The Rogue
The Rogue
The Rogue
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................3
The Rogue Class.............................................................................................6
Talents...........................................................................................................8
Magical Talents (Optional).............................................................................16
Quick-Start Talent Selection..........................................................................20
Random Talent Selection..............................................................................21
Open Game License.....................................................................................22
Labyrinth Lord™ is copyright 2007-2011, Daniel Proctor. Labyrinth Lord™ and Advanced
Labyrinth Lord™ are trademarks of Daniel Proctor. These trademarks are used under the
Labyrinth Lord™ Trademark License 1.2, available at www.goblinoidgames.com
This product is released under the terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a, Copyright
2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
3
Introduction
I am a firm believer in keeping the number of character classes in the game
down to a bare minimum. When the selection of classes is limited, character
concept takes prominence over the slightly altered mechanics of some new vari-
ant or subclass. On the other hand, it is nice for players to have some options for
tweaking their character's abilities. Hence my preference for a limited number of
classes (I usually keep this to the classic “core four”: cleric, fighter, magic-user,
thief) with some additional options sprinkled in. This book presents options for
greatly expanding the scope of the traditional thief class, enhancing it to such a
degree that a new, broader name—the rogue—seems appropriate1.
As a replacement for the thief, the rogue greatly expands the flexibility and
scope of the class, as well as providing alternate mechanics for many of its abilit-
ies. The most significant differences between the two classes are:
• The descriptions of the rogue's talents are designed to emphasise player skill
and role-playing as opposed to character skill and mindless rolling of per-
centile dice. For example, no talent allows a rogue to disarm all traps with a
die roll—the traditional remove traps skill has been deliberately reduced to
only apply to small mechanical traps which can be disarmed with the rogue's
knowledge and tools (such procedures would be difficult and tedious for most
players to describe). Larger traps must be bypassed by player ingenuity and
descriptive interaction with the imagined world described by the referee.
The majority of talents simply require too high a level of specific training for a
layman to stand any chance of success. Activate magic scrolls, pick locks, and
tightrope walking are good examples. It is perfectly fine for the referee to tell a
non-rogue player that their character just doesn't have the requisite training to
even know where to begin. (All character classes possess skills which are beyond
the capabilities of others.)
Lastly, there is a small set of talents which may potentially be performed by non-
rogues (or by rogues who have not practised the talent to true proficiency).
Climb rock faces , disguise, and garotte are good examples. It seems reasonable
that any character may attempt such feats. The chance of success, however,
should be greatly reduced, when compared to that of a rogue who is proficient
with the talent. The referee should judge this on a case-by-case basis, but the fol-
lowing guidelines, covering some of the most common situations, may be of use:
• Climb rock faces: Characters without this talent can normally only climb
rock faces with the use of proper climbing equipment. When properly
equipped, a DEX roll is still appropriate, to determine success. Less dif-
ficult feats of climbing (trees, vines, etc.)—which a proficient rogue can
perform automatically—may also justify a DEX check.
• Garrotte: Other characters may make attacks with a garrotte, but with
reduced effectiveness: a -4 penalty to hit and inflicting no damage in the
first round.
• Hide: Any character may attempt to hide, but without guaranteed suc-
cess: a small chance of being spotted by passers-by (perhaps 1 in 6 or 2
in 6) seems appropriate.
The chief aptitude of rogues is the plethora of highly specialised skills of dexter -
ity, stealth, intrigue, infiltration, and cunning that they are able to learn. These
are known collectively as talents. The following section lists dozens of talents
which a rogue may learn over his or her career, beginning at 1st level with four,
as chosen by the player, and gaining one more talent per experience level
gained. (For players who do not wish to spend time browsing the complete list,
random tables and quick-start selections of talents are provided later.)
While some talents allow a rogue to learn specialised fighting techniques, rogues’
skill in battle does not match that of true warriors. They are versatile fighters,
being able to wield weapons of any type 2, but, due to their need for stealth,
swiftness, and agile movement, are limited to wearing leather armour and may
not use shields.
