So what is a thief anyhow?
Well, a thief beyond a skulking burglar in the night? Potentially...
- Spy
- Scout
- Troubleshooter
- Acrobats
- Beggers
- Bounty hunters
- Swindlers
Why?
A thief is more than just one thing, it's many and diverse with its skill sets, usage, and depending on the background along with alignment making them versitile. It's driven often by motivation, background, and personality.
Archetype examples are and would include...
- Kleptomaniac
- Vigilante
- Folk Hero
- Mobster
Does a thief always break the law?
This is a common misunderstanding, they don't break the law all the time, some prefer to use the law's loopholes over outright breaking them, in fact, this can be a Lawful Evil example thief, view not restricted to that alignment, but is referenced all the same. It's just how some prefer to make their proffit.
So, now that is said and done - what makes a scoundrel any different?
A scoundrel is a mindset based on preference on how to get the job done. They often can at times...
- Do not fight fair.
- Break rules
- Think on their feet
- Know the enemy's weakness and exploit them.
- Never restrict themselves
- Get dirty
- Apply themselves
- Rely on instinct
- And yet, not all are corrupt.
So what pop culture and other reference examples are out there to help make it easier to understand?
The books tell us that...
Lawful Good; Batman and Indiana Jones
Lawful Neutral; James Bond and Odysseus
Lawful Evil; Boba Fett and Magneto
Neutral Good; Spider-man and Zorro
Neutral; Lara Croft and Han Solo
Neutral Evil; Mystique
Chaotic Good; Malcolm Reynolds and Robin Hood
Chaotic Neutral; Captain Jack Sparrow and Al Swearengen
Chaotic Evil; Carl Denham and (person)