and their defining characteristics. See also the "Role Call" section of this issue for some sample con artists.

cool

A verb; to cool the mark is to make sure the victim won't pursue matters legally or personally. In modern times, shame will often do the trick, but in a feudal fantasy setting, a con artist will have to be quick on his or her feet to avoid a mace to the forehead! Obviously, a successful con artist is one who not only scores something from a mark, but also leaves that mark either unaware they were conned... or unwilling to make a fuss about it.

the con artist

What makes a con artist a con artist? While no list of defining features can cover every individual who runs cons, here are some basic personality elements from which you can draw as you create or act out the part of a con artist in your role-playing game.

Con artists come in all shapes and sizes. In a fantasy setting, they could be elves, dwarves, gnomes, pixies (then again, pixies might not have the concentration required... ), trolls, ores, or even - gulp! - humans. While it is impossible to point out a con artist in a crowd (though they are not very threatening in appearance), there are definitely some trends in personality that you can count on a con artist to exhibit.

glib

Con artists as a group are glib. They speak well. They act interested in whomever they are talking to. Think "used car salesperson", and you won't be far off. These shysters use charm to become acquainted with other people, evoke their trust, and then to act on that trust. Don't assume all con artists are like the (obviously) slimy and fake car dealer from True Lies. The viewer is supposed to pick up on the fact that he was a fake right away.

Real con artists sound very genuine. If one is talking to you, it is because he or she has figured you for a possible mark. If you seem to distrust the con artist, he or she will walk away. There are always more fish in the sea!

controlling

Con artists are control freaks. They want to be in control of all interactions they have with a mark. They do this partially by finding marks who are easy to control.

Hint: many role-players fall into this category due to the inherent structure of role-play. RPGs put the fate of the PCs in the hands of the GM, who is (usually) in charge of forwarding the plot. GMs shouldn't hesitate to use this against players they are trying to con in their game!

There are many tricks to establishing control. If a con artist speaks softly, and the mark leans forward - that's control. The artist has made the mark lean forward. In a restaurant, directing the ordering process establishes control. The mark learns to rely on the con artist for small decisions... which leads to the actual bite later in the con. Con artists prefer to be the ones who walk away from a conversation; it leaves them in control by giving them the last word. In addition, such an aloof attitude leads the mark to believe the con artist doesn't want or need anything from the mark, when exactly the reverse is true.

In conversing with a mark, it is important for the con artist to establish a sense of superiority. If a mark has a nice horse, the con artist will have a stable full of champion thoroughbreds. If a mark is well off, the con artist will be rich.

lies

Con artists lie constantly - they're among the world's best liars. With magical lie detection available to many characters, the world becomes a dangerous place for practiced liars who can be discovered with a widget. Con artists who succeed will obviously have a way around such resources, or might be naturally immune to low-power lie detection widgets.

Con artists must never be caught in a lie. That violates the confidence between mark and artist. Con artists must lie adroitly, therefore, and only as much as necessary, in order to avoid being caught.

role-playing a con artist

To best role-play a con artist, get close. Sit side-by-side with the other person. Establish a personal contact. Speak' quietly to keep the conversation intimate. Use eye contact and a ready smile to assure the mark that everything is on the up and up. Laugh at the mark's jokes. Speak like the mark speaks. Be of the same social class as he. Be interested in everything he has to say. Inquire about his background, recent activities, or family. Be honest with him. Confide in him. Be generous with him.

A successful con artist can establish a strong link with a mark in a matter of minutes. Doing this in an RPG can be tricky: after all, the real people involved already know each other. Success here requires keeping the characterizations straight while using all the tricks listed above. Don't slip and use a person's real name during the con - and try to keep the conversations in blocks. Don't let others interrupt, and don't forget that the con artist wants to control the social situation within the game. It may be handy to attempt a con in a game off to the side or in another room, giving the other players a break.

core con sequence

All cons work using a core sequence. This sequence is time-tested and true. While there might be some cons that omit a step, and magic may come into play here, this process is fairly standard practice in the world of the con artist.

finding marks

No matter if the artist is running a long or a short con, one must have marks around to work on. Finding a mark is a matter of knowing yourself as a con artist. Con artists con those they look and act like. If he wants to con the rich, he associates with the rich... and dresses and acts rich to boot. To con the poor, the artist would look and act poor (but the poor don't have much money, so what's the point). Conning travellers requires appearing as a fellow traveller, or someone involved with the business of travelling, such as an innkeeper or stable-hand. Once a target-rich environment has been achieved, it is time to select a mark for attention.