2 Rogues’ ability to use all weapons is carried over directly from the Labyrinth Lord thief. Some
referees may wish to reduce this somewhat, leaving heavy weapons as the sole preserve of
true fighting classes. In this case, the following list may be used: club, dagger, dart, hand axe,
light crossbow, longbow, longsword, shortbow, shortsword, sling, quarterstaff.
7
In advanced games, where PC race and class are separated, characters of any
race may be rogues. Human rogues may advance without limit, halfling rogues
may achieve 14th experience level, and other races a maximum of 12th.
1 0 1d4 4 19 16 14 13 15 14
2 1,251 2d4 5 19 16 14 13 15 14
3 2,501 3d4 6 19 16 14 13 15 14
4 5,001 4d4 7 18 16 14 13 15 14
5 10,001 5d4 8 18 14 12 11 13 12
6 20,001 6d4 9 17 14 12 11 13 12
7 40,001 7d4 10 17 14 12 11 13 12
8 80,001 8d4 11 17 14 12 11 13 12
9 160,001 9d4 12 16 12 10 9 11 10
10 280,001 +2 hp 13 16 12 10 9 11 10
11 400,001 +2 hp 14 15 12 10 9 11 10
12 520,001 +2 hp 15 14 12 10 9 11 10
13 640,001 +2 hp 16 13 10 8 7 9 8
14 760,001 +2 hp 17 13 10 8 7 9 8
15 880,001 +2 hp 18 12 10 8 7 9 8
16 1,000,001 +2 hp 19 12 10 8 7 9 8
17 1,120,001 +2 hp 20 11 8 6 5 7 6
18 1,240,001 +2 hp 21 11 8 6 5 7 6
19 1,360,001 +2 hp 22 10 8 6 5 7 6
20 1,480,001 +2 hp 23 10 8 6 5 7 6
3 Saving throw categories in order: Breath Attacks, Poison or Death, Petrify or Paralyse,
Wands, Spells or Spell-like Devices.
4 Modified attack roll required to hit Armour Class 0.
8
Talents
Following is the list of talents which may be learned by rogues. Note that some
talents (marked with an asterisk) are “expert” talents. These may only be taken
by rogues of 5th level or higher and build upon another, prerequisite talent,
which must also be known.
Learning Talents
Activate Magic Scrolls* When a rogue learns a new talent upon
increasing in level, it is normally assumed
(Expert talent, requires decipher
that the character has been practising the
magical script) talent in the downtime between adventures
and has now mastered the skill enough to
You can cast spells from magic-user
put it to practical use. Some referees,
scrolls with a 90% chance of success. however, may wish to impose the additional
If the roll fails, the referee may decide requirement of a period of training, before a
that the spell backfires in a comical or new talent may be learned. The exact dura-
unfortunate manner. In any case, the tion and cost of this must be decided by the
referee, as suits the campaign. One interest-
scroll is always consumed.
ing option is to require the rogue to locate a
tutor who is an expert in the talent to be
Agile Fighting learned; this in itself can inspire adventure,
as a suitable tutor may only be found in a
When lightly encumbered and wield- distant land or may require quests or
ing a one-handed weapon, your prac- favours as payment for the training, in place
tised speed, agility, and grace in of simple monetary reimbursement. (If such
melee allow you to dodge and whirl training requirements are placed on the
rogue class, it is advised that other classes
out of harm's way. When making a
be treated in a similar manner, to avoid
full retreat (see LL p. 53), you may imbalance.)
choose one of the following options:
• Evasion: your opponent’s attack roll is at -2, instead of the usual +2 bonus.
• Retaliation: you may attack and make a full retreat, in the same round. Your
attack roll is penalised by -4.
9
Awareness
Your honed reactions and instinctual awareness of danger make it difficult for
enemies to sneak up on you. When surprise is rolled, you are only surprised on
a roll of 1 (instead of 1-2, like other characters).
Back-Stab
When attacking a humanoid by surprise 5, you get a +4 bonus to attack with a
dagger. If the attack succeeds, the precision of your strike inflicts extra damage
equal to 1d4 + your level.
