Is there a way to detect an NPC's class without them knowing that I'm detecting it?

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The description of the detect thoughts spell says that when attempting to probe deeper into a target's mind (which I assume would be required to detect their class):




the target knows that you are probing into its mind




I want to know to whether there is any way at all to determine an NPC's class without them knowing in 5e, e.g. by adding other effects from spells or magic items, or by a different tactic entirely.



I would be OK with answers that have limits such as detecting some classes but not all.










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    favorite












    The description of the detect thoughts spell says that when attempting to probe deeper into a target's mind (which I assume would be required to detect their class):




    the target knows that you are probing into its mind




    I want to know to whether there is any way at all to determine an NPC's class without them knowing in 5e, e.g. by adding other effects from spells or magic items, or by a different tactic entirely.



    I would be OK with answers that have limits such as detecting some classes but not all.










    share|improve this question









    New contributor




    BigJamey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      2
      down vote

      favorite











      The description of the detect thoughts spell says that when attempting to probe deeper into a target's mind (which I assume would be required to detect their class):




      the target knows that you are probing into its mind




      I want to know to whether there is any way at all to determine an NPC's class without them knowing in 5e, e.g. by adding other effects from spells or magic items, or by a different tactic entirely.



      I would be OK with answers that have limits such as detecting some classes but not all.










      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      BigJamey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.











      The description of the detect thoughts spell says that when attempting to probe deeper into a target's mind (which I assume would be required to detect their class):




      the target knows that you are probing into its mind




      I want to know to whether there is any way at all to determine an NPC's class without them knowing in 5e, e.g. by adding other effects from spells or magic items, or by a different tactic entirely.



      I would be OK with answers that have limits such as detecting some classes but not all.







      dnd-5e npc class






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      New contributor




      BigJamey is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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      share|improve this question









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      edited 2 hours ago









      V2Blast

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          3 Answers
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          There are no rules that would explicitly provide a way to do this, because D&D doesn’t want to make a stand on whether or not classes are things that characters are aware of and know themselves. Some things—paladin oaths, warlock patrons, etc.—are pretty explicit and obvious, but others, particularly fighter and rogue are very generic and can lend themselves to a wide variety of characters, occupations, and fighting styles. There is no particular reason why they would necessarily see any commonality between them.



          Which therefore means that class may not be a thing to know. That may, depending on your campaign, be purely metagame information. It’s entirely plausible, in fact, that even things like oaths and pacts are not as neat and consistent as laid out in the books, but rather more unique to the individuals involved. It is very reasonable for, say, a sorcerer/warlock to say that all of their power comes from the patron, just that it’s a different sort of pact than a pure warlock has. And so on and so forth.



          Since D&D doesn’t want to dictate how any given table handles this, they cannot write mechanics that rely on it being “real” in-character information, so no such detection spell could be written.1 If classes are real, known concepts within your campaign, you will have to ask your DM for details on how you can know and recognize them in character.



          1. This applies to a lot of things in D&D, and always has, though 5e is arguably trying to go farther with it than other editions. However, they aren’t doing so perfectly—while they often say they support a variety of playstyles, they sometimes seem to forget that and write mechanics that presuppose one particular style. But this is one particular case where they haven’t done that, and personally I suspect they won’t.





          share|improve this answer






















          • Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
            – BigJamey
            39 mins ago










          • @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
            – KRyan
            8 mins ago

















          up vote
          0
          down vote














          Generally no, but sometimes you could get partial knowledge of this



          Only because the OP said it would be open to limited solutions, we could consider using Detect Magic




          you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any




          So depending on whether your DM rules that a spellcaster counts as a "creature.... that bears magic", you would know that they are a spellcaster, though in 5e this doesn't narrow down class very much, considering things like Arcane Trickster and Eldridge Knight.



          Furthermore, almost all wizards have an Arcane Tradition that dedicates them to one school of magic, so it could be argued if they are a wizard, you would pick up their school, and since no other classes have a school, you could infer they are probably a wizard.



          (Your DM might however rule that a person does not "bear magic", even when they are a spellcaster, unless they are actively concentrating on a spell. Their magic doesn't "come out" otherwise.)



