Thieves are great!

[Tancred]

The title says it all. I'm playing the BG saga right the way through (they only went and rewrote the end, didn't they?) again with my original cast of NPCs; Tancred the Paladin and his motley crew. Back when I first played the game, I was admittedly a bit hesitant to try things - the party was geared to fight in combat. Imoen and Dynaheir would offer support while Minsc, Khalid and Jahiera went in weapons flailing. Anything we couldn't handle with brute force we left alone until we COULD handle it with brute force. Imoen was our scout and trapspotter. Dynaheir used the same spells over and over.

Well, now, after smashing my way through the saga once already I've become more proficient in the skills of BG - thieving especially. Once you get to the city of Baldur's Gate the uses for a Thief become more and more apparent. I've gained a newfound respect for anyone who plays a thief, and although combat is exhilirating, there's nothing like the smug feeling of completing a thievery-style quest with no bloodshed but heaps of skill - hiding in corners, skipping from area to area, making sure the coast is clear etc. There are so many things you can do that other people can't as a Thief, and that is all part of the attraction.

Fantastic stuff. Next up, I think, I'll play as a Thief. Fantastic fun. For anyone who hasn't perfected the art of stealth and cunning, give it a try - one small purple-clad girl can accomplish what four heavily-armed warriors cannot. As for anyone revelling in the challenge of thievery, good on you!

[Lemernis]

Thieves are great. And I agree with you about BG city--it is hog heaven for a cat burglar. I only looted Duke Entar's estate and the Duchal Palace in the past, but I can't agree more. I was amazed at how much fun it was to try to remain undetected and loot those places. It was a hell of a lot of fun. Also in the earlier chapters when in Beregost I send my thief out at night and loot the city. My rule of thumb: always work at night, and let no one ever see your thief do his or her thing. (Even though in many cases they would simply stand their and watch you loot their homes.)

[andy the assasin]

Ive always played as a theif (in any Rpg i can really) because there always so good.

From AD&D 2nd edition handbook.

The world of the thief is a world of darkness and stealth, hidden from the eyes of respectable folk, yet often under the scrutiny of the zealous enforcers of the law. It is a world of courage and fear, of bravado and cowardice, of violence and treachery.
Yet it is also a world of color and laughter, lively parties and bustling markets. The thief, more than any other character class, practices his arts among his fellow men (or halflings, or elves, or whatever). He seeks the gatherings of population, the confluence of wealth and avarice, where treasures are there for the taking.
To be sure, many a thief has proven his worth time and again in the darkest reaches of a forgotten dungeon, among the snowy peaks of the bleakest of wild vistas, or within the halls of a fortress or military camp. Quests into the wild contain as much appeal for the thief as they do for other characters. In fact, should the prospect of treasure appear significant enough, many a thief will lead the way in encouraging his companions to embark on such a mission.
But when the adventurers return to the sheltering walls of their homes, wherever these may be, and rejoin the population, the thief is best equipped to find adventure there. And when such adventure is discovered, it is thiefly skills that are most often called into play.
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Chapter 1:Role-Playing Thieves

Thieves are perhaps the most fascinating and diverse class of player-characters in the AD&D® game-or at least they can be, if played properly. The thief has a certain innate, charming flair, which the Player's Handbook describes: "Thieves are people who feel that the world (and everyone in it) somehow owes them a living. They get by day by day, living in the highest style they can afford and doing as little work as possible . . ."
This is an accurate description of many thieves, but not all; and there are many exceptions. You will find that the character-that is, the personality-of your thief character will be very important, vital to making the thief a living, breathing person. It makes them more fun to play, too.
Personality, then, is the topic of this chapter. It comes before the chapters of technical information on kits, new abilities and so forth, because we believe that when you are designing a thief character, perhaps even more so than with other classes, personality considerations should come first. Who is this character? Where is he from? Why is he a thief-has he stolen bread crumbs all his life just to survive, or is he an idle fop who moonlights as a burglar just for thrills?
After asking yourself such questions, and answering them, you will then be better able to proceed into the technical details. Your character will exist in your mind, and the task will then be just a matter of translating that vision into working game terms.

[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: The Dark ]

Thieves are great fun. The sneaky/stealthy element really appeals to me, although I do actually prefer mages and bards in general.