Thief
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The thief is the epitome of roguishness, a resourceful knave relying on stealth and skill to get the upper hand in any situation. Thieves come in all sizes and shapes; some are petty criminals, others are infamous bandits, others still are honest treasure-hunters.
The profession of thief is not honourable, nor is it entirely dishonourable. Many famous folk heroes have been more than a little larcenous; Odysseus, Robin Hood, Till Eulenspiegel, and Esben Askelad are but a few. At his best, the thief is a romantic hero fired by noble purpose but a little wanting in strength of character. Such a person may truly strive for good but continually run afoul of temptation.
Thieves have a limited selection of weapons. Most of their time is spent practising thieving skills. The allowed weapons are; club, all daggers, darts, wardarts, all knives, short bow, light crossbow, rapier, all slings, short-sword, arming sword, and quarterstaff. Thieves can also use pistols at the discretion of your DM.
A thief can wear; gambeson, scale, or adamantine maille. When wearing any allowed armour other than gambeson, the thief's abilities are penalised.He can wear a leathern cap or open helm.
Backstab
Though weak in a straight fight, thieves are masters of the knife in the back. When attacking someone by surprise and from behind, a thief can improve his chance to successfully hit (+4 modifier for rear attack and negate the target's shield and dexterity bonuses) and greatly increase the amount of damage his blow causes.
To use this ability, the thief must be behind his victim and the victim must be unaware that the thief intends to attack him. If an enemy sees the thief, hears him approach from a blind side, or is warned by another, he is not caught unaware, and the backstab is handled like a normal attack (although bonuses for a rear attack still apply).
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the sneak-attack column of the thief table.
The multiplier given in the table below applies to the amount of damage before modifiers for strength or weapon bonuses are added. The weapon's standard damage is multiplied by the value given below. Then strength and magical weapon bonuses are added.
Backstabbing does have limitations. First, the damage multiplier applies only to the first attack made by the thief, even if multiple attacks are possible. Once a blow is struck, the initial surprise effect is lost. Second, the thief cannot use it on every creature. The victim must be generally humanoid.
Backstab Damage Multipliers
| Thief Level | Damage Mod. |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | x2 |
| 5-8 | x3 |
| 9-12 | x4 |
| 13+ | x5 |
Thief Skills
Thieves are adept in the following skills.
Thief Skills
| Skill | Base Score |
|---|---|
| Pick Pockets | 15% |
| Open Locks | 10% |
| Find/Remove Traps | 5% |
| Move Silently | 10% |
| Hide in Shadows | 5% |
| Detect Noise | 15% |
| Climb Sheer Surfaces | 60% |
| Read Langauges | 0% |
Thieves’ Cant
Thieves’ cant is a cryptolect devised by moonlighters to the end that their cozenings, knaveries and villainies might not so easily be perceived and known by agents of the law. It is part dialect, part secret code, allowing you to hide messages in seemingly innocuous conversation. Only other cant-speakers can understand such messages. Thieves’ cant has a distinctly lower-class, “slummy” sound. As such, if you are trying to infiltrate polite society, conversing in thieves’ cant in the company of nobles risks breaking your cover.
Additionally, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves' guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.
Use Scroll
At 10th level, a thief gains a limited ability to use magical and priest scrolls. A thief's understanding of magical writings is far from complete, however. The thief has a 25% chance to read the scroll incorrectly and reverse the spell's effect. This sort of malfunction is almost always detrimental to the thief and his party. It could be as simple as accidentally casting the reverse of the given spell or as complex as a foul-up on a fireball scroll, causing the ball of flame to be centred on the thief instead of its intended target. The exact effect is up to the DM (this is the sort of thing DMs enjoy, so expect the unexpected).
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