Honor Among Thieves - A Guide to Rogues and Trickery

[Kiffles]

Hey all! I've been thinking for a while now, and lurking, and thus far I haven't really seen any guides around to show how rogues might operate in RP. So! I am going to compile a small article to help my fellow shadow-lurkers out by showing how I go about the whole thing, maybe spread some ideas and the like. So without further ado, read and enjoy! Any and all feedback would also be wonderful!

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What, exactly, is a rogue?

Looking at a basic definition, a rogue can be:
- A dishonest or unprincipled person.
- A person whose behavior one disapproves of but who is nonetheless likable or attractive.

Playing a rogue does not automatically mean that your character has to be an assassin. A person who is a rogue is simply the black sheep. The person who hasn't quite fit into society, therefore having to make his or her own way, somehow. A rogue is charming, quick-witted and slick. They usually work for themselves, or a smaller organization, in order to get what they want, be it money, power, acceptance, etc. Again, a rogue is not necessarily the same as an assassin, nor do they technically have to be a thief. Rogues may not necessarily kill people as an assassin does, and an assassin may not steal as a thief does.

There are traits that all different types of rogues have in common. A few of these are:
- Charisma. Rogues are the smooth-talkers, the bribers. Armed with a voice as deadly as their poisons, rogues are masterful in manipulating people to get what they want.
- Guile. When faced with a problem, a rogue usually has to think, and think fast. Wether they play dirty or live by a code, a rogue's mind is a vicious place.
- Agility. With the graceful reflexes of a cat, this fast-footed class is hard to pin down -- literally. Always sure on their feet and good with their hands, others have a hell of a time trying to catch them. (In other words, never play hide and seek with a rogue.)

...That's the generic rogue, at least. Another thing to remember is that rogues can, for lack of a better word, have "alternate personalities." The mild-mannered civilian could actually be a moonlight vigilante. Don't forget to be creative with it! Why is your character a rogue? Do they have financial problems? Can't feed the wife and kids? Orphaned and left on the street? Maybe they're just leading a dull life by day and look to make up for that at night.

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Pick Your Poison.

Forget the diamonds -- poison's are a rogue's best friend. Applied to the weapons, these biological chemicals can be fatal to anyone on the sharp end of a dagger. To quote Wikipedia, "poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism."

Of course poisons can be applied to weapons, but what if you want to do something trickier, something deadlier, without the bother of having to clean your blades afterwards? There are many ways to intoxicate someone.

- Poisoning one's drink or food. If a rogue can catch their enemy off guard by acting gracious and offering them a beverage or food, they've got their pray right where they want them.
- Inhalation. Poison does not just come in liquid form. If a rogue can get their victim to take even one whiff of a deadly poison in gas form, they'll be out like a light.
- Skin soluble poison. A single smear can leave your enemy writhing in pain. Not the fastest way to poison your opponent, but just as effective.
- Force-feeding poison. A rogue who has built up an immunity to a certain type of poison can use this poison to their advantage, both in defensive and offensive situations. Manage to seduce your victim and one little kiss can turn into a kiss goodbye.

Venom is another type of poison that can do in a pinch. Rogues may even keep poisonous snakes and other such animals as pets and milk them for their venom. Some forms of insects and arachnids have also been known to use their natural venom in the world (of Warcraft *is shot*) and this can no doubt be turned in the rogue's advantage in a similar way.

Poisons can have varying effects. Depending on the amount and what sort of poison is being used, the victim can feel minor itching or burning to more fatal symptoms, including convulsions and death.

Assuming that the poisons we know in real life have some form of WoW equivalent, here is a small (and by no means complete) list of a few, more popular poisons.

Botulinum - Considered the most deadly poison known to man. Victims will experience failure of the nervous system and excruciating pain, followed by death.
Anthrax - Can infect its victims through either skin contact or, the most potent method, inhalation. Victims experience symptoms that are cold or flu-like, eventually resulting in the collapse of the respiratory system.
Sarin - A deadly nerve gas, the inhaler will start to show signs of a runny nose and feel tightness in their chest. Their breathing becomes constricted, followed by nausea, loss of bodily functions, becoming comatose, spasms and finally death by suffocation.
Cyanide - Produced from certain bacteria, fungi, and plants. Ingesting or inhaling cyanide will cause the victim to go into seizures and cardiac arrest, eventually resulting in death.
Amatoxin - Extracted from certain types of mushrooms, amatoxin attacks its victim's liver and kidneys, lasting for a few days. After this period the victim falls into an irreversible coma.
Poison Hemlock - A lesser deadlier poison, but has been said to have been used in Ancient Greece to put prisoners to death. The active chemical is coniine, a neurotoxin which ails its victims with paralysis.

Now that we have covered some of the poisons from real life, let's take a look at some of the poisons in-game. Bear in mind that this is simply my opinion of what they might do -- feel free to be creative with how they are made, and other side-effects you might think of.

Deadly Poison - A basic poison. The potency depends on the amount. The more applied, the deadlier it is to the afflicted. Can cause things from nausea to death.
Instant Poison - A very fast-acting poison. Can cause severe itching and sickness.
Mind-Numbing Poison - Effects the mind, obviously. Thinking and reasoning are slowed. Copious amounts may lead the victim into a state of catatonia.
Crippling Poison - Tightens and stiffens muscles and joints until the victim is no longer able to move.
Wound Poison - If even applied to the skin, this poison will cause horrendous sores and wounds. These wounds are partially immune to healing magic, and mostly need to be treated medically.
Anesthetic Poison - This toxic substance can double both as a poison and a pain-reliever. It should NOT be used for the latter unless the user knows what they are doing.