selecting a mark

Selecting a mark is easy once the artist has placed him or herself where appropriate marks should he. The con itself may determine what mark is selected, or the con artist may have a favorite group upon which to prey (for example the elderly, religious pilgrims, farm boys, and so on). Keep in mind that selection may be moot, though, as the GM may know exactly who is going to get conned in a game before play begins!

qualifying a mark

Are all marks equal? Of course not. A good mark must appear controllable, have something worth taking, and be "cool-able" (see below). Qualifying a mark usually involves a conversation that may extend for several minutes. Sometimes, however, qualifying a mark is an instant process: any mark in a certain part of town may qualify. Once again, the qualifying process might not matter very much. Note that the exact identity of the con artist may change as the mark is approached for the first time, in order to afford the artist maximum interpersonal impact upon him.

the touch

Whatever the con, at some point the mark must be conned out of something, be it a horse, a bag of silver, a magic wand, or whatever. This is the key point of the con. If the mark won't buy into the con initially, the artist might try another tactic, but by and large real con artists, especially in short cons, will walk away. The touch must be handled especially well, as a table full of gamers are apt to catch on quickly. [They aren't called rules lawyers for nothing!]

A hook that is often used to facilitate the touch is the mark's own interest in beating the system. While greed probably drew the mark into the con into the first place, the frosting on the cake for him will often be an opportunity to beat the tax man, to get money out of a big company, or to score beyond the financial limits of their class (through the con), causing the harm, humiliation, or embarrassment of a hated ethnic group, religion, or individual_

cooling the mark

Foot me once, shame on you, says Montgomery Scott. Fool me twice, shame on me. A con artist who doesn't consistently cool his or her victims won't be in business very long. This stage should he set up by the shape of the con itself. Shame is often enough, though role-players are notoriously bad at including shame in their role-playing. If, during the course of the con, the mark did something illegal, the threat of being arrested is also a strong cooling factor. Whatever trick is used to cool the mark, it needs to be even stronger than in real life, if only because gamers are playing imaginary people, characters who are one step away from the real world. Subtlety is often lost on players, and a player who has been stung deeply by an in-game con might need to be reminded about the facts of life in whatever fantasy world his or her character lives in.

An all-too common alternative to leaving the mark without a clue or unwilling to go to the authorities is to bring the authorities in on the con. Artists who do this will probably have to pay a percentage, but they are safe from prosecution if the mark squeals to the constable. In this case, the constable might turn a deaf ear to such complaints, or he or she might pretend to punish the offender, cooling the mark with his apparent punishment. Of course, the object of the con will be long gone.

how the touch works

This section explains in greater detail some ways to coerce marks to part with their valuables - willingly, eagerly, even desperately. Also, here are some details about setting the mark up for the cooling phase. While these suggestions aren't all-encompassing, they could serve as the basis for home grown cons. For examples of specific cons, see the Sample Cons section later in the article.

the switch

This trick is particularly hard to use on modern Americans, because it has been widely used in various forms of popular media, such as comic books, movies, and TV shows. This is the method that, for example, could result in the mark acquiring an envelope and finding newsprint instead of the dollar bills he expected. How many times have you seen that in the movies, eh? Magic, however, makes this option a little more realistic - if you can forgive the obvious contradiction in terms. Magically enabled con artists might be able to make this work.

The switch works by fooling the mark into thinking that something valuable is not where he thinks it is. Sleight of hand might also be required - this being one of the rare cases in which something other than simple fast talk might be involved in a scam. A classic example involves an envelope with money in it.

Put money in an envelope. Hand it to a buddy, who adds money and signs the front. He hands it to a second buddy who does the same thing and then hands the envelope back to you to sign and hold. Among three strangers, there's no way that envelope wouldn't have the money in it, right? But what if the other two guys are working with each other, and had an envelope prepared ahead of time? With a little sleight of hand, the prepared envelope ends up in your hands, and the envelope with your money in it heads south for the winter. How could that work? Remember the control factor? By this point in a con, the artist is doing all the talking, moving, handing, writing, and so on. All the mark has to do is cough up the cash.

