The Thief

Thieves come in all sizes and shapes, ready to live off the fat of the land by the easiest means possible. In some ways they are the epitome of roguishness. They, unlike most of the other O.C.C.'s, are skilled in stealth, subterfuge, trickery and robbery.

The profession of thief is not honorable, yet it is not entirely dishonorable, either. Many famous folk heroes have been more than a little. 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. At worst, He is a cutthroat villian ho will use bushwhacking tactics, poisons and torture to get that which he wants.

The thief's prime requisite is Physical Prowess; a character must have a minimum score of 11 to qualify for the class. While high numbers in other scores (particularly I.Q.) are desirable, they are not necessary. The thief can have any alignment although principled thieves are extremely rare. Many are at least partially neutral.

Thieves have a limited selection of weapons they prefer to use. Most of their time is spent practicing thieving skills. Daggers, darts, hand crossbows, lassos, short bows, slings, s short swords, and staffs are most popular. A thief's preferred armours are leather, studded leather, padded leather, or elven chain armor.

Special Thieves Skills: Thieves have a number of skills that are special to their profession. Although others may learn similar skills they are not the same as those taught to the thieves and actually pale in the comparison.

1. Pick Pockets:
   The thief uses this skill when filching small items from other peoples' pockets, sleeves, girdles, packs, etc., when palming items (such as keys), and when performing simple sleight of hand.

   A failed attempt means the thief did not get an item, but it does not mean that his attempt was detected. To determine whether the victim noticed the thief's indiscretion, add three times the victim's level to 1%. A 0th-level victim, for example, notices the attempt only if he rolls 01% , while a 13th-level character notices the attempt on a dice roll of 40% or less. A successful pickpockets roll can also be noticed by the victim but is much harder. To determine whether the victim noticed the thief's indiscretion, add the victim's level to 01%.

   A thief of higher level than his victim is less likely to be caught pilfering. The chance that the victim notices the attempt can be modified by subtracting the victim's level from the thief's level, and then subtracting this number from the percentage chance the victim has to detect.

   A thief can try to pick someone's pocket as many times as he wants. Neither failure nor success prevents additional attempts, but getting caught might! The base skill percentage for the Theives Pick Pockets skill is 40% +5% per level.

2. Pick/Open Locks:
   A thief can try to pick padlocks, finesse combination locks (if they exist), and solve puzzle locks (locks with sliding panels, hidden releases, and concealed keyholes). Picking a padlock requires tools. Using typical thief's tools grants normal chances for success. Using improvised tools (a bit of wire, a thin dirk, a stick, etc.) imposes a penalty on the character's chance for success. The GM sets the penalty based on the situation; penalties can range from -5% for an improvised but suitable tool, to -40% for an awkward and unsuitable item (like a stick). The amount of time required to pick a lock is 1d10 rounds. A thief can try to pick a particular lock only once per experience level. If the attempt fails, the lock is simply too difficult for the character until he learns more about picking locks (goes up a level). The base skill percentage for the Theives Pick/Open Locks skill is 45% +5% per level.
3. Find/Remove Traps:
   The thief is trained to find traps and alarms. These include poisoned needles, spring blades, deadly gases, and warning bells.

   To find the trap, the thief must be able to touch and inspect the trapped object. If the thief finds a trap, he knows its general principle but not its exact nature. A thief can check an item for traps once per experience level. Searching for a trap takes 1d10 rounds.

   Once a trap is found, the thief can try to remove it or disarm it. A thief can attempt to disarm a trap once per experience level. This also requires 1d10 rounds. If the dice roll indicates success, the trap is disarmed. If the dice roll indicates failure, the trap is beyond the thief's current skill. If the dice roll is 98-100, the thief accidentally triggers the trap and suffers the consequences.

   This skill is far less useful when dealing with magical or invisible traps. Thieves can attempt to remove these traps, but their chances of success are half their normal percentages. The base skill percentage for the Theives Find/Remove traps skill is 30% +5% per level.

