Thomas Shey
Legend
Then you shouldn't have said "just about every fantasy game". There are plenty of non-class-based fantasy games, some of them (RuneQuest for example) not exactly unknown.
Why do we need thieves??
- Thread starter 1QD
- Start date
Then you shouldn't have said "just about every fantasy game". There are plenty of non-class-based fantasy games, some of them (RuneQuest for example) not exactly unknown.
Baron Opal II
Legend
I like thieves, but because they have a niche: urban stealth. This is often expanded to criminal contacts and techniques.
They are not "skill monkeys" in my mind. That's not a niche, that's a rules mechanic. They don't have spells, certainly, but their abilities are greater than just a collection of skills.
Or, they should be.
One of the things that I try to effect is that a high level thief can infiltrate an area even though it's blanketed with magic.
Scott Christian
Hero
This was questioned in another thread. You could say the thing about any class.
You don't need a paladin, you only need a cleric.
You don't need a monk, only a fighter.
You don't need a druid, only a wizard.
You don't need a barbarian, only a fighter.
Etc.
The truth of the matter is you only need two, a melee and magic user. But people like the flavor of differentiation. Or, the game system mechanic's require it. In the end, it is what is best for the system, not what is logical.
GrimCo
Hero
Clan Nosferatu. They are described as masters of spycraft. Obfuscate, as a discipline, focuses on stealth
I referenced WoD earlier. You can build "thief" if you like, it's matter of taking specific skills (stealth, subterfuge, larceny, streetwise). With systems like WoD, you have limited resource, in this case XP, which you directly spend on raising everything, stats,skills, disciplines, willpower, and higher you wanna raise something, more it costs. So you need to decide to you wanna be really good at few things or mediocre in lots of things.
1QD
Game Creator Extraordinaire
Not what is logical... I would add that in context. So in my world , it is based off of reality, but what if dragons and magic were real? In this instance, logic still applies. Perhaps it could be reworded to within reason. If that is the case, then everyone should have at least some magical training, or nearly anyone who takes on a profession. This might leave for BGC's, (Background characters) like farmers, blacksmiths etc, to not have magic. Arguably even they could have magic, due to certain skills, or past professions even. The goal of my game in particular was to take pretty much any architype in pop culture, and be able to recreate a reasonable facsimile to be role played within the game. Thus avenues for specific powers are related to your core professions and then backed up with skill choice.
1QD
Game Creator Extraordinaire
I am taking by your response, you have a heavy DnD background?
