Traits and backgrounds

Thieves World introduced the idea of backgrounds for characters, and as a spontaneous hack I carried these over into Pathfinder. The Pathfinder advanced players guide includes the option of character traits, and this is an attempt to bridge the two systems.

In addition to starting feats (potentially 1+1+1), characters are assigned three traits- one from the Pathfinder Adv PHB, and two from Thieves World. As the game progresses it may be possible to acquire additional traits as story awards – tbd.

The Adv PHB trats are divided into 5 categories i.e.

• Basic – which are subdivided into Faith, Combat, Faith, Magic and Social all of which look fine as listed.
• Campaign – needs expanding but favoured son / daughter, black sheep and outlander (i.e. not from Sanctuary) all work well
• Race – to be adapted as players choose to play non-human races i.e. the desert elf character
• Regional – could use some of these, although they are to an extent covered by the TW backgrounds below.
• Religion – perhaps look to develop a faith characteristic for each character as the game progresses e.g. secret Dylarean cultist masquerading as the follower of the obscure Cirdonian goddess Heqt.

The Thieves World backgrounds are listed below, and I’ve adapted the ones in use, to remind myself to flesh these out into story seeds at a later date. They are divided into cultural backgrounds and character backgrounds. If you want the details go buy the books.

Cultural Backgrounds

• Adralean (Gaz)
• Aurveshan
• Bandaran (Gaz)
• Banmalts and Cleeans (Gaz)
• Black Haired Barbarians (Gaz)
• Cadis - less detailed
• Caronnese
• Cidonian
• Enlibar - lost cities thereof deep in the Great Wastes
• Firaqan (Gaz)
• Half Beysib – unlikely to be relevant in current campaign cycle
• Ilbarsi - less detailed
• Ilsigi
• Irrune – unlikely to be relevant in current campaign cycle, or maybe as a Barbarian background
• Mrsevadan
• Nighter – or Downwinders pre flood
• Nisibisi
• Raggah
• Rankan
• S’Danzo
• Sherranpip - less detailed
• Sumese (Gaz)
• Thyrisis - less detailed
• Twandan
• Velosian (Gaz)
• Yenized - less detailed
• Visalam (Gaz)
• Wrigglie

Character backgrounds

• Academic
• Acolyte
• Adventurer
• Apprentice
• Aristocrat
• Armiger (Gaz)
• Athlete (Gaz)
• Bandit
• Beggar
• Bureaucrat
• Constable
• Courtier
• Criminal
• Dancer (Gaz)
• Dyareelan cultist – you have been born of blood and madness and indoctrinated into the insidious cult of Dyareela from an early age. Snatched from the streets and trained to serve the Mother of Chaos, whose purposes are unfathomable and to the mortal mind insane. Whether you have given your soul to the hermaphroditic goddess is tbd but you have been forever changed by your experiences. Cultists are assigned on of the following roles;
• Bruiser
• Honey
• Watcher – you gain +1 trait bonus to Perception checks. Role of the watcher is diverse but the 1st task is to seek the signs of the great manifestation.
• Entertainer
• Entrepreneur
• Farmer
• Healer
• Herder
• Hunter
• Laborer
• Merchant
• Mortician (Gaz)
• Nomad
• Outcast (Gaz)
• Prizefighter
• Prostitute
• Sailor
• Slave
• Soldier
• Spy (Gaz)

Hawkmasks and story tellers

Akim’s offer seemed dubious at best. To follow the adventuring party of Davar Zaid, and to murder them in the night taking the treasure map – which Rouge had plausibly pointed out could be one of any that had been sold that day in the markets.

The storyteller Hakiem for a moderate fee; 6 silver Shaboozh since you ask, filled in some of the details. Davar is of an old family and house, down on their luck and is both arrogant and foolish. It’s entirely possible he hasn’t sought out Jubal’s favour for this misadventure, and maybe that in the rambling cellars or attic of the house he might have find something more substantive than the street forgeries – but then maybe not. Now about these two Hawk masks fighting in the Unicorn last night…. 

Sneaking through the eastern edges of the city discreetly following the adventures proved trivial – perhaps too trivial. Apart from some stray starving hyenas, 3 days in the scrub surrounding the Gray Wastes passed quietly until the hunters and hunted left the old caravan route into the canyons to the north. Crossing old paths of Raggah tribesmen summoned a most peculiar manifestation. Ghostly bestial humanoids, clashing scimitars and illusionary wounds that do not bleed. Someone had left a shamanic fetch, and magical warning here - but for what purpose and for who?

