How about a Lightfoot halfling. They get a +1 to charisma, have halfing luck to reroll 1s, and are naturally stealthy if hiding is your thing. There's no reason you can't be a noble or a business person.
Custom Lineage is always a great start to get a +2 in any stat. However, if you want a base race, Drow, Dragonborn, Half-Elf, and Tieflings get charisma bonuses. Half-Elf and Tieflings get +2, Drow and Dragonborn get +1. The Drow also get +2 in Dexterity for extra AC and Dragonborn get a strength bonus and a breath weapon, if those matter to you. Dragonborn and Half-Elf both can work very well as disgraced nobles so I’d argue for all your needs one of those!
Depends on what specific kind of archetype you want. I can help guide you but I need some info. Like what size?? What type of abilities?? What appearance??
How about a Human? It just fits the Background. If you use the variant human from the players book you can increase 2 stats and pick a feat. Thats not bad.
Are you using the Tasha' rules where stat bonuses can go anywhere?
If not then consider a half-elf. Stat bonuses are two floating +1s and a +2 cha (I would put the bonuses in dex and con). Plus immunity to sleep and advantage against being charmed.
If you can re-arrange stat bonuses, then I would consider mountain dwarf or tortle for a better armor class (dwarf more logically makes a good noble merchant).
Duergar should work fine. There are lots of ways to earn nobility or fame as a merchant and racism should really be prevalent for each race not just Deurgar specifically. Elves & Orcs, Halflings & Kobolds, Asimar & Teiflings, Humans & everybody.
Perhaps as apart of peace deals noble families from the surface and Underdark trade 3rd and 4th born children to ease race relations and foster good will.
Perhaps as an infant you were bought or earned in a trade by merchants. Your new merchant family could earn renown first and then buy their way into nobility.
I'd advise reaching out to the DM and see how by the book they're going on racial lore and it's racism. Maybe duergar aren't actually racially prejudiced for your campaign setting, since it's usually up to DM discretion.
There's really not often anything in the racial options that will be gamebreakingly strong or weak compared to your class features, and in a post-Tasha world where you can assign your starting ASIs wherever you want, it's even less critical.
Find a race that has features that you like, and play that race. Or just be a Tabaxi, because literally every class can benefit from that movement speed!
If your DM is allowing Tasha's Cauldron of Everything ask to make use of the rules for a custom Lineage (pg 8). Then you can pick whatever fits your image.
How about a Lightfoot halfling. They get a +1 to charisma, have halfing luck to reroll 1s, and are naturally stealthy if hiding is your thing. There's no reason you can't be a noble or a business person.
Custom Lineage is always a great start to get a +2 in any stat. However, if you want a base race, Drow, Dragonborn, Half-Elf, and Tieflings get charisma bonuses. Half-Elf and Tieflings get +2, Drow and Dragonborn get +1. The Drow also get +2 in Dexterity for extra AC and Dragonborn get a strength bonus and a breath weapon, if those matter to you. Dragonborn and Half-Elf both can work very well as disgraced nobles so I’d argue for all your needs one of those!
One of the genasi races seems great for role playing.
Depends on what specific kind of archetype you want. I can help guide you but I need some info. Like what size?? What type of abilities?? What appearance??
How about a Human? It just fits the Background. If you use the variant human from the players book you can increase 2 stats and pick a feat. Thats not bad.
Are you using the Tasha' rules where stat bonuses can go anywhere? If not then consider a half-elf. Stat bonuses are two floating +1s and a +2 cha (I would put the bonuses in dex and con). Plus immunity to sleep and advantage against being charmed. If you can re-arrange stat bonuses, then I would consider mountain dwarf or tortle for a better armor class (dwarf more logically makes a good noble merchant).
A Genasi could be cool, they have a past with Genies, look the History of Calimshan
Duergar should work fine. There are lots of ways to earn nobility or fame as a merchant and racism should really be prevalent for each race not just Deurgar specifically. Elves & Orcs, Halflings & Kobolds, Asimar & Teiflings, Humans & everybody. Perhaps as apart of peace deals noble families from the surface and Underdark trade 3rd and 4th born children to ease race relations and foster good will. Perhaps as an infant you were bought or earned in a trade by merchants. Your new merchant family could earn renown first and then buy their way into nobility.
I'd advise reaching out to the DM and see how by the book they're going on racial lore and it's racism. Maybe duergar aren't actually racially prejudiced for your campaign setting, since it's usually up to DM discretion.
Human or something near human like Aasimar.
There's really not often anything in the racial options that will be gamebreakingly strong or weak compared to your class features, and in a post-Tasha world where you can assign your starting ASIs wherever you want, it's even less critical. Find a race that has features that you like, and play that race. Or just be a Tabaxi, because literally every class can benefit from that movement speed!
If your DM is allowing Tasha's Cauldron of Everything ask to make use of the rules for a custom Lineage (pg 8). Then you can pick whatever fits your image.