Rogues are characters who specialize in solving problems with cleverness and skill. Agility, cunning, charm, versatility, and ingenuity are all common rogue traits. Thieves, locksmiths, spies, swashbucklers, escape artists, bandits, bounty hunters, con artists, adventurers, investigators, alchemists, inventors, scavengers, and tricksters can all be made using this class.
This is a digital artwork of a yellow and green budgerigar sitting on a branch with a tiger head that is the same color as its yellow feathers.
Roguish Training
For standard characters, choose four abilities off the following list. This list is divided into sections to make it easier to navigate.
Versatile Talents
Roguish Knack: You have natural talent for skills that involve agility and cunning. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Acrobatics, Deception, Intimidation, Manual Dexterity, Mobility, Performance, or Stealth skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Adept Thrower: You are so skilled at throwing that you can do improbable things, like bounce a flask off a stone wall without breaking it, throw accurately while doing acrobatic stunts, pitch a smoke bomb so that it weaves around obstacles, and flip a switch with the hilt of a tossed knife. Three times a day, you may reroll an Athletics or Ranged Combat roll for a challenging throwing task. This reroll must happen before the results have been revealed and you must take the new result, even if it is lower.
Arcane Dabbler: You have studied two branches of magic just enough to be able to cast spells, but lack control. Choose two of the following types of magic: fire, water, earth, air, weather, animal, plant, shapeshifting, communication, illusion, force, object, and transportation. For details on what these types of magic can do, go to the mage “Arcane Training” list. If you do not already have an Arcane Connection, choose one from the mage “Arcane Connection” list. You are capable of casting spells with both of these types of magic, but do not receive a die for being trained in either of them. This means that the magic is more likely to go awry.
Technology Talents
Lock Expertise: You are an expert at opening, altering, and creating locks. Three times a day, you count as prepared when you use Manual Dexterity to open locks, Technology to alter locks, or Technology to create locks. In addition, once per day, you may reroll one of these three types of lock-related rolls. This reroll must happen before the results have been revealed and you must take the new result, even if it is lower.
Trap Expertise: You are an expert at spotting, disabling, and creating traps. Three times a day, you count as prepared when you use Perception to spot traps, Manual Dexterity to disable traps, or Technology to create traps. In addition, once per day, you may reroll one of these three types of trap-related rolls. This reroll must happen before the results have been revealed and you must take the new result, even if it is lower.
Practiced Crafter: You have a lot of practice building strange and unusual things. Three times a day, when you are using the Technology skill to create something, you can declare that you’ve made something like this before. You are then considered prepared when you roll the Technology skill to create it. In addition, once per day, you may reroll a Technology roll made to craft something. This reroll must happen before the results have been revealed and you must take the new result, even if it is lower.
Knowledgeable: You are extremely knowledgeable. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Arcana, Culture, Nature, or Technology skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Technology Expert: You are an expert in knowledge about technology. Once per day, you may turn a failed Technology skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Alchemical Methods
Alchemist: You are skilled at extracting and combining chemicals to create substances with useful properties. All alchemists have a bag of basic alchemical items. These items don’t need to be counted or tracked. It is assumed that you are periodically restocking this bag.
The basic alchemical items that you have in your bag are glow potions, makeup, basic dyes, glue, sticky traps, flasks of grease, solvents that dissolve glue and grease, smoke bombs, stink bombs, smoke neutralizer, bottles of acid, acid neutralizer, flammable liquids, fire suppressants, sleeping drafts, mild poisons that are just enough to sicken someone, and simple antidotes that cure mild poisons.
You also have a portable alchemy kit that allows you to craft more advanced alchemical items. Advanced alchemical items take time to make and are made one at a time. When you make each one, decide what property you want it to have. The game master will work with you to help ensure that this property makes sense for what alchemy can do. Because these items are individually made, you do need to keep track of them.
Modern-day chemistry and pharmaceuticals are a great source of inspiration for what alchemy can do. Examples of advanced alchemical items that you can make are calming potions, hallucinogens, truth serum, fireworks, explosives, alchemical fire, fire extinguishers, deadly poisons, tricky antitoxins, and scents that lure or repel specific animals.
Once made, anyone can use an alchemical item. Throwing one at a nearby target is easy and does not require a roll. However, difficult throws require an Athletics skill roll. Those with the Adept Thrower ability can do tricky things, like put a spin on a flask to control the direction of spray when it shatters or bounce a flask off a hard surface in such a way that it doesn’t break until it reaches its destination.