I know some of you rogues might be thinking, "Kiffles! How ever will I survive if I become ailed by poisons, myself?" Do not fret, mon amis! For I have the answer. Or at least a couple of them.

You -must- (and I cannot stress this enough, you MUST) be careful at all times, when dealing with poisons. Always wear a mask, some form of cloth or the like, over your nose and mouth so that you do not inhale or digest said poisons. Be sure to wear sturdy gloves as well, so that it does not absorb into your skin. If goggles are available to you, they are also a wonderful touch to make sure that your eyes are safe as well. Work in a well-ventilated area, and be sure that no people dear to you are present without proper safety gear as well. Poisons do not choose sides, they effect -everyone- that comes into contact with them.

If you're daring (and don't mind getting sick once in a while) you can also build up an immunity to some poisons. This should be done in very, VERY small amounts at a time. Inhale small whiffs at first and move on to tasting when inhalation becomes ineffective. Building an immunity can be crucial to a rogue, as they are not the only ones that use poisons. Ever see those Trolls that run around in the jungle, blowing poison darts at you? The giant, poisonous spiders and snakes that scour the lands? Eesh. On a side note, it would still be wise for a rogue to carry some antidotes at all times. One can never be too careful!

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That's all for now! More to come when I write it up. If anyone has any other suggestions of what they might like to see, feel free to post or drop me a PM!

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Works Cited

Poison Links:
A List of Deadly Poisons - Associated Content
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... html?cat=5
Index of Poisons - Poisonous Herbs and Their Effects
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/poison.html

[Nostra]

Baaw, what about the ugly, dishonest pickpocket? Or the stinking bandit?

Oh well, pretty nice read, these two articles are good references too!

http://blogatelle.wordpress.com/2008/10 ... nt-rogues/
http://blogatelle.wordpress.com/2009/03 ... gues-pt-2/

[Walrus]

An interesting read on Rogues and especially their poisons.
:mrgreen:
Encore, Encore!

[MoonlightBlossom]

This is an excellent resource. The links that Nostra provided are quite insightful too.

Here's a small blurb in some things I've learned from playing my rogue:
Alchemists and chemists would also benefit from utilizing some aspects in the periodic table, (transmutation aside) to further supplement toxicity and a body's natural reaction to certain components in the bloodstream. Do some real-world research. I noticed that Kiffles touched upon some real toxins; and I see no reason not to add scientific grounding - this will just add to realism.

Example: Cyanide (Vyr's love) - Cyanide compounds can be found in pits of peaches, apricots and even apple seeds. It has an almond taste to it, and has a very buttery texture. This in conjunction with amygdalin can affect the cardiovascular system, much in lieu with the above symptoms that Kiffles has touched upon. Of course, for someone like a fruit vendor; they can be none-the-wiser, and may just think that their new favorite customer just really likes Heaven Peaches.

Of course, other professions could benefit from this as well. Smiths can yield results with lead and mercury.
Engineers, could utilize things such as hydrogen sulfide or any corrosive metals that share the same base materials with smiths.

The list goes on...every rogue (general term) has their own methods and solutions to achieving the same means and ends; and each race/profession has their own individual mindset and methodical approach to the matter.

It has been documented that some rogues will also chew very small portions of deathweed petals; for the sake of bolstering the body's resistance to that type of toxin - and therefore justify putting the talent points into poison resistance.

I think the most crucial thing that needs to be touched upon, however; is subtlety. I can't even begin to emphasize the importance of this. Perhaps it's because I've seen too many rogues utterly lack it, and possess no form of tact in it whatsoever. Some which will try and play up the "evil" route so much, for the sake of appearing evil, that they will inherently stand out and realistically - be long weeded out from the Darwinian poison-pit that is roguedom; they would be a non-entity.

I will follow-up in this thread when I find some more reference material from my old D20 bookmarks.

[Vrahn]

A good thing to note would be that the best rogue is one that is not known as a rogue at all. Perhaps they are a traveling merchant? Perhaps some sort of blacksmith or salesmen. Do you know what that bartender in Old Town does when the tavern closes for the night? If you want to be an assassin style rogue, though I don't necessarily want to use the word assassin, so perhaps just an information gatherer, then you only want select parties to know of your side job, and let everyone else think you're just the friendly apple seller who sits on the street corner every Monday morning.

[Painkillah]

Great guide, though I'd like to add my thoughts on this.
I personally think rogues can be so much more than that. I definitelly think it should be counted among the flexible classes out there. I ain't gonna give any examples but I'll just say what was posted here is just one face of the many sided rogue. :mrgreen:

[Alhert]

Something I'd like too add, if it's not out of place; rogue isn't a job title, it's a description. Politicians would never admit to being a rogue, despite being charismatic showmen; army snipers wouldn't either, despite sneaking from spot to spot, using surprise and cunning to take down the enemy. Burglarers, pickpockets, conartists, actors, minstrels, priests can all be rogues of a kind.

[kenuves]

Wow, nice guide! this will really help me! The poisons are nice.

[Renegade]

For me a Rogue is not a class but an extremely non-descript adjective for a character of morally gray standards. Overall, good guide though. Some interesting information about poisons. Additionally, Vrahn and Painkillah were spot on.