A LG, LN, or NG Rogue?

[Darkness]

1) No problem; I know lots of NG PC Rogues. Few lawful ones (including lawful evil), though, since most of my players generally dislike lawful characters (especially paladins - though we had some of those over the time, and once we even had a decent one). One of my players likes to play LE characters, though...
Also, I have more than a few LG and LN NPC Rogues who have no problems at all with their alignments.

2) Some possible occupational templates for such characters: Commando. Scout/lookout. Guard. Crimefighter/vigilante (set a thief to catch a thief, as it were).
After all, in 3e, no Rogue has to take Pickpocket; they aren't necessarily thieves, after all.

And if he has been a thief in the past: Well, people change.

 

[evileeyore]

I agree with you that a lawful or good rogue cannot steal willy-nilly. But what's wrong with stealing only from evil jerks? Really? Is this somehow a limit on his income? Jerks are generally easy to find. And they often have money.

You keep saying steal.

Sounds to me like your Rogue should be Neutral on the Good/Evil line. And just because someones a Jerk doesn't make them EVIL. And remember Evil is as Evil does. If your DM rules that stealing is Evil, then stealing from anyone will be Evil.

The Good Rogues I've played (okay the Good Rogue I played) never stole, even though I had really high abilities to do so. I used my pickpockets and burglary skills (Climb, Open Locks, Hide, etc) for the betterment of Good (mostly to help sneak in to the enemies lair so we could KILL them... *sigh* my character never did resolve that issue). I actually got more use out of my Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive when dealing with the "enemy".

The character once stopped the party from killing Orc children (the arguemnet was they'd grow up to be Orcs) and gave the Orcs Kids 2 coppers each to help them on their way... Now thats being a Good, Sappy, Elven Rogue...

 

[Dave G]

A rogue can be any alignment, this is simple truth. Examples of roguish characters who are not evil abound. I reccommend reading the Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling for a great example of a rogue who works unofficially for the monarchy and the wizards of the kingdom in various tasks.

Just because you play a NG rogue, doesn't mean you have to give up on all of the 'fun' aspects of playing a rogue, it means you don't steal bread from little old ladies or from the temple coffers. I played a rogue (then a thief) who was mugged by some unsavory sorts, and as a sub-plot I followed them for days, and kept disguising myself as different people. I must have picked their pockets 5 or 6 times! I used some of the money I got from them to donate to the Watch's 'orphan fund' and with the help of some watchmen and another disguise, I set the muggers up to mug me again, but this time it was a trap.

If you're trying to play a lawful rogue, you might reference the old Scout class from a Dragon magazine that was published eons ago, or as wise previous poster said. "be original"

No need to reinvent the wheel, but you can find a unique take all your own to bring to it.

 

[Poster Bard]

On the show, The Pretender, the character Jared is a good example of a NG Rogue I think. Or maybe Han Solo. Alot of Buffy's friends are good examples too. These are just ideas, naturally. Being original is the most important thing.

 

[EricNoah]

Every time I think of a LG Rogue, a dwarf always comes to mind...don't know why...

I'm playing a LG dwarven rogue. I view him as a scout and troubleshooter -- disabling traps, picking locks that need picking (evil lair, not local shops), ambushing the really bad guys. He's also the group's diplomat.

 

[Ace32]

Not sure why, but when I think Lawful rogues, I think of...

http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/theater/9109/bond.mid

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

I'm playing a LG dwarven rogue. I view him as a scout and troubleshooter -- disabling traps, picking locks that need picking (evil lair, not local shops), ambushing the really bad guys. He's also the group's diplomat.

Exactly! It's like heaven!

Dwarf + Rogue = LG

 

[reapersaurus]

Re: Re: A LG, LN, or NG Rogue?

Paging TSR! Paging TSR! We've found the last remaining 2E player <snip>

From your whopping 19 post-count, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, since you're new....

Thanks for everyone's ideas re: rogues.

However, read my original post.
I never even suggested that rogues could not be those alignnments.
I hinted that those alignments in my eyes get in the way of what I initially think of what a rogue is like.
(Although nobody admitted it, I'd be willing to wager that most people's rogue's ARE chaotic...)

And the reason I brought this up is because I took over a character that doesn't to me make much sense.
A rogue with Pick Pockets, etc that steals things from good people.
But is NG.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

That's a bummer Reapersaurus. It sounds like you've been stuck with a character whos alignment and stated beliefs don't match his actions. So, as I see it, you've a few options:

1. Forget about continuity: he's your character now! Change his alignment to LG, change his name to Kerrith, and multi-class into Paladin at the first opportunity

2. Maybe the character is demon possessed. He's a good guy but has a shady past which enabled infernal forces to get control of him from time to time. His deliverance from these uncontrollable evil urges could be a part of your role-playing.

3. Forget about what's on the character sheet. The character's history suggests that he's neutral evil (or neutral or chaotic neutral). Take out an eraser and write neutral evil (or whatever's appropriate) on the character sheet. Then roleplay him as he's been played before.