Any time that an alchemical item is used, you will need to roll Alchemist to determine whether it has the desired effect. Alchemist is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.
Magical Alchemy: You can create alchemical items that are imbued with one type of magic. Choose one of the following types of magic: fire, water, air, earth, force, weather, animal, plant, shapeshifting, communication, and travel. For details on what these types of magic can do, go to the mage “Arcane Training” list.
You own a portable kit for creating alchemical items that contain this type of magic. Using your magical alchemy kit, you can craft potions and flasks that contain any magic spell or effect that can normally be cast with this type of magic. These alchemical items safely contain the magic until the potion is consumed, or the flask poured out or broken. Then it is as if the spell was just cast.
Once made, anyone can use a magical alchemical item. Throwing one at a nearby target is easy and does not require a roll. However, difficult throws require an Athletics skill roll. Those with the Adept Thrower ability can do tricky things, like put a spin on a flask to control the direction of spray when it shatters or bounce a flask off a hard surface in such a way that it doesn’t break until it reaches its destination.
Any time that a magical alchemical item is used, you will need to roll Magical Alchemy to find out whether it has the desired effect. On failed rolls, the magic goes awry. Magical Alchemy is used by rolling mind and you are trained in it.
Stealth Talents
Shadow: You can effortlessly blend into shadows. Once per day, you can briefly disappear into the shadows. No rolls are needed for this action, but there must be a large area of shadow for you to disappear into, such as a narrow alleyway or a dense cluster of trees. After that, if you wish to stay hidden, you will need to roll the Stealth skill. However, for the rest of the scene, you are considered prepared when using the Stealth skill to hide in the shadows.
Stealth Expert: You are an expert at hiding and moving silently. Once per day you may turn a failed Stealth skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Perception Talents
Investigator: You are a skilled investigator who always notices something useful. In any scene where you take the time to examine something closely, you will notice one useful thing about it. Basically, you are finding a clue. This ability works once per scene, when you are carefully investigating an object, a location, or a collection of evidence. No roll is required, but you do need to tell the game master when you are using this ability. The game master will then tell you what clue you find. How significant that clue is will vary from situation to situation, and not every clue will be immediately useful.
This ability can be applied to a broad range of situations that involve investigation. For example, it can be used to investigate something that has already happened, such as examining a crime scene or doing an archeological investigation. It can also be used to make guesses about likely outcomes, such as going over a collection of evidence to guess an opponents next move. And it can be used to figure out the best way to do something, such as scouting an area for the best way to sneak in.
Alert: You notice subtle things about the people and places around you. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Insight, Perception, or Survival skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Perception Expert: You are an expert at perceiving things. Once per day you may turn a failed Perception skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Daring Talents
Derring-do: You are practiced at accomplishing feats of derring-do. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you attempt a daring maneuver with the Acrobatics, Athletics, Climbing, Flying, Mobility, Riding, or Swimming skills. A daring maneuver is an action that is reckless, bold, or risky. Attempting a daring maneuver is a significant risk, and, as a result, the consequences of failure are more severe. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Swashbuckling: You are an expert at using daring and flamboyant maneuvers. Any time you get a full success (two successes) when doing a daring action, the results are larger-than-life. This means that the outcome is more dramatic than it would otherwise be, granting you an additional benefit. In essence, this ability turns a full success into an outstanding success (three successes). A daring action is any action that is reckless, bold, or risky. Attempting a daring action is a significant risk, and, as a result, the consequences of failure are more severe.
Flamboyant: You do everything with so much style that it influences others. When you successfully pull off a daring action (two or three successes), you impress onlookers. This means that you count as prepared when you use the Communicating with Animals, Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Performance skills with someone who observed your daring maneuver. Note that this ability only applies when the social roll takes place in the same scene as the daring action. A daring action is any action that is reckless, bold, or risky. Attempting a daring action is a significant risk, and, as a result, the consequences of failure are more severe.
Martial Styles
Improvised Weapon Training: You are trained in using everyday objects as improvised weapons. This means that you are considered trained when you use the Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, and Athletics skills for an improvised weapon, even if you are not trained in the skill you are using. Examples of improvised weapons include using Athletics to push a bookshelf onto an opponent, using Ranged Combat to throw plates at a foe, and using Melee Combat to wield a chair. You may use Improvised Weapon Training to cause harm to opponents, or in a nonlethal manner to control space and hinder foes.
