Anglesey - Thief Catcher Class
Origins/History The origin of thief catchers is lost in time. Scholars are divided whether it is a talent found originally in Anglesey and then imported to the Empire or vice versa. In either event, during the Empire’s occupation of Anglesey, thief catchers were employed both on the island and across the Empire. During this time, the role of thief catchers changed. During the early years, they were utilized by private citizens to track down criminals, bring them to justice, and to recover stolen goods. This role continued, but the most talented thief catchers were then recruited as Imperial investigators. At first, these investigators were used to track down the most notorious and/or elusive criminals/villains. However, as the Empire became more corrupted a split emerged within the thief catchers - those who were “flexible” in their thinking and supported their changing role within the Empire and those who refused. Empire supporters were expected to track down and eliminate any opponents to the presiding Empire and the lead Imperial families/advisors. They became key components of the Imperial investigating/elimination teams known as the “Emperor’s Own”. The traditionalists refused to hunt down people unless they were evil and expected they would face trials once arrested. As a result, traditionalists either went underground or became targets of their own colleagues who had joined the Emperor’s Own.
Present Day “Fortunately”, for Anglesey thief catchers the revolt came and ended Imperial rule in Anglesey, making Anglesey a ‘safe’ refuge for thief catcher families. Of course the chaos of the revolt and the collapse of civilization on Anglesey made law and order a dream for the people just trying to survive from day to day. This dream became a reality as Anglesey started rising from the ashes in the northeast corner of the lower part of the island. Part of that rise included a highly effective justice system.
In present day, thief catchers are Anglesey's investigative law enforcement officers. It is their job to find the most likely suspect or to uncover criminal/evil activity and to bring the suspect before the courts. Thief catchers are supported by extremely strong resources in Anglesey. They may seek help from the local militia to bring in a particularly difficult suspect. Oath rods guarantee all testimony (and suspect interviews) quickly and reliably reveal the truth. Judge and juries have quick trials and the guilty party is strongly punished. In short, once a thief catcher figures out who to bring before the court, he/she is very strongly supported.
One does not choose to be a thief catcher. You need the talent born into you and then you can choose to follow that path. Usually the innate abilities are passed through families; but sometimes it pops up unexpectedly in a family that has no thief catchers in its past. Those with the ability are forced to take a short (2 month) period of training to learn how to understand and to start to control their abilities – otherwise, the potential thief catcher could suffer severe mental problems. After that initial introduction, the candidate may choose to follow or not follow the path of thief catcher. But, those with the talent, while not forced, are heavily encouraged to become full thief catchers due to the rarity of the talent and the need for it.
Innate ability: Thief catchers are born with the ability to track evil using their sense of smell and sight. This ability works similarly to the tracking ability of a ranger. A ranger has an easier time tracking a large creature as opposed to a smaller creature. Likewise, some terrain is easier to track on than other terrain. How recent the track was made, how distinctive the track is ….. all figure into the ranger’s ability to track the creature. Similarly, the thief catcher has an easier time tracking greater versus lesser evil, more recent versus older tracks, …. and the more traffic there is to confuse the trail, the harder it is to track the creature. Rangers face opponents who try to mask or even erase their trail/tracks; likewise with the thief catcher. Thus, thief catchers are rigorously trained so they can use more than just their innate senses to track down their quarry…
Class Features:
Hit Dice: 1d8 per level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per thief catcher level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armour: Light Armour
Weapons: Anglesey version: Short sword, dagger, short bow (militia training), plus club, sling, net
Tools: Thieves tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Investigation, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Open Locks, and Traps (Find, Remove, and Set)
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
a. A rapier or a shortsword
b. A shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows
c. 2 daggers or a 2nd shortsword
d. Leather armour and thieves tools
e. a dungeoneer’s pack or an explorer’s pack
Expertise:
At first level, choose two of your skill proficiencies and add +1 proficiency bonus to any ability checks with these two skills. At 4th level and every 4th level after that (8, 12, 16, ….) add an additional +1 proficiency bonus to all of your basic thief catcher skills.
Sneak Attack
Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class. Use the Sneak Attack column in the Rogue table.
Cunning Action
Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can only be used to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide Action.
