Class Identity

Rogue is the class of the adaptive flow-controller: the adventurer trained to move between frontline and backline demands, reinforce unstable positions, exploit partial openings, and keep the party functional when the fight stops matching the plan.

Rogue sits between two extremes: - Hunter is the ranged extreme - Vanguard is the frontline extreme - Rogue is the flexible bridge between them

A Rogue can fight at range, but not with Hunter depth.

A Rogue can fight in close pressure, but not with Vanguard staying power.

What the class does best is: - move where support is needed - stabilize weak points in formation - manage route and spatial knowledge - help control tempo, angle, and local pressure - convert partial openings into practical advantage

Party Role

A Rogue usually fills these roles: - flexible support fighter - route and mapping specialist - flow controller - pressure reliever - gap-filler between lines - opportunistic secondary striker

A good Rogue helps the party by: - reinforcing whichever position is under the most strain - helping ranged lines survive collapse - helping the frontline capitalize on openings - carrying and applying route knowledge under pressure - controlling local tempo through movement, interference, and positioning

Distinct Identity

Rogue is not a pure stealth assassin and not just light melee.

The class is defined by adaptability between roles. - Hunter dominates distance and tracking - Vanguard dominates direct holding and frontal pressure - Rogue dominates transitions, weak points in formation, local support, and tactical repositioning

This makes Rogue the class most likely to: - move forward when the frontline needs help - move back when the ranged line is under pressure - support both without replacing either specialist

Mechanical Identity

Rogue skills should emphasize: - flexible midline combat - quick transition between near and mid range - route reading - map and path retention - local spatial support - pressure relief - opportunistic attacks - movement between threatened positions - local disruption - tactical reinforcement

Rogue should not own: - best-in-setting ranged discipline - true tracking specialization - heavy frontline tanking - sustained shield-line control - brute-force enemy holding - magical combat identity - broad “does everything” utility identity

Equipment Relationship

Natural weapon families

• daggers and fighting knives - short blades - light one-handed blades - light bows - light crossbows or hand crossbows if supported by the setting - small thrown weapons and utility throws

Natural support equipment

• light armor movement - rope and line kit - climbing kit - compact utility tools - map and marking tools - route notes, chalk, or markers - distraction items at use level - compact field gear that can be carried without sacrificing movement

Not core Rogue equipment

Rogue does not naturally own mastery over: - heavy bows or deep ranged specialist gear - shields as a core identity - heavy armor - polearms - full tracking kits as a specialist identity - advanced trap construction kits - alchemical production kits - ritual tools - grimoires

Skill List

Combat

• Flexible Arms - Opportunist Strike - Pressure Relief

Control

• Position Break - Threat Diversion - Gap Support

Movement

• Adaptive Positioning - Quick Slip - Clean Withdrawal

Fieldcraft

• Route Sense - Path Recall - Flow Read

Skill Entries

Flexible Arms

Category: Combat

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Use light ranged and light melee tools without losing role identity.

What competency this skill represents:

The trained ability to operate across light weapon families, especially light ranged and light melee arms, with enough competence to support changing battlefield needs without matching a true specialist.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue sits between Hunter and Vanguard. The class needs formal recognition that it can contribute in both ranges without surpassing either extreme.

Typical prerequisites: - proficiency in at least one light melee weapon family - proficiency in at least one light ranged weapon family

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - daggers - short blades - light one-handed blades - light bows - light crossbows - small thrown weapons

What Rank D means:

Can transition between light ranged and light melee competently under pressure.

What Rank C means:

Can choose the more useful mode for the current local need without losing tempo.

What Rank B means:

Weapon transition becomes integrated into Rogue tactical identity.

What Rank A means:

Can support changing battlefield demands with unusual smoothness while still remaining clearly below Hunter in ranged mastery and Vanguard in head-on melee staying power.

Narrative use:

Lets Rogue feel versatile without feeling overpowered or undefined.

Tabletop use:

Supports rapid light-weapon switching, competent contribution across near and mid range, and role flexibility under pressure.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not equal mastery across all weapons. Rogue remains behind specialists in their core domains.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter owns deep ranged discipline. Vanguard owns superior direct pressure endurance. Rogue owns adaptable competence between them.

