Thief Hirelings

 Recently I was reading through my 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose, and in between all the amusing stories, cack-handed censorship, and racism against the Dutch I was inspired to make this table.

Thief Hirelings
In addition to the hirelings and retainers that can be found by scrounging taverns and putting up posters, a thief PC can find recruits who are a little less desperate and a little more skilled, the members of criminal society. You can give the thief PC a menu of villains and rogues when they touch base with the movers and shakers of a town's underworld. These hirelings are strictly better than the random and the desperate. They will always sign on for more jobs if the last one was lucrative, or if they're promised one last big score. They either have a specialty that succeeds with 4-in-6 chance or, if a robber, they have a thief's sneak attack ability. Finally, they have a thief's code of honor-- even if they make an enemy of the PCs, they'll never squeal when captured and will cover for PCs with the law.

Services:

Accomplices are half the price of a normal hireling. In every ten criminal hirelings, one is dab— an expert, worth double and drawing a double salary. In every twenty criminal hirelings, one is a dragoon— someone occupying two branches of one profession. Takes one and a half share.

When paying for information or for havens, the price is equal to 14x a day's wage for a one-time service to get 1 rumor, opportunity, or favor and 60x a day's wage per month for 1d3+1 each month. Bringing down the heat on an establishment counts as a favor owed to that establishment, and if they roll low enough on the d4 the haven may cut ties or demand a favor of you.

Thieves and Burglars

• Adam Tiler- pickpocket's associate, who runs off with the goods

• Angler- thief who steals with a hooked staff, especially through windows and grates

• Autem Diver- pickpocket who specializes in churches

• Banks's Horse- horse that plays tricks, or a a horse rogue

• Bloss- woman who will pretend to be your wife, as in shoplifting operations

• Boung Nipper- Cutpurse

• Bubber- dine-and-dasher

• Budge- thief who slips into houses and steals clothing

• Bufe Nabber- dog thief

• Bullycock- robber who initiates quarrels to create a pretense for the theft

• Cracksman- house-breaker

• Diver- pickpocket

• Dubber- Lockpicker

• Dunaker- cow thief

• Bulker- pickpocket's accomplice who pushes someone against walls

• File- pickpocket who works with a thug and someone who runs off with the goods

• Fire Prigger- thief who loots burning buildings under the pretense of saving the goods

• Ken Miller- housebreaker

• Knuckle- superior pickpocket who steals pocket-books, watches, etc. in public places

• Lully Trigger- thief who steals wet laundry set out to dry

• Pad Borrower- horse thief

• Poulterer- thief of letters

• Resurrection man- corpse thief

• Robert's man- experienced and mighty thief

• Rusher- thief who bursts into a home to rob it after someone opens the door to speak to them

• Tayle Drawer- sword thief

• Tradesman- general-use thief

Robbers and Killers

• Amuser- robber who throws dust or snuff into the eyes of their targets.

• Ark Ruffan- robber skilled in boarding, known for throwing victims overboard

• Bad Bargain- worthless soldier. Half price

• Brother of the Blade- a soldier

• Bruiser- a boxer

• Clove- general-use rogue

• High Pad- a highwayman, a robber of the barren spaces

• Low Pad- robber who acts on foot

• Freebooter- lawless plunderer

• Hackum- bravo or slasher

• Jumper- robber who enters by the window

• Land Lubber- countryside plunderer

• Miller- murderer

• Picaroon- pirate

• Rapparee- outlaw with a rapier

• Scourer- brute who wanders the streets beating strangers and breaking windows

• Waterpad- riverboat robber

Cheats and Recorders

• Affidavit Man- false witness, giving any report for hire.

• Bene Fearer- counterfeiter of bills

• Elf- fairy or hobgoblin

• Glimmerer- sham beggar with false evidence that their belongings were burned in a fire

• Jarkman- counterfeiter of passes, licenses, and certificates for beggars

• Owler- wool smuggler

• Pincher- short-changer

• Sharper- cheat

Information and Haven

• Abbess- brothel mistress

• Amen Curler- parish clerk

• Arch Rogue- chief of a gang.

• Beggar Maker- ale-house keeper.

• Bluffer- inn-keeper. 

• Flash Ken- home that harbors thieves

• Haberdasher of Pronouns- schoolmaster

• Queer Rooster- eavesdropper who pretends to be asleep to spy on thieves in cellars

Miscellaneous Services

• Bandog- bailiff. Double, or monthly fee to leave alone

• Prescription of Aegrotat- apothecary's note excusing you from chapel

• Barker- announcer skilled in drawing business

• Beak- judge or magistrate. Cannot normally be purchased except by nobility

• Bellwether- mob leader. Cost is double if they must provide the mob

• Black Box- lawyer. Double cost for illegal measures, but courtroom antics are included.

• Brother of the String- a fiddler

• Brother of the Whip- a coachman

• Carrion Hunter- undertaker

• Cat's Paw- general-use accomplice

• Catchfart- footboy

• Catchpole- sheriff's deputy

• Cent Per Cent- usurer

• Chop Church- priest who sells church appointments and other preferments

• Family Man- fence

• Feuterer- dog-keeper

• Glim Jack- linkboy. Also called a mooncurser

• Jack Ketch- hangman. Traditionally paid 13 gp per hanging.

• Impost Taker- gaming-table usurer

• Knight of the Rainbow- footman

• Mute- undertaker's servant

• Nimgiver- physician or surgeon, specializing in venereal diseases

• Quill Driver- scribe