Stunning Attack
Beginning at 3rd level, a thief catcher may choose to make a stunning attack under the following conditions:
a.The player announces he/she is making a stunning attack.
b.The thief catcher makes a successful sneak attack with a club, sling, or another form of blunt weapon. The thief catcher must be able to target the victim’s head or neck. A helmet or other head protection will give the target a bonus to its saving throw. The damage from the attack (no bonuses of any sort) is applied as a penalty to the victim’s saving throw (e.g. a sling does 1d4 damage, if a “3” is rolled then a -3 is applied to the victim’s saving throw).
c.If the target creature succeeds with a saving throw versus constitution (with all bonuses and penalties applied) then no damage is taken and the creature is alerted to the thief catcher and any danger it is in. If the target creature simply fails its throw, then it is stunned for 1 round. If the target creature fails its throw and the throw is equal to or less than the thief catcher’s level, then the creature is knocked unconscious for 1 round. Each round it may re-roll to regain consciousness. If it succeeds, it spends the next round stunned and then can resume normal action. Note: All penalties for stunned and/or unconscious creatures apply (see Player’s Guide p. 292).
Feats
At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, …. You can choose an appropriate feat to add to your character from the list of available feats.
Disarming/Sword Breaker Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can choose to use a sword breaker in your off hand. You can use your bonus action (from Cunning Action) to attempt to disarm your opponent. The player must announce he/she is attempting to disarm the opponent and the opponent must be armed with a sword or knife like weapon that is used in 1 hand (you cannot break an axe or a 2 handed sword; but you can break longswords, shortswords, daggers, …). Next, the sword breaker attack roll must succeed. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw – the thief catcher’s level is added as a penalty to that saving throw. If the throw succeeds, no damage is taken. If the throw fails due to the penalty, the weapon is dropped. If the throw fails and the penalty was not needed, the thief catcher can decide if the weapon was broken or have the victim drop the weapon and make a Constitution saving throw – a failed throw means the victim’s wrist is broken/sprained and unusable until healed.
Uncanny Dodge
At 7th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Mage Hunter
Beginning at 9th level, the thief catcher may invoke the Gods for magical immunity. The thief catcher is immune to all magic directly targeting him/her for the number of rounds equal to his/her level. Magic attacks that are not targeted directly at the thief catcher but still affect him/her (e.g. a nearby fireball) will do ½ damage on a failed saving throw and no damage on a successful saving throw. Also note, this ability affects all magic – including beneficial magic from friendly sources and temporarily annuls all magical effects (thus magical weapons used both by and directly against the thief catcher). The ability can be used once until restored by a long rest. Every 6 levels (15th, 21st….) the thief catcher is able to use this ability an additional time without a long rest. Finally, the Gods may revoke this ability.....
God’s Justice
Beginning at 11th level, the thief catcher may invoke God’s Justice. The thief catcher only needs to touch the victim. At this point, the thief catcher and the victim roll a Wisdom Contest Check. The victim gets its usual bonuses. The thief catcher gets a bonus of ½ of his/her experience levels plus a modifier decided by the DM. This modifier represents the God’s Will. A thief catcher who is targeting a creature that is truly hated by the Gods will get a positive modifier which may be contested by a negative modifier from the victim’s Gods. If the victim wins, he/she immediately knows what the thief catcher is and will, in all likelihood, immediately attack or flee (roll for initiative). If the victim fails, he or she will be stunned for as many rounds as the thief catcher’s experience levels. During this time, the victim relives all the evil acts he/she has done from the perspective of his/her victims. The victim then makes a Constitution Saving Throw (DC based on the level of evil done by the victim). A successful saving throw means the victim revives. A failed throw means either helpless insanity (curled fetal ball type of insanity) or instant death. Needless to say, the Gods may revoke this ability and the target must be a just one (obvious target would be a very powerful and evil someone who would not normally be able to be brought to conventional justice…..).
Divine Retribution
Beginning at 15th level, the thief catcher gains this attribute. An evil aligned creature who damages the thief catcher must make an immediate saving throw versus wisdom or intelligence (whichever modifier is higher). On a successful throw, the creature takes ½ the damage suffered by the thief catcher. On a failed throw, the creature takes the full damage it inflicted on the thief catcher.
