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View Full Version : Rogue Variant: Specialist Rogues



Indoril
2007-02-09, 12:18 PM
I'm in the process of making a variant on rogues that lets them "specialize" much the same way wizards do, with each kind of rogue there would be a different set of class abilities all of which incorporate some aspect of the Rogue class.

I have 11 so far: Acrobat, Skirmisher, Revolutionary, Bounty Hunter (complete), Infiltrator (complete), Hit Man (complete), Cat Burglar (complete), Con Man (complete), Stalker, Thug (complete), and Treasure Hunter. My first question is...

Did I miss any?

I won't be posting each of them as I finish them, I will post them all at once so the entire variant can be critiqued at once. This will take a while, so...don't hold your breath.

Fax Celestis
2007-02-09, 12:23 PM
Yeah: Socialite, Revolutionary, and Speedster immediately come to mind.

Duke of URL
2007-02-09, 12:30 PM
Maybe Diplomat? I.e., a Rogue focused on the "social" skills like Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, and Intimidate.

Indoril
2007-02-09, 10:07 PM
Yeah: Socialite, Revolutionary, and Speedster immediately come to mind.

Describe "Speedster." I like the other two.


Maybe Diplomat? I.e., a Rogue focused on the "social" skills like Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive, and Intimidate.

I think that would be split between the "Con Man" and the "Socialite."

magic8BALL
2007-02-09, 10:15 PM
Will they be 10 different classes, (wizard vs sorcerer) or the same class with different options, similar to a TWF ranger vs an Arachery ranger, or similar to how a monk may choose between x and y bonus feats...?

Indoril
2007-02-10, 04:15 AM
Will they be 10 different classes, (wizard vs sorcerer) or the same class with different options, similar to a TWF ranger vs an Arachery ranger, or similar to how a monk may choose between x and y bonus feats...?

It's going to the same class with different class abilities and options for each specialization. I'm also going to include that for the purposes of multiclassing, Specialist Rogue classes are all considered different classes.

Icewalker
2007-02-10, 04:26 AM
I like it. Giving players more specialization is always good, and rogues have some of the most diverse sets of skills and abilities.

As to Duke of URL, I believe Con Man is supposed to be the one who focuses on Diplomacy, Bluff, and the social skills.

I can't think of any great ideas off the top of my head, but I'll come back and post any thoughts I have.

Iituem
2007-02-10, 10:16 AM
Had a thought about the point after level 10 where rogues get to pick a little specialised ability (crippling strike etc). One thought might be:

Stunning Strike: This ability can be used once per round, a number of times equal to half her level per day. The rogue can stun a creature with a weapon she is proficient in, provided this is done on a sneak attack. This is an extraordinary ability and must be declared before the attack roll is made. A fortitude save must be made by the victim against (DC 10 + one-half the rogue's level + Intelligence Modifier), in addition to normal and sneak attack damage. If the saving throw fails, the opponent is stunned for one round. Any creature the rogue cannot sneak attack is immune to the stun attack.

Fax Celestis
2007-02-10, 11:49 AM
"Speedster" (for lack of a better name) would get bonuses to landspeed (a la the barbarian) and perhaps Skirmish instead of Sneak Attack (or at a 50/50 rate), perhaps bonuses to other forms of movement.

Macrovore
2007-02-10, 03:41 PM
take a look at this:http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=691317
scroll down to the Ultimate Rogue class.
Szatany made 5 paths, which, IMO, covers all the rogue's basics: the assasin (sneak attack, etc.), the expert (skill master), the silvertongue (socalite), spy (a scout), and the stalker (another, different scout).

Fenria
2007-02-10, 04:20 PM
Actually Indoril, I've been working on a specialist Rogue class for a little while now. It's for my friend's campaign, and I, thinking it original, dubbed it the Infiltrator. It's focused primarily on Lock picking, disable device, tumble, jump, climb, blance, hide and the like. It gets almost too many special abilities in this area, but I took away the sneak attack all together and only gave it a few proficiencies. I'll upload my sample sheet when I'm on a better comp., but I hope you will like it...

Orzel
2007-02-10, 04:23 PM
Stuntman (acrobatics and survival) and Scribe (forgery, identifaction, and "how to" style knowledge)

Indoril
2007-02-11, 03:49 AM
"Speedster" (for lack of a better name)...

How's "Skirmisher" sound? (based on the class abilities and all)


Stuntman (acrobatics and survival) and Scribe (forgery, identifaction, and "how to" style knowledge)

I may include Acrobat as well...what's that like 12 separate classes I have to work on now? Jeez...

A Forger type would be nice, but most of his abilities would be shared with the Con Man, to the point that it would almost be pointless to make them two separate classes. After all, a Forger is a Con Man who uses writing instead of speech.


Had a thought about the point after level 10 where rogues get to pick a little specialised ability (crippling strike etc). One thought might be:

Stunning Strike: This ability can be used once per round, a number of times equal to half her level per day. The rogue can stun a creature with a weapon she is proficient in, provided this is done on a sneak attack. This is an extraordinary ability and must be declared before the attack roll is made. A fortitude save must be made by the victim against (DC 10 + one-half the rogue's level + Intelligence Modifier), in addition to normal and sneak attack damage. If the saving throw fails, the opponent is stunned for one round. Any creature the rogue cannot sneak attack is immune to the stun attack.

I actually have given the Thug a class ability called Stunning Strike. Check it out when I post it up.

JellyPooga
2007-02-11, 09:26 AM
Umm... don't mean to put a damper on anything, but isn't a 'specialist' Rogue just one that pumps all his/her skills/feats into one area of expertise?

e.g. Diplomat Rogue has lots of Bluff, Diplomacy and Forgery and no Tumble or Balance

Or did you mean something more than just that, along the lines of replacing Sneak Attack with a scaling Diplomacy Bonus or somesuch?

Indoril
2007-02-11, 07:24 PM
Yeah: Socialite, Revolutionary, and Speedster immediately come to mind.

Would Socialite really be specifically a Specialist Rogue? The more I thought about it while at work, the more I came to believe that just about any class that specializes in that area could be considered such, and I couldn't really think of any class abilities other than ones that enhanced Bluff and Diplomacy (and perhaps Intimidate).

I could be entirely wrong though. I was just wondering.


Umm... don't mean to put a damper on anything, but isn't a 'specialist' Rogue just one that pumps all his/her skills/feats into one area of expertise?

e.g. Diplomat Rogue has lots of Bluff, Diplomacy and Forgery and no Tumble or Balance

Or did you mean something more than just that, along the lines of replacing Sneak Attack with a scaling Diplomacy Bonus or somesuch?

For most of them I'm dropping some amount of sneak attack progression (in the case of the Cat Burglar) and adding something else. I'm also cutting back on Special Abilities gained and dropping a couple of class abilities to add a few specialized ones that add to skills and make skills more useful. Some classes are also getting a feat or two as part of their class.

Arakune
2007-02-11, 08:21 PM
look at http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34679 , I make something. what a coincidence ^^

Indoril
2007-02-11, 08:30 PM
look at http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34679 , I make something. what a coincidence ^^

Yeah I saw it. There were a few similarities I saw with the one I've prepared (namely improving hide and move silently), but past that our classes are actually rather different.

Arakune
2007-02-11, 08:43 PM
yeah, i designed mine to be more likely a Splinter Cell/ Metal Gear Solid/ Sphi filter (i forgot the name) ripp of.