Rogue, Scout

Most rogues try to avoid combat, preferring to serve a supporting role in battle or to use their feet or wits to avoid fights altogether. Scouts normally serve as members of an army or mercenary force, ranging ahead of the main body of warriors to seek out the enemy, root out ambushes, and track the movement of opposition forces.

The Quintessential Rogue
Author Michael Mearls
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

Scouts also serve as spies, creeping up on enemy positions or disguising themselves in order to blend in with enemy soldiers or civilians.

During a siege, they slip behind enemy lines to disrupt communications, eliminate commanders, or play havoc with the enemy’s defences. Scouts commonly serve as messengers and couriers, using their stealth to slip through blockades and evade patrols.

Adventuring: Most scouts serve in the military, though in times of peace or with the dissolution of their military unit some turn to adventuring as a source of income. After the excitement of serving on the front lines, they often find civilian life dull and unsatisfying. Scouts range ahead of adventuring bands, fulfilling many of the same roles they shouldered during their tenure with the military. Scouts also make able fighters, helping to support the group in combat, particularly with ranged weapons. Scouts typically receive extensive training with horses, as most armies rely on cavalry for scouting operations.

Role-Playing: Scouts tend to be quiet and observant. Their duty places them far from supporting units, leaving them to face off against the enemy on their own. Other scouts exult in this isolated role, cultivating a wild, daredevil personality that flaunts the dangers and risks they take in battle. Nations with a rich cavalry tradition produce scouts that carry themselves with the same serious, earnest manner displayed by a chivalrous knight or noble paladin.

Bonuses: A scout’s military training grants him several advantages over the typical rogue. He treats Ride (Dexterity)as a class skill. As most scouts operate as cavalry, they receive training that allows them to excel in Mounted Combat. They also gain the Alertness feat and Wilderness Lore as a class skill. Often, scouts move on foot, living off the land while keeping careful watch out for enemy movement.

Penalties: Scouts focus primarily on military matters, leaving them ill-prepared to deal with situations outside of that realm. They lose the following as class skills; Appraise, Balance, Open Lock, Pick Pocket and Tumble.