          Finally, via the same spell, you might detect a magic item in the person's possession, and then if through role-playing you could get enough observation of it to make a successful Arcana check, then you might know if it requires attunement by a certain class, and again could infer (though not with certainty) something about that person's class.






          share|improve this answer



























            up vote
            0
            down vote













            Battle Master Fighters know (some of) this information



            The Battle Master Fighters gain the following feature at level 7 (PHB, p. 73-74, bold added):




            Know Your Enemy



            Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or
            interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn
            certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The
            DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in
            regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:



            • Strength score

            • Dexterity score

            • Constitution score

            • Armor Class

            • Current hit points

            • Total class levels (if any)

            • Fighter class levels (if any)



            So you could discover if the NPC had class levels and fighter levels: this isn't foolproof. If they have none, you might be told "fewer" by the DM and not given more information. But if they have as many or more class levels or fighter levels than you, you'll definitely discover that.






            share|improve this answer




















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              3 Answers
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              3 Answers
              3






              active

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              active

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              active

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              up vote
              4
              down vote













              There are no rules that would explicitly provide a way to do this, because D&D doesn’t want to make a stand on whether or not classes are things that characters are aware of and know themselves. Some things—paladin oaths, warlock patrons, etc.—are pretty explicit and obvious, but others, particularly fighter and rogue are very generic and can lend themselves to a wide variety of characters, occupations, and fighting styles. There is no particular reason why they would necessarily see any commonality between them.



              Which therefore means that class may not be a thing to know. That may, depending on your campaign, be purely metagame information. It’s entirely plausible, in fact, that even things like oaths and pacts are not as neat and consistent as laid out in the books, but rather more unique to the individuals involved. It is very reasonable for, say, a sorcerer/warlock to say that all of their power comes from the patron, just that it’s a different sort of pact than a pure warlock has. And so on and so forth.



              Since D&D doesn’t want to dictate how any given table handles this, they cannot write mechanics that rely on it being “real” in-character information, so no such detection spell could be written.1 If classes are real, known concepts within your campaign, you will have to ask your DM for details on how you can know and recognize them in character.



              1. This applies to a lot of things in D&D, and always has, though 5e is arguably trying to go farther with it than other editions. However, they aren’t doing so perfectly—while they often say they support a variety of playstyles, they sometimes seem to forget that and write mechanics that presuppose one particular style. But this is one particular case where they haven’t done that, and personally I suspect they won’t.





              share|improve this answer






















              • Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
                – BigJamey
                39 mins ago










              • @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
                – KRyan
                8 mins ago














              up vote
              4
              down vote













              There are no rules that would explicitly provide a way to do this, because D&D doesn’t want to make a stand on whether or not classes are things that characters are aware of and know themselves. Some things—paladin oaths, warlock patrons, etc.—are pretty explicit and obvious, but others, particularly fighter and rogue are very generic and can lend themselves to a wide variety of characters, occupations, and fighting styles. There is no particular reason why they would necessarily see any commonality between them.



              Which therefore means that class may not be a thing to know. That may, depending on your campaign, be purely metagame information. It’s entirely plausible, in fact, that even things like oaths and pacts are not as neat and consistent as laid out in the books, but rather more unique to the individuals involved. It is very reasonable for, say, a sorcerer/warlock to say that all of their power comes from the patron, just that it’s a different sort of pact than a pure warlock has. And so on and so forth.



              Since D&D doesn’t want to dictate how any given table handles this, they cannot write mechanics that rely on it being “real” in-character information, so no such detection spell could be written.1 If classes are real, known concepts within your campaign, you will have to ask your DM for details on how you can know and recognize them in character.



              1. This applies to a lot of things in D&D, and always has, though 5e is arguably trying to go farther with it than other editions. However, they aren’t doing so perfectly—while they often say they support a variety of playstyles, they sometimes seem to forget that and write mechanics that presuppose one particular style. But this is one particular case where they haven’t done that, and personally I suspect they won’t.





              share|improve this answer






















              • Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
                – BigJamey
                39 mins ago










              • @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
                – KRyan
                8 mins ago












              up vote
              4
              down vote










              up vote
              4
              down vote









              There are no rules that would explicitly provide a way to do this, because D&D doesn’t want to make a stand on whether or not classes are things that characters are aware of and know themselves. Some things—paladin oaths, warlock patrons, etc.—are pretty explicit and obvious, but others, particularly fighter and rogue are very generic and can lend themselves to a wide variety of characters, occupations, and fighting styles. There is no particular reason why they would necessarily see any commonality between them.



              Which therefore means that class may not be a thing to know. That may, depending on your campaign, be purely metagame information. It’s entirely plausible, in fact, that even things like oaths and pacts are not as neat and consistent as laid out in the books, but rather more unique to the individuals involved. It is very reasonable for, say, a sorcerer/warlock to say that all of their power comes from the patron, just that it’s a different sort of pact than a pure warlock has. And so on and so forth.



              Since D&D doesn’t want to dictate how any given table handles this, they cannot write mechanics that rely on it being “real” in-character information, so no such detection spell could be written.1 If classes are real, known concepts within your campaign, you will have to ask your DM for details on how you can know and recognize them in character.



