Pneumonica
Mongoose
Heyo! It's amazing - I've been bouncing around this forum for a while and only just now realized I never registered. Heh. Well, I've been around for a while. I, being a rules tinkerer, love tooling around with systems. When I first got the LWMPG, I at first thought it was horrible, but then as I started tooling around I realized there was stuff I can work with. While I realize some of my "little changes" probably add more to the game than most people want (expanded rules for Weapons, allowing for damage multiples and certain special effects, rules for "belt space", etc.), there are a few things to share here.
Personally, I have always enjoyed a good rogue, by which I mean somebody who is independant and maybe on the edge of the law in a setting where most PCs aren't. There have been a few example of "rogue" type characters already - on this forum you have the Adventuress, but there's also a couple worthies from the D20 rules (Shadkine Sorcerer, Wytch Child). But what about a good old fashioned criminal-type?
When I ran D20 Lone Wolf, I wouldn't allow such a type. I mean, you've got Knights, Kai Lords, Brothers of the Crystal Star, Vakeros Warrior-Mages, etc., what the heck is a cutpurse or burglar going to do except get arrested by his fellow adventurers? But I thought about it, and I see two major opportunities for good "edge-of-the-law" characters.
One is the classical redemption story. Somebody grew up with little opportunity to get by within the law and became a criminal, but when given their first real opportunity to be heroic they did the right thing and became a (mildly un-heroic) hero. The other idea I had, though, and perhaps the more interesting one, stems from the fact that there are a lot of laws in Magnamund that deserve to be broken. You could always have Shadkine resistance fighters, "conductors" on an "underground railroad" ferrying slaves from the Helotries, Drakkar traitors, etc. These are people who are most assuredly criminal, and yet in many cases you can't help but call them heroic (cunning and devilish, for sure).
With that in mind, I finally broke down and started working on a "thief" type character class. I didn't want it to be the tried-and-true AD&D thief, simply because many of their abilities just don't seem to fit (how many burglars do you think are really at the level of polyglot to read any language?). Feel free to throw comments, suggestions, or Lightning Hands as you will. I haven't added much flavortext - I might do that later.
Scofflaw
Combat Skill and Endurance
To find out what your Scofflaw's Combat Skill is, generate a random number. Add 8 to this number and the result will be your character's Combat Skill.
For Endurance, do exactly the same thing, except that you add 15 to the number you select.
If using optional rules that allow all classes to have Willpower, do the same thing as above to generate your Willpower score except that you add 5 to the number you select.
Scofflaw Disciplines
Scofflaws don't get job titles. While the wanted posters around where they operate might give titles with varying degrees of disgust and animosity, these won't often be the name you go by when you're not on the job. You are not presently a master criminal, but you are not without your skills. You begin at Rank 5, with five Disciplines under your belt. Pick your Disciplines from the following list.
Accessory
Banditry lends itself well to wolfpack tactics, and a Scofflaw with this Discipline is truly a wolf. When the Scofflaw joins with allies to gang up on a foe, he grants a +1 bonus to their Combat Skill in addition to the normal bonuses for ganging up. This bonus applies even when the normal bonus, for whatever reason, does not occur.
If you choose this skill, write "Accessory: Additional +1 Combat Skill for engaged allies" on your Action Chart.
Battery
Scofflaws with this Discipline are very rarely unarmed. They are skilled at working out how best to use improvised weapons, and can almost always find some bit of detritus or scenery that is heavy, jagged, or otherwise dangerous enough to use as a weapon. In addition, Scofflaws with this Discipline only suffer a -1 penalty to your Combat Skill for using an improvised weapon.
If you choose this skill, write "Battery: Only -1 penalty to Combat Skill for improvised weapons" on your Action Chart.
Burglary
Breaking and entering has long been a specialty of many a rogue. This skill allows the Scofflaw silent movement, hiding in shadows, and a basic knowledge of mechanics enough to use subtle tricks to open locks (such as sliding objects through slits to open latches, etc.). Scofflaws with this skill will generally be taking pains to operate locks and mechanical devices as quietly as possible.
If you choose this skill, write "Burglary" on your Action Chart.
Conspiracy
Scofflaws with this Discipline have prolific knowledge of the criminal life and the criminal world. They have the knowledge to know what parts of town are safest for criminals, how to find safe refuges from the law, and where to turn to for criminal services and supplies. If there are jobs of a low-end variety, Scofflaws with this Discipline can generally be counted on to find them.
If you choose this skill, write "Conspiracy" on your Action Chart.
Extortion
Many Scofflaws are skilled at inducing panic. Intimidation and interrogation are specialties of many a criminal. This skill extends to any attempt to use fear, disturbance, or threats to get what you want out of somebody. Scofflaws with this Discipline are also very well aware of the effects of fear and panic, and are also disciplined against the effects of fear, panic, threats, and the like. This does not assist against psychic attacks, unfortunately.
If you choose this skill, write "Extortion" on your Action Chart.