The switch doesn't have to be an envelope full of money - unlikely in a fantasy game, regardless. It could he a bag of gold, a horse, a magic scroll. Whatever.

counterfeit

In the counterfeit con, the artist passes something off as being something that it is not. A classic example in our real world is something called the block scam. In this con, the artist buys a block of cheap rings, boxes them up in fancy packages, and labels them with high prices. After going through the process described earlier, the final pitch to a prospective mark might sound something like "I got gypped by a jeweler, but I want to get him back by selling these at below cost. What do you say?" In this way, a two dollar ring sells for twenty bucks or more, and the mark may never know that he or she has been conned. And as an added benefit, there is no cooling period required.

Don't be fooled into thinking that a counterfeit has to involve something physical. A religious experience can be faked. Documents can be faked. Identities can be faked. Services, such as training, can be faked. All of these things can be the focus of one of these scams.

gambling

There are many classic gambling frauds. They work well because most gamblers are caught up in the desire to make a lot of money, fast. That is one of the essential lures of gambling, after all! Gambling can also be used as a means to an end, as in The Sting. Fundamentally, a gambling fraud cheats money from the mark, which goes to the artist. Gambling cons are also good with regard to cooling: if a mark loses money gambling (and the artist has concealed any underhandedness well enough), he or she won't realize they've been conned. And if they do, consider whether the operation was legal. One can hardly complain to the authorities about being conned in an illegal gambling operation!

Note that a crooked gambling house isn't (ideally) what is being described here. Gambling frauds usually involve individual con artists taking money from other gamblers; they aren't likely to be thought of kindly by gambling joint operators!

pyramid schemes

This now-classic and well-known type of con relies on simple geometry to work... at first. Ponzi schemes are similar. This is an effective con because it tricks others into helping the con artist; they become accomplices. When it all falls apart, they are almost as culpable as he, and are effectively cooled by their collective guilt.

sample cons

Here are some sample cons that lay out entire scams. These should be adaptable to most fantasy RPGs. GMs be warned: most groups of players, burned once, won't be easy to con again! For repeat performances, special care must be paid to the cooling process!

fortune telling scam

During the course of running an otherwise legitimate fortune telling booth, the proprietors will come across those that are genuinely troubled and unhappy. By focusing attention on these poor souls, and by gathering information from the local community in order to prepare statements from beyond, trust will be built.

One method for extracting money from trusting clients is the burning candles routine. Customers are implored to purchase expensive, imported, elvish, magical, or blessed candles which should then be burned at an altar of some kind. Or perhaps they can be sent home and burned in their windows, on their hearths, or at the peak of their roof. This is an example of a counterfeit con: the candles aren't what they are purported to be, and of course have no effect.

pigeon drop

If you, gentle reader, are like me, you will have a hard time imagining how this con could ever be pulled off. But it has worked in the past, and variations continue to be played even today. I include it here for the sake of tradition.

It begins with a seemingly chance meeting in a public place, perhaps a marketplace. Props, described below, are required, as are at least two artists. Here is one way such a con can work:

Con 1 strikes up a conversation with the mark about something trivial. Con2 approaches with a recently found item of some kind: a bag of gold, a valuable document, a magic ring. Conl and Con2 bandy words with the mark, trying to decide what to do. Should they keep the item? Turn it in? One of the Cons insists on getting advice from an authority figure: a cleric, an innkeeper, or a constable. The advice received is to split the value of the item amongst the three involved - the mark, Conl, and Con2. Coni has no problem with this, but claims that splitting it up will take some time, and Con2, saying that he doesn't trust the mark, asks for a deposit from him (to show his good faith).

After whatever process is required to get the money from the mark (added to other good faith donations from Con 1 and Con2), a classic switch is pulled. Since the whole thing was a bit underhanded to begin with, many marks won't report the con once they realize they've been had.

the gambling lesson

This is a sort of medium con, as it takes a few short cons to complete, perhaps totalling no longer than a few days total. In this, there is a cast of characters. A smooth talker handles the mark, an extra (who handles various roles as explained below), a rich twit who needs to be taught a lesson, and Mr. Helper, who cools the mark after the touch.

After getting to know the smooth talker, the mark is introduced to the extra, who runs or helps run a gambling operation of some kind. The rich dork is introduced and is seen to lose a lot of money. The extra explains that the dork needs to learn his lesson and be taught not to gamble so much - ("and why shouldn't his money end up in our pockets?") The smooth talker and the extra walk the mark through the process of cheating at the gambling game. Later, the rich dork is brought back in. In round one, a small amount of money is gained by the mark; and the extra and smooth talker persuade him to increase the stakes - it's all perfectly safe, they say, because after all, they're cheating to teach the twit a lesson.

