[Amergin]

i routinely side with bodhi now, dropping off keldorn or mazzy temporarily so they won't leave when i join (they're silent on the matter when they rejoin). whether thief or vampire, the end is the same: you get to spellhold.

advantages of siding with vampires: you get the mace of disruption early (great for the umar hills); you can get a +3 throwing axe that you can NOT get working for the thieves; you only fight in the vampire crypts once, sparing you the boredom and redundancy of doing it twice; the fights in the guild are far more challenging, varied, and fun than smiting down the undead; no more vampire ambushes in the city at night; the satisfaction and notoriety of taking down the largest thieves' guild this side of waterdeep.

advantages of siding with thieves: you get the amulet of power and +2 ring of protection earlier than with vampires; you will have potential but unneeded allies versus the vamps when you return from spellhold.

some people claim that siding with the thieves nets you more xp, but i'm willing to bet money that the difference, if there is one, is less than 5k. and don't buy into the b.s. argument that one side is "good" and the other is "evil"; that's like saying the mafia are good guys compared to serial killers.

winner, imo: the vampires. and if you want the thief stronghold, do the maevar quest etc before choosing a side (iow, don't go to the graveyard at night with more than 15k in your pocket).