Rogue

Rogue Urban Economics and Family Values. Crime rates have risen sharply over the La Dernière Guerre. Is this tied to a lack of faith in the rule of law? Increasing desperation as established systems fail? Or do criminal organizations provide a sense of stability our leaders no longer provide? Capable students can earn extra credit through extracurricular activities!

—Tig Saputo, Honorary Professor of Economics

ECG1103: Urban Economics Anyone can learn to use thieves’ tools, to hide in Ombres or pick a pocket. The rogue is defined by two things. A rogue is slippery and deals with threats by avoiding them, sometimes even rolling with a hit and then disappearing into the Ombres. When that fails, rogues are just as adept at spotting a weak point or unwary foe as they are twisting the knife to inflict devastating damage. While a variety of “specialists” can match a rogue’s expertise at different odds and ends, no one can strike a single blow as devastating and then slip away into the night. Like most things in Eberron, no two rogues are the same, and each talent or feature that one possesses is an opportunity to flush out the story of how each skill was learned and the first time it was employed.

Roguish Roots With any path, players should discuss the ways in which their history might affect the future with their DM. Perhaps a criminal started out as muscle working for the Clan Saputo in Sharn and, caught up in the Clan’s struggle with the monsters of Daask, it is an ongoing part of the story. Each adventure a step closer to freedom, only to see the next arc refuse to see the loop closed. Another character might have left that chapter of life behind entirely but could be proud

of the past or seeking redemption for those crimes. All of these are valid stories and all are just a question of the path you want to explore over the course of the campaign. The following lists aren’t comprehensive, but they cover a number of the most prominent agencies and organizations in Khorvaire.

Criminal Between the downfall of Galifar, the rise of new nations, and the chaos and carnage of the La Dernière Guerre, the last century has been a time of tremendous opportunity and upheaval for the criminals of Khorvaire. Taking the criminal background means that a character has maintained connections to the underworld. The charlatan background can service the life of a grifter, and the soldier might be flavored as having serviced in the private army of a criminal organization. Your rogue character might be a free agent now, but people still respect their previous rank as an enforcer for the Saputos. A criminal record isn’t necessary to have a shady past and perhaps your character abandoned a previous life when La Dernière Guerre ended or made enough money to pay off outstanding debts, and have since tried to go straight as an entertainer or a guild artisan. Maybe your character has become a vigilante, or an outlaw champion of the Communers, and is seen by some as a folk hero. Your character might no longer have strong connections in the underworld, but might have spent enough time running with ruffians to still know thieves’ cant. If your character has a criminal past, consider how they were drawn into it and what jobs might be considered criminal, but also why your character acted in such a way. Your character could have been drawn into a gang as a child or might have worked the black market during La Dernière Guerre. If this was the case, decide whether your character was primarily driven by greed, or just trying to help their people get the supplies they needed. A deadly enforcer for the Clan Saputo, might not have relished in this bloody work, and that is entirely up to you. Your character could be working to pay off their family’s debt to the Clan, while being haunted by the crimes committed in such service. Here’s a few of the prominent criminal organizations in Khorvaire. There is more

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information about Daask, the Clan Saputo, and Maison Tarkanan in the Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron. •

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L'Aurum. One of the members of the inner circle of this cabal of the rich and powerful is a crime lord from the Morin Holds, a figure known only as Adamantine. Most stories say Adamantine is a Nain, but some tales say that he’s a Guerrier de Fer, or even an ancient lich. Whatever the truth of it is, Adamantine is using his vast wealth to consolidate small gangs and groups across the Cinq Nations, slowly building an international consortium. If you have ties to L'Aurum, you could have worked for Adamantine, perhaps as an enforcer or bodyguard for a different Aurum leader, or as part of a small gang absorbed into Adamantine’s criminal empire.

The Conseil des Visages. The members of this mysterious organization are largely changelins and doppelgangers. While the Cabinet engages largely in pranks and schemes that seem to serve no purpose beyond sowing chaos and confusion, it is also behind countless crimes of identity theft, blackmail, and fraud. Many officials wonder if the seemingly unrelated or pointless misdemeanors aren’t part of a grand charade which acts as cover or enables the Cabinet’s greater crimes. The Les Tyrans of Sharn have ties to the Conseil des Visages, but the true leaders of the Cabinet are shrouded in mystery. Most rogues within are Arcane Tricksters but the Cabinet will craft a gambit for any archetype with promise. Daask. Formed by monsterous immigrants from the nation of Droaam, the Dassk is a criminal organization that specializes in violent crime and extortion, and traffics in any illicit substances found in Droaam that commands a sizable sum when imported to Breland. With its base of operations in the city of Sharn, the Daask turns its attention to spreading across the Brelon countryside and making inroads into Aundair and the Eldeen Reaches. On the surface, it appears to be a simple gang of violent thugs, some say that it’s actually controlled by Sora Katra, one of the brillant Sorcière sisters who founded Droaam and if true, its brute violence is likely a cover for more intricate schemes.

