Troubleshooter

Troubleshooters were a variety of rogues who specialized as security consultants, being hired to use their thieving equipment and skills to test the security of a place.^[1] Such as trying to steal from a locked vault or break out of a prison meant to be escape-proof.^[2]

Culture[]

The worth of a troubleshooter's services was always costly, but was generally worth the investment and reassured clients that they were truly secure. And whenever a troubleshooter managed to overcome a client's security, they would afterwards offer advice on how they could prevent future thieves from doing the same.^[2]

The profession of a troubleshooter was one inherently aligned against other rogues, thus it was rare to find them as members of thieves guilds, unless they had been bought off in exchange for information on a client they serviced. And some were known to moonlight in other illicit activities, ranging from actual burglary to recovering stolen goods. However, having a place they served broken into was quite damaging to a troubleshooter's reputation.^[1]

Because of their tendency to moonlight as actual thieves, civic officials often kept an eye on well-known troubleshooters. And more sophisticated governments required they have some sort of license in order to operate.^[1]

Among demihumans, the races most inclined to the life of a troubleshooter were dwarves, due to their tendency towards law and the mechanical.^[1] In fact, it was one of the two most common forms of rogue among dwarves.^[2] The second demihuman race most inclined towards troubleshooting were gnomes, whom often perpetrated practical jokes in the course of their assignments.^[1]

In Realmspace, troubleshooters could occasionally be found on the Rock of Bral.^[3] Down on the surface of Toril, troubleshooters could be found in Faerûn in the Dalelands region^[4] and in the city of Ravens Bluff.^{[5][6][7][note 1]}

Abilities[]

In addition to the typical knowledge of rogues, a troubleshooter tended to have some technical or engineering-type skills. Such as armorsmithing, weaponmithing, masonry, mining, navigation, or woodworking.^[1] Dwarven troubleshooters in particular tended to be skilled locksmiths.^[2]

Possessions[]

Troubleshooters typically outfitted themselves with the best thieving equipment that money could buy, wanting to ensure their clients that they tried their upmost hardest to break down their defenses. To this end, some persuaded their wealthy clients to help them acquire thieving equipment that was hard to find.^[1]

Notable Troubleshooters[]

• Camber Dullmai, the official troubleshooter of a security business in Ravens Bluff known as the Sigil of the Silent Night.^[5]
• Lortej Thul, a halfling troubleshooter in Scornubel who worked for Burdan Hlathiman.^[8]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

1. ↑ Polyhedron #110, "Living City Character Generation," an article on character creation for the RPGA Living City Campaign, had troubleshooters listed among the character kits from The Complete Thief's Handbook as an acceptable option for thieves. A later article on character creation, "Making a Living" from Polyhedron #134, also noted troubleshooters as an acceptable thief kit for the setting.

Appearances[]

References[]