How often does your DM or yourself use thieves Cant in general. Does it actually come up in your campaigns?
I personally enjoy it, but rarely ever get to actually use it. I think I have had a dm that used it 2x ever since 5e came out. And there was 1 other time when there were multiple rogues we used it for code. So 3x in maybe 40+ campaigns total.
I am curious to others’ experiences with Thieves Cant
I've not usually DM'ed players experienced as thieves, so not had the opportunity to allow them to message one and another. That said, decades ago I had a half elf thief who would use it to message the rest of the band of bandits.
part of the problem is sometimes in the way we play thieves as well. Think how common Thieves that are played for reasons to be opportunistic or practically little klepto's are unfortunately played. Some of it can be blamed on DM's. But some of it can sometimes be blamed on us because we don't tell the DM's we want to go looking for local thieves to see about getting some things on the cheap or make sure we're not stepping on toes of the locals to steal something. But all over the place there are posts and stories of people using it just like some kind of unlimited ATM card to rob the merchants blind because the party is just going to move on and it really doesn't matter in their eyes. Some DM's help facilitate this. Some DM's just don't have the tools to think of all the ways to punish something like this. One of which might be sending other thieves after the party thief for doing such things in their area.
I think when you have a campaign with multiple thieves it changes things (and in a good way). They can start working together, using the cant as a code, and in combat or things like the pick pocket to more complex heist RPing can be really interesting, as can the chase. To me, thieves are a blast, but they play small ball (i.e. they aren't about hitting a homerun, but instead about chipping away, getting on base, and then stealing second and once there the real fun starts --- then they can steal signs, distract a pitcher, and help the batter -- this makes thieves the middle infielders of D&D).
As with all things you need DMs and multiple players wanting to all go a certain direction.
I've not usually DM'ed players experienced as thieves, so not had the opportunity to allow them to message one and another. That said, decades ago I had a half elf thief who would use it to message the rest of the band of bandits.
What about yourself? Having things like thieves Cant graffiti along a building or cave or etc?
do you initiate any of it?
I think it’s a very underutilized part of the rogue. And to the person above regarding Druidic, it’s not quite the same, realistically and historically, there are a lot more rogues and thieves in the world, and society, than there are druids. So it’s more likely, theoretically to come up.
I've not usually DM'ed players experienced as thieves, so not had the opportunity to allow them to message one and another. That said, decades ago I had a half elf thief who would use it to message the rest of the band of bandits.
What about yourself? Having things like thieves Cant graffiti along a building or cave or etc?
do you initiate any of it?
I think it’s a very underutilized part of the rogue. And to the person above regarding Druidic, it’s not quite the same, realistically and historically, there are a lot more rogues and thieves in the world, and society, than there are druids. So it’s more likely, theoretically to come up.
I try to remember to mark certain groups territories in thieves cant type ways in large urban environments. specially if there may be more than one group operating in that area due to my world building. Though I admit I've forgotten a time or two. But I haven't run across it nearly as much as a player.
How often does your DM or yourself use thieves Cant in general. Does it actually come up in your campaigns?
I personally enjoy it, but rarely ever get to actually use it. I think I have had a dm that used it 2x ever since 5e came out. And there was 1 other time when there were multiple rogues we used it for code. So 3x in maybe 40+ campaigns total.
I am curious to others’ experiences with Thieves Cant
Watch me on twitch
I've not usually DM'ed players experienced as thieves, so not had the opportunity to allow them to message one and another. That said, decades ago I had a half elf thief who would use it to message the rest of the band of bandits.
part of the problem is sometimes in the way we play thieves as well. Think how common Thieves that are played for reasons to be opportunistic or practically little klepto's are unfortunately played. Some of it can be blamed on DM's. But some of it can sometimes be blamed on us because we don't tell the DM's we want to go looking for local thieves to see about getting some things on the cheap or make sure we're not stepping on toes of the locals to steal something. But all over the place there are posts and stories of people using it just like some kind of unlimited ATM card to rob the merchants blind because the party is just going to move on and it really doesn't matter in their eyes. Some DM's help facilitate this. Some DM's just don't have the tools to think of all the ways to punish something like this. One of which might be sending other thieves after the party thief for doing such things in their area.
I think when you have a campaign with multiple thieves it changes things (and in a good way). They can start working together, using the cant as a code, and in combat or things like the pick pocket to more complex heist RPing can be really interesting, as can the chase. To me, thieves are a blast, but they play small ball (i.e. they aren't about hitting a homerun, but instead about chipping away, getting on base, and then stealing second and once there the real fun starts --- then they can steal signs, distract a pitcher, and help the batter -- this makes thieves the middle infielders of D&D).
As with all things you need DMs and multiple players wanting to all go a certain direction.
What about yourself? Having things like thieves Cant graffiti along a building or cave or etc?
do you initiate any of it?
I think it’s a very underutilized part of the rogue. And to the person above regarding Druidic, it’s not quite the same, realistically and historically, there are a lot more rogues and thieves in the world, and society, than there are druids. So it’s more likely, theoretically to come up.
Watch me on twitch
I try to remember to mark certain groups territories in thieves cant type ways in large urban environments. specially if there may be more than one group operating in that area due to my world building. Though I admit I've forgotten a time or two. But I haven't run across it nearly as much as a player.
Everyone's always talking about what thieves can't, but never what thieves can.