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Maison Tarkanan. A small organization whose members possess Marque Aberrante du Dragon, and is primarily composed of mercenary assassins and thieves, selling their services to the highest bidder. The profits funnel back to the central hub and are used to find and help defend others with Marque Aberrante du Dragon from persecution. Some rumors say they are secretly working to undermine the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon. Maison Tarkanan is based in the city of Sharn, but its message for hope among the “aberrant” is spreading to the great capitols across the Cinq Nations.

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The Lhazaar Pirates. A diverse land with many principalities supports the operations of pirates, and each one of the Lhazaar pirates has its own desires and panache. The Ravageurs des Nuages are known for brutality and violence, while the Marée Grise prefer bloodless hijacking. Many Lhazaar captains engaged in “legitimate” piracy during the La Dernière Guerre, serving as privateers paid by one nation to prey on another. A character who wishes to be known as a bold privateer or infamous pirate, like Captain Malleon, might find a lot of the story elements they’re looking for continued within the sailor background. Lhazaar pirates have a strong tradition of Swashbucklers and thieves ready to scale the rigging, but Assassins can always find a place to nestle within the crow’s nest.

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The Talenta Clans. Among the oldest and most established criminals in the Five Nations, the Talenta Clans were founded by immigrants from the Plaines de Talenta and bolstered by ties to Maison Normandin and Brunet. The Clans are a cornerstone of crime in most of the greatest cities of the Cinq Nations. The Clan Saputo is the most powerful family among them, based in Sharn and reaching into Wroat and Cap-Tempête, but there are powerful hobbit clans in Korth, Beaurefuge, Thaliost, and other cities who all trace some form of allegiance back to the Plaines de Talenta, and must answer for crimes against each other.

This is just the tip of the criminal iceberg, and these organizations have a presence in multiple cities, but most major cities in the Cinq Nations have their own unique gangs and syndicates, and a DM can always introduce a new criminal guild.

Espionage Bards, Rangers, warlocks, and wizards each have something to offer a covert operation. With the right background and skills, any character could be an effective spy, even a barbarian. However, the bard might get sidetracked on some slight of fancy, the Ranger might feel out of element, and that barbarian might make a mess of things. Should a mission require a professional touch to collect information, make a targeted hit, or even slip out unseen with minimal collateral damage, a rogue is the best tool for the task. The charlatan background provides you with a false identity and a useful set of skills, but you can be a spy without the background, and many agencies recruit urchins and criminals. An entertainer’s reputation can be an excellent cover for spycraft, and criminal connections can be just as useful. As with the criminal path, the most important question is whether you’d like espionage to be a continuing part of your story, or if it’s a life you left behind when you became

an adventurer. Discuss this with your DM to come up with a narrative you both are excited to pursue. No matter where your berth, there are major players afoot in the great game of espionage. The Royal Eyes. Magical superiority is the foundation of Aundair’s military strategy, and that focus on the arcane applies to spycraft as well. The Royal Eyes employ some of the finest diviners in Khorvaire, and their agents include skilled détectives and Arcane Tricksters. However, their resources are limited outside of Aundair, and they are far better at observation than assassination or theft. The King’s Lanternes Sourdes. Brelandewas the seat of Galifar’s intelligence operations in the heights of its power and have been somewhat romanticized as one of the nation’s strengths, especially during La Dernière Guerre. The King’s Dark Lanterns are well trained and well supplied, with a diverse rangel of talents. If you tie value to keeping secrets, you can earn a place in the Citadel, though Thieves, Assassins, and détectives are especially Commun. The fabled exploits of some of Brelands operatives, real or imagined, have even been sung or reenacted in plays and operas by Elfes, Nains, and hobbits of other nations. It’s hard to ignore the crowds, and the coin, that such heroics draw to the stage. The Fifth Crown. In the early days of the Last War, Cyre relied on Maison Phiarlan to gather intelligence but knew that such an arrangelment with a Maison Marquée du Dragon might not last. Over the course of decades, Cyre began to develop its own spies, the agents of the Fifth Crown, who were largely made up of Assassins, Masterminds, and a few Arcane Tricksters trained to infiltrate enemy territory. In the wake of the Mourning, the fate of the Fifth Crown remains unknown. Most people assume the agency was obliterated with its headquarters, but there are conspiracy theorists who say that agents of the Fifth Crown have worked their way into secure positions across the Cinq Nations, and that they are simply waiting for Prince Oargev or another Cyran leader to devise an effective way to use them. Until then, they might be the neighbors, postal carriers, teachers, or even community leaders, biding the time until such time leadership activates these pocket splinter cells. The Twilight Brigade. The people of Karrnath value military discipline and courage, and have no love for those who skulk in L'Ombres and

