Thug

​The Thug is the most violent sort of thief. Assassins are killers, certainly, but they depend on refinement and subtlety. Bounty hunters also are willing to use violence, but are relatively restrained as well. The Thug, on the other hand, comes as close to the warrior class as any Thief Kit. ​

​Skill Progression: There is no uniform preference among Thugs for the distribution of points among their thieves' skills. Note, however, that they start out with fewer points to distribute than other rogues (see Special Hindrances, below). ​

Role

The term "Thug" has come to mean any brutal sort of thief, such as an armed robber, hijacker, or goon (the latter specifically indicating a guild-associated Thug, an enforcer), or perhaps a kidnapper (though bounty hunters are probably better at that activity).

If one compared a guild to the human body, surely Thugs would be the muscle - the large, powerful muscles. Thugs function as enforcers, intimidating common people (especially in racketeering schemes), body guarding important guildsmen, and carrying out the guild's threats of violence often enough to keep people suitably afraid.

In fact, outside of the thieves' guild, the Thug really does not have a place. Most Thugs haven't the wit to become accomplished Burglars or even pickpockets on their own, let alone swindlers, spies or fences. Even begging might be denied them on account of their imposing physique: A plea for alms from a huge, muscular man tends to look more like a demand backed up by a thinly-veiled threat. The guild pays them well and gives them a satisfying job: They usually need just to scare the living daylights out of people, and not even face real combat.

The few Thugs who are not guild-affiliated will be found as armed robbers or (if they are more intelligent) kidnappers or hijackers. ​

Distinctive Appearance

None

Special Benefits

Because they are better trained in combat than other thieves, Thugs receive +1 on their "to hit" rolls. ​

Special Hindrances

Thugs spend much of their early career learning about weapons and their use, and their initial training in the traditional thief skills suffers as a consequence. To compensate for the extra weapon proficiency slot and combat bonus, a thief of the Thug kit has only 40 points to distribute initially among his thief skills (although he can still put up to 30 of them in a single ability, if he so chooses). ​

Class

Thief ​

Attribute Requirements

​Strength and Constitution of 12. Intelligence may be no higher than 12.

Barred Beliefs

None

Race Requirement

Any ​

Bonus Weapon Proficiencies

​Thugs are permitted an extra weapon proficiency slot at first level. They may choose non-thief weapons, but to gain proficiency in one requires an extra slot. ​​

Required Weapon Proficiencies

None

Recommended Weapon Proficiencies

None

Barred Weapon Proficiencies

None

Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Intimidation ​

Recommended Non-Weapon Proficiencies

​Player's choice; among those that may be selected are Alertness, Endurance, Looting and Trailing ​

Equipment

The Thug's equipment usually consists of the biggest, most intimidating weapon available. Otherwise, it's a matter of common sense according to the job. A kidnapper, for example, could make good use of a rope to bind his victim. ​

Wealth Options

None

Homeland Terrain

None

Economic System

​None​