Try a multi-classed (not dual) fighter thief as your character. That way you are involved in a lot of game aspects. You lead the group, scout ahead, detect and lay traps and can instigate battles via your backstab option using your magic users to back you up. You are more personally involved in your thieving exploits when in towns, pickpocketing and stealing from shops etc. You also get some good special abilities including some spells alongside your trap laying skills. Give your man high strength, dexterity and constitution so that he doesn't have to run from battle to save his thieving hide. Before too long he will backstab them and then go toe to toe with the best enemies there are. If you start from scratch then assign a good proportion of your skills to detect traps as Irenicus' dungeon can be a pig if you are poor in this department. Worry about pickpocketing skills later on as all the people will still be around to steal from throughout the game so there's no big rush on that side of things. As a multi class character you will level up slower but if you stick with it you will develop an awesome character that you are always interracting with in one way or another. If you go with this type of char' then you still have an empty slot for a magic user, Nalia is an excellent mage. If you like the idea of a fighter combo then try one, you won't want to play much else afterwards.
EDIT: PS. You can also own two different strongholds with this character type, dunno if it's a bug but who cares.
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It's bleedin dark down here, slippery too.
Man, that's a pisser.
[This message has been edited by Cavern Sniffer (edited 06-23-2001).]