Introduction





This column was initially inspired by my own thoughts on rogues. Specifically, creating rogue characters for role-playing games that possess more flavor and personality than the traditional dungeon-crawling rogue archetype. I’ll pounce on that topic soon enough, but first I want to briefly outline the purpose and future subject matter of this column.



Future installments of “Rogue Thoughts” will present ideas drawn from the dark, deceitful, discontented, sly, seedy, and sometimes sexy, underbelly of the real world. These ideas will, of course, be applied to role-playing games. Some of the topic areas I already have in mind include dubious organizations, devious and deadly animals, individuals throughout history known for their larceny, treachery or odd and disconcerting abilities and various ideologies that skirt the boundaries of mainstream western society.



The main purpose of this column is to offer educational and entertaining ideas to the reader. The secondary purpose being to expand my own knowledge and to stretch my much neglected literary muscles. Due to a constant time deficit and the amount of research involved on my part, “Rogue Thoughts” will be a bi-weekly column. Now on to the good stuff.







To Sketch a Thief





What is a “traditional dungeon-crawling rogue?” A loose definition would read as follows: a rogue (thief) character designed mainly to function as a treasure-seeker that approaches tasks with the mind-set, and the skills and abilities, of the average burglar. This definition implies that the rogue is nimble, stealthy, is adept at breaking and entering, and has a healthy larcenous streak. It also describes a vast number of freshly generated rogue type characters, in any setting. This is not inherently a bad thing and this may be precisely the type of character you wish to portray. But I believe that if you examine and expand upon three aspects of a rogue character’s make-up you can not only add spice to a run-of-the-mill thief, you can create scoundrels that leap off the character sheet and abscond with your wallet, and your significant other.



Before I go any further though, I want to introduce to you a man with whom you may already be familiar. Most people know him by his surname, Casanova. During his lifetime, 1725 to 1798, Giacomo Casanova was a soldier, diplomat, clergyman, secretary, violinist, and writer. In every biography I have read he is also described, simply, as an adventurer. His main source of fame is the number of erotic encounters that he lays claim to, and gives descriptions of, in his autobiography.



You may be wondering what Casanova has to do with adding panache to your gaming rogue. Well, in addition to his previously mentioned interests, Casanova was a con man, spy, forger, cabalist, gambler, and freemason. He was exiled from, or under threat of being arrested in, a surprising number of European countries and cities. He was imprisoned on three occasions. The first time he was incarcerated for inability to pay a debt, the second time for being a magician, and the third time for fraud. Casanova escaped his confinement in two of those instances and in the third a wealthy patron, the Marquise d’Urfe, interceded and had him released. He was a rogue of grand proportion. So I will be using the man and his life to highlight the three areas of a rogue that the remainder of this article will explore.



Let’s start with the basics. Not only are a rogue’s natural abilities commonly the first aspect determined in the character creation process, they also determine the rest of his evolution and the strengths he will fall back on during his adventuring career. Natural abilities encompass such things as physical strength and agility, mental acuity, and strength of will. Examining the possible effects these traits can have on a character will help you lay the foundation for a rogue that strays pleasantly from the status quo.



For example, nowhere will you find mention of Casanova’s great feats of agility. He was much more famous for unbuckling his swash than for buckling it. At any rate, he didn’t possess any great physical agility. His main strengths lay in his personal charisma and his intelligence and the skills that utilize them. Casanova traveled all over Europe relying on his wit and charm, often rubbing elbows with the wealthy. In 1757 he assisted in the foundation of the French state lottery. He did, of course, siphon much of the revenue into his own pockets. While many of Casanova’s goals may be very similar to the average thief, his modus operandi is distinctly different.



What would a rogue be like if he possessed a great deal of wisdom? Perhaps he knows that his crimes are detrimental to himself and others but he can’t help himself. Perhaps he has political motives for nicking the Baron’s gold. Maybe your rogue believes in the immortal soul, and since the physical world is impermanent there is no such thing as theft of physical wealth. He only steals to provide himself with life’s necessities so that he has time to meditate and perfect his soul. Of course, a few luxuries here and there never hurt anyone. There are countless possibilities. All it takes to explore them is a little imagination.



The next area that should be considered is the skills in a rogue’s repertoire. In many games this is where the rogue character truly shines. The wizard is busy studying spells, the priest is off praying, and the warrior spends most of her time turning large hunks of meat into many smaller chunks of meat. The rogue is a skill-based animal. So why is it that the same general list of skills usually shows up on every rogue’s character sheet? Regardless of the reasons, there are other options available.



