Rogue's Racket

As you started on the path of the rogue, you began to develop your own style to pursue your illicit activities. Your racket shapes your rogue techniques and the way you approach a job, while building your reputation in the criminal underworld for a certain type of work. A client with deep pockets might even hire a team of rogues for a particular heist, each specializing in a different racket, in order to cover all the bases. Choose a rogue’s racket. The rackets presented in this book are as follows.

Ruffian

You prefer to strong-arm or intimidate others rather than rely on finesse or fancy tricks. You might be an enforcer for organized crime, a highway bandit, or a noble who bullies others with threats of your family’s power. Or, you might use your skills on the up and up, in a private security detail or as a guard in a city with the right temperament.

You use whatever tools you have at hand to get the job done. You can deal sneak attack damage with any simple weapon, in addition to the weapons listed in the sneak attack class feature. When you critically succeed at an attack roll using a simple weapon and the target has the flat-footed condition (unable to focus on defending itself), you also apply the critical specialization effect for the weapon you’re wielding (page 283). You don’t gain these benefits if the weapon has a damage die larger than d8 (after applying any abilities that alter its damage die size).

You’re trained in Intimidation and medium armor. You can choose Strength as your key ability score. When you gain light armor expertise, you also gain expert proficiency in medium armor, and when you gain light armor mastery, you also gain master proficiency in medium armor.

Scoundrel

You use fast-talking, flattery, and a silver tongue to avoid danger and escape tricky situations. You might be a grifter or con artist, traveling from place to place with a new story or scheme. Your racket is also ideal for certain reputable professions, like barrister, diplomat, or politician.

When you successfully Feint (page 246), the target is flat-footed against melee attacks you attempt against it until the end of your next turn. On a critical success, the target is flat-footed against all melee attacks until the end of your next turn, not just yours.

You’re trained in Deception and Diplomacy. You can choose Charisma as your key ability score.

Thief

Nothing beats the thrill of taking something that belongs to someone else, especially if you can do so completely unnoticed. You might be a pickpocket working the streets, a cat burglar sneaking through windows and escaping via rooftops, or a safecracker breaking into carefully guarded vaults. You might even work as a consultant, testing clients’ defenses by trying to steal something precious.

When a fight breaks out, you prefer swift, lightweight weapons, and you strike where it hurts. When you attack with a finesse melee weapon, you can add your Dexterity modifier to damage rolls instead of your Strength modifier.

You are trained in Thievery.