In addition, you can find improvised weapons in any environment. In unusually barren environments, like jail cells or the open ocean, it will take some time and effort to acquire an improvised weapon. In all other environments, improvised weapons come readily to hand.
Improvised Weapon Expertise: You are skilled at using everyday objects as improvised weapons. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Acrobatics, Athletics, Manual Dexterity, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Riding, and Stealth skills to create or use an improvised weapon. Examples include acrobatically dodging through tree branches that snag your foes, shoving a table into an opponent, wielding a frying pan, throwing rocks, ramming a combatant with a log your mount is dragging, pulling a large wrench out of your bag without anyone noticing, and sneaking around a corner while holding a broom at the ready. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Trick Archery: You are a skilled archer who is practiced at doing improbable things like splitting an arrow in two, firing accurately while doing acrobatic stunts, and shooting projectiles out of the air. Three times a day, you may reroll a Ranged Combat roll for a challenging archery task. This reroll must happen before the results have been revealed and you must take the new result, even if it is lower.
Specialized Weapon: You own and are trained in the use of a one-of-a-kind weapon that grants you two special advantages. Choose what this weapon is. Your options include ordinary weapons like swords, unusual weapons like tridents, and prototypes like magic-powered firearms.
Your weapon is made of a special, magic-infused material that can’t be damaged by ordinary means (either physical or magical). It comes with any applicable ammunition, parts, or maintenance tools. You are trained in using your weapon, even if you are not trained in the Martial Skill that would normally apply to it.
Choose two advantages for your weapon off the following list.
- Less Physically Taxing: This weapon has a special design that makes it less physically taxing to use. Your character can use this weapon by rolling mind.
- Cuts/Breaks Stone: This weapon is made of a special material that is so hard and/or sharp that it can cut/break hard substances like ordinary stone and metal.
- Tool: This weapon can be use as a tool for up to three skills. For example, a bullwhip can be used as a tool for Acrobatics, Athletics, and Climbing.
- Skill Bonus: This weapon has been designed in a way that is helpful for a single non-combat skill. Three times a day, you may use this weapon to be prepared when using that skill. Examples include a ceremonial sword that helps with Diplomacy, a creepy weapon that assists with Intimidation, a hidden weapon that is easier to draw with Slight of Hand, and a utility knife that is useful for Survival.
- Magic Infused: This weapon is infused with magic which allows it, or any projectiles that it fires, to interact with incorporeal things as if they were solid. An incorporeal thing is a being or object that lacks physical substance, but that is present in some way. For example, ghosts, shadow beings, illusions, and half-present magical landscapes are all incorporeal.
- Returning: This weapon has been enchanted so that it always returns to you. Once drawn, the returning magic is activated and any time this weapon leaves your hand (or whatever appendage you drew the weapon with), it returns after a brief pause. Sheathing or stowing this weapon deactivates the returning magic.
- Comes When Called: This weapon has been magically bonded to you so that it comes to your hand any time you speak or sign a magic word.
- Nonlethal: This weapon has been enchanted for nonlethal combat. A command word or gesture is used to activate and deactivate this magic. When activated, the magic prevents this weapon from causing harm to yourself or others. This means that this weapon can only be used for nonlethal fighting (combat actions intended to gain an advantage over an opponent without physically harming them), and that it won’t cause harm even on failed actions.
- Create your own: Work with your game master to create a unique advantage for your weapon.
