Rogues can be scouts, con men, assassins, or anything in between. These
sneaky, underhanded fighters will do whatever needs to be done to finish
a job that is given to them.
Rogues can be scouts, con men, assassins, or anything in between. These
sneaky, underhanded fighters will do whatever needs to be done to finish
a job that is given to them.
Melee
Rogues are capable of using many weapons which can be wielded with one hand, including short swords, small staves, and daggers. Although Rogues have the ability to use bows, most choose not to. Instead, they are given excellent training in throwing various weapons at their enemies. They have a chance to get a critical strike if they are in front of their opponent, or a deadly strike if they are behind them. Rogues are also taught defensive skills such as, dodge, parry, and riposte. They can also cause their enemy to lose confidence in himself and run away from the battle.
Rogues learn a few skills that are not available to (or shunned by) most of the other classes. They are the only ones in Norrath who can hide themselves from view and continue to move while remaining hidden without the aid of magic. This allows a Rogue to creep past most creatures who have the ability to see the casters when they have made themselves invisible. Rogues often put this ability to good use by creeping past a shop owner, on the way to the store room. With a set of lockpicks, very few doors and what is behind them are safe from a curious Rogue. A wandering Rogue is often someplace where he should not be. Because of this, they learn how to find and disarm traps that have been set to keep intruders out. Rogues have a knack for getting all manner of items that do not belong to them. This skill, commonly called "pickpocket" (though rare is the Rogue who limits himself to pockets) is practiced until it is second nature to them. It is not impossible for even an initiate Scout to steal the pants from an orc that is passing by, without drawing any attention. Another important part of a Rogue's training is how to make a quick escape by safely falling from great heights. This skill has saved many a Rogue who has been interrupted while picking a lock (or a pocket). Watching a Rogue tumble on the ground for a split-second after hopping off of the top of Kelethin will take the chase out of the most determined guards.
Similar to their ability to completely disappear and move unseen, these wily scoundrels can also drop out of sight in battle, sometimes causing the enemy to lose its focus on them. Rogues learn, relatively early in their training, how to properly stab someone in the back. This attack causes a great deal of injury to an opponent, if it does not kill them outright.
Rogues are also masters of poison. Many of them would not think twice about coating their blades to gain an advantage in a fight. Others may call that unfair, but to a Rogue the end justifies the means. After a Rogue has some experience using poisons in combat, he are taught how to make it himself. This is a great boon to a Rogue, because he can now choose the right poison to use for a situation.
Rake, Blackguard, Assassin, Deceiver, Scout (Wood Elf), Taruun (Vah Shir)
Rogues need to be able to move easily and quietly in their armor, and it also has to be light. For that reason Rogues wear chain armor.
Almost all Rogues pay homage to Bristlebane, or at the very least respect him. Other Rogues choose to follow gods that they are familiar with from the area from which they grew up in. Some Rogues refuse to acknowledge the gods at all and are agnostic. Still other Rogues give money freely to all the gods in hopes of improving their luck.
Any Rogue has a nose for trouble. Some are just looking for ways to earn platinum, by any means they can. Others are merely curious and wish to see a new place. A few Rogues just like to test their skills. They have heard about a lock here that could not be opened, a trap there that could not be disarmed, and so forth.
A gathering of Rogues is usually an interesting thing. There's a lot of fast-talking and swindling going on. Everyone keeps a close eye on each other and his own items. The Rogues who follow Bristlebane may have fun at someone's expense... but may pay dearly for it with a dagger in the back later.
A Rogue could end up knowing his skills in a number of ways. Some races, such as the Tier'dal and the Gnomes, have schools that train their Rogues. However, probably the majority of Rogues learn their trade on the street, often starting at a young age. Many a street urchin with quick fingers and sharp eyes has been taken on as an informal apprentice by an older thief, if only to have someone to keep lookout or spy.
Other Rogues learn these skills for survival purposes. A man who doesn't have money for food and needs to feed his family may resort to stealing bread from a shop, or picking the coinpouch of someone passing by. Desperation becomes all the teacher such a man needs in hard times to learn skills that will support his family when all else has failed.
Rogues are generally looked down upon in their hometowns. They are often forced to operate out of abandoned buildings, sewers, or other out of the way places. However, in some cities they are tolerated a little better. In Kelethin, they are respected as scouts. The Rogues of the White Rose in Halas act as bankers and are trusted with the money of the entire town.
Most adventurers will overlook some of the more unsavory characteristics of a Rogue because of what they can bring to the party. Rogues make excellent scouts, because they can move and remain hidden. With their ability to detect and disarm traps, they can protect the group from falling into messy situations. The skill to pick most locks is useful in certain places. Since the party will not have to search for a key, this will save time.
Rogues cannot be orderly, as it goes against everything that they stand for. If they obeyed all the rules, they would not be able to use most of the things that make them unique. In fact, Rogues hate rules. Laws are amusing at best, hindrances at worst. An evil-doer taken out by stab in the back instead of a full-frontal assault is still just as dead.
You can be the quintessential swashbuckler, outlandish and flamboyant. You can act the showman; attention-loving, practical-joking, ale-swilling. You're the life of the party (your card tricks make bards sulk with envy). A born troublemaker, you have no qualms swaggering up to the guards of the city and daring them to throw you out. When they try, you just vanish, leaving the fool guards to scratch their heads. When you need to be, you can be silent as a cat, sticking to the shadows and detected by no one. You are wily and clever, and have been known to use disguises to conceal your true nature when it is to your advantage to do so. You are well-connected; if you don't know something, you know where or how to find it out. Some of these qualities may seem at odds, but they all come down to one thing--what gets the job done? If there's one thing you have in common with all your fellow Rogues, it's the agreement on this: laws are for chumps.
"You can keep running into that door for the next hour or so, or you could stand aside and give me one minute to open it. The question is, how much platinum do you have?"