4. Hide in Shadows:
   A thief can try to disappear into shadows or any other type of concealment -- bushes, curtains, crannies, etc. A thief can hide this way only when no one is looking at him; he remains hidden only as long as he remains virtually motionless. (The thief can make small, slow, careful movements: draw a weapon, uncork a potion, etc.) A thief can never become hidden while a guard is watching him, no matter what his dice roll is--his position is obvious to the guard. However, trying to hide from a creature that is locked in battle with another is possible, as the enemy's attention is fixed elsewhere. The base skill percentage for the Theives hide in Shadows skill is 30% +5% per level.
5. Detect Noise:
   A good thief pays attention to every detail, no matter how small, including faint sounds that most others miss. His ability to hear tiny sounds (behind heavy doors, down long hallways, etc.) is much better than the ordinary person's. Listening is not automatic; the thief must stand still and concentrate on what he's hearing for one round. He must have silence in his immediate surroundings and must remove his helmet or hat. Sounds filtering through doors or other barriers are unclear at best. The base skill chance for the Theives Detect Noise skill is perception roll as if the thieves perception was 5 higher (ie perception 20 rolls as if perception 25)
6. Thieves' Cant:
   All theives know the Thieves' cant which is a special form of communication known by all thieves and their associates. It is not a distinct language; it consists of slang words and implied meanings that can be worked into any language. The vocabulary of thieves' cant limits its use to discussing things that interest thieves: stolen loot, easy marks, breaking and entering, mugging, confidence games, and the like. It is not a language, however. Two thieves cannot communicate via thieves' cant unless they know a common language. The cant is useful, however, for identifying fellow cads and bounders by slipping a few tidbits of lingo into a normal conversation. The base skill percentage for the Theives cant skill is 70% +5% per level.

Attribute Requirements: P.P.: 11, A high I.Q. is also preferred but not nessessary.
Alignment: Any, but usually Selfish.
Gender: Male or Female
Race: Any
O.C.C. Skills:

Math: Basic (+10%)
Appraisal (+15%)
Prowl (+20%)
Palming (+20%)
Climb/Scale Walls (+15%)
Languages: Native Toungue at 98% plus one other of choice (+10%)
Locate Secret Compartments/Doors (+15%)
Streetwise (+15%)
W.P. of Choice
Hand to Hand: Thief

O.C.C. Related Skills:Choose 2 other skills form the Espionage skill category and six other skills at level 1 , plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency.

Communications: Any
Domestic: Any (+5%)
Espionage: Any (+10%)
Horsemanship: General or Exotic Only.
Labour: Any (+5%)
Medical: Brewing and First Aid Only.
Military: None
Naval: None
Performance Arts: Any
Physical: Any
Rogue: Any (+20%)
Science: Math Only
Scholar/Technical: Any
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: None

Secondary Skills: Choose 4 at level 1, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency. These are additional areas of knowledge that don't get the O.C.C. bonus.

Experiance and Combat Table:

Level	Experience	Hand to Hand: Thief
1	0-1,850	2 Attacks per melee, +3 roll
2	1,851-3,700	+2 to Strike/Parry/Dodge
3	3,701-7,400	Kick Attacks: Karate style kick (2d4 dam) and 2 of choice except jump kicks
4	7,401-13,000	Critical Strike from behind
5	13,001-22,000	+2 Damage
6	22,001-33,000	3 Attacks per Melee
7	33,001-47,000	Critical Strike from behind x3
8	47,001-66,000	Critical Strike: 17 to 20
9	66,001-91,400	+4 to Strike/Parry/Dodge
10	91,401-131,500	Stun: 18 or 20
11	131,501-171,600	4 Attacks per melee
12	171,601-221,700	+4 Damage
13	221,701-272,800	+6 to Strike/Parry/Dodge
14	272,801-326,900	Critical Strike from behind x4
15	326,901-378,000	5 Attacks per melee