As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet.
[quote="creases"] As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet. [/quote]
I just had an immediate, visceral, negative reation to the idea of calling any class "rogue." The reason is of course D&D 3.5rd edition, which included a class that with abilities that made it a fit for good thieves, sabateurs, scouts and infiltrators... Which for some reason they decided to name after the personality traits of a few characters who might have taken levels in that class, instead of after the capabilities and professions that class was designed to represent.
[quote="GMJoe"]
As a name for the "hoodlum" class—I like something like "rogue" or "scoundrel," generic as they may be. I'd sure feel goofy putting "hoodlum" on my character sheet.
-creases
I just had an immediate, visceral, negative reation to the idea of calling any class "rogue." The reason is of course D&D 3.5rd edition, which included a class that with abilities that made it a fit for good thieves, sabateurs, scouts and infiltrators... Which for some reason they decided to name after the personality traits of a few characters who might have taken levels in that class, instead of after the capabilities and professions that class was designed to represent.
[/quote]
How about using 'Ne'er-do-well' as a class name?
[quote="wmarshal"] How about using 'Ne'er-do-well' as a class name? [/quote]
That has the same kind of issue, in that it describes a personality trait that's only vaguely connected to what the class does. My reaction's less visceral and more considered, though, what with how I haven't had spend years listening to players using the term.
I like shortening it to "hood", but I prefer class names to be one syllable and to be the same as the first level title. So you start out with vet, scout, and knight--instead of fighter, explorer, and cleric--for the former soldiers; and hood, thug, and fence--instead of thief, assassin, and venturer--for the former ruffians. It sounds more "zero to hero".
Stick with mage and priest for the lifetime scholars.
I'm with creases , hoodlum is a meh name. Rogue fits will , think Rogues in The House here
Beatsmaster sounds like a fun class to play and a nice throwback to the 80's movie of the same name.
In case someone who hasn't seen them wants to watch them, the 1st is proper 80's style heroic fantasy with beefcake, hot slave girls, goofy weapons , low magic
The 2nd more modern with a fun "dimension travel" aspect and the 3rd, its 90's heroic fantasy. I didn't care hugely for it but its very S&S
What do you think of a word that suggests looting, treasure hunting, etc.:
- Heister
- Looter
- Plunderer
Or some rogue-like words:
- Desperado
- Knave
- Outlaw
- Rogue
- Scoundrel
Or some synonyms for thief:
- Bandit
- Burglar
- Robber
- Stealer
There are also more violent sounding terms like:
- Marauder
- Raider
- Ravager
- Thug
Riader is usually used as an alternate for Barbarians ind20 games , capitalizing on the classes higher movemnt rate and sometimes adding skirmish abilites. D20 Game of Thrones does this, think Viking here /
Knave isn't bad, its used in the D20 Game of Thrones game for a Thief variation but its too medieval for my tastes
Of course all this depends on what you are doing with the class, if you are going more "skilled guy tougher than a thief" something like The Grey Mouser you'll want a more generic name like Rogue (kind of like the Pathfinder version) , Heavy Hitter with some stealth would call for a different name. I personally would avoid anything that is a specific crime myself and Burglar is for hobitsses
Some sillier suggestions: misappropriator, acquisator, pilferer, …
A fun party game: they say the Inuit have a hundred words for snow, and the Arabs a hundred words for sand, but how many words has English for theft?
I rather like burglar and knave. I agree with the distaste for hoodlum, and feel that rogue is played out.
I suppose "tortfeasor" doesn't have the necessary ring to it.
Out of the list of names provided by Alex my preference would be for knave.
Hm. I'd like to see what's either included or excluded from the base thief.
I've long wanted to see a class that could just be called "Adventurer", and I'd usually envisioned it as a HD1/F1/T2 that has the dungeony door/trap/etc. set of skills. The sort of career or skill-set that people would naturally gravitate to given a world full of treasure-laden ruins.
[quote="koewn"]
Hm. I'd like to see what's either included or excluded from the base thief.
