Beggar

Description

Circumstances have reduced some unfortunates to such a level of poverty and helplessness that the only possible way that they can survive is by imploring their fellow beings to give them whatever meager scraps can be spared. At least, so the Beggar would wish it to appear.
For a great many Beggars this is the truth; misfortune or disability have dealt them sore blows, and they must rely on the charity of individuals and a few institutions, such as beneficent churches, for subsistence.
But there is another class of Beggar, which is really a particularly insidious variety of swindler or con artist. This character is usually perfectly able-bodied, but has taken up begging as a career, supplemented by minor theft (pickpocketing and the like) and the gathering and selling of information to interested parties. It is with this sort of Beggar that this kit is chiefly concerned.
The Beggar has no requirements beyond those of the thief class.

Role

Thieves of this kit, professional Beggars, were usually raised into their role. This of course means a lower (indeed, lowest in many places!) class background, and meager financial resources at best. The Beggar has other resources, however: connections, street smarts, a sharp eye, and diverse skills for cajoling passers-by out of their spare cash.
Effective begging requires consummate skills of acting and disguise, so that the Beggar can present himself in the manner most likely to garner the sympathy and cash of the people he accosts.
As a matter of survival, the Beggar needs diverse sources of income. Few can avoid starvation solely by the charity of strangers in the street. They are also dealers in gossip and information (such as the movement and activities of wealthy personnages), with ears ever open for any tidbit of knowledge that may help fill their stomachs with food. Beggars will also gladly hire themselves out as messengers or spies.
Beggars also are known to cooperate with other varieties of thieves, especially Cutpurses. A favorite ruse is for one or more Beggars to accost a wealthy-looking person. While they distract him with their pitiful (and more often than not, futile) pleas for assistance, a slick Cutpurse relieves the victim of his purse. Shares of the score are divided among Beggars and Cutpurse.
Many Beggars are affiliates of the local thieves' guild, surprisingly enough. The guild makes use of them as messengers and informants. It also may have a sort of protection racket going with them: Beggars must share their score with the local guild in exchange for protection from thieves of the guild itself, as well as "freelancers" and rival guildsmen. Guild-affiliated Beggars also may gain some measure of protection from the local constabulary — a useful thing if local law prohibits panhandling.

Weapon Proficiencies

Beggars begin with familiarity only with simple, inexpensive weapons. The knife is a favorite, being inexpensive, easy to use, and easy to conceal. Beginning thieves with the Beggar kit should select their two proficient weapons from among the following: club, dagger, dart, knife, sling, or staff.

Non-weapon Proficiencies

Bonus

Begging, Disguise, Information Gathering, Observation

Recommended

Alertness, Singing, Trailing
A Beggar with marketable skills (e.g., crafts or trades) should have some reason in his background why he is no longer able to support himself through them.

Skill Progression

Beggars become most proficient in picking pockets (to supplement begging income), and moving silently, hiding in shadows, and detecting noise (useful for gathering information and tailing people). They tend to be worst at opening locks and finding or removing traps, since these skills require technical training that is not easily available.

Equipment

The basic equipment of a Beggar is a wooden bowl or cup in which passers-by may place alms. More sophisticated Beggars have false crutches, make-up and the like to make themselves seem as desperate and poverty-stricken as possible.
Some Beggars have children with them (rented from the true parents. or borrowed in return for a share of the day's income, if they are not the Beggar's own) to arouse still more sympathy.
A more sophisticated sort of Beggar offers a service of some kind — singing a song, or playing a simple instrument — in exchange for food, drink. or a few coins.
Few Beggars can afford to purchase armor; and even if they could, they would not want to wear it, since it would suggest that they are wealthier than they would like to appear.
Beggars who rise above their circumstances may of course equip themselves as they see fit, although then they will no longer be accepted by other Beggars as one of their kind. A Beggar who appears well-off could suffer penalties at the following proficiencies: begging (because the character doesn't look impoverished), information gathering (because other Beggars will distrust him), and even trailing (because the thief might not blend in as well with the city's masses).

Special Benefits

The most valuable benefits of the Beggar kit are the large number of bonus nonweapon proficiencies. These should be granted to a character even if the campaign at large does not make use of nonweapon proficiency rules.

Special Hindrances

Beggars are scorned by most of society. Even characters who share their wealth with Beggars tend to feel a sort of disgust or condescension, though they may try to hide it. Other thieves, however, recognize the talents and value of Beggars. For this reason, Beggars suffer -2 on reaction rolls with NPCs who aren't thieves.
Furthermore, because of their impov- erished background. Beggars start the game with only 3d4 gold pieces.

Races

Beggars may be of any race. In regions with a lot of bigotry, where demihumans have difficulty finding legitimate employment, Beggars are commonly demihuman. Most nonhuman Beggars were forced into their position by unfortunate circumstances — they were not born into it.

[Complete Thief's Handbook]