4. Maybe the character was played inconsistently in the past. Now, the character has a revelation and decides to start living by what he believes. Ask the DM to introduce some street preacher (or just ask "are there any street preachers preaching the One True Path here? I go and listen to them. My character decides to dedicate himself to following Pholtus" (or Pelor or whoever)). Then demonstrate that the character is changing as a result of his changing worldview.

I'm sure there are more options but those are a few I can think of.

-Elder Basilisk
(aka Basilisk (on the old boards)).

 

[pennywiz]

From your whopping 19 post-count, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, since you're new....

Thanks for everyone's ideas re: rogues.

However, read my original post.
I never even suggested that rogues could not be those alignnments.
I hinted that those alignments in my eyes get in the way of what I initially think of what a rogue is like.
(Although nobody admitted it, I'd be willing to wager that most people's rogue's ARE chaotic...)

And the reason I brought this up is because I took over a character that doesn't to me make much sense.
A rogue with Pick Pockets, etc that steals things from good people.
But is NG.

heh

You make a lot of assumptions. The first would be that post count relates in some way to valid responses. You might want to think that one through again.

I know that you never posted that Rogues couldn't be those alignments. You suggest, or hint as you put it, that you think of a Rogue as most people agree is the 2E idea of a Thief. It's a common problem with some players.

You now say that in spite of what other people have said, you believe they think and do something differently because it is the it supports your view. Not a good thing to assume. You thank everyone for the advice but it looks like you will ignore it. I hope you don't.

Pick Pockets has a lot more uses than just stealing. You might want to take another look at the PHB and read the entry with an open mind. If I was a prisoner in an Evil Lord's dungeon and wanted to palm a key. The way to keep the guards from finding it is using the Pick Pockets skill. There are many Lawful and/or Good ways this skill can be used if you use your imagination.

As some people have pointed out, stealing need not be considered a wholy evil act either. It depends more on the circumstances. Very few things are black and white. RPGing is not a box of switches that are only either on or off. There are degress to everything.

To get back on topic, who are these supposedly good people that this Rogue has stolen from? Taking over a character is tough. Is it possible that the person who played the character before was not playing it according to the background and alignment? Can you be more specific?

To try answer your original posted questions specifically.

What do you guys think of a rogue that is either LG, LN, or NG?

I think that they are within the rules of D&D 3E and perfectly valid choices as pointed out by the majority of posters to this thread.

1) Does this kind of get in the way of most of your ideas of roleplaying a rogue?

No. Not mine. I've given a few examples and I like a lot of the examples given by other people.

2) What approach would those alignmented rogues take?
I can see a CG Rogue using his PickPockets, etc to fight against injustice, but how does NG etc feel anything but shame for his stealthy abilities and deceptive ways?

I think a lot of examples have been given so I will address the second part of this question. Without the specific circumstances, it is hard to say why your Rogue has Pick Pockets and doesn't feel shame. Here is the text from the SRD on Alignments.

Copied from the SRD at Wizards.com
ALIGNMENT

A character's or creature's general moral and personal attitudes are represented by its alignment: lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, and chaotic evil.

Good vs. Evil

Good characters and creatures protect innocent life. Evil characters and creatures debase or destroy innocent life, whether for fun or profit.

"Good" implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.

"Evil" implies hurting, oppressing, and killing others. Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some evil deity or master.

People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships. A neutral person may sacrifice himself to protect his family or even his homeland, but he would not do so for strangers who are not related to him.

Animals and other creatures incapable of moral action are neutral rather than good or evil.

Law and Chaos

Lawful characters tell the truth, keep their word, respect authority, honor tradition, and judge those who fall short of their duties. Chaotic characters follow their consciences, resent being told what to do, favor new ideas over tradition, and do what they promise if they feel like it.

"Law" implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority, and reliability. On the downside, lawfulness can include close-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition, and a lack of adaptability.

"Chaos" implies freedom, adaptability, and flexibility. On the downside, chaos can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions, and irresponsibility.

People who are neutral with respect to law and chaos have a normal respect for authority and feel neither a compulsion to obey nor to rebel. They are honest, but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others.

Animals and other creatures incapable of moral action are neutral.

So for NG it is People who are neutral with respect to law and chaos have a normal respect for authority and feel neither a compulsion to obey nor to rebel. They are honest, but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others. and "Good" implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.

It would hard to to say that someone is Chaotic or Evil who steals to feed their starving children but it also isn't Lawful. This would be only one example of NG and an extreme one but there are more. Why don't you suggest a few, or give the specifics of this character you are now playing. Maybe everyone can be more help. If you really want help, I'll read and post more. If you just want to dismiss people's ideas because of their post count, or because they do not agree with what you thought before you posted, then no one will be able to help you.

Throw me a bone here. I've only got a post count of twenty.