Our friend, Casanova, was not an accomplished hider in shadows. He could not pick a lock or walk a tightrope. A back flip was beyond his capabilities. What useful skills did he possess then? Casanova’s skill at diplomacy was impressive. His days as a soldier taught him the use of arms and he could defend himself adequately. He proved this on at least one occasion when he severely wounded a Polish Count in a duel over the attentions of an actress. He had a doctorate in law from the University of Padua and extensive knowledge of Catholicism. He also possessed knowledge of occult rituals and practices, which he used on several occasions to fool wealthy individuals into giving him large sums of money. Casanova could also play the violin and wrote many published works. He had a very interesting and diverse set of skills that he relied upon constantly, whether he was defending himself in court or convincing the Marquise d’Urfe that he could help her be reborn as a man.



When you sit down to create your rogue examine combinations of non-standard rogue skills and knowledge. What would happen if you created a rogue with skill in alchemy and a love of the theatre? Perhaps he is a performer, traveling the land impressing the locals with dramatizations and alchemical fireworks. When he moves to the next town he takes everything that isn’t nailed down with him. Perhaps he steals to fund his alchemical research in an effort to bring ever bigger and better “special effects” to paying audiences everywhere. Maybe an explosion during an alchemical experiment has horribly mutilated his face and acting gives him temporary respite from his torment. In his spare time he dons a favorite mask and travels the rooftops with a few homebrewed vials of acid to leave his mark on those that victimize the innocent.



The last subject I want to explore is patrons. Who does the rogue work for, and why? Many rogues in role-playing games are self-employed drifters. Rogues that work for a thieves guild are really just in it for profit and power. Those with an individual patron, who is usually wealthy and sometimes of nobility, are often just in it for the money and perks. So how do we use a patron to redefine a rogue character? One method is to attach the rogue to an organization with a very specific set of rules and beliefs and to have the character adopt these as his own. This way the rogue’s natural talents will be utilized performing missions with goals that have meaning for the character beyond the simple accumulation of wealth and prestige.



Casanova was one of those rogues that always works for himself, regardless of whom employed him. During his life he was under the employ of two of the three types of institutions that I will briefly examine. As a young man, Casanova studied to be a clergyman. Due to his misadventures, chiefly those sexual in nature, he eventually had to abandon that course of action. He was also employed as a spy by at least one government, if not several. He even had several wealthy noble patrons. But Casanova’s life revolved around two things: the pursuit of women and the pursuit of wealth and position. While these are respectable aims for any rogue, what happens when we adjust a rogue’s priorities?



A rogue in the service of the church is not a new concept. The Vatican has always had a large contingent of agents and spies. What happens when you take your role-playing rogue and put him to work for a religious institution whose dogma he actually believes? You probably have one very motivated rogue. Depending on the religion, he can also be ruthless, a pacifist, wear a funny hat, or cover his body in ghee. His missions might include recovering lost religious artifacts, spying on the enemies of the church, hunting down heretics and witches, or disrupting the summoning ritual of a rival religion.



If your rogue has scholarly leanings he might be in the employ of a prestigious university. He can search out rare texts or specimens. Maybe he travels to dangerous locales to study and document the habits of unusual beasts. He might teach a course on deciphering ancient languages. It’s possible that he is in charge of security for the university’s special collections of historically significant spell books and diamond-studded dwarven nose rings.



It has been said that Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. This can be true for your rogue. Being an agent of the state can be very challenging. Refusing a mission is normally not allowed and the success or failure of a mission can have far-reaching consequences of which the rogue may not even be aware. Common tasks for a patriotic rogue include spying, sabotage, arson, kidnapping, and blackmail. A rogue might even be sent to steal or recover a powerful artifact to keep it out of the hands of the enemy. Delivering top secret messages behind enemy lines is another favorite past time of the state run rogue character. What if your character is working for the government against his will? Perhaps he’s committed a crime and had cut a deal to avoid his punishment. Maybe a surgically implanted camera constantly monitors his actions to insure his good behavior.



As you can see, giving your rogue characters a little extra punch is simple. It just requires a little thought and imagination. Of course there’s no reason why rogues should have all the fun. The ideas presented in this article will work for any character type. I hope you found this first installment of “Rogue Thoughts” to be worth the read. If you desire more detailed information on Giacomo Casanova head down to your local library. I also highly recommend the 1987 film “Casanova” starring Richard Chamberlain and Faye Dunaway. Until next time when we will delve into the myths which surround an infamous secret society.