Opportunist Strike

Category: Combat

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Hit when the enemy is already failing somewhere else.

What competency this skill represents:

The disciplined use of attacks against enemies who are overcommitted, misaligned, distracted, pressured by another ally, or locally exposed by movement or timing error.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue offense should be based on exploiting partial failure, not brute damage races.

Typical prerequisites: - Flexible Arms Rank D or one light melee proficiency plus one movement skill

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - daggers - short blades - light one-handed blades - light ranged sidearms in limited cases

What Rank D means:

Can capitalize on obvious openings when they appear.

What Rank C means:

Recognizes and attacks partial vulnerability windows more consistently than ordinary fighters.

What Rank B means:

The Rogue reliably turns ally pressure, enemy overreach, or local chaos into meaningful offensive value.

What Rank A means:

Can convert extremely narrow windows into decisive tactical gain.

Narrative use:

Keeps Rogue dangerous without making them read like a pure assassin.

Tabletop use:

Supports bonus value against pressured or compromised targets, teamwork-sensitive offense, and reward for timing and positioning.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not always-on bonus damage. It requires a real compromised state or opening.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter ends from range. Rogue exploits evolving opportunities inside the fight.

Pressure Relief

Category: Combat

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Take pressure off the ally who is about to lose it.

What competency this skill represents:

The ability to attack, threaten, or interfere in ways that reduce immediate pressure on an ally or threatened position without needing to fully replace that ally’s role.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

This reflects Rogue as support-through-reinforcement rather than pure stealth damage.

Typical prerequisites: - Opportunist Strike Rank C - Adaptive Positioning Rank D

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - light melee weapons - light bows or crossbows - thrown utility tools

What Rank D means:

Can briefly relieve local pressure from a stressed ally.

What Rank C means:

Chooses when and where to intervene so the ally recovers function instead of simply receiving help.

What Rank B means:

Routinely stabilizes weak positions by entering at the right moment and applying the right kind of threat.

What Rank A means:

Can keep unstable positions from collapsing through precise, repeated intervention.

Narrative use:

Very strong for showing Rogue as the class that keeps the formation working.

Tabletop use:

Supports ally peel, relieving threatened positions, interruption-through-attack, and tactical reinforcement.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Does not make Rogue a tank.

Overlap check with other classes:

Vanguard holds pressure. Rogue eases or redirects it long enough for the line to recover.

Position Break

Category: Control

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Force the enemy out of the shape they wanted.

What competency this skill represents:

The use of timing, angle, contact, and threat to break enemy footing, facing, local spacing, or preferred line of action without brute-force dominance.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue controls flow through local destabilization rather than through standing in place and enduring.

Typical prerequisites: - Opportunist Strike Rank D - Quick Slip Rank D

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - daggers - short blades - light one-handed blades - compact utility tools

What Rank D means:

Can disrupt fragile enemy local positioning.

What Rank C means:

Can force bad facing, bad footing, or awkward responses more reliably.

What Rank B means:

Repeatedly degrades enemy local control in ways that help the entire party.

What Rank A means:

Controls the shape of close tactical space through persistent positional spoiling.

Narrative use:

Helps Rogue feel like a spatial support combatant rather than a hit-and-run stereotype.

Tabletop use:

Supports forcing bad facing, local reposition pressure, and setup for allies and follow-up strikes.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not shield-line displacement and not brute knockback.

Overlap check with other classes:

Vanguard controls space by holding it. Rogue controls space by making the enemy hold it badly.

Threat Diversion

Category: Control

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Pull enemy attention off the wrong target.

What competency this skill represents:

The manipulation of enemy focus and immediate decision pressure so that dangerous attention shifts away from the party member or angle least able to endure it.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue should be one of the best classes at fixing attention mistakes inside the formation.

Typical prerequisites: - Adaptive Positioning Rank C - Flow Read Rank D

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - light blades - light ranged sidearms - thrown distractions - compact utility gear

What Rank D means:

Can briefly pull threat away from a vulnerable ally or opening.

What Rank C means:

Manipulates enemy facing and local priority more deliberately.

What Rank B means:

Creates meaningful inefficiency in enemy target selection and local threat response.

What Rank A means:

Can repeatedly cause enemies to commit pressure in the wrong direction at the wrong moment.

