R OGUE
P EOPLE FORGET THAT T H E ENTIRE POINT OF VENTURING
down in to a dusty tomb is to bring back th e prizes hidden
away there. Figh ting isforfools. Dead men can't spend
their f ortunes.- Barnabas Bladecutter
Whe n brute force won't get the job done, o r whe n magic
is n't availa ble or appropriate, the rogue rises to the
fore. Wit h s kills tied to stealth, subterfuge, and tri ckery,
rogues can get into and out of trouble in ways tha t few
othe r cha racte rs can e mula te.
Some rogues who turn to adventuring are forme r
crimina ls who have decide d that dodgi ng mons te rs
is preferable to re maining one ste p a head of the law.
Ot hers a re professional kille rs in searc h of a profitable
application o f the ir tale nts between contracts. Some
simply love the th rill of overcoming any challe nge that
stands in their way.
On adventures, a rogue is likely to mix an outwardly
cautious approach- few rogues enjoy combat- w ith a
ravenous hunger for l oot. Most of t he time, in a rogue's
m ind, taking up arms against a creature is not a bout
killing the creature but about becoming the new owne r
of its treasure.
T he following sections explore certain facets of w hat it
means to be a rogue, whic h you can use to add dept h to
your cha racter.GUILTY PLEASURE
Most o f w hat rogues do revolves a ro und obtain ing trea-
sure and preventing othe rs from do ing the same. Lit tl e
gets in the way of a ttaining those goals , except t hat
m a ny rogues a re enticed away from tha t path by a com-
puls ion that clouds their t hinking-an irresistible need
t hat must be satisfied , even if do ing so is ris ky.
A rogue's guilty pleasu re coul d be the acquis ition
of a physical item, something to be experienced , or a
way of conducting oneself a t certa in times. One rogue
mig ht not be able to pass up a ny loot made o f s ilver, for
instance, even if said loot i s ha nging around the neck
of a castle gua r d. Anothe r o ne can't go through a d ay
in the c ity w ithout lifting a purse o r t wo, jus t t o keep
in practice.CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER OPTIONSWhat's the one for m of temptation that your rogue
c ha racte r can't resist w he n the opportuni ty presents it-
self, even if giving into it mig ht mean trouble for you and
your companions?GUILTY PLEASURES
d6 Pleasure2
3
4
5Large gem s
A smile from a pretty face
A new ring for you r finger
The chance to deflate someone's ego
The finest food and d r ink
6 Ad d ing to your collection o f exotic coinsADVERSARY
Naturally, those who e nforce t he law a re bound to come
up against those who break it, and it's the rare rogue
who is n't feature d on at least o ne wa nted poster. Beyond
tha t, it's in the nature of the ir profession that rogues
often come into contact w ith criminal elements, whethe r
out of c hoice or necessity. Some of those people can be
adversaries too, a nd t hey're likely to be ha rde r t o deaJ
w it h tha n t he average member of the city watch.
If your cha racter's backstory doesn't already include a
pe rsonage of this sort, you coul d work w ith your DM to
come up with a reason why an adversary has appeared
in your life. Perhaps you've been the subject of scrutiny
for a while from someone who wants to use you for
ne farious purposes a nd has j ust now become k nown to
you. Such a n incident cou ld be the basis for a n upcom-
ing adventu re.
Does your rogue character have an a dversary w ho
a lso happe ns to be a criminal? If so, how is th is relation-
s hi p affecting your life?ADVERSARIES
d 623456Adversary
The pirate c apta in on whose ship you once se rved ;
what yo u call moving o n , the capta in calls m uti ny
A master spy to whom you u nwitt in gly fed bad
informat ion, which led to the assassination of the
wrong target
The master of the local thieves' gu ild , who want s
yo u to join the organizatio n o r leave town
An art collec tor who uses illegal m e a ns to acquire
masterpieces
A fence wh o uses you as a messenger to set up
illicit meet ings
The proprietor o f an illegal pit fighting a rena whe re
you o nce took bets