Deep in the canyons the map proved to be anything but false, with an entrance to an old tomb guarded by the symbol of the everlasting flame. The bodies of the massacred tribesmen surrounded the entrance with the perplexed guards of the adventuring party paying heed to the thieves approach.

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To continued stealing as much source material from Crypt-of-the-Everflame as possible.

Scorpion Men

A work in progress borrowed from here

Scorpion Men

CR 5 (1600 XP)

N Large monstrous humanoid

Init +0; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12

Defense

AC 17; touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+0 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)

hp 52 (8d8+16)

Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +7

Offense

Speed 50 ft.

Melee Ranseur +12 (2d6+6/x3)

Melee Sting +7 (1d6 + poison)

Melee Ranseur +6/+1 (2d6+4/x3) and sting +7 (1d6 + poison)

Ranged Longbow +7/+2 (2d6/x3)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (ranseur, 10 ft.)

Special Attacks: poison

Statistics

Str 19, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 9

Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 23

Feats: Weapon Focus (ranseur), Weapon Focus (sting), Alertness, Great Fortitude

Skills: Climb +15, Perception +14, Sense Motive +3, Survival +9; Racial Modifiers: none

Languages: Manscorpion

Ecology

Environment: Desert, mountain, underground

Organization: Solitary, scouting party (2-8), or band (11-20 plus 8th level cleric)

Treasure: Standard (ranseur, longbow, 20 arrows, other treasure)

Special abilities

Poison (Ex) – Sting - injury; Save Fortitude DC 16; Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; Initial effect 1d4 Con + paralysis 1d6 rounds; secondary damage 1d4 Con; Cure 2 consecutive saves.

And this is quite cool from the epic of Gilgamesh  which leads to more details ref Girtabilu

Scorpion Empathy (Ex) This ability functions as a druid's wild empathy ability, save that it works only on scorpions. A girtablilu gains a racial bonus on this check equal to its Hit Dice (normally +10). Scorpions are normally mindless, but this empathic communication imparts upon them a modicum of implanted intelligence, allowing girtablilus to train scorpions and use them as guardians (though it does not grant them skills or feats)

Girtablilus fiercely guard ancient places and treasures lost to history. Far from civilized eyes, they thrive and piously protect their charges with the aid of monstrously large scorpions that girtablilus keep as pets.

All girtablilus share a zeal for religion, although the objects of veneration vary from tribe to tribe. Some girtablilu tribes still serve long-forgotten deities, preserving the divinities' names and holy rituals. Others embrace religions derived from prehistoric worship, devoted to the idea of gods that once were or might never have been.

Girtablilu leaders are clerics or oracles, and are responsible for the tribe's religious observances and laws. Tradition and service to the group are important. Those who violate tribal beliefs are killed or exiled into the harsh wasteland. Girtablilus believe that no sacrifice in life (including death in the service of the gods) goes unrewarded in the hereafter; this belief makes them fierce and fearless fighters.

A girtablilu is 13 feet long and weighs 800 pounds.

Thieves World
Girtablilu were once the construct of some long forgotten sadistic mage of Enlibar, to punish his enemies and to guard his more precious treasures, who have found a niche in the harsh environments of the Gray Wastes far from the settled lands of Ranke and Ilsig.

Nisibisi (Infernal) bloodlines

Mostly pinched from here; http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/sorcerer/bloodlines/bloodlines-from-paizo/infernal-bloodline modified for Pathfinder and the Thieves World background.

Somewhere in your family's history, a relative made a deal with an infernal power, and that pact has influenced your family line ever since. In you, it manifests in direct and obvious ways, granting you powers and abilities. While your fate is still your own, you can't help but wonder if your ultimate reward is bound to the Pit.

Class Skill: Diplomacy.

Bonus Spells: protection ward (3rd), scorching ray (5th), suggestion (7th), charm monster (9th), dominate person (11th), planar binding (devils and creatures with the fiendish template only) (13th), greater teleport (15th), power word stun (17th), meteor swarm (19th).

Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Deceitful, Extend Spell, Improved Disarm, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]), Spell Penetration.

Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell of the charm subschool, increase the spell's DC by +2.

Bloodline Powers: You can draw upon the power of Hell, although you must be wary of its corrupting influence. Such power does not come without a price.