Crusade of Justice
At 20th level, the thief catcher gains the ability to call a Crusade of Justice. Against a clear target or center of evil, the thief catcher may make an inspiring speech to a population of non-evil humanoids. Each group in the crowd, makes a Wisdom Saving throw. The DC of the throw is decided by the following factors: the thief catcher’s level, the degree of anger versus the degree of fear of the group towards the evil, and any other modifier deemed appropriate by the DM (e.g. the evil turns from secret worship to openly torturing children to death will add more anger to the crowd which will give a harder DC for the crowd to resist). If the crowd succeeds in their rolls; they disperse and go back to their homes and a few will probably inform (intentionally or not) the target about the thief catcher and his/her attempt. If the crowd fails, the thief catcher is acclaimed the leader of the crowd who will then willingly fight the evil until it is eradicated. The thief catcher may affect the size of the crowd as follows: the number of humanoids X their levels of experience equal to (or less) than the number of levels of the thief catcher times the results of a percentage dice roll (e.g. a 20th level thief catcher rolls a 90% result on the dice; that equals to 20X90=1,800 levels of humanoid followers).
Innate Abilities: Detect and Track Evil
Only thief catchers are born with the ability to track evil. This sensitivity comes at a cost as thief catchers are more vulnerable to being disgusted by that evil. This disgust has two implications: 1. Thief catchers cannot abide an evil act. He/she will feel compelled to act – even against party members. After all, evil acts literally can make the thief catcher sick. 2. This sickness is a chance that a thief catcher will be overwhelmed by the evilness of a place, creature, or act that he/she will be sickened (see “Poisoned” p. 292 Player’s Guide) or even incapacitated (see p. 290). These abilities and sensitivity change over time.
At 1st level, a thief catcher can track obvious evil that has happened recently. Most evils are overwhelming when first encountered and the thief catcher must make a Constitution Saving throw to avoid ill effects. As the thief catcher develops and uses his/her skills, they become more developed and respond better to the thief catcher’s intentions. Likewise, exposure to more evil will allow the thief catcher to counter some of the ill effects.
Tracking – Intelligence checks done by the DM. Note the following time chart. The DM cross references the character’s level versus the time.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
30 min 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours 8 hours 12 hrs 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 wks
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1 mth 2 mths 6 mths 1 year 2 yrs 5 yrs 10 yrs 25 yrs 50 yrs 100 yrs
A 5th level thief catcher can follow a track 8 hours old with no bonuses or penalties. If the same thief catcher was crossing a 30 minute old track, he would receive a bonus (5th-1st + 4 levels, so +4). A 2 week old track for the same thief catcher would be 5th-10th = -5 penalty on the check.
The other factors are the level of evil and its intention. An overwhelming evil that is intentionally showing off its evil act would give a very low DC rating. A subtle evil that is using both magical and non-magical means to mask its activities would have a very high DC rating. Consider the following 2 sets of descriptions when setting a DC (overwhelming (god/demon), very strong (powerful and devoted to evil mortal), strong (magical and/or long term), moderate (magical or noted worshiper), weak (nature of the beast, not its choice), and very weak (mix of good and evil, but has chosen significant evil acts – e.g. loving father who is an assassin). For intention: advertising the evil act intentionally, making no effort to hide it or its nature, simple efforts to disguise involvement/nature, complex non-magical efforts to disguise involvement/nature, and complex non-magical and magical efforts to disguise involvement/nature. Thus, a loving father assassin who coaches the local sports teams and takes considerable pains both magically and non-magically to disguise his real job would have a very high DC versus the evil deity who just painted his name on the side of the pre-school with the blood of his young victims while being observed by the local community…… Of course, the DM makes the rolls; otherwise it’s ‘Rolling dice sound’, followed by, “No, you don’t notice anything in this particular spot…”
Sickness. Every time a thief catcher encounters a new evil, he/she must make a Constitution Saving Throw or be “poisoned” or “incapacitated” until he/she makes a successful saving throw. The thief catcher gets a bonus to his/her throw of ½ the character’s experience levels rounded up (thus a level 5 thief catcher gets a +3 bonus). The DM decides the DC based on how overwhelming the evil is that the thief catcher just encountered. A variant on something already in the thief catcher’s experience would have a low DC (e.g. evil humanoids – having experienced hobgoblins, then orcs are similar enough for a low DC) versus a high DC for the first evil priest encounter being the High Priest of the God of Torments….
