Has anyone noticed--half orcs can be thieves?

I noticed perusing the manual that half orcs were listed among the races when they were talking about racial penalties and benefits to thieving skills. I couldn't believe this find. Can you imagine how powerful a thief is with 19 strength (when someone else in your party also would have 19 strength wearing the girdle)? And no penalties to any stats that count. Thieves can't normally get even a lousy 18/01. Half orcs can't dualclass of course, so the question is, assasin or swashbuckler... or multiclass fighter/thief? Wow, a half-orc thief--it could be so powerful it would be like cheating. Make him evil and he can use the best leather armor in the game. Any thoughts on the ideal party composition with a thief PC?

Interesting idea. I'd probably go with an assassin for backstab (with that nice hit and damage bonus); Korgan, Mazzy, Jaheira, Viconia and Edwin. It could work. The shadow dragon scales are better than the human flesh, though, aren't they?

[Yorick]

Can thieves wear Shadow Dragon scale? I knew Valygar could. If they can Shadow Dragon scale would definitely be better. It's up there.
Regardless what about Mae'vars Shadow Armour (with stealth bonus) or The purple armour you get from Ribald, or the Leather Armour you get as reward for Umar hills? They're all pretty good for thieves.

Human flesh gives me the creeps - and that's all I'll say seeing as I got picked up for being to strong in my language in an earlier (now lost) thread. I shall 'be chilled' and desist from pouring derision and loathing upon the concept of human skin as armour. (Fingers..... stop typi

I think the half orc thief has to go for multiclass because of the hit point bonus from high constitution half orcs get. A half orc can get 13 hitpoints per thief+fighter level with 19 constitution. Thtat's only 1 worse than a fighter with 18 constitution. The fact that they get an additional thief level to get full hitpoints makes them very close to an 18 constitution fighter.

I don't know much about multiclasses. If a multiclass thief/fighter used the fighter's THAC0, I'd be all for it. Still, the assassin's poison weapon is pretty nice, 'specially with ranged weapons. Like an insect plague spell with every shot.

I went with the fighter-thief. They do have the same thaco as their fighter side. They won't get past level 13 however but still, we know how successful a 19 strength Jaheria can be as a fighter. (No iron skin for the thief of course.)
I think the party composition will be the three evil characters, Imoen and Jaheria. It's a bit sad no one will be a master of halberds or two handed swords once again...
I think the assasin kit won't fully utilize the strength of the half-orc, though x7 damage might be pretty impressive. Perhaps it's time to go back to the drawing board... Every to have single PC I have played dual wielding katanas is a bit much.

Question: Can one get Edwin in the party after one sides with Bodhi in chapter 2? Also, does a multiclass character not get a chance to have two strongholds?

Not after, but if you do Renal's quest before committing to either side, you can get Edwin and then join Bodhi. Despite the hundreds of posts I've seen here about multiclasses or dualclasses and their strongholds, I'm still very hazy on the whole topic.

[Zoratorak]

hmmm... half-orcs can be very cool and powerful fighters but i dont know about thieves... ill talk realitically here... (and this is my own personal opinion)
a thief has to be good in stealth (a musclebound orc will just make too much noise)
a thief has to be good in disguising- how can you disguise a halforc with green skin, i dont think he can blend in the crowd well
a thief should not leave any traces behind in a crime- err... the smell already is a giveaway...
what do you guys think?

Well look I think that Half-Orcs should have 17 Dex I mean yes as of know Half-Orcs stats are even
-2 Int +1 Str +1 Con But dwarves have +1 Con -2 Cha -1 Dex.

[Yorick]

Zor,
Every culture has its thieves, (they just occupy differing levels in society) so allowing Half Orcs reflects that. Don't racial modifiers normally reflect what you're talking about? Eg. size = lower hide in shadows rating.
Are Half Orcs penalised as thieves in BG2? I haven't read the manual concerning that answer.

Maybe his Orcish mother married a really weedy but nimble small human and he's taken after his father!