Rogues of the Unapproachable East (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Racial Requirements 	Human, half-elf
Ability Requirements 	Dexterity 9
Prime Requisite 	Dexterity
Hit Die Type 	d6
Attack as 	Rogue
Save as 	Rogue
Advance as 	Rogue
Spell Ability? 	No
Exceptional Strength? 	No
Exceptional Constitution?	No
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	2d6
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	3
Additional Slot 	4
Nonproficiency Penalty 	-3
Nonweapon Slots 	3
Additional Slot 	4
Available Categories 	General, Rogue
Bonus Proficiencies 	None
Recommended Proficiencies	None
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==Overview==
The Unapproachable East could perhaps be called the Inscrutable East. This land of contrasting cultures is best known for its powerful magicians, especially the dreadful Red Wizards of Thay and the indomitable Witches of Rashemen. With so much attention focused on these almost god-like people, rogues are often overlooked—which is just how they like it.
==Description==
The fashions worn by people in this region are varied. Among the city-states of Impiltur, rogues take the dress of laborers and merchants. In Rashemen, the rogues wear ominous black clothes similar to that of oriental ninja, except that they are fashioned from the ebony hides of the deadly panther. In Thay, a land ruled by fey magic, rogues tend to ally themselves with a single Red Wizard, adopting whatever garb their master mandates for his stable of thieves and assassins. In Aglarond they wear garb of the common peasant to avoid undue notice or don clothing in forest hues when traveling near the Yuirwood.
==Role-playing==
The mindsets of rogues in this region vary as much as the clothing they wear. The contrast is so shocking one might assume that it was intentionally adopted.
In Impiltur, rogues have adopted a no-nonsense approach to their trade. To them, stealing is nothing more than a profession, no more or less honorable than a merchant or a fighter.
Rashemi rogues are noted for their unusually feral natures. They see the panther as something of a totem animal, for it moves through the night unseen until it strikes. Rogues from other realms often have difficulty finding common ground with these folk.
The rogues of Thay may once have been noble masters of their craft. It is said there was a time when young footpads came from around the world to learn the skills these thieves might teach them. Any such glory, however, vanished with the ascension of the Red Wizards. The rogues of this region their masters blindly out of fear and intimidation. are now nothing more than toadies and thugs who obey
Rogues of Aglarond tend to be either light-hearted cutpurses and burglars or almost like forest scouts, depending on whether they work in Aglarond's cities or the Yuirwood. Either type of rogue is even-tempered and holds no malice toward those he makes his living from.
==Special Abilities==
===Aglarond===
Aglarond rogues are always on the lookout for covert foreign activities (primarily the Red Wizards), and so they tend to monitor others' conversations unconsciously. As well, since they often find themselves on the road throughout the countryside and the woods, they have become familiar with nutritious plants, berries, and fungi to supplement their meals with for free. Because of these two factors, rogues from Aglarond receive the reading lips and the foraging nonweapon proficiencies as bonus proficiencies.
===Impiltur===
The rogues of Impiltur have a pronounced fondness for precious metals. Even the most radiant fire opal or scintillating diamond hasn't the appeal of a finely wrought piece of silver or gold jewelry. These characters begin play with a unique form of the appraising skill. It functions exactly as described in the Player's Handbook except when they evaluate the worth of an item made from precious metal. Then, the character receives a +2 bonus to his roll. When appraising anything else, they suffer a -2 penalty
The knowledge and affinity these characters possess for things made of precious metals allows them great insights into the nature of such objects. By simply examining an item made from precious metals, these characters can sense if it has magical properties. Any attempt to do this requires the character to make a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon. If the roll succeeds, the results are just as if the character had cast a detect magic spell on the object.
===Rashemen===
The rogues of Rashemen, while far less renowned than the witches of that realm, do have unusual abilities. Most of these abilities are based upon the panthers these characters venerate. For example, because of their emulation of the panther's hunting and tracking techniques, these characters begin play with those proficiencies. Also, their study of the panther grants them a +15% bonus to their move silently, hide in shadows, and detect noise skills (to a maximum 95% chance of success).
===Thay===
The power of the Red Wizards not only overshadows the rogues of Thay, it cows them. A smart rogue allies himself with the most powerful wizard he can and then rides his coattails to wealth and power. When a rogue enters into the service of a Red Wizard, he is branded with the mark of his master. This brand is magical in nature and contains spells the rogue can then cast once per day. The brand can contain a number of spells equal to half the level of the rogue (rounded down). The maximum number of spell levels that can be contained is equal to the level of the rogue. The exact spells stored in the brandare determined by the Dungeon Master, based upon the  wizard to whom the rogue has sworn fealty. Each time a Thayan rogue rises in level, he must return to his master to have his tatoo elaborated upon in order for additional spells to be castable by the rogue.
==Special Disadvantages==
===Aglarond===
Because of their desire to help protect their country from the ever-ambitious Thayans and other foreigners bent on conquest, Aglarondan rogues must devote at least two of their three initial nonweapon proficiency slots to modern languages so that they can understand what suspicious foreigners are saying.
===Impiltur===
Impiltur's rogues believe that knowledge is power. To increase their own power, they seek to assemble as great a store of skills and talents as possible. They believe this wealth of information is far more useful than any specialization in a single area could be. As a result, these characters cannot allocate proficiency slots to skills beyond those needed to purchase them in the first place. If a skill requires two slots, that is the most such a character can spend on it. Additional slots cannot be used to increase the character's chances of success with the skill.
===Rashemen===
The rogues of Rashemen are noted for their almost animalistic natures. This is apparent not only in their graceful movements and hunting skill but also in the bestial rages they have been known to display.
When one of these characters is injured in combat, there is a chance his feral side will come to the fore. To avoid succumbing, the character must make a successful saving throw vs. paralysis. The magical defense adjustment that he receives for his Wisdom score, if any, applies to this roll. If the save fails, the character becomes obsessed with the battle and cannot stop voluntarily. From that point on, it becomes a fight to the death. Anyone who attempts to halt the combat, whether friend or foe, becomes an enemy and is subject to attack.
===Thay===
In addition to carrying a magical spell, the brand a rogue receives when he enters into the service of a Red Wizard ensures his loyalty. Whenever a spell is cast upon one of these characters by the wizard who branded him, no saving throw is allowed. By accepting the wizard's brand, the rogue agrees to waive any saving throws he might be entitled to.
If the rogue ever flees his master's service, the Red Wizard he served takes out a contract to have him captured and his tattoo forcibly removed.