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fear a fair fight. However, over the course of the La Dernière Guerre, Karrnath established the Twilight Brigade as a counterintelligence agency. The agents of the Brigade mission were to identify and eliminate enemy spies. Most Brigade rogues are Assassins, Scouts, and détectives, with a few Divine Heralds mixed in to maintain the interests of the Le Sang Divin in secret. The Twilight Brigade has always been a small but deeply devoted agency. L'Argentum and Miron’s Tears. Thrane has never developed an espionage arm that can match the abilities of Aundair or Breland. L'Argentum is a branch of the Church of the Flamme d'Argent charged with finding and acquiring powerful artifacts and dangelrous sources of mystical power. During the Last War, L'Argentum was repurposed to help gather intelligence, but the agency has always specialized in locating and extracting magic items, and as such, most agents are Thieves or détectives. Miron’s Tears is another secret agency within the Church, but it’s so secret that it doesn’t answer to either Le Geolier or the Cardinals. Miron’s Tears are charged with eliminating corruption within the church. It’s a small but elite force, and rogues with the order are typically Assassins or Divine Heralds. In an irreversible decree as old as the founding of the church, a small percentage of each congregation’s tithes are held independent of the collection banks to fund this organization, so that it might remain pure and uncoerced in observing the sanctity of the Flame. They never strike without cause, evidence, and always take responsibility for removing corrupt individuals from the fold. So strict are their convictions, it is believed they refuse to act until the evidence is unequivocal. La Tutelle. Espionage is one of Zilargo’s primary industries. La Tutelle serve both as secret police who enforce order within Zilargo, and as a spy network gathering information across Khorvaire. The vast majority of its agents are gnomes, but anyone could be recruited to work for La Tutelle. The organization itself is extremely compartmentalized, and as an agent of La Tutelle, you might not know any agents beyond your handler and whoever is assigned to help you in your mission. La Tutelle is a diverse agency of Assassins, détectives, and Arcane Tricksters valuable to its specialized operations,

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but La Tutelle also values the strategic talents of Mastermind rogues to coordinate the network, and occasionally deploy to the field. As an agent of La Tutelle, you’ll rarely be told more than you need to know to accomplish a mission, and demanding more information might engender mistrust from your superiors. No one retires from La Tutelle, and even those who request to be deactivated know that if a handler appears with a new assignment, it isn’t a request. The Houses of Ombre. Maison Phiarlan and Maison Thuranni sell the services of spies and assassins to the great powers of Khorvaire. They claim to have no personal agendas, serving only the interests of their clients, but some wonder if there is a greater scheme afoot.

Killer A rogue can be an efficient killer, and sometimes, that’s all they need to be. During La Dernière Guerre, every nation had a use for swift and deadly skirmishers. While the Ranger typically fills this role over entrenched periods of time, a rogue is just as effective in the hit and run tactics of guerilla warfare, especially a Scout. As one of the primary advantages that separates rogues from their counterparts, those who wish to survive a blade in the night should remember that killers come in all shapes and sizes. The Duelist. A Swashbuckler fights with style and panache. Duelists are found throughout Aundair, and the style was popular in Cyre before the war. Even after the war, gifted duelists can be found scattered among the refugees, making their living off the showmanship, as much as the win. As a duelist, you could consider the entertainer background, and while you might be a killer, people love to watch the finesse you put into performance. The Murder Machine. The first Guerrier de Fer were designed specifically to act as the phalanx of the battlefield, but many experimental models were developed over time to create more efficient tactics. There’s an urban legend about a unit of Guerrier de Fer envoys designed as assassins and equipped with integrated disguise kits, allowing the killers to disguises themselves as Humains and members of other races without the means or pitfalls of relying on magic to reach their marks.

The Sacred Assassin. Divine Heralds with the acolyte or hermit background, might have been trained to kill for the faith. Le Narquois and the Keeper are the two deities most likely to support sacred killers before the other established religions of Khorvaire. If not a templar acolyte of the Sacred Flame, you could be a servant of the Keeper who receives visions of the people you must kill, whether you want to or not.

Untrained This chapter has explored professional criminals, trained killers, and former spies, but it’s also possible to play a rogue who has developed their talents without the benefit of formal training. The Natural. This rogue shouldn’t be an adventurer, and they might be a loveable urchin or a naïve sage just out of Morgrave who has no business going into dangelr. Yet, when they do, fortune smiles on them. Nothing can account for timing, and even those who’ve never practiced hiding might have an innate sense and expertise. When you use Uncanny Dodge, perhaps you aren’t trying desperately to avoid the attack but happen to stumble at just the right moment, instead. An inadvertent lucky blow might land in the most unexpected location, triggering Sneak Attack. While this can be a fun story to explore, bear in mind that these are cosmetic details, and the rules are unchangeld. You can describe your Uncanny Dodge as your character accidentally avoiding an attack, but don’t expect the DM to Belvédère the required reaction to trigger it. The Partisan. Your character’s hometown might have been occupied during the Last War. Your character could have been part of the resistance, and did what was necessary to secure freedom for your people. While the Treaty of Fort-du-trône maintains that both Darguun and Valénar are now free from their previous allegiance to Cyre, and that Thrane retains control of the bitterly contested Aundairian city of Thaliost, some still fight personal wars against the forces who wronged them. What nation are you from and who did you fight against? Did you finally succeed in driving away the enemy or is your homeland still occupied?

