I know you went through all those documents pretty quickly. And now you’re probably asking yourself, “Wait… did I sign six addenda or only five?” So you’ve got to ask yourself one question. “Do I feel properly contractually represented?” Well? Do you, punk?
A rogue is often the backbone of any successful adventuring party, providing an ample amount of martial prowess, a diverse skill set, and a pat on the back for a job well done (with or without a dagger in it). In an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise, a rogue’s talents are even more in demand. Not only is the rogue the first one into the dragon’s lair and the last one out (after securing away the choicest bits of treasure first), but their keen eye for details and their practiced social skills make them equally invaluable in the boardrooms, the taprooms, and the back alleys where business gets done.
In the world of Acquisitions Incorporated, dangers are as likely to be contractual as physical. Avoiding a trap’s pressure plate in a dungeon is good. Avoiding an awkward social situation might be even more important. Explosive runes warding a treasure chest go off once, maybe no one spotted them, big deal. But a rogue who notices a carefully worded legal trap in a contract can save their franchise from lasting harm—and a rogue who can insert such details into someone else’s contract is worth their weight in performance bonuses.
Every rogue has a story about that one big score. With enough ales and a bit of prompting, you can easily be convinced to tell the tale, highlighting all the drama and derring-do. But the tale is so much better for the telling if you can highlight it with visual aids.
You carry a trophy from that big score, which you pull out when the occasion demands or when you need a reminder of your own skill and luck. Sure, if anyone found the item on you, there’s a good chance you could be arrested and convicted of the crime that procured it. But that’s part of the excitement, right?
| d10 | Trophy |
|---|---|
| 1 | The handkerchief of a noble’s paramour, with their initials sewn into it as well as the date and the place the gift was given. Perfect blackmail fodder. |
| 2 | A silver goblet from the kitchens of a castle in a wealthy land. It still smells of the wonderful burgundy that was in it when you stole it. |
| 3 | A gold-tipped fountain pen stolen from the breast pocket of a royal wizard. |
| 4 | A piece of intricately woven curtain you had to cut to escape a mayor’s manor after stealing their valuables. |
| 5 | A gray cat with white feet, once the pet of a rich merchant’s spoiled child. She almost blew your cover. Now she knows when to keep quiet, and she’s great at catching mice. |
| 6 | A small statue of a ballerina, broken off from a marble fountain in a city from which you’re now banned. |
| 7 | A serpentine lapel pin set with tiny diamonds, which you slipped off the chest of a noble whose fete you finessed your way into. |
| 8 | The solid-gold hammer holy symbol of that one rude blacksmith who refused to fix your sword. |
| 9 | A full potion bottle from the temple of Oghma, marked “Drink in case of emergency.” So far, no one has dared you to drink it. |
| 10 | A cracked mirror from a mystic’s tower, which sometimes shows you a glint of another realm in one of its shards. |
Many rogues learn their initial skill set through the school of necessity, forced to steal or kill to survive. More advanced talents, however, are generally taught through one of the many criminal guilds that crop up in towns and cities throughout the land. As an Acquisitions Incorporated rogue, you definitely left your guild in order to join a franchise, for no rogue can serve two masters. At least not officially.
| d8 | Guild |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Tumble Dumplings, an all-halfling guild whose cover identities are acrobats |
| 2 | The Char Hawks, whose front operation is a well-known cleaning service |
| 3 | The Flattering Butchers, known for their sales of discount meat of unknown provenance |
| 4 | The Profane Pilferers, who leave lewd calling cards at the scenes of their crimes |
| 5 | The Undead Rangers, whose cover is that they have nothing to do with rangers or the undead |
| 6 | The Loyalists, ironically known for breaking contracts at an alarming rate |
| 7 | The Robust Vultures, who make use of flying magic for specialty jobs |
| 8 | The Quick and the Fred, who all use “Fred” as an alias |
Personally, I feel that “rogue” is a little misleading as a term. It implies that those of us who follow a more… eclectic path toward life can all be grouped into a single category. That works with most other professions because they’re good at one thing. But me? I’m good at everything.You need someone to sweet-talk the town guard? I’m your guy. Impersonate the governor? Easy peasy. Hit the streets for intel? Throw a dinner party? Engage in a clandestine property reassignment? Done and done. And if someone’s giving you trouble? Well, let’s just say they’ll be no trouble to me.
— Viari
Each of the many archetypes of the rogue offers a variety of features that can prove a boon to any Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. You might enjoy making a scene, or you might prefer to pass unseen. You might eliminate your foes in the most public way possible, or prefer to deal with all problems behind closed (and preferably soundproofed) doors. Either way, your talents make you the invaluable linchpin of your franchise’s operations.
What does an adventurer who has all the tricks of a rogue need? Even trickier magic! As a rogue of the Arcane Trickster archetype, you supplement your dexterous abilities with spellcasting derring-do. Especially against competitors and enemies who don’t know the full extent of your abilities, you make a most daunting foe.
Working as an assassin within an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise can be rewarding. Because even as good as the rest of your franchise mates are at killing things, you take that art to the next level. Your top-notch infiltration and disguise skills mean that you’ll always be keeping busy. But if you’re one of those “You know too much, I have to kill you now, it doesn’t matter that I was only asking for directions”-type assassins, you might find that your inherent bloodlust needs to be focused to the subtle enterprises undertaken by the best franchises. So keep calm. Or if you can’t, at least keep the killing quiet.
As an inquisitive, your eye for detail and insightful demeanor complement the skills of the more martial members of an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise. Your powers of deduction make it clear that you’re the obvious choice to lead your franchise, and you are an able operative in the field as you provide valuable information for ongoing operations. You also have a knack for finding weaknesses in enemies—not only in combat, but in a rival’s business plans as well.
Planning, tactics, misdirection, intrigue, sneak attack: it’s like the rogue mastermind was specifically built for an Acquisitions Incorporated campaign. Your formidable social skills translate perfectly well from the street to the boardroom, and your ability to read your foes and rivals clearly makes you the best choice for franchise leader. Unfortunately, your equally practiced ability to read your allies means you’ll know which of them see themselves as leader. Good thing that’s a problem you’re perfectly equipped to handle.
Though many scouts are more comfortable in the wild, the lessons you’ve learned in the wilderness offer a surprising amount of utility when you’re working in cities and towns. Whenever the party needs to go out and engage in some acquisition work, you’re at the front of the group, literally and figuratively. Your skills in survival and ensnarement translate nicely to the civilized world, where it’s just as much of a challenge to ambush a competitor’s caravan as it is to deal with a goblin raiding party.
The one-on-one fighting style of a swashbuckler is a perfect fit for the stylish bravado that befits an Acq Inc franchise. Your mobility, audacity, and charm offer versatility in any number of situations, from infiltration, to theft, to fleeing the city guards when the infiltration and theft goes bad. Moreover, your social skills make you equally effective in and out of combat. However, your love of showing off means that you might have to work at not turning every social encounter into a combat encounter just because you can.
For most people, to be called a thief is among the gravest of insults. For an Acquisitions Incorporated rogue, it’s a compliment. You’re able to look out for yourself in combat, but are smart enough to instead style yourself as the expert who gets out of trouble just as easily as the rest of the party gets into it. Whether you’re picking locks at speed on the way out of a noble’s estate or mastering the operation of a strange magic device before it burns your headquarters to the ground, your fellow franchise members always know how lucky they are to have you around. And with your special skills, you’ll be able to make sure they show their appreciation financially—whether they know it or not.