In the high stakes game, of course, the twit rakes it in, possibly ruining the mark financially. This, despite the cheat that is supposed to work. The mark is blamed by the extra for failing to do something right. Then Mr. Helper steps in to assist, promising to get some of the mark's money back. This process drags on for months, and after lengthy negotiations only a small amount is returned, effectively cooling the mark as the recovery process continues.

sick dwarf's mine

A dwarf who appears to be ill appeals to the mark or marks for assistance. He requires a fast sale of his secret gold mine so that he can raise cash to give to a dwarven cleric or healer who is the only one who can remedy his situation.

He is willing to sell shares in his mine in exchange for a moderate amount of cash. But then an assistant shows up, overhears the deal, and makes a higher offer. The trick is for the con artists to raise the ante as much as possible without scaring off the mark or marks. The shares consist of a worthless map covered in dwarven runes and hand-written legal documents in an obscure dwarvish dialect. This is a classic example of the counterfeit fraud.

tent of wonders

The marks witness the arrival of a travelling merchant, and then the arrival of a courier of sorts. The merchant and the courier (both artists) argue loudly about the proposed value of the courier's delivery. The courier leaves in a huff; if approached, he says that the items he delivered were of great value but the merchant doesn't seem to recognize that fact.

The merchant, for his part, plays down the merchandise - saying it probably isn't what it seems, that it couldn't be worth much, and that he's willing to offer it for sale at a bargain price. The items are forgeries, and might be apparent magical artifacts, paintings, or statuettes; even sold at the reduced rate, the buyers are getting cheap goods at dear prices. This is an example of the counterfeit scam, but with the twist of making the goods appear to be a steal.

i've got an elvish maiden for you

This con works on a mark in search of a date for hire. When a mark is found who desires a prostitute for the evening, he or she praises the flesh for hire at his or her inn, tavern, or hostel. The only requirement is the mark appear after a certain time.

The con artist has to have identified an inn where the actual owner or bartender retires for the evening at a certain time. When the mark shows up, the artist acts official, collects a fee for the prostitute and a fee for the healer who is to verify that the mark is healthy, and then suggests the mark store his or her valuables in the inn's lockbox. The artist then directs the mark to an upper floor for the healer's inspection. When the mark leaves the room, the artist flees, taking all of the mark's valuables with him or her.

the noble prisoner

Equipped with a drawing of a beautiful girl, impressive but meaningless documents detailing real estate and mercantile holdings, and an urbane manner, a con artist seeks marks who can donate money to a worthy - and profitable - cause. It seems that a noble is being held in debtor's prison in some nearby country. This noble has a beautiful daughter who is near to being forced into a questionable marriage to raise funds, because the noble's holdings (described in the documents) are frozen by the local King, or Prince.

The daughter can he spared from her forced marriage with a small influx of ready cash. Since plans are well under way to free her father, this is a safe investment, and the mark's money is sure to be returned two or three-fold. Yeah, right.

saving the reputation of the church

The mark of choice for this con must be a devout follower of whatever religion happens to be appropriate. He is approached by a young novice of the religious order (an artist in disguise) and told that a well-known cleric of the order (pick one from the game background) is under a cloud of suspicion: he (or she) is said to have done something opposing the tenets of the faith. Money is needed, says the artist, to prove the cleric innocent - but the money cannot come from the church's coffers. This con, if it works, is quite effective because the mark won't hear anything against the cleric in question... and will likely assume that his or her donation did in fact help the church!

training school

In game systems where characters must pay to train for additional skills, levels, spells, and so on, this tong con can earn an artist quite a bit. If used on the characters, they are likely to be only several of its many victims.

In exchange for a regular monthly (or weekly, or daily) payment, the artist agrees to train a class of students. The training isn't hands-on, however; it consists of a packet of instructions the student is supposed to follow. The instructions need not he written ("I will give you a bag of pebbles. Pull a pebble from the bag each hour. If you pull a white pebble, do this..."), but they do involve the student performing some tiring, repetitive task.

Students who complain are told that they must finish the course to see results. In the meantime, the con artist tries to extend the fee-paying process as long as possible. In the end, no notable skill increases are gained by the students.

The training school concept can be fleshed out with associates who pose as students who have benefitted from the training, other marks who are hired as assistant instructors (and who then aid in the cooling process, as they become part of the scam), and/or fake testimonials from well-known adventurers who just happen to be out of town.

... We are oft to blame in this, -
'Tis too much proved - that with devotion's visage
And pious action we do sugar o'er The devil himself.