Corrupting Touch (Sp): At 1st level, you can cause a creature to become shaken as a melee touch attack. This effect persists for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your sorcerer level (minimum 1). Creatures shaken by this ability radiate an aura of evil, as if they were an evil outsider (see detect evil). Multiple touches do not stack, but they do add to the duration. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Infernal Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain resist fire 5 and a +2 bonus on saving throws made against poison. At 9th level, your resistance to fire increases to 10 and your bonus on poison saving throws increases to +4.

Hellfire (Sp): At 9th level, you can call down a column of hellfire. This 10-foot-radius burst does 1d6 points of fire damage per sorcerer level. Those caught in the area of your blast receive a Reflex save for half damage. Creatures that fail their saves are shaken for a number of rounds equal to your sorcerer level. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day. This power has a range of 60 feet.

On Dark Wings (Su): At 15th level, you can grow fearsome bat wings as a standard action, giving you a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. The wings can be dismissed as a free action.

Power of the Pit (Su): At 20th level, your form becomes infused with vile power. You gain immunity to fire and poison. You also gain resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, and the ability to see perfectly in darkness of any kind to a range of 60 feet.

Thieves World

Hell is not one place, but rather seven planes, and each hell is an infinite place designed for one purpose alone: to contain evil. The home of Dyareela, daemons, demons and devils, and untold twisted souls, the seven hells are the very worst of nightmares brought to life. Nightmares that are summoned into the world by powerful magic and witchcraft.

The witches of Nisibisi north of Wizardwall, have no gods instead making pacts with the devils and demons of the seven hells in return for the power to raise the dead, to summon infernal powers and to prolong their unnatural lives. As the war between Ranke and Mygdonian rages the corrupting  tendrils of the Nisibisi extends south seducing many into such deals with infernal powers.

Evil aura  the corrupting touch leaves it’s victims with an evil aura, causing a -2 curse penalty to all reaction rolls and influence skills checks e.g.  bluff, diplomacy etc.

Protection ward (gain at 3^rd level – 1^st level spell.)   - similar in function to protection from evil, the caster must declare three truths when casting the spell, and the ward protects against creatures who meet those truths.

Taint: the unfortunate consequence of the infernal bloodline is that your magic is tainted by association with the Nisibisi. Any spell that causes a permanent effect inflicts the target with a number of taint points equal to the level of the spell. Spells that cause a temporary effect allow the target a will save DC10+level of spell, to avoid this affliction.

This stink of Nisibisi / infernal magic is recognizable to other spell casters with a spellcraft check of DC15 (modified by +1 per 10 points of taint), The taint naturally fades at the rate of one point per day. Speculation has it that a Nisibisi witch can invoke this taint as a penalty to saving throws against various effects. Luckily the Nisibisi are far from Sanctuary.

Desert Elves

Mostly pinched from http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm modified for Pathfinder and the Thieves World background,

General Desert Racial Trait
Heat Endurance: Members of desert races gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.

Desert Elves
In the desert, elves follow nomadic lifestyles. They herd horses, cattle, and goats across the sands, sleeping during the day and working or traveling at night. Their wandering takes them many places and puts them in contact with many cultures. As a result, they are welcome everywhere for the news and exotic trade goods they carry.

Racial Traits
Desert elves have the general desert racial trait described above and all elf racial traits, with additions and exceptions as noted below.

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Desert elves are physically weaker than their normal cousins, but are also hardier, toughened by the harsh reality of desert life.
• Weapon Proficiency: Desert elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the scimitar, rapier, and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats. Desert elves prefer the scimitar to the longsword and the shortbow to the longbow, because they can use shortbows while mounted.
• +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks: Desert elves spend most of their lives riding and working with animals.
• No racial bonus on Listen checks.

Desert Runner {optional]:
Some elves thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Elves with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments. This racial trait replaces elven magic and the general Desert racial trait.

Thieves World:
Desert elves are extremely rare in the civilized lands surrounding the Great Wastes, and face a range of prejudices not least is the accusation of cannibalism which given the harshness of existence under the burning sun, may be well founded.

Disguising their heritage, robed and wearing tribal equivalents of the Agal, desert elves are often mistaken for Raggah nomads – who in turn are a rare encounter. Relationships between the nomads and the elves are chaotic, with individual tribes swearing either blood oaths or vendettas depending on ancient understandings.

Legend has it that deep in the Great Wastes the spires of the last elven city sing in the desert wind. Home to the aesthetics exiled from Enlinbar before the fall, the path is hidden in the perpetually shifting sands,  the city is both of this world and many others. Seekers after lost magical wisdom stumble to their death in the raging sandstorms surrounding the city within earshot but never quite within sight..

