Thug - Waterdeep (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Class Requirements 	Thief (no multiclassing)
Racial Requirements 	Half-elf (moon, drow), dwarf (shield, gray)
Ability Requirements 	Dexterity 9, Constitution 11, Strength 13; maximum Intelligence 12
Prime Requisite 	Dexterity, Strength
Aligments 	Any non-good
Social Rank 	Lower class
Hit Die Type 	d6
Attack as 	Rogue (see below)
Save as 	Rogue
Advance as 	Thief
Spell Ability? 	No
Exceptional Strength? 	No
Exceptional Constitution?	No
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	2d4
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	3
Initial Weapons 	Standard thief, plus a one-handed non-thief melee weapon (see below)
Additional WP Slot 	4
Additional Weapons 	Standard thief
Nonproficiency Penalty 	3
Nonweapon Slots 	3
Additional NWP Slot 	4
Available Categories 	General, Rogue
Bonus Proficiencies 	Alertness (CRH), intimidation (CTH), local history
Recommended Proficiencies	Animal handling, blacksmithing, endurance (CTH), gaming, looting (CTH), mining, stonemasonry, trailing (CTH), weaponsmithing
Secondary Skills 	Gambler, groom, mason, miner, teamster/freighter, weaponsmith
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==Overview==
Demihuman thugs are rare. Demihuman criminals tend to be fairly intelligent and indirect in their actions, using cleverness, stealth, and subterfuge against their victims. In short, they have style. Thugs—thieves who rely on brute force— lack all these qualities. Large coastal cities have long known the presence of a few dwarven and half-elven thugs employed by criminal gangs, unprincipled merchant guilds, and seaport authorities. Thugs enforce protection rackets, hijack shipments, serve as bodyguards, provide backup muscle on heists, and intimidate victims and law enforcers alike. A thug is a violent, frightening figure, nearly always male and heavily armed. In some cities, highly paid thugs are unofficially used to keep order in lawless or rebellious neighborhoods, though they are corrupt "peacekeepers" at best.
Waterdeep was long notorious among many demihumans for its "humanized" thugs until the Shadow Thieves were driven out of the city decades ago. However, demihuman thugs are still a feature of life here, operating as independent muscle for any patrons when not holding down regular jobs (blacksmith, mason, or teamster). Some unknowing thugs work for agents of the Shadow Thieves even now, or for the Xanathar Thieves' Guild. Outcast half-drow elf and gray dwarf thugs make their living in Skullport, beneath Waterdeep in the maze of Undermountain. Other demihuman thugs make their living in seaports along the Sword Coast and in Amn and Tethyr, with loose ties to the Shadow Thieves. Still others are found elsewhere in the Realms in cities with serious crime problems.
==Description==
A demihuman thug is usually unkempt and unwashed far beyond the norm for his kind, seedy and suspicious in behavior and physically powerful in appearance. Armor and clothing may show off arm musculature, and bits of stolen jewelry (rings, necklaces, bracelets) may be displayed. At least one and sometimes many weapons are in evidence; if an unusual weapon is used, it is displayed. Other smaller weapons are kept hidden on the thug's person. Criminal gang insignia, tattoos, scars, bruises, and rude language are characteristic. In particular, armor, weapons, and other possessions are human made and rarely of good quality.
==Roleplaying==
A demihuman thug is surely an outcast from his people and homeland, possibly wanted there or elsewhere for past crimes. A thug is unimaginative and brutish, unconcerned with larger issues of morality so long as he is well paid and gets to scare people. A thug on an adventure would function as a part-time fighter with mediocre thief skills; still, some groups aren't choosy about their companions.
It is easy to add more depth to this picture. A thug might have grave anxieties and doubts about his abilities and feel he constantly needs to prove himself. He could have a rough sense of honor and fight worthy opponents fairly, proving himself loyal to a strong leader. He might vent his rage on evil beings or groups that harmed him in the past, buying drinks for friends using the money he loots from his foes (a crude sort of Robin Hood). He could be rather charming for a brutal outlaw, or he could be played with a comic touch as a dull-witted goon with overdone, stereotyped mannerisms.
==Special Advantages==
A Waterdeep thug gains a bonus weapon proficiency slot at 1st level, and he has the option then to learn a weapon not normally allowed to thieves. This non-thief weapon must be a one-handed melee weapon such as a footman's weapon, hand axe, morning star, scourge, warhammer, or whip. The weapon costs only 1 proficiency slot to learn. No other non-thief weapon can be learned at higher levels. At the DM's option, the thug can instead learn to use an unusual weapon from The Complete Fighter's Handbook such as the cestus, chain, gaff/hook, net, shuriken, or stiletto.
He can also choose at any time from three new weapon proficiencies detailed in The Complete Fighter's Handbook: ambidexterity, punching, and wrestling. Each costs 1 slot for the thug if chosen. A Waterdeep thug gains a +1 bonus on combat attack rolls, whether with hand-to-hand weapons or fists; this bonus does not apply to missile weapons.
When rolling for hit points, a Waterdeep thug rolls 1d4+2 points per level instead of 1d6. At 3rd level, therefore, the thug would roll 3d4+12 hit points, plus normal bonus hit points for high Constitution scores (+1 or +2 per Hit Die). The upper range for hit points is the same as for normal thieves, but the thug has a higher average hit-point total, allowing him to withstand melee combat.
If the DM permits, a thug can don heavier armor than normally allowed to thieves. However, this armor imposes severe penalties on thieving skills. Use Table 38 in The Complete Thief's Handbook for full penalty information. If this option is used, the thug should gain only 20 points per level after 1st to distribute to his thieving skills, allotting 15 points at most to any one skill.
If the local history proficiency is taken for the city the thug inhabits, a successful proficiency check grants the thug knowledge of local escape routes and hiding places he can use to evade capture. This check won't work for any other city but his home.
==Special Disadvantages==
Though the Waterdeep thug is very good at combat compared to other thieves, he is worse at using normal thieving skills as he relies more on taking wealth from others by force instead of by stealth. As a result, the thug gains only 40 points to distribute among his thief skills at 1st level (not counting racial and dexterity factors) but can put up to 30 of those points in a single skill if desired. Additional points are received with each level as normal. A thug has no ability to read languages, however. He cannot use magical or clerical scrolls when he reaches 10th level. He can learn to read or write only Common, but he cannot take this as a bonus proficiency (he must use proficiency slots).
Demihuman thugs are obviously far out of their racial/cultural environment and have taken up many human mannerisms, speech patterns, and allies. Other demihuman NPCs of the same race as the thug automatically gain a +4 modifier to their reaction rolls, creating hostile responses. These NPCs regard the thug as a racial traitor or lowlife scum, charges that each bear an element of truth.