Rogue

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Rogues share little in common with each other.  Some are stealthy thieves.  Others are silver-tongued tricksters.  Still others are scouts, infiltrators, spies, diplomats, or thugs.  What they share is versatility, adaptability, and resourcefulness.  In general, rogues are skilled at getting what others don't want them to get:  entrance into a locked treasure vault, safe passage past a deadly trap, secret battle plans, a guard's trust, or some random person's pocket money.

In Faerun, rogues are as often diplomats as thieves, a distinction often lost on those who have come out on the losing end of a diplomatic negotiation.  Rogues are everywhere in Faerun, but no one necessarily expects them to be thieves.  Depending on their skills and inclinations, rogues may represent themselves as treasure-finders, tomb-breakers, investigators, spies, bounty hunters, thief-catchers, scouts, or â€" most commonly â€" as “adventurers.”

While it's true not every rogue is a thief, it's also true that many rogues are.  Thieve's guilds are common in Faerun.  Some, such as the Shadow Thieves of Amn or the Night masks of Westgate, are powerful enough to dictate orders to kings and lords, and ruthless enough to enforce their edicts through intimidation, terror, and outright murder.  Most guilds are short-lived, local organizations that rise in a particular city or along a busy trade route, the creating of a character or powerful individual capable of holding such a guild together.

Adventurers:  Rogues adventure for the same reason they do most things:  to get what they can get.  Some are after loot, others experience.  Some crave fame, others infamy.  Quite a few also enjoy a challenge.  Figuring out how to thwart a trap or avoid an alarm is great fun for many rogues.

Characteristics:  Rogues are highly skilled, and they can concentrate in any several types of skills.  While not equal to members of many other classes in combat, a rogue knows how to hit where it hurts, and a rogue who can hit an opponent with a sneak attack can dish out a lot of damage.

Rogues have a sixth sense when it comes to avoiding danger.  Experienced rogues develop nearly magical powers and skills as they master the arts of stealth, evasion, and sneak attacks.  In addition, while not capable of casting spells on their own, rogues can “fake it” well enough to cast spells from scrolls, activate wands, and use just about any other magical item.

Alignment:  Rogues follow opportunity, not ideals.  They are more likely to be chaotic than lawful.  Rogues, however, are a diverse bunch, and they may be of any alignment.

Other Classes:  Rogues love and hate working with members of other classes.  They excel when protected by warriors and supported by spellcasters.  There are plenty of times, however, that they wish that everyone else was as quiet, guileful, and patient as a rogue.  Rogues are particularly wary of paladins, either endeavoring to prove themselves useful or just avoiding them.

[Mr. Cheez-It]

Rules

• Pick pocket restrictions.  All attempts at picking another character's pocket (both PC and NPC) will automatically fail.  However, this skill still works when rolling a skill check, attempting to conceal items during a search, and using it as part of a quest's dialog.