Rogue Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Rogue Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
niksko
05-20-07, 09:11 AM Ok, so i'm thinking of starting up a campaign that is all rogue. When I proposed this to my playing group along with some of my ideas, they all thought it was a great idea. But my problem, is that I believe that if all the characters are simply rogues focusing on different aspects of being rogues, then their skills will overlap too much. I was wondering if I could get peoples' opinions on this matter. Do you think it would be better to just run an all rogue campaign with each character geared towards a different aspect or do what i've started doing at the moment which is using four classes either from scratch or that fit what I want (which is an assassin (most likely the power class), an acrobat (essentially an expanded version of the Thief-Acrobat prestige class) a spy and an alchemist/trapmaker). Also, some suggestions for the above mentioned classes would be much appreciated.

Thanks

-Nik
taradusis
05-20-07, 09:15 AM Perhaps have everyone Multi-class into different classes?Consider having each be a different race?RANDOM THOUGHTS
krichaiushii
05-20-07, 11:05 AM Instead of all-rogue, what about making it more broad in scope by running an urban game where all the PCs work for the same criminal organization (or corrupt government, or LE church)?

This allows for more character options, while also keeping things roguish.
taradusis
05-20-07, 07:40 PM There's an old thread by Rattleshirt,780023..This had some rogue campaign thoughts.
GoriceXII
05-21-07, 04:27 AM I ran an all rogue game once. What I did was to make all the characters start out as street rats in effect and informed them that if they wanted to specialize it would have to happen in game. Almost all the game took place within a particular area of the city--a down and out section and the great market. Their main nemesis was the market warden and his men. It was quite fun--it only really stopped for real life issues coming up.
niksko
05-21-07, 06:43 AM Thanks everyone for your input. Also, thanks Taradusis for directing me to that thread, it has a lot of good ideas in there. I was thinking of making the assassin half elf, the acrobat human, the spy a halfling and the alchemist a gnome. Also, in terms of setting, I'm thinking Sigil, the city of doors. Situated on a torus above the central spire of the outlands, it has portals to everywhere, so I figure I could use that to mix up the adventures a bit.

Thoughts?
-Nik
GoriceXII
05-21-07, 09:26 AM Sigil would work wonderfully for a rogue campaign. Many different kinds of patrons, and as you say location location location location...
taradusis
05-22-07, 05:43 PM Perhaps a Sigil variant with teleport circles to other cities?A lot of Sigil seemed contrived and overblown to me.Factions based on nationality,race,mercantile guild might be more realistic?Providing you want realism.of course.
PoorHobo
05-22-07, 08:27 PM What aspect of a rogue campaign appeals to you? I mean rogues can do pretty much anything, and by anything I mean everythign except go toe to toe in combat and cast spells, They're a filler class. One rogue could be a lethal assasin while the other is a wild socialite or a wild socialite by day and lethal assasin by night. A stout dwarven trapsmith and engineer or a vile human poison maker. Enough ranting.

Pick an aspect of the rogue that attracts you to a rogue campaign and let the players choose classes around that. Perhaps stealthy is what you were thinking, in that case allow classes that have hide and move silently as class skills, that way instead of just rogue, you also wind up with a monk, ranger, ninja etc..

A social rogue campaign might include a rogue, bard, beguiler and cloistered cleric.

and so on.
die
05-23-07, 10:29 PM Perhaps stealthy is what you were thinking, in that case allow classes that have hide and move silently as class skills, that way instead of just rogue, you also wind up with a monk, ranger, ninja etc..

I was thinking about doing that in one of my campaigns, making a background feat that made hide and move silent class skills.

I played in a game with two parties, one was all thieves in the City of Greyhawk and our other characters were a standard group exploring the ruins of Greyhawk. We would switch between characters depending on what everyone felt like doing that weekend.

Anyway, it was fun starting out as low level street urchins trying not to get caught by one of the city's established guilds while stealing copper from beggars bowls, pickpocketing merchants. Then we moved on to various 2nd story cat burglar stuff, smuggling contraband past the dock guards on foggy nights, stealing the clapper out of a temples gold bell and the rooftop chase that followed, hiding out in the sewers till things cooled off. And finally joining a guild and tricking our rivals into getting caught and fighting each other. Then we stowed away on a ship and took it over and engaged in various acts of piracy, the ship was later sunk by a dragon turtle in Nyr Dyv and no one knew how to swim except the guy who got eaten :weep:

anyway, just random thoughts
wizarddog
05-24-07, 06:34 AM I run a rogues base campaign. It took place in vast city. Here some of the specs:

1. I defined certain classes as core rogue classes. Those are any class from the PHB and splat books that have Hide and Move silently as a class skill. Characters started at 2nd level (1000xp). They could be any class of "rogue core"(Rogues, Bards, Monks, Bards, Scouts, Ninja, Beguiler, Spell Thief, and some Dragon Shamans) or equal levels in a Rogue core and a non-rogue core.(i.e. Rogue 1/Wizard 1). The only class I discouraged was the Paladin.