              1. This applies to a lot of things in D&D, and always has, though 5e is arguably trying to go farther with it than other editions. However, they aren’t doing so perfectly—while they often say they support a variety of playstyles, they sometimes seem to forget that and write mechanics that presuppose one particular style. But this is one particular case where they haven’t done that, and personally I suspect they won’t.





              share|improve this answer














              There are no rules that would explicitly provide a way to do this, because D&D doesn’t want to make a stand on whether or not classes are things that characters are aware of and know themselves. Some things—paladin oaths, warlock patrons, etc.—are pretty explicit and obvious, but others, particularly fighter and rogue are very generic and can lend themselves to a wide variety of characters, occupations, and fighting styles. There is no particular reason why they would necessarily see any commonality between them.



              Which therefore means that class may not be a thing to know. That may, depending on your campaign, be purely metagame information. It’s entirely plausible, in fact, that even things like oaths and pacts are not as neat and consistent as laid out in the books, but rather more unique to the individuals involved. It is very reasonable for, say, a sorcerer/warlock to say that all of their power comes from the patron, just that it’s a different sort of pact than a pure warlock has. And so on and so forth.



              Since D&D doesn’t want to dictate how any given table handles this, they cannot write mechanics that rely on it being “real” in-character information, so no such detection spell could be written.1 If classes are real, known concepts within your campaign, you will have to ask your DM for details on how you can know and recognize them in character.



              1. This applies to a lot of things in D&D, and always has, though 5e is arguably trying to go farther with it than other editions. However, they aren’t doing so perfectly—while they often say they support a variety of playstyles, they sometimes seem to forget that and write mechanics that presuppose one particular style. But this is one particular case where they haven’t done that, and personally I suspect they won’t.






              share|improve this answer














              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer








              edited 1 hour ago

























              answered 1 hour ago









              KRyan

              211k26527913




              211k26527913











              • Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
                – BigJamey
                39 mins ago










              • @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
                – KRyan
                8 mins ago
















              • Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
                – BigJamey
                39 mins ago










              • @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
                – KRyan
                8 mins ago















              Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
              – BigJamey
              39 mins ago




              Your footnote is pregnant with meaning -- don't want to push this thread off-topic but would love to see more clarification about how to "support a variety of playstyles".
              – BigJamey
              39 mins ago












              @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
              – KRyan
              8 mins ago




              @BigJamey It’s nothing earth-shattering, they just haven’t always backed up claims that different styles are equally-valid with their mechanics. For examples, search here for the Q&As on whether or not DMs should roll in the open, and on whether or not spells can do more than they say they do. Both are issues where Wizards of the Coast officially has suggested that 5e is flexible on and can be chosen by the table, but then have written mechanics or commentary that are, at best, extremely awkward unless you follow one particular style.
              – KRyan
              8 mins ago












              up vote
              0
              down vote














              Generally no, but sometimes you could get partial knowledge of this



              Only because the OP said it would be open to limited solutions, we could consider using Detect Magic




              you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any




              So depending on whether your DM rules that a spellcaster counts as a "creature.... that bears magic", you would know that they are a spellcaster, though in 5e this doesn't narrow down class very much, considering things like Arcane Trickster and Eldridge Knight.



              Furthermore, almost all wizards have an Arcane Tradition that dedicates them to one school of magic, so it could be argued if they are a wizard, you would pick up their school, and since no other classes have a school, you could infer they are probably a wizard.



              (Your DM might however rule that a person does not "bear magic", even when they are a spellcaster, unless they are actively concentrating on a spell. Their magic doesn't "come out" otherwise.)



              Finally, via the same spell, you might detect a magic item in the person's possession, and then if through role-playing you could get enough observation of it to make a successful Arcana check, then you might know if it requires attunement by a certain class, and again could infer (though not with certainty) something about that person's class.






              share|improve this answer
























                up vote
                0
                down vote














                Generally no, but sometimes you could get partial knowledge of this



                Only because the OP said it would be open to limited solutions, we could consider using Detect Magic




                you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any




                So depending on whether your DM rules that a spellcaster counts as a "creature.... that bears magic", you would know that they are a spellcaster, though in 5e this doesn't narrow down class very much, considering things like Arcane Trickster and Eldridge Knight.



                Furthermore, almost all wizards have an Arcane Tradition that dedicates them to one school of magic, so it could be argued if they are a wizard, you would pick up their school, and since no other classes have a school, you could infer they are probably a wizard.



                (Your DM might however rule that a person does not "bear magic", even when they are a spellcaster, unless they are actively concentrating on a spell. Their magic doesn't "come out" otherwise.)



                Finally, via the same spell, you might detect a magic item in the person's possession, and then if through role-playing you could get enough observation of it to make a successful Arcana check, then you might know if it requires attunement by a certain class, and again could infer (though not with certainty) something about that person's class.






                share|improve this answer






















                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  0
                  down vote










                  Generally no, but sometimes you could get partial knowledge of this



                  Only because the OP said it would be open to limited solutions, we could consider using Detect Magic




                  you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any




                  So depending on whether your DM rules that a spellcaster counts as a "creature.... that bears magic", you would know that they are a spellcaster, though in 5e this doesn't narrow down class very much, considering things like Arcane Trickster and Eldridge Knight.



