ROGUE - THIEF Smuggler Kit Description: A Smuggler is a specialist in the illicit movement of goods that are themselves illegal (e.g., stolen) or whose movement is illegal (e.g., moving cargo in secret to avoid taxation, transporting things that are legally restricted). The Smuggler needs a host of practical skills to evade authorities, as well as connections in diverse places to acquire and unload his or her merchandise on the black market. As a transporter of banned items or illegally imported or exported goods, a Smuggler is a gateway for such markets all across the regions where they travel. A Smuggler will rarely remain in their original homeland for long, as sooner or later they usually run afoul of the law. They keep on the move, giving off the appearance of a normal merchant or tradesman in all ways, and in fact they often run a legitimate business to serve as a cover for their illicit activities and keep suspicion away from his or her smuggling operations. An actual disguise may or may not be required for this; often merely the proper dress, tools, and trappings of a legitimate business are sufficient. Smugglers may in fact take pains to be noticed in the context of their 'legitimate business' so as to minimize suspicion about what he or she secretly is doing; contraband is always kept well hidden. Smugglers can be a boon for either good or evil, depending on what is being trafficked and who is buying it, but in all cases a Smuggler must carefully weigh the benefits and potential consequences of any smuggling job to avoid exposure or capture by authorities or theft or death at the hands of other criminals. Requirements: As a standard Thief, but a Smuggler must have Intelligence, Dexterity, and Charisma scores of at least 11. In addition, elves of any type can become Smugglers. Weapons & Armor: As a standard Thief, but Smugglers may become proficient in any missile weapon they desire; however, any melee weapon used by a Smuggler must be size S, except for the chain, lasso, net, staff, or whip. Thief Abilities and Modifiers: Appraisal, Bribe Official, Climb Walls, Detect Noise, Forge Document, Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Pick Pockets Special Benefits: Smugglers are experts at moving about undetected or without revealing their true identity until they are long gone and out of harm's way. They gain the following abilities to assist them in this regard: Avoid Trouble: Smugglers are very good at learning shortcuts, escape routes, hiding places, and 'back ways' that avoid commonly traveled patrol routes and customs stations. In any area where a Smuggler has learned the Local History proficiency (whether in a city or on an overland journey) and an encounter is rolled with a patrol, guardsmen, bandits, or other 'civilized' humanoid encounter, he or she can attempt a proficiency check with a +1 bonus for every three levels of experience (rounding up). If the check is successful, the Smuggler is able to evade the encounter without detection. This kind of evasion requires 1d10 turns, and there is a 25% chance that during this time of hiding out or taking an alternate route the Smuggler will run into another encounter with no chance to evade it. Even in situations where they are caught red-handed or placed in other sorts of troublesome situations with bandits, guards, or other sentient hostile creatures, Smugglers are often able to talk their way out of a jam. They are skilled liars, and in fact they gain a +1 bonus to saving throws vs. detect lie or other truth-detection abilities for every four levels of experience (rounding up; psionic power scores are penalized by a like amount where used to divine truth). In addition, their glib tongues enables them to smoothtalk their way out of trouble when confronted by hostile creatures, but only if battle has not yet been joined. All hostile beings within 30' who can hear the Smuggler are subject to this smoothtalking, though the Smuggler must speak in a language that they understand. A Wisdom check should be made, based on the highest Wisdom score in the group being addressed, with a penalty equal to the Smuggler's Charisma-based Reaction Adjustment (Table 6 in the Player's Handbook) plus his or her level. If this Wisdom check is failed, the hostile mob is calmed, but only for 4d4 rounds. A Smuggler's companions (if any) must say and do nothing while he or she is smoothtalking, or else the intended audience will be distracted and cautious and the effect will be ruined. Once the check has been failed, however, the Smuggler and any associates will have a very brief amount of time to leave before the effects wear off. If a Smuggler attempts to use this ability on a creature a second time (or a group that includes a previously affected character), regardless of how long has passed since the previous use