The material on this page is a combination of fact and fantasy. I have done a good bit of research on the Romani culture, but I am by no means a Romani scholar. The material on this page is meant to be used in a fantasy setting, and while some of it is authentic, other gaps have been filled in by my imagination. I have tried my best to have the material that isn't authentic to be logical and to fit the spirit of authenticity as much as possible. It is not my intention to offer any insult to the Romani people, and I hope that none take this material as such. Thank you.
Romani Occupations
Anyone wishing to play a Romani character can choose amongst the traditional RP occupations. The following is a list of titles for Romani trades, some of which are specific to the Rom. Details on playing these character types will be presented at this site as soon as I have the time to prepare them.
Please note that all Romani characters automatically gain two "thief" skills...the Pick Pockets ability as well as the Climb Walls ability. However, these abilities have restrictions.
All Romani begin with Pick Pockets at 20%; however, this skill is not used for taking items from people...this is more for picking up items left behind unobtrusively. Because the Romani concept of personal property is different from non-Rom, anything that another person is not holding or using at the moment is considered "abandoned" by the Romani and may be picked up by the Rom character. The Pick Pockets ability just measures the character's chance of successfully picking up the item and hiding it away without notice. Note, however, that the Lacatuchi, the Romani thieves, may take items from individuals...with restrictions. In some Romani occupations, the Pick Pocket skill may be improved as the character increases in level for purposes related to that trade.
All Romani also begin with the Climb Walls skill at 60%. This ability, however, is not for climbing walls in most Romani characters, but for climbing trees. For certain Romani trades, it may also be used for the traditional climbing walls ability, but these are the more "citified" trades. If a Romani character spends most of his or her time in cities, the player may opt to use the ability for the traditional climbing walls; however, if the player chooses this option, he or she may not use the ability to climb trees.
Note on Endings: The "i" ending denotes the plural. Thus, Rajpurdi means more than one soldier or the soldier class in general. The "o" ending denotes a male character. A rajpurdo is a male soldier. The "a" ending denotes a female character, so a female soldier would be a rajpurda.
Titles
Rajpurdi (Soldiers)--these are the warriors of the Romani race. They are straightforward fighters.
Cutitari (Blademasters)--these Romani warriors are more specialized than the Rajpurdi. Specifically, their primary training is with bladed weapons.
Lacatuchi (Thieves)--these characters are the ones who give the Romani their reputation for larceny. However, Romani thieves usually operate within a very strict code.
Sfirnari (Animal Trainers)--these characters handle and train animals both for work and entertainment purposes. The class combines attributes of both the rogue and ranger classes.
Lautari (Musicians)--these are the bards of the Romani people. Please note that the Lautari are strictly musicians. They may have other talents, but music is primary for them.
Gitani (Dancers)--like the Lautari, these are Romani bards, but their specialty is dance. Their dancing style is quite similar to the Spanish flamenco style.
Drabardi (Fortune Tellers)--fortune telling is another thing that the Romani are noted for. These characters are most often women, and deal in divinatory magick.
Drabengi (Herbalists)--these Romani excel in herb lore, using their knowledge both to make magickal potions as well as deadly poisons. Please note that evil poisoners are frowned upon by mainstream Romani society.
Mulanari (Necromancers)--this class is quite rare in mainstream Romani society, due to the many Romani superstitions about death and the dead. Evil Mulanari are not tolerated by mainstream Romani society.
Develari (Clerics)--these are the Romani who promote the worship of the various Romani gods. These are the "worldly" religious folk of Romani society; they are permitted to marry and have families.
Phralipari (Priests)--these Romani are rather rare, but they do exist. They promote the gods just as do the Develari, but they devote their entire lives to their gods. The Phraliparo would be a Catholic priest whereas a Develaro would be a Protestant minister.
Sastari (Healers)--these are the clerics who excel in the art of healing. They worship the god from whom their healing comes, but the healing is their primary focus.
Zinkalari (Evil Priests)--this is another class that is frowned upon by mainstream Romani society, although this character class does exist.
Titles for Artisans
Argintari (Silversmiths)
Aurari (Goldsmiths)
Calderari (Coppersmiths)
Churari (Makers of bladed weapons)
Costorari (Tinworkers)
Ferari (Makers and repairers of wagons and carriages)