Friends in Low Places Whether a roguish character started in a street gang or served one of the Cinq Nations as a spy or a soldier, they’ve probably met a lot of interesting people along the way. Perhaps more than any other, rogues find themselves naturally involved in any number of outrageous escapades and harrowing escapes. Just as in real life, one’s “friends” explains a lot about a person and, if objective, will inform the player a lot about their character. Determine the circumstances surrounding any such familiarity and, maybe, who owes who for what score? Connections like these probably aren’t as well-placed or as useful as those received through a background feature, such as Criminal Contact, but will provide the DM with another element to use in a story— someone who can come to you with information or might require assistance. Even if you have a solid idea of your character’s background, don’t be afraid to adjust to fit what you’ve already envisioned, or evolve these acquaintances from it naturally. Was your comrade in arms a fellow criminal or your first informant in your career as a spy? Bring that contact to life by layering in some details. How old is your friend? Do they go by a flashy nickname? Do you know their real name? When you create such a cretin with your DM, you might find a much more rewarding experience by building elements of that contact before releasing ownership entirely. If the contact starts with some distinctive feature, imagine your surprise when you learn that the mark was an elaborate disguise all along. By embracing new information like this along the way, you might discover evidence that implicates them in a grander scheme as your campaign evolves. Work with your DM to find a natural setting for some of Eberron’s lowly denizens to have made a roguish character’s acquaintance.

I’ve been kicked out of more low places than you could ever stoop to!

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Friends in Low Places d8

Friends

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A member of the town watch. The two of you played together as children, and you still share a drink whenever you have time.

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A soldier from an opposing nation. This sympathetic trooper looked the other way when you were smuggling important goods during the war.

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A merchant who sold black market goods during the war, and used those profits to start a legitimate business.

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A member of a rival criminal or espionage organization. Even though you’re on opposite sides, you’ve been through a lot of tough times together and you’ve exchanged favors in the past.

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A clever urchin with a remarkable talent for eavesdropping on interesting conversations. Is this a relative? The orphaned child of a friend of yours? Or just someone you befriended during the war?

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A minor Siri heir, who runs a local speaking stone station. While Siri takes customer privacy very seriously, this gnome loves gossip and occasionally lets interesting details slip.

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A wealthy relative who’s pursuing a political career. While they feel some affection for you, helping you in any meaningful way could jeopardize their standing.

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A comrade who served alongside you. Whether you fought on the battlefield or the streets, the two of you have shed blood together and established a bond of trust.

Thieves’ Cant All rogues know thieves’ cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Similar to Druidique, this is universal to all rogues regardless of background, and there’s no way for a character of any other class—even a seedy bard who moves in the same circles—to acquire this language. It is important to distinguish why other characters don’t learn this secret language. Khorvaire was once united under the kingdom of Galifar. Thieves’ cant began as the Commun

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tongue of the underworld of Galifar as a type of slang developed so criminals could conduct their business without drawing the attention of the guards. Since then, it has evolved to remain relevant. If a wary guard caught on, it would cease to be useful, and with La Dernière Guerre and the walls between the Cinq Nations, the cants drifted farther apart. Thus today, the thieves’ cant of Beaurefuge is quite different from the cant used in Sharn. Many locals know some of the basic cant of their community, but the Thieves’ Cant class feature reflects a universal knowledge of the principles of the cant and the customs of the underworld, allowing the speaker to quickly pick up the local dialect by connecting the cants of their previous operating grounds and applying the context to their current circumstances. While it might be obvious that a rogue with a criminal background would know how to talk with other criminals, a spy might have learned to assist with cover identities and to work with underworld informants. However, there are rogue concepts that might have no logical reason to know the secret language of thieves. That doesn’t mean theives’ cant should be useless for such a character, but rather that your DM might decide to allow it to take other shapes or be reflected in other forms.

Optional Rule: Thieves’ Cant Alternatives With the DM’s approval, a player can replace the Thieves’ Cant rogue feature with one of the following alternatives. Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice. Secret Language. You are a member of a cabal—an espionage agency, a tribe, a fraternity—that has developed a secret method of communication. You can use this to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another member of your cabal understands such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly. In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols that can be used to convey short, secret message to other members of your cabal.