of the ability, the Wisdom check should be made without modification. This ability can never work on any creature a third time. Finally, Smugglers are skilled at immersing themselves in their cover identities and professions. If they have used a given 'cover' for at least a month and make a successful Intelligence check, they are able to gain a +1 bonus to Acting, Disguise, and Voice Mimicry checks (assuming those proficiencies are known) related to that role. Black Market Commerce: A Smuggler's contacts with Fences and other underworld sources allow them a 10% chance per level of being able to buy or sell goods or items in an area where they are not usually available on the open market (e.g., fine wine from a hostile nation that is under a trade embargo, holy water or items within the borders of an evil city-state, or poison in a predominantly lawful good area), or to conduct a sale of items of questionable ownership or notoriety without attracting undue attention. [If a DM wishes, he or she can identify individual agents or contacts with whom a Smuggler must interact to engage in Black Market Commerce. This can also be handled abstractly if desired (simply assuming that contacts can be found when needed), but some DMs may prefer to define one (or 1d4) specific contact(s) for every level of experience; e.g., fences selling illegal goods, corrupt guards willing to sell government equipment, wealthy nobles looking for a variety of items, or any of a variety of other shady interest groups. Specifically designed contacts of this nature will generally work with a Smuggler for at least a few months before being 'turned', severing the association because they have decided the risk is too great, or perhaps meeting with an untimely 'accident'.] Smugglers are well-practiced in secreting items on their person or in with their equipment. If wearing fairly heavy or voluminous clothing, a Smuggler can stash up to one small item (the size of a coin, ring, gem, strip of wire, lockpick, or similar size) per level of experience in such a way that cursory examination will have no chance of detecting it. Even if a careful search is conducted, the searcher must make an Intelligence check with a penalty equal to the Smuggler's level in order to find the hidden item. If a Smuggler is wearing fairly light clothing (e.g., no cloaks or robes but rather simple work clothes), he or she can hide only half the normal number of items (rounding up). Even if strip- searched, however, a Smuggler can still keep hidden up to one-quarter the normal number of items (rounding up). True seeing or similar magic will reveal such hidden items, but no lesser magic will do so (although mind-reading may, at the DM's option, provide clues or information about hidden objects). A Smuggler can likewise attempt to hide objects within a vehicle or building so as to escape detection. This ability must be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, reflecting the size of the vehicle or building, the items being hidden, and the intensity of any search attempt being made for them. As a general rule of thumb, however, the Smuggler's Hide in Shadows percentage should be used as the baseline chance of success. Creatures with the ability to detect hidden or secret compartments or doors have an equal chance to detect items hidden in this fashion. Enhanced Surprise: As a standard Thief. Evaluate Target: As a standard Thief, but with a +10% bonus. Traceless Travel: Smugglers are very stealthy and very good at covering up all traces of their presence. As a result, they may use their Move Silently ability not only for silent movement on foot, but also when swimming, paddling a small boat, riding a mount, or even driving a wagon or cart, due to their consummate skill at compensating for ordinary noise from such modes of transportation. It must be noted, however, that their chance of success is halved when not on foot, and it can never exceed 95% in any event. Similarly, their Move Silently percentage can be used to reflect their ability to cover their tracks with great skill. A Smuggler moving at half speed or less is able to apply a penalty equal to their experience level to any creature's attempts to track them. He or she can apply this bonus to his or her companions as well, though each additional person grants a +1 bonus to attempts to track the Smuggler and his or her companion. Mounts or pack animals grant a +2 bonus to Tracking attempts for each such animal (assuming one turn is spent per animal preparing it; otherwise its tracks cannot be concealed at all). Note that it is possible for a Smuggler to merely cover his or her own tracks and not those of his or her companions. Wagons, carts, and similar conveyances preclude covering tracks except in unusual circumstances. At 5th level and above, a Smuggler learns