Rogue
Rogues of all sorts are quite plentiful in Prealith; after all, with its wealthy trade network, nearby pirate realm, and with sections of its coast and its hinterland unsecured; Prealith is a very large magnet for those who wish to make a dishonest gold piece.
Despite all of these opportunities, Prealith does present some very unique and dangerous challenges. The 'unsecured' parts of Prealith are just as dangerous to the unscrupulous as they are to the law-abiding. The Prealith navy is unmatched in its competence and numbers and takes a very dim and lethal view of pirates. Finally, Prealith is the most magical of the human realms and the prevalence of both arcane and clerical magic creates its own challenges and risks.
Bannerlith and Danalith, Prealith's two main cities and shipping ports, are home to well organized and resourceful thieves guilds. They ensure thieving activities are finely balanced between what should be stolen and what would compel the local authorities to act. These organizations tend to deal with uncooperative outsiders by setting them up for arrest and punishment. To the guilds, it's a win-win situation; the trespassers on their territory are dealt with while the local authorities feel they are doing their job in curtailing crime. With the ready availability of both magic and well trained and loyal troops; illegal activities require substantial support and resources.
Sanctuary is even more precarious for rogues to operate within. Outsiders are readily apparent in a region of mostly villages and small towns plus Sanctuary abounds with the types of magic both dangerous to a rogue's well being and his freedom. However, Sanctuary's thirst for reclaiming both lost knowledge and securing its territory means exploring dangerous ruins and territory. As a result, when an extended rogue family, the Murrays, made a mutually beneficial offer several decades ago, it was accepted by Sanctuary's Council.
The Murrays established the organization known as the Ruin Runners (RR). Forswearing any illegal activity (at least within Sanctuary's territory), RR became not only Sanctuary citizens but also valued members of exploring and reclamation groups. In return, access to possible riches in new territory and the back up of wizards, priests, and fighters make a career as a RR both lucrative and much safer than solo expeditions.
Besides sharing with one's party of fellow explorers, a RR is expected to donate part of her take to the organization. In return, the organization gives access to training otherwise unavailable in Sanctuary and it also assists less fortunate RR's.
A RR has almost all of the same skills and characteristics of the rogue class with the following modifications. First, Ruin Runners have invented a small selection of hand signs and natural signs called Scout Signs. These signs are shared with associates so the Ruin Runner can share limited information without speaking. Note: Party members must agree what those signs/signals are before their characters use them. Second, while sleight of hand remains the same; actually picking pockets is rarely practiced so it is rolled with a base difficulty of 18 (rather than the 12 for other sleight of hand checks). Third, a Ruin Runner is able to do a rough assessment of the stability of structures (Intelligence roll). This skill enables a Ruin Runner to make an estimate of how safe a wall/ceiling/bridge etc. is for a human explorer. The Ruin Runner must take the time to examine the structure in good light. Again, other than these modifications, a RR is the same as other members of the Rogue class.
Despite all of these opportunities, Prealith does present some very unique and dangerous challenges. The 'unsecured' parts of Prealith are just as dangerous to the unscrupulous as they are to the law-abiding. The Prealith navy is unmatched in its competence and numbers and takes a very dim and lethal view of pirates. Finally, Prealith is the most magical of the human realms and the prevalence of both arcane and clerical magic creates its own challenges and risks.
Bannerlith and Danalith, Prealith's two main cities and shipping ports, are home to well organized and resourceful thieves guilds. They ensure thieving activities are finely balanced between what should be stolen and what would compel the local authorities to act. These organizations tend to deal with uncooperative outsiders by setting them up for arrest and punishment. To the guilds, it's a win-win situation; the trespassers on their territory are dealt with while the local authorities feel they are doing their job in curtailing crime. With the ready availability of both magic and well trained and loyal troops; illegal activities require substantial support and resources.
Sanctuary is even more precarious for rogues to operate within. Outsiders are readily apparent in a region of mostly villages and small towns plus Sanctuary abounds with the types of magic both dangerous to a rogue's well being and his freedom. However, Sanctuary's thirst for reclaiming both lost knowledge and securing its territory means exploring dangerous ruins and territory. As a result, when an extended rogue family, the Murrays, made a mutually beneficial offer several decades ago, it was accepted by Sanctuary's Council.
The Murrays established the organization known as the Ruin Runners (RR). Forswearing any illegal activity (at least within Sanctuary's territory), RR became not only Sanctuary citizens but also valued members of exploring and reclamation groups. In return, access to possible riches in new territory and the back up of wizards, priests, and fighters make a career as a RR both lucrative and much safer than solo expeditions.
Besides sharing with one's party of fellow explorers, a RR is expected to donate part of her take to the organization. In return, the organization gives access to training otherwise unavailable in Sanctuary and it also assists less fortunate RR's.
A RR has almost all of the same skills and characteristics of the rogue class with the following modifications. First, Ruin Runners have invented a small selection of hand signs and natural signs called Scout Signs. These signs are shared with associates so the Ruin Runner can share limited information without speaking. Note: Party members must agree what those signs/signals are before their characters use them. Second, while sleight of hand remains the same; actually picking pockets is rarely practiced so it is rolled with a base difficulty of 18 (rather than the 12 for other sleight of hand checks). Third, a Ruin Runner is able to do a rough assessment of the stability of structures (Intelligence roll). This skill enables a Ruin Runner to make an estimate of how safe a wall/ceiling/bridge etc. is for a human explorer. The Ruin Runner must take the time to examine the structure in good light. Again, other than these modifications, a RR is the same as other members of the Rogue class.