2. Each character belonged to a Guild. I based the Guilds off of the Lankhmar setting with some additions. I used affiliation rules in PHB 2 so they became things the characters could advance in. Characters did need not be in the Thieves Guild. The affiliation score also served the characters on skill checks in gather info rolls related to their guilds. You can also use the DMG 2 on contacts and Guilds.

3. I awarded XP for completing of Goals rather than killing people.

4. I included for each week session charts for them to do side jobs that are basically skill checks to earn money doing thief jobs. The more difficult jobs earned more money but had some danger. These were done at the beginning of the session to deflect downtime.

5. I had an assortment of adventures: characters hired to do a job, opportunity to steal something, required by their guild to investigate, etc.
taradusis
05-25-07, 08:49 PM Perhaps have all the Pcs take the same Craft or Profeesion skill and run a front business?An inn with an attached stable allows Pcs to use craft and profession skills like cooking,blacksmithing and animal handling?A halfling spy who acts as a cook can gain a lot of info just by gossiping with guests.RANDOM THOUGHTS
RikuKupo
05-25-07, 09:09 PM I've been thinking about all rogue campaigns, and two rather unexpected classes came to my attention. The soulknife and the shadowcaster. The soulknife fills the fighter spot with hide and MS as class skills, and the shadowcaster also has hide and MS, while filling the wizard role. Plus it's the SHADOWcaster, obviously fits in thematically most of the time. :P
Werral
05-26-07, 06:02 AM Scarface? Goodfellas?