how to lay false trails for pursuers while covering his or her own tracks. If a Smuggler spends one turn preparing a false lead, he or she can increase the normal Tracking penalty by 50% (rounding up). If he or she is traveling with mounts or pack animals and sends an animal from his or her party off in the direction of the false trail after it has been prepared, the normal Tracking penalty will be doubled. Special Hindrances: Smugglers must avoid all unnecessary entanglements or responsibilities, as it complicates their business practices. Though they have frequent associations with merchant houses and trading cartels, they never belong to them, as there would be too many questions that they simply could not afford to answer. They never belong to Thieves Guilds (though they have frequent contact with them) and do not gain the benefits of Guild Association as other Thieves do. Likewise, they may only have one henchman at a time, regardless of their Charisma score, and may attract only one-half (rounding up) the normal number of henchmen during their career. Any henchmen or hirelings will suffer a -3 penalty to their loyalty score, as most individuals aware of a Smuggler's true nature simply cannot bring themselves to trust him or her too far. In similar fashion, Smugglers face significant danger in the practice of their trade. Those who know a Smuggler's occupation have a difficult time trusting him or her, suffering a -2 reaction penalty even if they have are not a part of the government whose laws have been circumvented by the Smuggler's activity. As noted above, Smugglers must move from place to place to avoid being pinned down by the law and arrested or assaulted for his or her crimes. Certain nations are more strict than others in this regard, but nearly all have strict penalties for smuggling. Some of the goods they must transport are hazardous in and of themselves, and Smugglers must always be wary of the cargo they carry. Smugglers work hard to avoid combat, preferring instead to avoid confrontations whenever possible. They never gain the ability to Backstab or Knockout as other Thieves do. When forced to fight, though, Smugglers are as facile in combat as other Thieves, though their weapon selection is somewhat limited. They will sometimes carry weapons other than those listed above for show, but will never train with them enough to use them proficiently. Smugglers also generally go about unarmored, so as to avoid arousing suspicion that they are anything other than common merchants. Hence, if they are wearing any sort of encumbering armor (i.e., armor that applies a Dexterity penalty), they suffer double the normal Dexterity check penalty applicable for that type of armor, and they suffer a -1 penalty to Dexterity checks even when wearing armor that does not normally carry with it a Dexterity check penalty. Smuggler's focus on their chosen profession and skill set to the exclusion of others. Thus, unlike other Thieves they never gain additional thieving abilities. They also gain only 50 discretionary points at 1st level and 25 points per level thereafter. Bonus Proficiencies: Disguise, Language (Modern-Thieves' Cant), Local History Preferred Proficiencies: Alertness, Animal Handling, Animal Noise, Animal Training, Appraising, Boating, Bribery Etiquette, Camouflage, Charioteering, Direction Sense, Etiquette, Grooming, Haggling, Information Gathering, Mercantilism, Navigation, Numeracy, Numismatics, Observation, Reading/Writing, Rope Use, Seamanship, Signaling, Swimming ***DISCLAIMER*** As with all postings by me of classes or races, it should be noted that portions of the information contained herein were inspired by or derived from information in published works of TSR, Inc., and may contain references to those works, quotations or passages of text (especially in the area of 'Character Description', where applicable sections from TSR works were often carried over more or less intact into my campaign world), or particular powers or abilities invented by TSR staff writers. No relationship with TSR, Inc., is to be implied by this use, nor is any attempt being made to solicit profit or remuneration of any kind. I have read the TSR Online Policy document, and have tried to accommodate the stipulations contained therein. In instances where I have lifted an essentially complete class or race without significant alteration, I have not included these in my postings but instead have inserted a reference to the appropriate D&D sourcebook for those curious in including it in their campaign. Only variations that include a significant component of original work, alteration, or reformulation (including the compositing elements from various TSR sources into new combinations) of have been included in this set of postings. Jason Eric Nelson < tjaden@u.washington.edu >