[GURPS] Sample Rogue, with basic use guide

Rogues are deviants, in party dynamics they serve as a specialized troubleshooter which takes a unconventional approach to problems. Unlike the other members of the party, he is more equip in intelligence gathering and social confrontation. Which puts the rogue in direct conflict with an opponent’s guile and cunning. Unlike the classic adventurer who is just logistically equip to move around and do things or the warrior whose primary ability is to use direct force.

It is hard to define Rogues in GURPS game terms or in the broadest RPG terms exactly, because they are different in every setting. What is conventional changes in every setting because of the role of magic, the scale of power, and the mechanics that govern each world.

In this example, I am using default medieval setting with low or no magic. Here the rogue is someone whose background allows him to deal with common folk. He is able to relate and understand what regular people go through and what makes them tick. He is skilled in gathering information, either by sourcing out gossip, direct observation, or possibly infiltration.

Averrin, the example provided bellow falls under a common vein of rogues in history: the loyal servant. Basically they are servants with initiative and cunning, who have strong loyalties or ambitions, and able to move outside convention in order to accomplish their tasks. Many great people and institutions in history has aid of a loyal or well paid servant who will do what needs doing.

Making rogues in GURPS requires some basic feedback analysis with the GM concerning the settings and the expectations with regards to the trouble to be expected.

The most common are Social Skills targeting regular folk used to gather information, blend in and have access usually barred from outsiders is usually key. Along with the social skills is the basic information gathering skills like Current Affairs (used for exchanges gossip), Diplomacy (holding conversation), Interrogation (skilled line of questioning), Acting (blending in and lying), streetwise, merchant (haggling), Body language, Detect Lies, Psychology, and Observation.

Secondary is a skill set more overt, like infiltration and direct action. Stealth, Shadowing, Climbing, Filching, Pick Pocketing, and Sleight of Hand are less common because they are actions that the first group of skills cannot fix.
Averrin
120cp
Background: His family is one of the many city dwellers living in crushing poverty, Averrin fortune changed for the worse when an outbreak of plague hit their miserable district. The n the people of city then began to closed off area and left them to die.
His family was barely able to escape, and were able to flee with the aid of Lady Angelou and a few and Magos Ibynn. Magos Ibynn was able to administer a vaccine against the plague for the young boye. His parents survived the sickness, but just barely.
Eventually it Averrin was left alone, orphaned but taken care of by Lady Angelou, who after her husband died (by the same plague) reverted back to her own family’s name: Markessa Letissia. Averrin has stayed with her since and learned the difficult job of an oathsworn servant from Benjamin, Lady Markessa’s personal body guard, vallet and agent.
Attributes [100]: ST11 [10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics [0]: Dmg 1d-1/1d; BL 24 [0]; HP 11 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Per 12 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Spd 5.75 [0]; Move 5 [0]; Dodge 9 [0].
Advantages [25]: Combat Reflex [15]; Patron (9) [10].
Social background [5]: Native Greek [0]; R/W Greek [0]; Speak French (Accented) [2]; Speak Arabic (Accented) [2]; Cultural Familiarity (Arabic) [1].
Disadvantages [-60]: Duty, Hazardous (12) [-10]; Sense of Duty (Friends, Family and Comrades) [-5]; Code of Honor (Oathsworn) [-10]; Intolerance (Clergy) [-5]; Secret (Death) [-30].
Quirks [5]:
Total Skills [55]:
Primary Skills [28]:
Street Smarts [28]: Acting (A) IQ [2]-12; Observation (A) Per [2]-12; Streetwise (A) IQ [2]-12; Psychology (H) IQ [4]-12; Body Language (A) Per [2]-12; Detect Lies (H) Per-2 [1]-10; Merchant (A) IQ [2]-12; Current Affairs (Underworld) (E) IQ [1]-12; Intimidation (A) IQ [2]-12; Interrogation (A) IQ [2]-12; Holdout (A) DX-1 [1]-11.
Secondary Skills [17]:
Street Fighting Skills [11]: Knife (E) DX [1]-12; Main-Gauche (A) DX [2]-12; Throwing Knife (E) DX [1]-12; Fast Draw (Knife) (E) DX [1]-13; Brawl (E) DX [1]-12; Feint (Brawl) (H) Brawl+2 [3]; Poison (A) IQ-1 [1]-11§; Wrestling (A) DX-1 [1]-11.
Streets [6]: Climbing (A) DX-1 [1]-11; Stealth (A) DX [2]-12; Running (A) HT-1 [1]-10; Jumping (E) DX [1]-12; Shadowing (A) IQ-1 [1]-11.
Background Skills [10]: Area Knowledge (City) (E) IQ [0]-10.
Servant [4]: Savoir-Faire (Servant) (E) IQ [1]-12; Current Affairs (Local) (E) IQ [1]-12; Housekeeping (E) IQ [1]-12; Current Affairs (people) (E) IQ [1]-12.
Travel [6]: Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]-10; Navigation (Land) (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Survival (Woodland) (A) Per [1]-11; Packing (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Riding (A) DX-1 [1]-11; First Aid (E) IQ [1]-12.
Worn:
  • Light Cloak $20 2lbs
  • Leather jacket (Arms and Torso) DR1* $50 4lbs
  • Leather Pants (Groin and legs) DR1* $40 2lbs
  • Leather Gloves DR2* $30
  • Leather Cap DR1* $32
  • Clothes (status 0) ($120) 2lbs
  • Shoes $40 2lbs
  • Total $150 12 lbs
Carried:
  • 12 § Daggers $240 3lbs
    • Hold out skill-11; -1 size, +3 for clothes (B200)
    • Skill-12, Parry-10 (Main-gauche)
    • Acc 0, Dmg thr 1d-2 imp, Rang 5/11
    • Ranged: Throwing Skill-12
      • AoA:D = Skill-11 at 5 yrds
      • AoA:D + 3 sec Aim = Skill-13 at 5 yrds
    • Note: 10 of the daggers have cobra venom applications in their sheaths.
  • Ration, 1-meal $2 0.5lbs
  • Bottle, Ceramic (1L) $3 3lbs
  • First Aid Kit $50 2lbs
    • Cobra Poison(20 doses) $200
  • Total $495 8.5lbs
Travel-Load:
  • Backpack $60 3lbs
  • Blankets $20 4lbs
  • 2 Sets of Clothes ($120) 4lbs
  • Wine Skin (4L) $10 9lbs
  • Travel Rations, 3-days $18 4.5lbs
  • First Aid Kit $50 2lbs
  • Personals $5 1lb
  • Total $163 27.5lbs
Total $808 48lbs.
§ Cobra Venom (TL0) B349: A follow-up poison with a one minute delay and a HT-3 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxic damage, repeating at hourly intervals for six cycles. A victim who loses 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 HP has -2, -4, or -6 DX, respectively. $10/dose. LC1.

Leave a Reply

More Articles & Posts