False Pretenses
Scofflaws skilled in this Discipline are extraordinary tricksters. They can conceal their movements, mannerisms, and accent to appear to be a native to whatever region they are in (or to appear to be a foreigner from a specific locale). If the Scofflaw has the appropriate props, he may also appear to be of a different social class, or even appear to be the opposite sex.
If you choose this skill, write "False Pretenses" on your Action Chart.
Larceny
Scofflaws have long practiced the process of hiding their intent, and can keep their criminal intentions so well secret that sometimes even they forget that they are criminals. Scofflaws with this Discipline are skilled at concealing their motives and intent. They also add the bonus they would normally get to Tests using this Discipline to the Difficulty of any Test for Sixth Sense or similar Disciplines to detect any mallicious intent on the part of the Scofflaw with this Discipline.
If you choose this skill, write "Larceny" on your Action Chart.
Manslaughter
Militias love to gang up on lone rogues, and sometimes a Scofflaw needs to make them think twice. When engaged with multiple foes, Scofflaws with this Discipline may spend 2 Endurance Points to use this ability. They will be able to attack every engaged foe that attacks them, threatening each of them with damage. This will not offset the Combat Skill bonuses they receive, but it will make foes think twice.
If you choose this skill, write "Manslaughter" on your Action Chart.
* If using optional rules that allow all characters to have Willpower, this Discipline costs 2 Willpower rather than 2 Endurance.
Mayhem
Assassination is part and parcel with many a freedom fighter. It's also part and parcel with many an organized crime syndicate. When Scofflaws with this Discipline attack somebody with a ranged or thrown weapon, or if they are engaged with only one enemy, the Scofflaw gains a +2 bonus to his Combat Skill. The Scofflaw does not lose this bonus if allies are also engaged with the enemy, but he does lose this bonus if more than one enemy is involved in the scuffle.
If you chose this skill, write "Mayhem: +2 Combat Skill against a single foe" on your Action Chart.
Robbery
Cutpurses and duelists alike want to take things off of their foes. Sometimes, the quickest way to end a fight is to take away the fighter's tools, and sometimes you just really want to have a go at somebody else's Belt Pouch. This skill grants a bonus to any roll to try to snatch a loose object or cut a Belt Pouch from off of somebody. In addition, in combat the Scofflaw may choose to attack but not inflict damage on a foe. If they would have inflicted more points of damage on them than their opponent would have inflicted, their opponent is disarmed of their Weapon, and must evade the Scofflaw to retrieve it. The Scofflaw will still suffer damage normally that round, even if this maneuver is successful.
If you choose this skill, write "Robbery" on your Action Chart.
Personally, I have always enjoyed a good rogue, by which I mean somebody who is independant and maybe on the edge of the law in a setting where most PCs aren't. There have been a few example of "rogue" type characters already - on this forum you have the Adventuress, but there's also a couple worthies from the D20 rules (Shadkine Sorcerer, Wytch Child). But what about a good old fashioned criminal-type?
When I ran D20 Lone Wolf, I wouldn't allow such a type. I mean, you've got Knights, Kai Lords, Brothers of the Crystal Star, Vakeros Warrior-Mages, etc., what the heck is a cutpurse or burglar going to do except get arrested by his fellow adventurers? But I thought about it, and I see two major opportunities for good "edge-of-the-law" characters.
One is the classical redemption story. Somebody grew up with little opportunity to get by within the law and became a criminal, but when given their first real opportunity to be heroic they did the right thing and became a (mildly un-heroic) hero. The other idea I had, though, and perhaps the more interesting one, stems from the fact that there are a lot of laws in Magnamund that deserve to be broken. You could always have Shadkine resistance fighters, "conductors" on an "underground railroad" ferrying slaves from the Helotries, Drakkar traitors, etc. These are people who are most assuredly criminal, and yet in many cases you can't help but call them heroic (cunning and devilish, for sure).
With that in mind, I finally broke down and started working on a "thief" type character class. I didn't want it to be the tried-and-true AD&D thief, simply because many of their abilities just don't seem to fit (how many burglars do you think are really at the level of polyglot to read any language?). Feel free to throw comments, suggestions, or Lightning Hands as you will. I haven't added much flavortext - I might do that later.
Scofflaw
Combat Skill and Endurance
To find out what your Scofflaw's Combat Skill is, generate a random number. Add 8 to this number and the result will be your character's Combat Skill.
For Endurance, do exactly the same thing, except that you add 15 to the number you select.
If using optional rules that allow all classes to have Willpower, do the same thing as above to generate your Willpower score except that you add 5 to the number you select.
Scofflaw Disciplines
Scofflaws don't get job titles. While the wanted posters around where they operate might give titles with varying degrees of disgust and animosity, these won't often be the name you go by when you're not on the job. You are not presently a master criminal, but you are not without your skills. You begin at Rank 5, with five Disciplines under your belt. Pick your Disciplines from the following list.