I've long wanted to see a class that could just be called "Adventurer", and I'd usually envisioned it as a HD1/F1/T2 that has the dungeony door/trap/etc. set of skills. The sort of career or skill-set that people would naturally gravitate to given a world full of treasure-laden ruins.
[/quote]
That's actually a really good idea.
I personally named this class Archeologist >.>
(Their proficiency list does include whips, yes, why do you ask?)
[quote="Alex"]
That's actually a really good idea.
[/quote]
/me prints this out poster-sized, hangs it on his wall
[quote="Aryxymaraki"]
I personally named this class Archeologist >.>
(Their proficiency list does include whips, yes, why do you ask?)
[/quote]
I named mine "Fortune Hunter", but it's got my hacked-up half-caster progression I'd whipped up way before Axioms, etc, and may actually be a bit too-genre aware. Archeologist was the 9th level title. And the template came with a fedora.
I like knave.
[quote="koewn"]
And the template came with a fedora.
[/quote]
We can always change it to "Time weathered yet stylish hat" and let the imagination fill in the rest.
Explorer is taken... I like adventurer for its simplicity.
Knave, scamp, miscreant, scoundrel (too Star Wars-y).
Seeker, traveler, pathfinder (heh).
Fixer.
What about "macgyver"?
Here's where I am right now:
Class Name: Freebooter
Why freebooter? It sounds very in-genre. And the literal definiton (from Dutch) is "plunderer". While it often is used to mean pirate, the actual definition of a freebooter is "a person who goes about in search of plunder". "a person, such as a pirate, living from plunder"; "a person, especially an itinerant, who seeks pleasure and wealth without responsiblity"; "an adventurer who pillages, plunders, or wages ad-hoc war on other nations"; "one who plunders or pillages without the authority of national warfare"; "a member of a predatory band"; "a pillager"; "one who wanders about in search of plunder, a robber, a pillager, a plunderer"; "someone who takes spoils or plunder". Perfect!
Paths:
- Expeditionary - a looter of tombs and delver of dungeons [optimized for dungeon thievery]
- Ruffian - a cut-throat and killer [a sneaky damage dealer, similar to the 3.5E rogue]
- Scoundrel - the gentleman-thief [optimized for disguise and charlatanism]
- Wayfarer - a bandit, highwayman, or scout [optimized for wilderness thievery]
Build:
Build will be HD 0, FIghter 2, Thief 2. Trade Fighter value down to broad weapons (+1 power), narrow armor (+2 powers), 2 fighting styles (+1 power), and one damage bonus (melee or missile) (+1 power), to yield 10 powers.
XP per level will be 1000 + 400 + (150 x 5) = 2150XP.
This will give a class with the level of proficiency of a thief combined with the hitting power of a fighter. However, its staying power is only half that of a fighter, and less than that of an assassin, paladin, etc.
NOTE that only the thief value can be used for the thief skills so this requires some careful thought. The exclusive thief-only skills are Pick Pockets, Open Locks, Find Traps, Remove Traps, Backstab, Move Silently, and Hide in Shadows (Climbing and Hear Noise are available as proficiencies). So that means each of the 4 paths can only have 5 of these 7.
I'd love your recommendations as to which of each they ought have.
Expeditionary - a looter of tombs and delver of dungeons [optimized for dungeon thievery]
- Find Traps
- Remove Traps
- Open Locks
- Ruffian - a cut-throat and killer [a sneaky damage dealer, similar to the 3.5E rogue]
- Hide in Shadows
- Move Silently
- Backstab
- Scoundrel - the gentleman-thief [optimized for disguise and charlatanism]
- Pick Pockets (he steals the keys to the lock instead of picking them)
- Move Silently
- Hide in Shadows
- Wayfarer - a bandit, highwayman, or scout [optimized for wilderness thievery]
- Hide in Shadows
- Move Silently
- Backstab
I limited myself to 3 suggestions each so that the suggestions allow the possibility that the build might change to being Fighting 2, Hit Die 1, Thief 1.