Thieves go about their business unseen by others.

A thief can be a scout, burglar, pickpocket, or robber. Their skills (hiding in shadows, picking pockets, opening locks, detecting traps, climbing walls, ...) depend upon stealth and a high dexterity (create a thief, name a thief). By adhering to time-tested protocols, thieves gain their skills via Sesamar and Desamar, but they sometimes worship an avatar.

Thief hierarchy is this:

Pickpocket	Levels 1 - 2
Burglar	Levels 3 - 6
Thief	Levels 7 - 9
Master Thief	Levels 10+

Thieves are ever present in Poxmuth and Joria. These cities are notorious for violent thieves and assassins. However, Vullaria has a well-known thieves guild, called the Friends of Findus.

Skills Modified by Research
Thieves have a number of skills available to them. If a thief spends time studying his/her mark, the path of a climb, the type of lock to be picked, ..., thieves' chances of success can be positively affected, according to this table.

The modifier above must be placed on the base modifier before any other modifiers and cannot raise the chance above 100%.

Climb Walls
Regarding the climbing of walls, a new mechanic will be adopted. A thief can climb a typical wall at 10'/round with little sound. If a thief is under no pressure to climb a wall, then the thief will gain a +10% modifier for success. If a wall is slick or it has few or small handholds, the thief will gain a -10% modifier. If a thief fails a roll, it means there is a failure, but not necessarily a fall. The following table will be referenced in the case of a failed climb.

Falling off of a 50' wall is very hazardous by this mechanic. A 1d4 would be rolled and the multiplier would be 8 times the damage (8, 16, 24, or 32 points of damage).

Pick Pockets
Thieves can take small objects from a target's pockets, pouches, girdles, ... The chance for success is 35% plus 5% per level of the thief minus 5% per level of the target. If the thief rolls 25% or more than the required amount for success, the target will notice the thief's pickpocket attempt.

If a 8th level thief tries to pick the pocket of a 5th level cleric, the base chance of success is 35% + 8(5%) - 5(5%) = 35% + 40% - 25% = 50%. If the thief fails and rolls a 75% or greater, the cleric will be aware of the attempt.

Move Silently
All thieves are normally quiet, but they can make attempts to move silently. The base chance of success is 17% plus 8% per level of the thief. Failing a roll means a noise was made, but the thief may not necessarily be seen. It may mean someone will investigate or be in an alerted state.

Hide in Shadows
Thieves are good at hiding themselves among night time alleys, dimly lit corners, and such low light areas. The base chance for success is 12% plus 8% per level of the thief. Not hiding in shadows will mean anyone who intently watching the area will see movement but not necessarily the identity of the thief. People who are in the area but not intently watching would have to make a perception check to see movement.

Pick Locks
If a thief has a lockpicking device, the thief can pick a lock with the base chance of success being 25% plus 7% per level of the thief. A thief can use an improvised device -- thin shaft -- to perform the pick at a disadvantage determined by the game master. Failing to pick a lock means the thief cannot try that lock again until he gains a level of experience.

Identify and Remove Traps
The thief has to locate a trap and then disarm it in two separate attempts. The base chance is 25% plus 7% per level of the thief. Some traps may not be deactivated by the thief, as they may be too elaborate or the geometry may make it impossible. Like locks, failure to deactivate means the thief will have to try again after he gains a level of experience.

Hear Noise
By listening and controlling the thief's breathing, he can hear better than most characters. The base chance to hear a noise is 10% plus 3% per level of the thief. Let it be known that a thief cannot hear something that is silent.

Read Languages
Thieves are able to recognize certain types of common or historical or nearby creature languages. The chance of success is 5% plus 5% per level of the thief. Success means the thief recognizes the language and may gleam a rudimentary understanding of the language. The thief could gleam a choppy understanding that may be misinterpreted by the thief.

For instance, a 10th level thief has a 55% chance of recognizing the writing found within a leather-bound book (found during his travels in a dungeon). He succeeds his roll and the gamemaster indicates it is a recipe for a healing remedy. It has an ingredient list and procedures for making the remedy. The thief would be taking a huge risk by making the healing remedy and ingesting it, as the thief runs a risk of getting something wrong and ruining the remedy or possibly creating a poison that could kill the thief.

Back Stab
Thieves can attack targets from behind. Attacking a target from behind means the target gets no shield or dexterity adjustment for armor class. A surprise attack means the thief gains a +4 to-hit for attack. The damage bonus is based on the thief's level.

Thief Speak
Thieves are able to use coded speech and possible symbols to communicate with each other. The speech can be certain key phrases that may or may not include hand gestures, facial expressions, or motions. Thieves can use common symbols to impart messages to each other, too. Some of these codes are area specific; so, a thief from one continent would likely mot know the thief speak in another continent.

Specializations
Thieves can specialize, which provides certain advantages and disadvantages. Each specialization is listed below.

Analyst

This specialist gains these tactical abilities: combat effectiveness and detect lie. Analysts gain a +20% modifier for finding/removing traps and picking locks. Other thieves have a -20% when they try to move silently against analysts. Analysts cannot pick pockets or climb walls past level 1 ability.

Combat Effectiveness
Analysts can gain an advantage against opponents with whom they first observe for at least 2 rounds of fighting (attacking or defending). Thieves use the climb walls table but have a -2%/level of their opponent. A successful roll means the observed target lowers his or her armor class by three levels verses attacks by the analyst. The weakness lasts until the observed target gains a level.

Detect Lie
This specialist has a chance to detect lies. The analyst must know the language of the speaker. The base chance is found using the find trapspercentage. Here are modifiers the analyst gains against non-analysts: +15% if analyst knows the speaker, +10% if analyst knows some truthful details surrounding the speaker's message.

Outlaw

Outlaws are more weighted as fighters than thieves. These specialists use the fighter tables for attacks, saving throws, and other purposes like gaining levels from experience. Both their strength and dexterity scores have to be 9 or higher. They can specialize with weapons as fighters, too. However, they can hear noise as a thief and choose only two other thief skills. To use thief skills, they must be wearing armor that is available to thieves.

Scout

Scouts are thieves that cannot pick locks nor pick pockets. However, scouts have these abilities that normal thieves do not: ambush, concealment, survival, and tracking (see ranger abilities).

Ambush
This is the ability to set a trap for an advancing person or group. The scout is able to select a section of terrain that is good for an ambush, such as a forest path, ravine, or any area offering concealment, protective obstacles, a path for withdrawal, and a good view of the target. The trap involves the ambushers to use ranged weaponry without the use of initiative. A scout or group of scouts have a base chance of 50% to detect an ambush. This chance is adjusted against the level of the ambusher: +10% for each level the scout's level is higher than the ambusher's level. If the person who is setting the ambush does not have the skill ambush, the scout gets an additional +20% bonus for detection.

Concealment
As long as a scout is among other thieves or is alone, the scout can move under concealment so long as there are obstacles to hide behind and the thief moves silently. As one can see, scouting is best done alone because it is the most quiet way to move.

Survival
This ability allows the scout to eat, drink and find shelter in known environments.