Oaths and Conduct
Thief catchers take an oath to uphold the law. On the downside, that means an imposed duty and possible demands from local authorities with the local criminals as an enemy. On the up side, it gives the thief catcher possible support from those authorities or even good community members. It also means support from the priests and priestesses of the Gods of Justice and Mercy and even the deities themselves, provided the thief catcher continues to uphold the standards and expectations of his calling… To ensure the thief catchers keep up these standards, they are interviewed once a year by a random panel of priests from the Gods of Justice and Mercy.
Present Day “Fortunately”, for Anglesey thief catchers the revolt came and ended Imperial rule in Anglesey, making Anglesey a ‘safe’ refuge for thief catcher families. Of course the chaos of the revolt and the collapse of civilization on Anglesey made law and order a dream for the people just trying to survive from day to day. This dream became a reality as Anglesey started rising from the ashes in the northeast corner of the lower part of the island. Part of that rise included a highly effective justice system.
In present day, thief catchers are Anglesey's investigative law enforcement officers. It is their job to find the most likely suspect or to uncover criminal/evil activity and to bring the suspect before the courts. Thief catchers are supported by extremely strong resources in Anglesey. They may seek help from the local militia to bring in a particularly difficult suspect. Oath rods guarantee all testimony (and suspect interviews) quickly and reliably reveal the truth. Judge and juries have quick trials and the guilty party is strongly punished. In short, once a thief catcher figures out who to bring before the court, he/she is very strongly supported.
One does not choose to be a thief catcher. You need the talent born into you and then you can choose to follow that path. Usually the innate abilities are passed through families; but sometimes it pops up unexpectedly in a family that has no thief catchers in its past. Those with the ability are forced to take a short (2 month) period of training to learn how to understand and to start to control their abilities – otherwise, the potential thief catcher could suffer severe mental problems. After that initial introduction, the candidate may choose to follow or not follow the path of thief catcher. But, those with the talent, while not forced, are heavily encouraged to become full thief catchers due to the rarity of the talent and the need for it.
Innate ability: Thief catchers are born with the ability to track evil using their sense of smell and sight. This ability works similarly to the tracking ability of a ranger. A ranger has an easier time tracking a large creature as opposed to a smaller creature. Likewise, some terrain is easier to track on than other terrain. How recent the track was made, how distinctive the track is ….. all figure into the ranger’s ability to track the creature. Similarly, the thief catcher has an easier time tracking greater versus lesser evil, more recent versus older tracks, …. and the more traffic there is to confuse the trail, the harder it is to track the creature. Rangers face opponents who try to mask or even erase their trail/tracks; likewise with the thief catcher. Thus, thief catchers are rigorously trained so they can use more than just their innate senses to track down their quarry…
Class Features:
Hit Dice: 1d8 per level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 + your Constitution modifier per thief catcher level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armour: Light Armour
Weapons: Anglesey version: Short sword, dagger, short bow (militia training), plus club, sling, net
Tools: Thieves tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Investigation, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Open Locks, and Traps (Find, Remove, and Set)
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
a. A rapier or a shortsword
b. A shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows
c. 2 daggers or a 2nd shortsword
d. Leather armour and thieves tools
e. a dungeoneer’s pack or an explorer’s pack
Expertise:
At first level, choose two of your skill proficiencies and add +1 proficiency bonus to any ability checks with these two skills. At 4th level and every 4th level after that (8, 12, 16, ….) add an additional +1 proficiency bonus to all of your basic thief catcher skills.
Sneak Attack
Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class. Use the Sneak Attack column in the Rogue table.
Cunning Action
Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can only be used to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide Action.
Stunning Attack
Beginning at 3rd level, a thief catcher may choose to make a stunning attack under the following conditions:
a.The player announces he/she is making a stunning attack.
b.The thief catcher makes a successful sneak attack with a club, sling, or another form of blunt weapon. The thief catcher must be able to target the victim’s head or neck. A helmet or other head protection will give the target a bonus to its saving throw. The damage from the attack (no bonuses of any sort) is applied as a penalty to the victim’s saving throw (e.g. a sling does 1d4 damage, if a “3” is rolled then a -3 is applied to the victim’s saving throw).
c.If the target creature succeeds with a saving throw versus constitution (with all bonuses and penalties applied) then no damage is taken and the creature is alerted to the thief catcher and any danger it is in. If the target creature simply fails its throw, then it is stunned for 1 round. If the target creature fails its throw and the throw is equal to or less than the thief catcher’s level, then the creature is knocked unconscious for 1 round. Each round it may re-roll to regain consciousness. If it succeeds, it spends the next round stunned and then can resume normal action. Note: All penalties for stunned and/or unconscious creatures apply (see Player’s Guide p. 292).