                  Furthermore, almost all wizards have an Arcane Tradition that dedicates them to one school of magic, so it could be argued if they are a wizard, you would pick up their school, and since no other classes have a school, you could infer they are probably a wizard.



                  (Your DM might however rule that a person does not "bear magic", even when they are a spellcaster, unless they are actively concentrating on a spell. Their magic doesn't "come out" otherwise.)



                  Finally, via the same spell, you might detect a magic item in the person's possession, and then if through role-playing you could get enough observation of it to make a successful Arcana check, then you might know if it requires attunement by a certain class, and again could infer (though not with certainty) something about that person's class.






                  share|improve this answer













                  Generally no, but sometimes you could get partial knowledge of this



                  Only because the OP said it would be open to limited solutions, we could consider using Detect Magic




                  you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any




                  So depending on whether your DM rules that a spellcaster counts as a "creature.... that bears magic", you would know that they are a spellcaster, though in 5e this doesn't narrow down class very much, considering things like Arcane Trickster and Eldridge Knight.



                  Furthermore, almost all wizards have an Arcane Tradition that dedicates them to one school of magic, so it could be argued if they are a wizard, you would pick up their school, and since no other classes have a school, you could infer they are probably a wizard.



                  (Your DM might however rule that a person does not "bear magic", even when they are a spellcaster, unless they are actively concentrating on a spell. Their magic doesn't "come out" otherwise.)



                  Finally, via the same spell, you might detect a magic item in the person's possession, and then if through role-playing you could get enough observation of it to make a successful Arcana check, then you might know if it requires attunement by a certain class, and again could infer (though not with certainty) something about that person's class.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 53 mins ago









                  Valley Lad

                  935




                  935




















                      up vote
                      0
                      down vote













                      Battle Master Fighters know (some of) this information



                      The Battle Master Fighters gain the following feature at level 7 (PHB, p. 73-74, bold added):




                      Know Your Enemy



                      Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or
                      interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn
                      certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The
                      DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in
                      regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:



                      • Strength score

                      • Dexterity score

                      • Constitution score

                      • Armor Class

                      • Current hit points

                      • Total class levels (if any)

                      • Fighter class levels (if any)



                      So you could discover if the NPC had class levels and fighter levels: this isn't foolproof. If they have none, you might be told "fewer" by the DM and not given more information. But if they have as many or more class levels or fighter levels than you, you'll definitely discover that.






                      share|improve this answer
























                        up vote
                        0
                        down vote













                        Battle Master Fighters know (some of) this information



                        The Battle Master Fighters gain the following feature at level 7 (PHB, p. 73-74, bold added):




                        Know Your Enemy



                        Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or
                        interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn
                        certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The
                        DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in
                        regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:



                        • Strength score

                        • Dexterity score

                        • Constitution score

                        • Armor Class

                        • Current hit points

                        • Total class levels (if any)

                        • Fighter class levels (if any)



                        So you could discover if the NPC had class levels and fighter levels: this isn't foolproof. If they have none, you might be told "fewer" by the DM and not given more information. But if they have as many or more class levels or fighter levels than you, you'll definitely discover that.






                        share|improve this answer






















                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote










                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote









                          Battle Master Fighters know (some of) this information



                          The Battle Master Fighters gain the following feature at level 7 (PHB, p. 73-74, bold added):




                          Know Your Enemy



                          Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or
                          interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn
                          certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The
                          DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in
                          regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:



                          • Strength score

                          • Dexterity score

                          • Constitution score

                          • Armor Class

                          • Current hit points

                          • Total class levels (if any)

                          • Fighter class levels (if any)



                          So you could discover if the NPC had class levels and fighter levels: this isn't foolproof. If they have none, you might be told "fewer" by the DM and not given more information. But if they have as many or more class levels or fighter levels than you, you'll definitely discover that.






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                          Battle Master Fighters know (some of) this information



                          The Battle Master Fighters gain the following feature at level 7 (PHB, p. 73-74, bold added):




                          Know Your Enemy



                          Starting at 7th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or
                          interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn
                          certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The
                          DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in
                          regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:



                          • Strength score

                          • Dexterity score

                          • Constitution score

                          • Armor Class

                          • Current hit points

                          • Total class levels (if any)

                          • Fighter class levels (if any)



                          So you could discover if the NPC had class levels and fighter levels: this isn't foolproof. If they have none, you might be told "fewer" by the DM and not given more information. But if they have as many or more class levels or fighter levels than you, you'll definitely discover that.







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                          answered 51 mins ago









                          Gandalfmeansme

                          15.2k25699




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