2E Thief/3E Rogue

[Malicene]

all these things were discussed in the 2Ed with the "Kits", so yes there is 1 class : Rogue, but many different way to play it !
based on stat you can easily design 5 ways :

STR : the muscle : usually Fighter/rogue : the Arms Breaker of a guild, the one you send to punish/intimidate the non-willing to pay merchant.
DEX : the sneak : the spy, the sneaky that's always in your back
CON : ??

then
INT : the smart, the can-opener (with a good DEX too )
WIS : the spotter or the planner
CHA : the diplomat

not all rogues are Thieves, but most are....

but overall I would say : Role play is your solution, not all players should know your class, and anyway you can always find your way out as Rogue means Versatility too .

Last things : due to the number of class skills even a Human Rogue with INT 18 can't have ALL class skills : so "sub-class" specialisation is mandatory (more CHA based or Dex Based ....)

 

[Mark]

I find myself shifting from the original concept of my character

Naw, don't shift. Stick to your guns.

 

[Azul]

A rogue in 3e is essentially a versatile adventurer (8+Int skills) who can fight dirty (sneak attack). He can be shaped into a classic thief, but he's got a lot more potential than that.

For example, our current party has two rogues in it. One is your classic halfling burgler, although she's slowly mutating into a down-and-dirty knife fighter. Lots of tumble skill, weapon finesse (dagger), and the usual mess of street smart skills.

The other character is a gnome mechanic/inventor (has the education feat and has tons of points in craft and knowledge skills -- he's as smart as the party wizard and often has better knowledge skills -- our party cleric last session bemoaned that he had a better knowledge(religion) bonus than she did).

The inventor's only major "thief" skill is disable device (he's good with devices... which is good because the halfling's not a trap buster... she finds them, he tinkers with the mechanisms).

Talker/con men type rogues are one of the obvious types of build. Trap-busters are another. Burglers are a third. Roguish "finesse" combatants are yet another (typically this would include some fighter levels). Adventuring scholars (think Indiana Jones or the Relic Hunter heroine) are another possibility. Frankly, given its the huge skill selection, the rogue is easily the most flexible of all the classes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

And any time I think about a build for a police detective type, Rogue is the first class that springs to mind.

I'd love to put together a CSI organisation for an urban campaign - lots of Diviners back at the lab using traces of blood from a crime scene, or torn scraps of cloth, or discarded arrows, as the "connection to subject" for scrying; Ranger/Rogue/Experts out in the field; Paladin/Rogues interviewing suspects...

-Hyp.

 

[Taloras]

I was lucky with my group, I didnt play the character as a thief, more of an adventurer/dungeon crawler. High open lock/search/disable device, no pick pockets at all. Not very charismatic either. However, unlike most rogues, he was an undead-fighter (Crusading Footpad PrC from Quint Rogue). Sort of a holy rogue type guy. The others never even suspected him of stealing, even tho he worshipped Olidammara, god of rogues, wine, women, song.....he just liked the last 3 on that list.

 

[Yeoman]

My first 3e character was a swashbuckling rogue, who took mostly physical skills, and no matter how much I told the other players I couldn't pick a lock, find a trap, or do any of the other old thiefly functions, they never listened to me. So, Kastil I definitely feel for you. It sucked for me too.

 

[diaglo]

Anyone else have this affliction?

yes. my current character. the other players in my group.

Them: you're a halfling. you must be a rogue. you are also gonna play him exactly like your old character except he will be stealing.

ME: no, i'm a ranger. and he has a very different ideal. i'll frag the first one of you who tries anything with this character. my old character was good aligned. this guy ain't.


Them: sure.

ME: you'll see.


later, one of them read my character sheet.

HE: see. you're a rogue. Look guys I told you.

ME: when did i ever do anything like a rogue in front of you?

 

[drnuncheon]

From an online multiplayer D&D game I was at for a while (paraphrased):

Other Player: So what is your character?

Me: He's a sailor.

Other Player: A sailor? No, what class is he?

Me: Rogue, but I'm going to multiclass into fighter next level.

Other Player: Great! We need a thief.

Me: ...

(no, I didn't wind up adventuring with them.)

J

 

[Sixchan]

No matter what sort of Rogue I make in PnP, they almost always are excellent pickpockets. That way anyone who calls me a thief gets all their stuff removed all day and night until they get the message.

Works pretty well in my experience.

 

[Psion]

Anyone else have this affliction?

Honestly, I have seen this problem since 2e. In 2e, many people slighted some thief skills in favor of the ever-popular hide and move silent. And after skills and powers, some people who got creative omitted those class abilities entirely.

It all comes down to how willing your DM is to think outside the box and break with "classical roles". There are obstables other than locks.

Then I actually had to pick a lock ::gasps:: and fate smacked me upside the head. I couldn't pick a lock for spit! Imagine that! Then came the "You're not a very good thief, are you?" "I'm playing a rogue, not a thief." "Yeah, sure whatever."

Ask the party wizard "why is this my job? You could've taken knock as a spell, you know?"