Feats
At 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, …. You can choose an appropriate feat to add to your character from the list of available feats.
Disarming/Sword Breaker Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can choose to use a sword breaker in your off hand. You can use your bonus action (from Cunning Action) to attempt to disarm your opponent. The player must announce he/she is attempting to disarm the opponent and the opponent must be armed with a sword or knife like weapon that is used in 1 hand (you cannot break an axe or a 2 handed sword; but you can break longswords, shortswords, daggers, …). Next, the sword breaker attack roll must succeed. The target creature must make a Strength saving throw – the thief catcher’s level is added as a penalty to that saving throw. If the throw succeeds, no damage is taken. If the throw fails due to the penalty, the weapon is dropped. If the throw fails and the penalty was not needed, the thief catcher can decide if the weapon was broken or have the victim drop the weapon and make a Constitution saving throw – a failed throw means the victim’s wrist is broken/sprained and unusable until healed.
Uncanny Dodge
At 7th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Mage Hunter
Beginning at 9th level, the thief catcher may invoke the Gods for magical immunity. The thief catcher is immune to all magic directly targeting him/her for the number of rounds equal to his/her level. Magic attacks that are not targeted directly at the thief catcher but still affect him/her (e.g. a nearby fireball) will do ½ damage on a failed saving throw and no damage on a successful saving throw. Also note, this ability affects all magic – including beneficial magic from friendly sources and temporarily annuls all magical effects (thus magical weapons used both by and directly against the thief catcher). The ability can be used once until restored by a long rest. Every 6 levels (15th, 21st….) the thief catcher is able to use this ability an additional time without a long rest. Finally, the Gods may revoke this ability.....
God’s Justice
Beginning at 11th level, the thief catcher may invoke God’s Justice. The thief catcher only needs to touch the victim. At this point, the thief catcher and the victim roll a Wisdom Contest Check. The victim gets its usual bonuses. The thief catcher gets a bonus of ½ of his/her experience levels plus a modifier decided by the DM. This modifier represents the God’s Will. A thief catcher who is targeting a creature that is truly hated by the Gods will get a positive modifier which may be contested by a negative modifier from the victim’s Gods. If the victim wins, he/she immediately knows what the thief catcher is and will, in all likelihood, immediately attack or flee (roll for initiative). If the victim fails, he or she will be stunned for as many rounds as the thief catcher’s experience levels. During this time, the victim relives all the evil acts he/she has done from the perspective of his/her victims. The victim then makes a Constitution Saving Throw (DC based on the level of evil done by the victim). A successful saving throw means the victim revives. A failed throw means either helpless insanity (curled fetal ball type of insanity) or instant death. Needless to say, the Gods may revoke this ability and the target must be a just one (obvious target would be a very powerful and evil someone who would not normally be able to be brought to conventional justice…..).
Divine Retribution
Beginning at 15th level, the thief catcher gains this attribute. An evil aligned creature who damages the thief catcher must make an immediate saving throw versus wisdom or intelligence (whichever modifier is higher). On a successful throw, the creature takes ½ the damage suffered by the thief catcher. On a failed throw, the creature takes the full damage it inflicted on the thief catcher.
Crusade of Justice
At 20th level, the thief catcher gains the ability to call a Crusade of Justice. Against a clear target or center of evil, the thief catcher may make an inspiring speech to a population of non-evil humanoids. Each group in the crowd, makes a Wisdom Saving throw. The DC of the throw is decided by the following factors: the thief catcher’s level, the degree of anger versus the degree of fear of the group towards the evil, and any other modifier deemed appropriate by the DM (e.g. the evil turns from secret worship to openly torturing children to death will add more anger to the crowd which will give a harder DC for the crowd to resist). If the crowd succeeds in their rolls; they disperse and go back to their homes and a few will probably inform (intentionally or not) the target about the thief catcher and his/her attempt. If the crowd fails, the thief catcher is acclaimed the leader of the crowd who will then willingly fight the evil until it is eradicated. The thief catcher may affect the size of the crowd as follows: the number of humanoids X their levels of experience equal to (or less) than the number of levels of the thief catcher times the results of a percentage dice roll (e.g. a 20th level thief catcher rolls a 90% result on the dice; that equals to 20X90=1,800 levels of humanoid followers).