I had an NPC called Kneebiter, a halfling barbarian 1 Rogue 4 who was a dead ringer for Joe Pesci.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
niksko 05-20-07, 09:11 AM	Ok, so i'm thinking of starting up a campaign that is all rogue. When I proposed this to my playing group along with some of my ideas, they all thought it was a great idea. But my problem, is that I believe that if all the characters are simply rogues focusing on different aspects of being rogues, then their skills will overlap too much. I was wondering if I could get peoples' opinions on this matter. Do you think it would be better to just run an all rogue campaign with each character geared towards a different aspect or do what i've started doing at the moment which is using four classes either from scratch or that fit what I want (which is an assassin (most likely the power class), an acrobat (essentially an expanded version of the Thief-Acrobat prestige class) a spy and an alchemist/trapmaker). Also, some suggestions for the above mentioned classes would be much appreciated. Thanks -Nik
taradusis 05-20-07, 09:15 AM	Perhaps have everyone Multi-class into different classes?Consider having each be a different race?RANDOM THOUGHTS
krichaiushii 05-20-07, 11:05 AM	Instead of all-rogue, what about making it more broad in scope by running an urban game where all the PCs work for the same criminal organization (or corrupt government, or LE church)? This allows for more character options, while also keeping things roguish.
taradusis 05-20-07, 07:40 PM	There's an old thread by Rattleshirt,780023..This had some rogue campaign thoughts.
GoriceXII 05-21-07, 04:27 AM	I ran an all rogue game once. What I did was to make all the characters start out as street rats in effect and informed them that if they wanted to specialize it would have to happen in game. Almost all the game took place within a particular area of the city--a down and out section and the great market. Their main nemesis was the market warden and his men. It was quite fun--it only really stopped for real life issues coming up.
niksko 05-21-07, 06:43 AM	Thanks everyone for your input. Also, thanks Taradusis for directing me to that thread, it has a lot of good ideas in there. I was thinking of making the assassin half elf, the acrobat human, the spy a halfling and the alchemist a gnome. Also, in terms of setting, I'm thinking Sigil, the city of doors. Situated on a torus above the central spire of the outlands, it has portals to everywhere, so I figure I could use that to mix up the adventures a bit. Thoughts? -Nik
GoriceXII 05-21-07, 09:26 AM	Sigil would work wonderfully for a rogue campaign. Many different kinds of patrons, and as you say location location location location...
taradusis 05-22-07, 05:43 PM	Perhaps a Sigil variant with teleport circles to other cities?A lot of Sigil seemed contrived and overblown to me.Factions based on nationality,race,mercantile guild might be more realistic?Providing you want realism.of course.
PoorHobo 05-22-07, 08:27 PM	What aspect of a rogue campaign appeals to you? I mean rogues can do pretty much anything, and by anything I mean everythign except go toe to toe in combat and cast spells, They're a filler class. One rogue could be a lethal assasin while the other is a wild socialite or a wild socialite by day and lethal assasin by night. A stout dwarven trapsmith and engineer or a vile human poison maker. Enough ranting. Pick an aspect of the rogue that attracts you to a rogue campaign and let the players choose classes around that. Perhaps stealthy is what you were thinking, in that case allow classes that have hide and move silently as class skills, that way instead of just rogue, you also wind up with a monk, ranger, ninja etc.. A social rogue campaign might include a rogue, bard, beguiler and cloistered cleric. and so on.
die 05-23-07, 10:29 PM	Perhaps stealthy is what you were thinking, in that case allow classes that have hide and move silently as class skills, that way instead of just rogue, you also wind up with a monk, ranger, ninja etc.. I was thinking about doing that in one of my campaigns, making a background feat that made hide and move silent class skills. I played in a game with two parties, one was all thieves in the City of Greyhawk and our other characters were a standard group exploring the ruins of Greyhawk. We would switch between characters depending on what everyone felt like doing that weekend. Anyway, it was fun starting out as low level street urchins trying not to get caught by one of the city's established guilds while stealing copper from beggars bowls, pickpocketing merchants. Then we moved on to various 2nd story cat burglar stuff, smuggling contraband past the dock guards on foggy nights, stealing the clapper out of a temples gold bell and the rooftop chase that followed, hiding out in the sewers till things cooled off. And finally joining a guild and tricking our rivals into getting caught and fighting each other. Then we stowed away on a ship and took it over and engaged in various acts of piracy, the ship was later sunk by a dragon turtle in Nyr Dyv and no one knew how to swim except the guy who got eaten :weep: anyway, just random thoughts
wizarddog 05-24-07, 06:34 AM	I run a rogues base campaign. It took place in vast city. Here some of the specs: 1. I defined certain classes as core rogue classes. Those are any class from the PHB and splat books that have Hide and Move silently as a class skill. Characters started at 2nd level (1000xp). They could be any class of "rogue core"(Rogues, Bards, Monks, Bards, Scouts, Ninja, Beguiler, Spell Thief, and some Dragon Shamans) or equal levels in a Rogue core and a non-rogue core.(i.e. Rogue 1/Wizard 1). The only class I discouraged was the Paladin. 2. Each character belonged to a Guild. I based the Guilds off of the Lankhmar setting with some additions. I used affiliation rules in PHB 2 so they became things the characters could advance in. Characters did need not be in the Thieves Guild. The affiliation score also served the characters on skill checks in gather info rolls related to their guilds. You can also use the DMG 2 on contacts and Guilds. 3. I awarded XP for completing of Goals rather than killing people. 4. I included for each week session charts for them to do side jobs that are basically skill checks to earn money doing thief jobs. The more difficult jobs earned more money but had some danger. These were done at the beginning of the session to deflect downtime. 5. I had an assortment of adventures: characters hired to do a job, opportunity to steal something, required by their guild to investigate, etc.
taradusis 05-25-07, 08:49 PM	Perhaps have all the Pcs take the same Craft or Profeesion skill and run a front business?An inn with an attached stable allows Pcs to use craft and profession skills like cooking,blacksmithing and animal handling?A halfling spy who acts as a cook can gain a lot of info just by gossiping with guests.RANDOM THOUGHTS
RikuKupo 05-25-07, 09:09 PM	I've been thinking about all rogue campaigns, and two rather unexpected classes came to my attention. The soulknife and the shadowcaster. The soulknife fills the fighter spot with hide and MS as class skills, and the shadowcaster also has hide and MS, while filling the wizard role. Plus it's the SHADOWcaster, obviously fits in thematically most of the time. :P
Werral 05-26-07, 06:02 AM	Scarface? Goodfellas? I had an NPC called Kneebiter, a halfling barbarian 1 Rogue 4 who was a dead ringer for Joe Pesci.