Dirty Fighting: You are an expert at using dishonorable fighting techniques to give yourself a combat advantage. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Acrobatics, Athletics, Manual Dexterity, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Stealth, or Unarmed Fighting skills for a sneaky, dishonorable, or unfair combat action. For example, you can attack with a hidden weapon, knee a foe in the groin, sneak up on an opponent, pull a combatant’s pants down, knock over nearby objects, and throw dust in someone’s eyes. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Combat Expertise: You have extensive combat training. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, and Unarmed Fighting skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Social Abilities
Charismatic: You have a natural talent for social skills. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Communicating with Animals, Deception, Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Performance skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Deception Expert: You are an expert at deceiving others. Once per day you may turn a failed Deception skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Intimidation Expert: You are an expert at intimidating others. Once per day you may turn a failed Intimidation skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Dexterity Abilities
Dexterous: You are extremely dexterous. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Acrobatics, Manual Dexterity, Mobility, or Stealth skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Acrobatics Expert: You are an expert in acrobatics. Once per day you may turn a failed Acrobatics skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Mobility Expert: You are an expert at dealing with obstacles that impede movement. Once per day you may turn a failed Mobility skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Manual Dexterity Expert: You are an expert at doing precise and delicate tasks. Once per day you may turn a failed Manual Dexterity skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Strength Abilities
Strong as an Ox: You are extremely strong. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use the Athletics, Climbing, Flying, Riding, or Swimming skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Athletics Expert: You are an expert in athletic activities. Once per day you may turn a failed Athletics skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Climbing Expert: You are an expert at climbing up and down things. Once per day you may turn a failed Climbing skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Flying Expert: You are an expert at flying. Once per day you may turn a failed Flying skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Swimming Expert: You are an expert at swimming. Once per day you may turn a failed Swimming skill roll (zero successes) into a partial success (one success). This ability must be used before the consequences of failure are revealed. You may take this ability twice if you desire.
Specific Occupations
Profession: You have been trained in a specific profession and, in many circumstances, can perform the tasks of your profession without risk of failure. Choose a profession for your character. This profession should be more specific than a skill, but it is possible for the activities involved to span multiple skills.
- Example Professions: Some possible professions are baker, blacksmith, brewer, carpenter, cook, farmer, gardener, goldsmith, herbalist, herder, historian, hunter, locksmith, mason, mechanic, merchant, miner, plumber, potter, physician, sailor, scholar (choose a subject), scribe, shoemaker, tailor, teacher (choose a subject), and weaver.
- Tools and Materials: You own the tools and/or materials needed to carry out your profession.
- When to Roll: When performing a task of average difficulty in a calm environment with the necessary tools and materials, you can perform the skills of your profession without needing to roll for it. Because this is your profession, situations that would have a significant chance of failure for a character trained in a broad skill do not have a significant chance of failure for you. As long as you have your tools and materials, rolls are only needed when you are in a dangerous environment, performing an unusually difficult task, rushing, or trying to create something extraordinary.
- What to Roll: Each time you do an activity that is part of your profession in a situation where a dice roll is needed, use the skill associated with that specific activity for the roll. Because you are trained in your profession, you are considered trained for this roll, even if you are not trained in the skill you are using. For example, if a locksmith is trying to unlock a door quickly, their player will make a roll using the Manual Dexterity skill. The locksmith is considered trained for this roll, even if they are not trained in the Manual Dexterity skill. Note that if you have any other abilities that apply to the skill being rolled, you can use them.
Hobby: You have a hobby that you enthusiastically pursue. This hobby should be more specific than a skill, but it is possible for the activities involved in a hobby to span multiple skills. If your hobby requires tools or materials, you own them. Any time you are in a calm environment with all the necessary tools and materials, you are considered prepared to do the activities involved in your hobby. For example, your hobby could be baking, brewing, carpentry, cooking, gardening, herbalism, hunting, inventing, mechanical repair, pottery, sailing, scholarship (choose a subject), sewing, smithing, or weaving.
General Enhancements
Beginner’s Luck: You are unusually successful when you try new things. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when using a skill that you are not trained in.
Balanced Expertise: You are good at both body and mind skills. Choose one mind skill and one body skill. Three times a day, you are considered prepared when you use either of these two skills. You may take this ability twice if you desire, choosing either the same or different skills.
Specialty: You are especially good at doing one thing. Choose an area of focus for a skill or ability that you already have. This is your specialty. You are particularly good at this specialty and are always considered prepared when using it. This specialty needs to be significantly more specific than the skill or ability it is based on. For example, a character with the Acrobatics skill could have a specialty in leaping, or a character with the Transportation Magic ability could have a specialty in casting flying spells.
Physical Intuition: You have an intuitive, physical understanding of something that is normally a mental task. Choose one mind based skill or ability. You can now use this skill or ability by rolling body.
Special Technique: You know a special technique that makes it easier for you to do something that is a physical task. Choose one body based skill or ability. You can now use this skill or ability by rolling mind.
Skillful: You know more skills than most people. Choose two additional skills off the skills list. You are trained in these skills. There is no limit on how many times you may choose this ability.
Extra Species Trait: You have manifested an additional species trait. Choose a new species trait off the “Species Trait” list. There is no limit on how many times you may choose this ability.
