Rogue types: thief, acrobat, brute, trapan, assassin, ranger

Following two posts I made, on acrobatic skills, and parrying daggers, I wanted to create a short sketch of common rogue-type skill-sets.

Rogues, of course, would refer to any unsavory characters in the fringes of society and, so, together might create an underworld of individuals with assorted skills.

THIEF
Stealth-based skills. Stealth, hiding, snooping, stealing, lock picking, disarm trap.
Also called a "sneak thief," in distinction to a thief acting as a bandit, highwayman, or robber, this would be a rogue that depends on his stealth and cunning to get what he wants. He has some skills with artifice, letting him pick locks and disarm traps, and can act as a pickpocket and cut-purse. Also simply called a "sneak."

ACROBAT
Agility-based skills. Agility, balance, evasion, climbing, tumbling, pole-vaulting.
An acrobat is someone who would combine his set of skills with some other type of roguery, perhaps with thieving skills to act as a cat burglar, or to complement his work as an assassin. Acrobatic entertainers existed in the Middle Ages; the profession would consist of tumblers, vaulters, rope-dancers, ladder-walkers, posture-makers, and jugglers. They were sometimes associated with the underworld. The term "acrobat", though existing in ancient Greece, disappeared from common tongue until the 1800s and acrobats were referred to by their skills, although sometimes "tumbler" became eponymous for the whole profession. "Tumbler" also would even refer to dancers, as dancing was associated with physical feats.

BRUTE
Brawn-based skills. Wrestling.
Not all rogues would depend on stealth and agility, some, what may be called "brutes," base their trade on their brawn. These may be common thugs and ruffians, although perhaps particularly a member of the trade employed with the specific purpose of bullying a target. Such a person might be called a "hector," he harasses people, a "bravo," if hired to kill, or "bouncer," if as a guard. A brute with thief skills may be a "robber", as opposed to a plain thief, in his willingness to use violence.

TRAPAN
Subterfuge-based skills. Misdirection, persuasion, luck.
"Trapan" would refer to a person who would ensnare or entrap people to some ends -- maybe to kidnapping them, maybe into a con -- and to be caught in a trap by one was to mean one was "trappan'd." The trapan might employ different types of stratagems to achieve their goals, and would also be skillful at games of chance, and in swindling others. A professional swindler might particularly be called a "sharper," for tricking people using his wit. Someone who ran games would be a "gamester."

ASSASSIN
Lethal-based skills. Poisoning, anatomy.
Assassins would be rogues employed in the art of killing others, using advanced knowledge and surreptitious means. The assassin knows anatomy well enough to make critical strikes and to apply deadly potions. He likely has the skills of other rogues, like that of a sneak thief, or acrobat.

RANGER
Lore-based skills. Tracking, detecting hidden, animal lore, animal taming.
A ranger is a woodsman, but also someone adept at tactics employed in that terrain; in stealth ambushes and skirmishing. He has knowledge of hunting and applies the same skills to combat situations. Rangers would work as highway-men and bandits.

Cross-types, rogues who use skillsets from other classes --

TINKER-THIEF
Tinkering.
In addition to knowing how to pick locks and disarm traps, he knows the mechanics of artifice well enough to build them. Tinkers were more properly known in the Middle Ages as "artificers" -- the people referred to as "tinkers" just repaired pots and pans, and usually travelled door to door as peddlers.

BARD-ACROBAT
Musicianship, peacemaking, provocation, enticement, discordance.
A full entertainer, knows how to do feats of agility as well as tell stories and play music. Might be known as a "joculator", and employed as a jester.

FIGHTER-BRUTE
Swordsmanship, fencing, parrying.
A thug who is skilled at fighting.

HERBALIST-ASSASSIN
Herbalism.
Or an alchemist-assassin, depending on the skillset in the game. He knows how to create deadly poisons and potions as well as apply them.

FIGHTER-RANGER
Archery, swordsmanship, fencing, parrying.
A ranger who is also skilled at fighting.

TINKER-TRAPAN
Tinkering.
A trapan who uses skills at artifice to create traps and rig games.

ALCHEMIST-TRAPAN
Alchemy.
Uses magic in the form of petty stage tricks, to fool people and lure them into cons or traps. He might also use alchemical concoctions like smoke-bombs. Might puff himself up with names like "magician" and "conjurer."

 

Don't forget Bard

Also, Brute I feel is a fighter type class, not rogue.

 

The way I broke this down was by looking at seedy underworld type characters, not the traditional "Dexterity class". I set aside bards for another category, because I don't know how well all bards fit, although some might, just as acrobats do.

Brutes are to represent a type of rogue -- their fighting is brawling rather than something done professionally as a knight or infantryman. The difference is they wouldn't rely on armor and wouldn't have fighting skills with large arms. They'd probably use knives and daggers. They also might be different types of tricksters, knaves, and liars as well as brawlers.

The trapan would largely rely on his intelligence and wit, not his dexterity. He would easily blend with mage type characters. Possibly would be a gypsy and know divination or fortune-telling.

 

I like the ideas here but I think this post needs brought into the different skills.
From.... Hiding versus Invisibility
About... luring, tempting and distraction - in a pdf here - http://tinyurl.com/ko6e9dz
And using different senses like hearing, smelling, tasting
So what kind of profession would use these types of skills?
Might be a good one to add to your list.