Narrative use:

Very useful for scenes where Rogue saves a line without becoming the center of it.

Tabletop use:

Supports redirecting pressure, protecting fragile positions, and aiding ally reposition or casting windows.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not mind control.

Overlap check with other classes:

Vanguard attracts pressure through presence and durability. Rogue diverts pressure through timing and interference.

Gap Support

Category: Control

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Fill the position the party is about to lose.

What competency this skill represents:

The trained ability to recognize a weak or collapsing local position and reinforce it quickly enough to preserve party function.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

This is the clearest expression of revised Rogue identity.

Typical prerequisites: - Pressure Relief Rank C - Flow Read Rank C

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - all standard Rogue light combat families - rope and line kit in limited support cases - compact utility tools

What Rank D means:

Can reinforce obvious weak points in party formation.

What Rank C means:

Identifies the most important local gap before it fully fails.

What Rank B means:

Shifts between party positions with strong tactical judgment and arrives where value is highest.

What Rank A means:

Can preserve formation coherence through repeated, correct reinforcement under chaotic conditions.

Narrative use:

One of the best prose skills for making Rogue indispensable without making them dominant.

Tabletop use:

Supports reinforcing threatened allies, temporary line support, gap-filling movement and action, and formation recovery.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Does not make Rogue a tank or specialist ranged killer.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter holds ranged value. Vanguard holds front value. Rogue preserves the link between them.

Adaptive Positioning

Category: Movement

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Move to the position that matters now.

What competency this skill represents:

The practical ability to reposition between frontline, midline, flank, and rear support demands without wasting motion or losing awareness of why the move matters.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue needs a movement identity broader than stealth.

Typical prerequisites: - Flexible Arms Rank D - no heavy loadout conflict

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - light armor - all Rogue light combat families - compact field tools

What Rank D means:

Can shift between local roles without becoming disorganized.

What Rank C means:

Chooses movement destinations based on tactical need, not merely safety.

What Rank B means:

Position changes become economically efficient and tactically predictive.

What Rank A means:

Moves through the party's operational space with remarkable purpose and minimal wasted tempo.

Narrative use:

Shows Rogue as the class that is always where support is becoming necessary.

Tabletop use:

Supports role-shifting movement, formation reinforcement, fast positional adaptation, and response to changing fight shape.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not stealth by itself and not acrobatic spectacle.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter manages distance from enemies. Rogue manages position relative to the whole party's needs.

Quick Slip

Category: Movement

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Cross a dangerous local gap before it closes.

What competency this skill represents:

Short-range, high-control repositioning through threatened local space, especially where hesitation would make the move impossible.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Rogue still needs a sharp local mobility tool, but now it serves support and flow control rather than pure stealth fantasy.

Typical prerequisites: - Adaptive Positioning Rank C

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - light armor - daggers - short blades - rope or climbing support at universal level

What Rank D means:

Can move through small danger gaps without exposing themselves as badly as others would.

What Rank C means:

Maintains tactical intent while crossing contested local space.

What Rank B means:

Slip movement becomes integrated with support, strike, and diversion decisions.

What Rank A means:

Traverses highly dangerous short spaces in ways that seem consistently one step faster than the fight expects.

Narrative use:

Useful for rescue moments, support shifts, and high-pressure reposition scenes.

Tabletop use:

Supports short burst reposition, crossing threatened local space, and reinforcing a nearby position fast.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not a replacement for full disengagement or large-scale mobility.

Overlap check with other classes:

Rogue uses this to move between failing or opening positions.

Clean Withdrawal

Category: Movement

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Exit without leaving disorder behind.

What competency this skill represents:

The disciplined extraction of the Rogue from compromised space in a way that preserves party shape, denies easy follow-up, and allows renewed function.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

A flexible support class has to know when and how to leave a position cleanly instead of dying in it.

Typical prerequisites: - Quick Slip Rank C

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - light armor - compact sidearms - distraction items at use level - rope and line gear

What Rank D means:

Can break contact without turning retreat into panic.

What Rank C means:

Withdraws toward useful party structure or renewed support position.

What Rank B means:

Can deny enemies the advantage they expected from forcing the Rogue out.

What Rank A means:

Disengages from severe local pressure while preserving tactical value.

