Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Trakx 05-15-06, 10:45 AM	I'm in the works of putting together a Ascetic Rogue's Handbook. Ascetic Rogue is a feat that you can find in Complete Adventurer that let's the Monk's Unarmed Strike damage progression stack with Rogue levels. Unlike most Handbooks, I want to add some fluff - or ways to help roleplay such a character. How would a Rogue come to fight unarmed? Who would teach him? And the question for this thread: What sort of guilds might exist where its rogue's fight unarmed? To start this thread, here's a guild that I came up with. While its an assassins guild, I hope for suggestions beyond mere assassin guilds. The Black Widows: A guild of female assassins with a tattoo of a spider on the inside of their wrist, typically covered by bracers. They are lead by one who goes by the title of "The Father". Often times they disguise themselves as maidens or peasent women. They often have the feat Improved Feint, and utilize Bluff both in combat and out. The organization is Lawful Neutral.
Lily_Knight 05-15-06, 09:09 PM	Raiders of the Unknowing Depth Formed from the schemes of a powerful Aboleth, this small band of halfling raiders use magic to swim up beneath merchant ships before launching a lightning fast strike with the intent to neutralise the crew. Using common street beggers as their eyes and ears, they monitor the commings and goings of ships within the harbour. Why would an Aboleth choose to raid merchant ships? Maybe the players have been hired to protect a certain cargo when the raiders strike?
Trakx 05-16-06, 09:30 AM	Raiders of the Unknowing Depth Wow, intesting group! And I like how you gave an example of how to use them into a campaign. :) Thanks for the post -Trakx
Need_A_Life 05-16-06, 01:06 PM	Shades of Red "We are those in the know" ~ Motto of the Shades of Red Every beggar you find in the cities in which they operate are their eyes and ears, most likely those unassuming beggars are highly skilled pickpockets and burglars. If a member needs to know something, he just needs to put out the request and he'll most likely be answered within the hour (whether or not the information is entirely accurate depends on the request). People who cannot carry any possession should be able to deal out some serious punishment without them [Improved Unarmed Strike, possibly monk/rogue levels]. Perhaps someone sees the well-equipped PCs and believes that they'd be good marks?
Trakx 05-16-06, 03:08 PM	Shades of Red "We are those in the know" ~ Motto of the Shades of Red Every beggar you find in the cities in which they operate are their eyes and ears, most likely those unassuming beggars are highly skilled pickpockets and burglars. If a member needs to know something, he just needs to put out the request and he'll most likely be answered within the hour (whether or not the information is entirely accurate depends on the request). People who cannot carry any possession should be able to deal out some serious punishment without them [Improved Unarmed Strike, possibly monk/rogue levels]. Perhaps someone sees the well-equipped PCs and believes that they'd be good marks? Wow, I love it! What alignment would you say the organization has? Common items/magic items? Usual races found in most cities? I love the name, too. In fact, I've been wanting to start a guild (with the Leadership feat) for my tiefling Rogue/Monk (see signature), but I didn't want a standard thieve's guild. This is a great alternative. :)
Need_A_Life 05-16-06, 03:26 PM	Seriously? I wrote that in a "Simpson" commercial break. Spying is always more interesting that actually breaking and entering, besides why would you risk your neck getting caught with stolen items when you can simply let others steal it for you... for a small fee. Wow, I love it! What alignment would you say the organization has? Common items/magic items? Usual races found in most cities? Alignment? Lawful... something. They're heavily structured and the 'beggars' would be amateur actors trying to act as a beggar (staying in character 24/7). Magic items? Crystal balls [Scrying] Ring Gates [Gotta stash the loot] Rings of Invisibility [Collect reports from beggars] Usual Race? Human and elven. I consider halflings and gnomes too chaotic for the structure, orcs aren't really good at gathering intelligence, dwarves are too honorbound, planetouched are too recognizable to do field-work, but great for the work behind the scene. I love the name, too. Thank you! I hate coming up with names and went through things somewhat like this: Shadow... Umbral... Umbra... Penumbra... Shade... Shades of... Grey... Red... Shades of Red I really hate making up names.
frayedknot 05-16-06, 09:08 PM	Well a rogue could learn Improved Unarmed Strike from a monk, who has a school and is open to all sudents. He could just be really experienced at fighting (without a weapopn), a bar room brawler perhaps. Maybe he's a bouncer at the local inn. He could be a monk who has let his greed get the better of him and has gone into the "pick pocket" business so he can afford new shiny things. What about Robin Hood? He knew how to fight with his fists and feet, along with bow and sword. (go watch the old movies) Just some thoughts... =]
Trakx 05-17-06, 09:37 AM	Well a rogue could learn Improved Unarmed Strike from a monk... Yeah, a Rogue could. I hate to be the power-gamer (I'm not even sure if that is the proper title among the many that are out there), but if I were to play a Rogue who had Improved Unarmed Strike, I would pick up a level of Monk to gain it. Then, if I were going to mostly go Rogue, I would take Ascetic Rogue. Stacking Rogue and Monk levels to determined the Monk's Unarmed Strike is just too awesome! An idea that I had was that possibly a Rogue could learn these unarmed techniques from a bouncer in some shady tavern. The question then always arises, "Sure this bouncer would be a great fighter - even unarmed - but equal to a monk? Come on." To which I would reply that this bouncer is one of the informants of the Shades of Red, or some other unarmed-rogue's guild. Where this organization is, in itself, a sort of loose-knit monastery; one that doesn't need to train under the confines of a temple, but trains "in life and through life", in other words, training by real life situations, rather than practice where it is safe. This theory also extends to believe that these rogue/monk's are more well rounded and wise to the world. By the way, FrayedKnot, I love your little picture/icon! I've always had a thing for four armed races (that look human, not monsterous). Yours kind of looks like Spiral.