Chapter 1 - Class - Character Kits - Thief Kits
Note: This kit is taken from the Complete Thief's Handbook.
A Scout is a thief, usually solitary, who operates in a wilderness setting.
Besides working as a guide, spy, or saboteur for hire in the wilderness, many Scouts are
involved in such illicit activities as poaching.
The Scout kit has no requirements beyond those of the thief class.
Role: One might say that Scouts are to thieves as rangers are to fighters—but they
avoid the strict "silly ethics" of the ranger class. Scouts are not prohibited from being
good—and in fact they are, on the whole, a good deal more dependable than thieves in
general—but they have a cutthroat streak that can be dangerous and unpredictable.
However, their rugged individualism and harsh practical judgement often endears them to
adventurers, and many are found among such steadfast, daring companions.
Unlike Bandits (who also operate chiefly in the wilderness), the Scout usually shuns
the company of other thieves, including guilds. The guilds, in turn, care little about
Scouts. Their poaching and small-time thievery is seen as insignificant in the eyes of the
great crime figures, especially when compared to the trouble and expense that would be
required to identify and to track down the elusive Scouts, to punish them or force them to
join guild ranks. If a Scout is a guild member, either it is a voluntary arrangement
(whereby the Scout benefits from access to special equipment and training) or he has
spent enough "professional time" in the city or other explicitly guild-controlled territory
that he was "persuaded" to join.
Of the many Scouts not belonging to a guild, some have a single, consistent
employer. The rest are freelance or mercenary, serving themselves or whatever
employers may come along, taking the best pay they can find. Or, if there's nothing else,
they steal and poach to support themselves.
Several organizations employ Scouts regularly, sometimes on a permanent basis. The
military, in particular, does so; reliable Scouts, trained for reconnaissance and sabotage,
are vital to any successful military operation. And the key to having reliable Scouts is to
have well-trained and (most of all) happy Scouts. A common grunt soldier can be bullied
into line and, if need be, forced out into battle by the spearheads of the rank behind
him—but the Scout's modus operandi is to explore alone. Maltreated Scouts have more
opportunities to desert or, worse yet, betray vital information to the enemy than anyone
else in an army.
Military Scouts are carefully nurtured and well-nourished. They get decent pay,excellent equipment, and the best training available for their special and important
activities. The training of military Scouts is at least as intense and comprehensive as that
of a thieves' guild. (Sometimes, after retiring from the army, military Scouts go on to
become the most illustrious and prosperous burglars and assassins of the underworld.)
A few other groups that may employ Scouts are secret societies and other
paramilitary groups, thieves' guilds that have operations across the wilderness (Scouts
may bolster the ranks of a smuggling party, for example), and agencies that are set up to
connect clients with guides. Such agencies are normally found on the edge of vast
wilderness areas that are being colonized; such areas, with frequent exploration by people
unfamiliar with the region, have enough demand for guides that an agency can prosper on
its percentage of the guide's fee.
As mentioned before, poaching is also an activity typical of the Scout. Animals may
be protected by royal decree, written law, or the monopoly of a hunters' or furriers' guild.
In medieval times, for instance, hunting was typically reserved for the noble classes. A
commoner caught slaying one of "the king's deer" could be punished by death.
But when demand exceeds supply, there may be great incentive for the criminal
killing and capture of animals. They may be sought for their meat, valuable pelts, ivory,
feathers, magical purposes (e.g., eye of newt), or other esoteric ends. Thousands of
animals in our world have been killed because some body part was believed to be an
aphrodisiac. In the fantasy milieu, there may be real magical qualities, and the hunter or
poacher's quarry may be fantastic. The horn of the unicorns, for instance, may be ground
into powder and administered with liquid as a poison antidote.
Secondary Skills: Bowyer/Fletcher, Farmer, Fisher, Forester, Gambler, Groom,
Hunter, Teamster/Freighter, Trader/Barterer, Trapper/Furrier, Woodworker/Carpenter.
Weapon Proficiencies: Scouts have the normal range of weapon proficiencies
permitted to thieves.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Required: Alertness, Direction Sense, Tracking.
Recommended: Alertness, Animal Handling/Training, Animal Lore, Animal Noise,
Boating, Fire-building, Fishing, Heraldry, Herbalism, Hunting, Mountaineering,
Observation, Riding, Rope Use, Set Snares, Survival, Swimming, Weather Sense.
Skill Progression: Stealth skills are those favored most by the Scout, and members of
this kit have highly trained senses. Therefore it would make sense for these skills to
improve most rapidly: move silently, hide in shadows, and hear noise. Climb walls also
may see considerable use (though not from climbing walls, per se, but trees, cliffs, and so
forth).
Equipment: No self-respecting Scout will permit himself to go without a basic
assortment of wilderness survival gear: adequate clothing, rations, fire-starting materials,
etc. Special gear to assist climbing, hiding, and moving undetected are also favored, as
well as devices for hindering or diverting pursuers. (What worth is a Scout's knowledge if
he never reports back to his employer?) For a full array of items, refer to Chapter 5,
"Tools of the Trade."
Special Benefits: Due to their extensive wilderness experience and expertise, Scouts
gain +10% on two thief skills when in the wilderness: silent movement and hiding in
shadows. Scouts also have an increased chance (1 in 6 better) to surprise opponents in the
wilderness, because of their stealthiness and careful attunement with their environment.
Special Hindrances: While Scouts are intimately familiar with the wilderness, theyare not so comfortable in urban settings. In the city, consequently, the Scout suffers a -5%
penalty on all thieves' skills.
Races: The Scout kit is a good choice for many demihuman rogues, since those races
often already have an aptitude for wilderness adventuring. You may wish to give
demihuman Scouts a particular orientation according to their race. Elves for instance, as
natural forest dwellers, may have +15% when hiding in shadows and moving silently in
forested wilderness, and +5% in other wilderness settings. For a dwarf, the special bonus
may apply to hills or mountains, and so forth.