Desert elves begin play speaking Enli – a relation of the ancient language of Enlibar and one human tongue, often the guttural tongues of Aurveshan or Raggah. Additional languages often include the sign language of the Raggah, the pidgin Ilsigi / Rankene trade tongue and rarely the purer forms of Ilsigi and Rankene or the peculiar Sanctan dialect. Desert elves are rarely literate.

Common feats include; Endurance, Mounted Combat, Self-Sufficient and Weapon Focus (shortbow)

It started in the Vulgar Unicorn....

On a quiet afternoon, before the more serious troublemakers wake up, the Unicorn is a safe place for a drink and a quiet place for some private business. Recent arrivals in Sanctuary often end up here, looking for work or excitement, and so long as they leave early enough they might survive finding both.

 Worryingly someone noticed One Thumb was missing, when the fight broke out. An argument between Hawkmasks that led to bloodshed, was overshadowed by a gambling disputed that led to minor wounds and a great deal of blood from bottle wounds. The locals either got stuck in, enjoyed the entertainment or in a few enterprising cases collected the winnings while the gamblers were disturbed.

By the time One Thumb returned for the evening shifts, the place was back to normal, the blood yet another stained and the shattered window shutters patched up once more. He shrugged and started to pour beer.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Maze a caravan guard Akrim approaches the player with an offer. You handled yourself well in the Unicorn this afternoon for strangers, so I was wondering if you fancied some work. It concerns this foolish noble and a treasure ma.

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Notes: For a one hour intro I used the cheap and cheerful Bar Room Brawls from Raging Swan - the tables were useful / entertaining and a bunch of NPC stats from the Paizo website,

Catalogue of gaming resources

This is a a catalog of what I think has been published for Thieves World, including the few items I'm still on the look out for.

Chaosium
Complete Sanctuary Adventure Pack
Thieves World Companion
Different World Magazine no 27 (The Empty Buildings of Sanctuary)
Different Worlds Magazine no 19 (Thieves of Sparta) - might want this
Questworld Magazine no 13- apparently has some TW material

FASA
Traitor
The Spirit Stones
Dark Assassin

The Blue Camel

Green Ronin
Thieves' World Player's Manual (2005)
Shadowspawn's Guide to Sanctuary (2005)
Thieves' World Gazetteer (2005)
Murder at the Vulgar Unicorn (2005)
Black Snake Dawn (2007)
Thieves World Gift set don't think it is any different to the above

Mayfair
Sanctuary board game (1982)
Think there are two versions (1982) and (1988) but not sure what the differences are.

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Fiction - OK this is better dealt with elsewhere, but just so I can track what I've got and am looking for.

Original anthologies

1. Thieves' World (1979)
2. Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (1980)
3. Shadows of Sanctuary (1981)
4. Storm Season (1982)
5. The Face of Chaos (1983)
6. Wings of Omen (1984)
7. The Dead of Winter (1985)
8. Soul of the City (1986)
9. Blood Ties (1986)
10. Aftermath (1987)
11. Uneasy Alliances (1988)
12. Stealers' Sky (1989

Thieves Worlds Novels

1. Beyond Sanctuary (1985)
2. Beyond the Veil (1985)
3. Beyond Wizardwall (1986)
4. Shadowspawn (1987)
5. Dagger (1988)

 New Sanctuary

• Sanctuary (2002)
• Turning Points (2002)
• Enemies of Fortune (2004)

Misc oddities

• Lythande (1986)
• Tempus (1987)
• City at the Edge of Time (1988
• Tempus Unbound (1989) 
• Storm Seed (1990) 
• The Shadow of Sorcery (1993) 
• The Sacred Band (2010
• Tempus With His Right Side Companion Niko (2011
• The Fish the Fighters and the Song-girl (2012)
• Beyond the Dar Al-Harb (1985)

 Short stories

• The Valor of Cappen Varra (1957)
• The Wandering Lute (1986)  in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine
• Bitch" (1987
• The Walker Behind" (1987)
• The Malice of the Demon" (1988)
• Here There Be Dragons
• The Stars Are Tears" (1996)
• The Gratitude of Kings" (1998)
• The Lady of the Winds" (2001) in anthology First Blood
• A Tale of Two Cities" (2005)  in Thieves' World Player's Manual

And at some point I hop to turn each of the stories either into a mini scenario, or an encounter or at least part of the back story of the campaign. First up the arrival of a certain prince Kitti-cat in Sanctuary.