Rogues are supremely customizable, and though they certainly have some traditional roles in a D&D campaign, some serious variations are possible. Multiple Rogues with complimentary skill sets can, operating together intelligently, accomplish a great deal. The concept of the Thieves Guild goes back quite a while: a number of Rogues each with his own specialty and a number of not-so-specialized thugs that provide extra eyes, ears, hands and knives as necessary.
This week I’ll review my older Rogues – Skill Clusters listing, and elaborate a little. Very few changes were made to the class, so very few changes were made to the list.
Skill Clusters
Some of these skill clusters are more fun to play than others, but all have a place in a world of adventure, from the treacherous Assassin to the nimble Cat burglar to the even more treacherous Court Spy.
Assassination
Key skills are for infiltration and combat. Disguise, Bluff, and Sense Motive assist in getting near a target. Move Silently, Hide, and Open Lock can get you where Bluff cannot (you can’t talk your way past a construct or padlock). Tumble and Bluff are also both handy in combat for the purposes of making an unorthodox tactical movement (e.g. somersaulting down from the rafters to plant a dagger in some merchant’s back) or regaining a lost chance at a sneak attack (the Feint option). Alchemy is a must for the assassin that cannot rely on the local apothecary to make poisons for him.
- Bluff Cha
- Alchemy Int
- Disguise Cha
- Hide Dex
- Move Silently Dex
- Open Lock Dex
- Tumble Dex
- Sense Motive Wis
Breaking & Entering
A classic “Thief” skill set: Balance, Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, and Open Lock are all useful for getting yourself into places you don’t belong. Search and Appraise help you locate what’s worth taking, and Tumble helps you get away with the loot (out of the reach of alerted guards, jumping out of windows, etc.).
- Appraise Int
- Balance Dex
- Climb Str
- Disable Device Int
- Hide Dex
- Move Silently Dex
- Open Lock Dex
- Search Int
- Tumble Dex
Confidence Artist
Bluffing may get a mark to think that’s a diamond you’re selling him, but Diplomacy is how you get a good price for it. Appraise is necessary to discern what is worth sticking your neck out for, and Sense Motive helps you determine when somebody’s trying to grift you. Disguise and Forgery have what I hope are obvious applications for a confidence artist: You don’t want to look like yourself when you’re defrauding influential people, and Forgery can assist in creating supporting documents to get a mark to discard his reservations. Sleight of Hand is useful for a number of grifts, and no con man should be without this fundamental skill.
- Appraise Int
- Bluff Cha
- Diplomacy Cha
- Disguise Cha
- Forgery Int
- Gather Information Cha
- Sleight of Hand Dex
- Sense Motive Wis
Dungeon Crawling
This is the typical “being a useful guy for a Cleric, and Fighter, and a Wizard to have around” that you see in you normal dungeoncrawling D&D game. Search and Disable Device foils traps, Move Silently and Hide allows you to scout ahead for your more combat-oriented companions. Spot and Listen keeps your whole party alive when something tries sneaking up on you for a change. Climb lets you scurry up walls to lower ropes for your less skillful buddies to follow behind. Open Lock will save your Wizard many a 1st-level spell that could be better used for some Magic Missiles. Many time-honored dungeon-crawling obstacles are hackneyed vehicles for the Rogue class. Tip for the non-Rogue: keep your light-fingered friend alive for such challenges.
- Climb Str
- Disable Device Int
- Hide Dex
- Listen Wis
- Move Silently Dex
- Open Lock Dex
- Search Int
- Spot Wis
Espionage
Similar to the confidence artist, the espionage-geared Rogue is highly social in skillset. Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive are used much the same. Spies must be more careful about when they are being observed, so Spot and Listen become important factors. Gathering information is the entire point of a spy, so Gather Information is the clear defining skill of this cluster. I recommend spending some skill points in a couple of crafts in order to assume “cover” identities as needed. Pick something that is needed everywhere, like cobbling.
- Bluff Cha
- Diplomacy Cha
- Gather Information Cha
- Innuendo Wis
- Craft (any) Int
- Listen Wis
- Sense Motive Wis
- Spot Wis
Moving Goods
A fence requires a mix of the con man and thief skill clusters. In order to properly gauge the value of what he’s moving, Decipher Script and Appraise are extremely important. Gather Information assists in both finding sellers to acquire contraband from and buyer to make a profit off of. Forgery, Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive all combine to keep deals profitable, and Innuendo lets you do your business near prying ears without too much trouble from Johnny Law. Use Magic Device may be a good buy at later levels as there’s a good chance that a wide variety of items will pass through your hands over time.
- Appraise Int
- Bluff Cha
- Decipher Script Int
- Diplomacy Cha
- Forgery Int
- Information Gathering Cha
- Innuendo Wis
- Sense Motive Wis
- Use Magic Device Cha