"Thieves' Cant or Rogues' Cant was a secret language which was formerly used by thieves, beggars and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries. The classic, colourful argot is now mostly obsolete, and is largely relegated to the realm of literature and fantasy role-playing, although individual terms continue to be used in the criminal subcultures of both Britain and the United States."
Just a useful link for anyone who might be playing a criminal or other similar type of character, now or in the future:
http://www.thievesguild.cc/cant/cant2english.php
There's way too many words for my head!
So this old hand was nipping clanks (a regular clank napper, you follow?) when some cacklin' auntie with a hole in need of pluggin' peaches up and gives office and next thing I know I'm being invited by two hamlets and Papa Porker. Turns out some kiddeys bing with a singin' tap of me shoulder and I'm loaded up in a goaler's coach ready to have a hearty choke-chat around thumbs. Now, for how I got goin' home...
What's that? What're you lookin' at me like a milch cow for? It's gibberish, benny!
Quote from: AClockworkMelon;246521So this old hand was nipping clanks (a regular clank napper, you follow?) when some cacklin' auntie with a hole in need of pluggin' peaches up and gives office and next thing I know I'm being invited by two hamlets and Papa Porker. Turns out some kiddeys bing with a singin' tap of me shoulder and I'm loaded up in a goaler's coach ready to have a hearty choke-chat around thumbs. Now, for how I got goin' home...
What's that? What're you lookin' at me like a milch cow for? It's gibberish, benny!
He has such a way with words.
A good and interesting idea, but I don't want to learn rogue tongue
Nobody said you had to, dude...
Its a reference point for anyone who might want to play a rogue/criminal and add some flair, or write coded letters.
If it makes you feel better I thought it was pretty neat. I wouldn't try to actually use the language of course (see my above post) but there's some cool slang in there that'd be fun to see used IG.
I've seen the link before, and spent alot of time learning the phrases a few years back! It's amazing if someone else knows the cant, and you can just talk away with everyone else thinking its rubbish. When infact your planning to mug them/rob a bank/assassinate someone.
Great post!
The Cant is great! At times it's irritating how many people who are non-criminal/non-law enforcement seem to know and recognize it when it's used but otherwise it's glorious!
When DMing it was always the the kind of thing that made me want to make IC items scripted with lore checks/etc then giving criminals a sort of "Decoder ring" item with excessive lore boosts that could only be used to crack their buddies codes but no one else could unless huge wizardly scholars/Librarian type PC's investigating with the guard.
Thus making "Scholar" types targeted by criminals more than just "Them brewers got gold", etc. Or people giving scholar jobs to make stronger codes or...
But yeah, getting carried away but it's an old plot device for NWN/EFU that is great!