Accessory
Banditry lends itself well to wolfpack tactics, and a Scofflaw with this Discipline is truly a wolf. When the Scofflaw joins with allies to gang up on a foe, he grants a +1 bonus to their Combat Skill in addition to the normal bonuses for ganging up. This bonus applies even when the normal bonus, for whatever reason, does not occur.
If you choose this skill, write "Accessory: Additional +1 Combat Skill for engaged allies" on your Action Chart.
Battery
Scofflaws with this Discipline are very rarely unarmed. They are skilled at working out how best to use improvised weapons, and can almost always find some bit of detritus or scenery that is heavy, jagged, or otherwise dangerous enough to use as a weapon. In addition, Scofflaws with this Discipline only suffer a -1 penalty to your Combat Skill for using an improvised weapon.
If you choose this skill, write "Battery: Only -1 penalty to Combat Skill for improvised weapons" on your Action Chart.
Burglary
Breaking and entering has long been a specialty of many a rogue. This skill allows the Scofflaw silent movement, hiding in shadows, and a basic knowledge of mechanics enough to use subtle tricks to open locks (such as sliding objects through slits to open latches, etc.). Scofflaws with this skill will generally be taking pains to operate locks and mechanical devices as quietly as possible.
If you choose this skill, write "Burglary" on your Action Chart.
Conspiracy
Scofflaws with this Discipline have prolific knowledge of the criminal life and the criminal world. They have the knowledge to know what parts of town are safest for criminals, how to find safe refuges from the law, and where to turn to for criminal services and supplies. If there are jobs of a low-end variety, Scofflaws with this Discipline can generally be counted on to find them.
If you choose this skill, write "Conspiracy" on your Action Chart.
Extortion
Many Scofflaws are skilled at inducing panic. Intimidation and interrogation are specialties of many a criminal. This skill extends to any attempt to use fear, disturbance, or threats to get what you want out of somebody. Scofflaws with this Discipline are also very well aware of the effects of fear and panic, and are also disciplined against the effects of fear, panic, threats, and the like. This does not assist against psychic attacks, unfortunately.
If you choose this skill, write "Extortion" on your Action Chart.
False Pretenses
Scofflaws skilled in this Discipline are extraordinary tricksters. They can conceal their movements, mannerisms, and accent to appear to be a native to whatever region they are in (or to appear to be a foreigner from a specific locale). If the Scofflaw has the appropriate props, he may also appear to be of a different social class, or even appear to be the opposite sex.
If you choose this skill, write "False Pretenses" on your Action Chart.
Larceny
Scofflaws have long practiced the process of hiding their intent, and can keep their criminal intentions so well secret that sometimes even they forget that they are criminals. Scofflaws with this Discipline are skilled at concealing their motives and intent. They also add the bonus they would normally get to Tests using this Discipline to the Difficulty of any Test for Sixth Sense or similar Disciplines to detect any mallicious intent on the part of the Scofflaw with this Discipline.
If you choose this skill, write "Larceny" on your Action Chart.
Manslaughter
Militias love to gang up on lone rogues, and sometimes a Scofflaw needs to make them think twice. When engaged with multiple foes, Scofflaws with this Discipline may spend 2 Endurance Points to use this ability. They will be able to attack every engaged foe that attacks them, threatening each of them with damage. This will not offset the Combat Skill bonuses they receive, but it will make foes think twice.
If you choose this skill, write "Manslaughter" on your Action Chart.
* If using optional rules that allow all characters to have Willpower, this Discipline costs 2 Willpower rather than 2 Endurance.
Mayhem
Assassination is part and parcel with many a freedom fighter. It's also part and parcel with many an organized crime syndicate. When Scofflaws with this Discipline attack somebody with a ranged or thrown weapon, or if they are engaged with only one enemy, the Scofflaw gains a +2 bonus to his Combat Skill. The Scofflaw does not lose this bonus if allies are also engaged with the enemy, but he does lose this bonus if more than one enemy is involved in the scuffle.
If you chose this skill, write "Mayhem: +2 Combat Skill against a single foe" on your Action Chart.
Robbery
Cutpurses and duelists alike want to take things off of their foes. Sometimes, the quickest way to end a fight is to take away the fighter's tools, and sometimes you just really want to have a go at somebody else's Belt Pouch. This skill grants a bonus to any roll to try to snatch a loose object or cut a Belt Pouch from off of somebody. In addition, in combat the Scofflaw may choose to attack but not inflict damage on a foe. If they would have inflicted more points of damage on them than their opponent would have inflicted, their opponent is disarmed of their Weapon, and must evade the Scofflaw to retrieve it. The Scofflaw will still suffer damage normally that round, even if this maneuver is successful.
If you choose this skill, write "Robbery" on your Action Chart.
I plan to augment this with an actual gear selection, but that's the part I'm a little chincy with, especially since I handle gear, weapons, etc., a little differently from most. I try to keep to the "rules light" flavor, but by the same token I try to put a difference between a dagger and a longsword.
