Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief...

BEGGAR (#26/29, #57/365) [POT]

SKILL: 4

STAMINA: 5

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Dagger or Club

ARMOUR: None

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Towns, Plains, Ruins, Dungeons

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1 or 1-6

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Friendly-Neutral

INTELLIGENCE: High

A BEGGAR is a person who has fallen on hard times and who has been driven to appealing for alms from passersby due to destitution, homelessness, and poverty. They may be lifelong Beggars, or only recently-impoverished, and thus still carrying some scraps of their previous life. Most Beggars however, will have little in the way of possessions other than dirty rags for clothes, a simple weapon such as a rusty dagger or club, a beggar's bowl to collect alms, and likely some sort of pouch or pocket to store their hard-worn coinage. They are equally happy accepting food, mugs of Herbal Tea, or a mug of ale, but money is preferred, and, if given enough, may reveal rumours they have overheard or describe things they have seen, such as follows:

Beggar Knowledge Table:

1 The Beggar knows of a big heist about to go down soon.

2 The Beggar knows the whereabouts of some treasure that they are otherwise unable to access.

3 The Beggar knows the location of a large monster that has been terrorizing the local populace.

4 The Beggar knows the whereabouts of a powerful spellcaster who may be attempting to keep a low profile.

5 The Beggar knows the location of the local Thieves' Guild and the traps that guard its entrances.

6 The Beggar knows the identity of the perpetrator of a recent crime that grabbed the attention of the local settlement.

In addition, roll on the following table to determine any afflictions a beggar may have:

Beggar Affliction Table:

1 Disease: Roll for type: 1 Leprosy, 2 Yellow Plague, 3 Scarlet Plague, 4 Dire Trembling, 5 Wasting Disease, 6 Lung Rot.

2 Insanity: The Beggar has lost their mind, owing to some previous horrific tragedy. Roll a die for behaviour: 1-2 Attack!, 3-4 Normal, 5-6 Cower and flee!

3 Missing Part: The Beggar is missing part of their anatomy. Roll: 1 Eyes, 2 Tongue, 3 Hand, 4 Leg, 5 Arm, 6 Both Legs.

4 "Normal": The Beggar does not currently suffer from any afflictions.

5 Disguise: The Beggar is actually something else in disguise. Roll: 1 Spy, 2 Assassin, 3 Hag, 4 Thief, 5 Adventurer, 6 Illusionist.

6 Magical: The Beggar is actually something else entirely. Roll: 1 Shapechanger, 2 Doppleganger, 3 Suma, 4 Genie, 5 Hell Demon, 6 Hellfire Spirit.

Beggars are governed by the Beggarman's Code, which delineates who can use which patch or territory to collect alms. Those who break the code are cursed with the Beggar's Mark, a series of scratches upon the back of one's hand. Beggars are found in any city or town, and in some settlements, such as Port Blacksand, have even organized themselves into an official Beggars' Guild run by Serxus the Beggar Lord, to further their interests and protect their guildmembers. All Beggars pay ultimate allegiance to the Beggar-King Holagar the Wretched, overlord of Shakuru, the City of Beggars that rots and decays on the outskirts of the Scythera Desert in distant Khul. Infamous beggars include Bargo the Wheeler of Port Blacksand, a former soldier who lost both his legs in a long-ago war, and Barnabas the Beggar, who haunts the dungeons known as Shaggradd's Hives of Peril, pestering adventurers for gold to buy cups of Herbal Tea.