Innate Abilities: Detect and Track Evil
Only thief catchers are born with the ability to track evil. This sensitivity comes at a cost as thief catchers are more vulnerable to being disgusted by that evil. This disgust has two implications: 1. Thief catchers cannot abide an evil act. He/she will feel compelled to act – even against party members. After all, evil acts literally can make the thief catcher sick. 2. This sickness is a chance that a thief catcher will be overwhelmed by the evilness of a place, creature, or act that he/she will be sickened (see “Poisoned” p. 292 Player’s Guide) or even incapacitated (see p. 290). These abilities and sensitivity change over time.
At 1st level, a thief catcher can track obvious evil that has happened recently. Most evils are overwhelming when first encountered and the thief catcher must make a Constitution Saving throw to avoid ill effects. As the thief catcher develops and uses his/her skills, they become more developed and respond better to the thief catcher’s intentions. Likewise, exposure to more evil will allow the thief catcher to counter some of the ill effects.
Tracking – Intelligence checks done by the DM. Note the following time chart. The DM cross references the character’s level versus the time.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
30 min 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours 8 hours 12 hrs 1 day 3 days 1 week 2 wks
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1 mth 2 mths 6 mths 1 year 2 yrs 5 yrs 10 yrs 25 yrs 50 yrs 100 yrs
A 5th level thief catcher can follow a track 8 hours old with no bonuses or penalties. If the same thief catcher was crossing a 30 minute old track, he would receive a bonus (5th-1st + 4 levels, so +4). A 2 week old track for the same thief catcher would be 5th-10th = -5 penalty on the check.
The other factors are the level of evil and its intention. An overwhelming evil that is intentionally showing off its evil act would give a very low DC rating. A subtle evil that is using both magical and non-magical means to mask its activities would have a very high DC rating. Consider the following 2 sets of descriptions when setting a DC (overwhelming (god/demon), very strong (powerful and devoted to evil mortal), strong (magical and/or long term), moderate (magical or noted worshiper), weak (nature of the beast, not its choice), and very weak (mix of good and evil, but has chosen significant evil acts – e.g. loving father who is an assassin). For intention: advertising the evil act intentionally, making no effort to hide it or its nature, simple efforts to disguise involvement/nature, complex non-magical efforts to disguise involvement/nature, and complex non-magical and magical efforts to disguise involvement/nature. Thus, a loving father assassin who coaches the local sports teams and takes considerable pains both magically and non-magically to disguise his real job would have a very high DC versus the evil deity who just painted his name on the side of the pre-school with the blood of his young victims while being observed by the local community…… Of course, the DM makes the rolls; otherwise it’s ‘Rolling dice sound’, followed by, “No, you don’t notice anything in this particular spot…”
Sickness. Every time a thief catcher encounters a new evil, he/she must make a Constitution Saving Throw or be “poisoned” or “incapacitated” until he/she makes a successful saving throw. The thief catcher gets a bonus to his/her throw of ½ the character’s experience levels rounded up (thus a level 5 thief catcher gets a +3 bonus). The DM decides the DC based on how overwhelming the evil is that the thief catcher just encountered. A variant on something already in the thief catcher’s experience would have a low DC (e.g. evil humanoids – having experienced hobgoblins, then orcs are similar enough for a low DC) versus a high DC for the first evil priest encounter being the High Priest of the God of Torments….
Oaths and Conduct
Thief catchers take an oath to uphold the law. On the downside, that means an imposed duty and possible demands from local authorities with the local criminals as an enemy. On the up side, it gives the thief catcher possible support from those authorities or even good community members. It also means support from the priests and priestesses of the Gods of Justice and Mercy and even the deities themselves, provided the thief catcher continues to uphold the standards and expectations of his calling… To ensure the thief catchers keep up these standards, they are interviewed once a year by a random panel of priests from the Gods of Justice and Mercy.