Blackjack
When attacking a humanoid victim who is unaware of your presence and who is
not wearing a helmet, you can attempt to knock them out with a cosh, black -
jack, or similar implement. To do so, make a normal attack roll. If it succeeds,
the victim suffers 1d4 damage and must save versus paralysis. Failure indicates
that they're knocked unconscious for one turn.
Blind Fighting
Training in the unusual art of fighting while blindfolded reduces the penalty to
attacks against foes whom you cannot see. Instead of the usual -4 penalty, you
only suffer -2 when making melee attacks against invisible opponents.
5 "By surprise" includes but is not limited to attacks made during the surprise round of combat.
The exact definition of which situations count as "by surprise" is left to the referee's
judgement, but may also include other situations where the victim is unaware of the rogue's
presence (such as when the rogue is hiding and/or moving quietly) or his intent (due to bluffs,
disguises, or intrigue). This definition also applies to the garotte and sniper talents.
10
Your climbing skills are so advanced that you can scale sheer surfaces with only
minimal handholds such as the cracks between stone blocks. This requires a
DEX check. You can climb less treacherous surfaces without a check.
With an INT check, you can figure out the gist of a text written in a language
which is unrelated to any known to you, including ancient or obscure tongues, at
the referee's discretion.
11
Disguise
Often used in combination with mimic voice, this talent allows you to alter your
appearance, gestures, expressions, and body language to mimic that of another
person or type of person. Many disguises require the use of props—clothing,
padding, make-up, fake beards, wigs, etc. To mimic a specific individual, you
must have observed their appearance and mannerisms for at least one turn.
When you are disguised, those who scrutinise you very closely or whose suspi -
cion is roused may make a save versus spells to see through the deception.
Duelling
Practised in the refined art of swordplay, your natural agility enhances your abil-
ity to deflect your opponent's blows. When lightly encumbered and wielding a
one-handed sword, your DEX bonus to Armour Class is doubled (to a maximum
of +4), versus melee attacks.
Escape Bonds
When bound with ropes or chains, you can escape in one turn with a successful
DEX check. If the check fails, you may retry. Escaping from well-tied bonds with
a locking mechanism requires that you also know the pick locks talent and have
access to lock picks or at least an improvised tool with which to pick the lock
(this incurs a -4 penalty to the DEX check).
12
Forgery
With good quality tools and sufficient time, you can produce fake documentation
and mimic handwriting. You must have a copy of the document or writing to be
forged at hand to study. If someone closely inspects your forgery, they may make
a saving throw versus spells to detect the fake.
Garrotte
When attacking a humanoid victim by surprise, you can attempt to strangle
them with a garrotte or similar weapon. Make an attack roll. If the attack suc -
ceeds, you have the garrotte in place, causing damage equal to 1d4 + your level.
Each subsequent round in which you maintain your stranglehold, the victim auto-
matically suffers a further 1d4 damage (you need make no further attack rolls).
While being throttled, the victim may not make normal attacks, but may attempt
to break free by making an attack roll against you, with a -2 penalty. Success
indicates they've broken free of your garrotte.
Hear Noise
Your acute hearing and practised detection of the subtle sounds of movement
increase your chance of hearing noises when listening at doors. The base chance
is increased by 1 in 6. (For humans, this means an overall chance of 2 in 6, for
demi-humans 3 in 6.)
13
Hide
With sufficient cover, you can hide yourself from view. Passers-by will not notice
your presence, though a thorough search may still reveal you. When lightly
encumbered, you can attempt to move while remaining hidden, but this requires
a DEX check.
Hide in Shadows*
(Expert talent, requires hide)
You skill at remaining unseen is so honed that deep shadows provide enough
cover for you to hide.
Knife Throwing
You can make two attacks per round with thrown knives or daggers.
Lore
Drawing on your knowledge of history, myth, and legend, a successful INT
check allows you to recall historical information about unique treasures and
magical items which you come across.
14
Manufacture Poisons*
(Expert talent, requires identify common poisons)
With an appropriate laboratory and a successful INT check, you are able to distil
individual doses of poisons for which you know the formula. You must learn
poison formulae by discovering them in play. The time and cost of the distillation
process are determined by the referee, as are the potential consequences of a
failed distillation. (Note that, in most cultures, poisons and the ingredients
required to distil them are illegal and may only be acquired through shady
sources such as thieves' guilds or the black market.)
