Playing a Scoundrel

Illus. by F. Vohwinkel

sCoundrels of anY Class

The words “scoundrel” and “rogue” have similar meanings, but one does not need to be a member of the rogue character class to be a scoundrel . While rogues often do adopt the lives of daring and cunning common to scoundrels, so can barbarians, bards, rangers, and sorcerers . In fact, nothing prevents members of any class from taking up lives ruled by their own wit and resourcefulness .

Each class from the Player’s Handbook can be infused with a bit of scoundrel flavor . For more concrete examples on how to build a variety of scoundrels from class archetypes, see Making a Scoundrel on page 12 .

Barbarians: Barbarians move fast and strike hard to get what they want, refusing to let anything stand in their way . They are in tune with their instincts and the harsh realities of the world . In the remote wilds, barbarian scoundrels resort to lives of thuggery and brigandage in order to survive . In more civilized environments, they make lives for themselves by putting their uncouth natures to work beneath the veneer of law and justice . Flexing a few muscles and letting out an intimidating roar can get barbarian scoundrels anything they want .

Bards: Bard scoundrels are talented con artists and manipulators . Using their verbal skill and natural charm, they can influence even the most somber, standoffish, or disagreeable individual with a few sly words and a well-placed smile . Bards have the uncanny ability to sway large groups of people, gain allies, and manipulate opinion, always with an eye toward gaining fame, information, or any other goals they desire . Keen-witted and quick studies, they can formulate plans in mere seconds, relying on general knowledge to find a

way around a trap, or more specific information to wield the perfect bargaining chip . Clerics: Piety often brings with it a certain authority . Wielding a deity’s magic and communing with unknowable powers, clerics have knowledge from beyond this world and can draw on belief—both their own and that of others—to get what they want . Clerics of trickster deities or deities that favor cunning, debauchery, and theft often turn to the path of the scoundrel, trusting in their skill and their faith to see them through . Clever worshipers of other divine powers might also take up this path, employing their deities’ names to get what they and their extraplanar patrons want . Druids: Druids tap into ancient and mysterious powers of the earth and control its beasts . Veiled in superstition and rumor, they sometimes use their fearsome reputations to attain their goals . With the ability to turn into a variety of creatures, cunning druids could be anywhere, see anything, and at higher levels, look like anyone . These talents might allow them to infiltrate a community and work the will of nature or their own wills from within . Fighters: What a sharp word can’t accomplish, a sharp blade probably can . Fighter scoundrels excel at finding the weaknesses in their enemies’ defenses, using the best fighting ground to make their stands, and setting up ambushes to finish a battle as swiftly and decisively as possible . OutScoundrels can belong side combat, their heavy armor, powerful to any class weapons, and fierce reputations lend them presence and authority . A fighter scoundrel who uses these advantages might get what he wants without even unsheathing his weapon . Monks: Daredevils of the highest order, monks attempt feats few other mortals would consider . They can circumvent barriers and attain their goals by mastering little-understood powers to harness their minds and bodies in ways others cannot . Some monk scoundrels, like fighters, use their reputations or displays of their prowess to intimidate, mislead, or simply take what they