Narrative use:

Prevents Rogue from reading like a reckless skirmisher.

Tabletop use:

Supports tactical retreat, preserving formation integrity, denying easy pursuit, and repositioning to renewed support value.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not invisibility and not guaranteed escape.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter regains distance. Rogue exits compromised support positions cleanly.

Route Sense

Category: Fieldcraft

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Know how the space wants to be traversed.

What competency this skill represents:

The practical reading of routes through dangerous spaces: which paths are efficient, which are exposed, which will bottleneck the party, which allow support movement, and which will become traps under pressure.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Route knowledge and navigation are central to revised Rogue identity.

Typical prerequisites: - none

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - map tools - chalk or markers - lanterns - rope and line gear

What Rank D means:

Can identify obvious good and bad movement routes.

What Rank C means:

Reads routes in terms of party use, not just personal travel.

What Rank B means:

Can predict which routes will remain functional under pressure and which will fail the party when it matters.

What Rank A means:

Interprets route value with exceptional speed and reliability, even in unstable Tower spaces.

Narrative use:

Excellent for making Rogue matter before and during movement-heavy scenes.

Tabletop use:

Supports route choice, avoiding bad pathing, retreat planning, and approach planning.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not full Hunter tracking and not universal master cartography.

Overlap check with other classes:

Hunter reads sign and pursuit. Rogue reads route utility for party movement.

Path Recall

Category: Fieldcraft

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Remember the route well enough to use it under stress.

What competency this skill represents:

The disciplined retention and recall of path structure, turn sequence, landmarks, fallback routes, safe returns, and branching logic in traversed Tower environments.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

Mapping and route retention are part of Rogue's class role.

Typical prerequisites: - Route Sense Rank D

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - map tools - route notes - marking materials - lantern gear

What Rank D means:

Can retain basic traversed routes well enough to backtrack reliably.

What Rank C means:

Remembers branching choices and fallback lines under moderate pressure.

What Rank B means:

Carries route structure in usable tactical detail even across chaotic movement and combat interruption.

What Rank A means:

Can recall and apply complex traversed path structures with exceptional clarity under stress.

Narrative use:

Very useful for Tower scenes where remembering how to get back matters as much as winning the fight.

Tabletop use:

Supports route memory, fallback planning, safe retreat, and movement efficiency across known terrain.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not magical memory and not instant mapping of unseen terrain.

Overlap check with other classes:

One of Rogue's strongest non-combat identity markers.

Flow Read

Category: Fieldcraft

Class access: Rogue

Short identity line: Read where pressure is building before it breaks.

What competency this skill represents:

The ability to interpret how movement, threat, terrain, ally positioning, and enemy commitment are combining to shape the next likely stress point in the fight or route.

Why this belongs to this class in the lore:

This is the intellectual center of revised Rogue identity.

Typical prerequisites: - Route Sense Rank C - Adaptive Positioning Rank D

Compatible weapon / tool / item families if relevant: - all standard Rogue combat families - map and route tools - compact support items

What Rank D means:

Can notice obvious developing pressure points.

What Rank C means:

Anticipates where support or intervention will soon be needed.

What Rank B means:

Reads the fight's structural drift early enough to act before failure becomes visible to others.

What Rank A means:

Can interpret and answer evolving party-pressure flow with exceptional reliability.

Narrative use:

Explains Rogue foresight without requiring supernatural prediction.

Tabletop use:

Supports anticipating threatened positions, timing reinforcement, tactical prediction, and choosing where Rogue should move next.

Limits and anti-abuse notes:

Not perfect foresight.

Overlap check with other classes:

Vanguard reads the front. Hunter reads target and lane logic. Rogue reads the connective flow between positions.

Redundancy Pass

Close but still distinct

Adaptive Positioning and Quick Slip - Adaptive Positioning is broader role-shift movement - Quick Slip is dangerous local gap-crossing

Pressure Relief and Gap Support - Pressure Relief is the immediate act of easing strain - Gap Support is the broader skill of reinforcing a failing position

Route Sense and Path Recall - Route Sense judges route quality - Path Recall retains route structure for later use

Position Break and Threat Diversion - Position Break destabilizes enemy local space - Threat Diversion manipulates where enemy attention goes