Mimic Voice
You can mimic general accents with ease. To convincingly mimic an individual,
you must listen to them speaking for at least ten minutes. If there is any uncer-
tainty, listeners may make a saving throw versus spells to detect the ruse.
Move Quietly
When lightly encumbered, you can sneak quietly. In an environment with no
ambient noise to mask your movement, an attentive listener may notice you with
a successful save versus spells.
Move Silently*
(Expert talent, requires move quietly)
When lightly encumbered, you can sneak absolutely silently. Listeners cannot
detect your presence by sound alone.
Pick Locks
With decent lock picks and a turn of work, you can attempt to open locks
without the appropriate key. A DEX roll is required. You may retry, if you fail,
spending a further turn trying to open the lock.
15
Pick Pockets
With a successful DEX check, you can nimbly extract items from another's per-
son. Whether the check succeeds or not, the target may save versus spells to
notice the attempt.
Sleight of Hand
This talent allows you to surreptitiously manipulate items, perform tricks of
legerdemain, delicately extract or swap out objects from pressure plates, and so
forth. A DEX check is required for success.
Sniper
When attacking a humanoid by surprise, you get a +4 bonus to attack with fired
missile weapons (bows, crossbows, firearms). If the attack succeeds, the precision
of your shot inflicts extra damage equal to 1d4 + your level.
Thieves' Cant
You are fluent in the dialect of slang and metaphor used by thieves to recognise
one another and for clandestine communication.
Tightrope Walking
Expert balance allows you to easily walk or dash across narrow walkways.
Tightropes or beams of less than a hand's breadth require slow, careful move-
ment or a DEX check to dash across.
Tracking
You know how to read the subtle signs left by a creature's passage through nat-
ural environments. In favourable conditions, you can find and follow tracks
without fail. More difficult conditions (e.g. if the tracks cover hard ground, cross
a river, or are actively being concealed) require an INT check.
16
Detect Magic
With a turn of concentration, you have a 2 in 6 chance of detecting the presence
of magic in a 10' area or on a specific object. You may retry with another turn of
concentration.
Memorize Spell
You can understand and memorize magic-user spells from books and scrolls,
according to the normal rules for arcane spell casting. (Although, unlike magic-
users, you may cast spells while wearing leather armour.)
You may take this talent multiple times. Each time you take it, you gain one spell
“slot”. Each spell slot allows you to memorize one 1st level spell. When you
reach 6th level, you may use your spell slots to memorize 2nd level spells and,
upon reaching 12th level, you may use them to memorize 3rd level spells. The
use of spell slots is restricted as follows: you may not memorize more than four
spells of each level at a time (that is, a maximum of four 1st level spells, four 2nd
level spells, and four 3rd level spells). It is thus possible to take this talent a max -
imum of twelve times.
Taking this talent does not grant you knowledge of any spells—you must find
suitable spells to memorize by your own wit and cunning. You may purchase an
empty spell book and transcribe any spells which you discover into it (at the nor-
mal cost for doing so).
Spell Song
You have learned and mastered an enchanted song which you can sing or play
on an instrument once per day to magical effect. (This talent presupposes a level
of musical skill, with either vocals or one or more instruments.)
You may take this talent multiple times, learning a different spell song each time
from the list of 1st level songs shown on the following page. When you reach
6th level, you may learn 2nd level songs by taking this talent and, upon reaching
12th level, you may learn 3rd level songs.
Compared to standard arcane spell casting, song magic has slightly different
rules, as follows:
The list of spell songs is given on the next page. All spell songs replicate the
effect of a standard cleric, illusionist, or magic-user spell (see the Advanced Edi-
tion Companion)—these are denoted in parentheses, alongside the name of the
spell song.
19
The last two themes in the table include talents from the optional magical talents
section. When selecting a theme at random, if the referee allows the use of these
optional talents, roll a d10. Otherwise, a d8 should be used.
6 To roll d66, roll two six-sided dice, denoting one as “tens” and one as “units”. In this way, a
number between 11 and 66 is generated.
22
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