Treasure lures many adventurers, but thieves most of all. Low-lives, burglars, footpads, bandits, cutpurses, skulks, robbers, highwaymen – these are all common names for those who follow the path of the thief. They are agile infiltrators and cunning specialists who use wits, skill, and subterfuge to best their enemies and extract wealth from the coffers of the rich and the tombs of the dead.
Of all adventuring classes, thieves are the most adept at exploring the dungeon and avoiding the traps and hazards that guard the treasure. Because they are so stealthy, they are often used as scouts to sneak through unknown tunnels and survey the path ahead, hoping to silently eliminate foes that threaten to raise the alarm and bring reinforcements that could spell disaster for the party.
Hit Dice: Thieves gain +1d6 hit die per level.
Restrictions: Thieves can wield any weapon. They can wear only padded, leather, or studded leather armor. They cannot use shields.
Alignment: As one might expect, thieves are almost always chaotic or neutral, given the nature of their skills. Lawful thieves are indeed a rarity, though not entirely unheard of, as many thieves operate on code of ethics, and a thief who ends their life of crime retains the skills they learned in the shadows.
THIEF EXPERIENCE LEVEL TABLE
| Level | Title | XP | HD | Attack Bonus | Backstab |
| 1 | Knave | 0 | 1d6 | +0 | +3 (x2) |
| 2 | Footpad | 1500 | 2d6 | +0 | +3 (x2) |
| 3 | Robber | 3000 | 3d6 | +1 | +3 (x2) |
| 4 | Burglar | 6000 | 4d6 | +1 | +4 (x2) |
| 5 | Cutpurse | 12,000 | 5d6 | +2 | +4 (x3) |
| 6 | Sharper | 25,000 | 6d6 | +2 | +4 (x3) |
| 7 | Pilferer | 50,000 | 7d6 | +3 | +5 (x3) |
| 8 | Prowler | 100,000 | 8d6 | +3 | +5 (x3) |
| 9 | Filcher | 200,000 | 9d6 | +4 | +5 (x4) |
| 10 | Rogue | 300,000 | 10d6 | +4 | +6 (x4) |
| 11 | Master Thief | 400,000 | 11d6 | +5 | +6 (x4) |
| 12 | Prince | 500,000 | 12d6 | +5 | +6 (x4) |
THIEF SAVING THROW TABLE
| Level | Death/Poison | Wand/Rod | Petrify/Poly | Dragon Breath | Spells/Staves |
| 1 | +3 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +1 |
| 2 | +3 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +1 |
| 3 | +4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +2 |
| 4 | +4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +2 |
| 5 | +5 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +3 |
| 6 | +5 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +3 |
| 7 | +6 | +5 | +6 | +3 | +4 |
| 8 | +6 | +5 | +6 | +3 | +4 |
| 9 | +7 | +6 | +7 | +4 | +5 |
| 10 | +7 | +6 | +7 | +4 | +5 |
| 11 | +8 | +7 | +8 | +5 | +6 |
| 12 | +8 | +7 | +8 | +5 | +6 |
THIEF SKILL BONUS TABLE
| Level | CS | TR | HN | HS | MS | OL | PP | RL |
| 1 | +15 | +1 | +6 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +4 |
| 2 | +15 | +2 | +6 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 |
| 3 | +15 | +3 | +8 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 |
| 4 | +16 | +4 | +8 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +5 |
| 5 | +16 | +5 | +10 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +7 | +6 |
| 6 | +16 | +6 | +10 | +6 | +7 | +7 | +8 | +6 |
| 7 | +17 | +8 | +12 | +7 | +8 | +8 | +10 | +7 |
| 8 | +17 | +10 | +12 | +9 | +10 | +9 | +12 | +8 |
| 9 | +17 | +12 | +13 | +11 | +12 | +10 | +14 | +9 |
| 10 | +18 | +14 | +13 | +13 | +14 | +12 | +16 | +10 |
| 11 | +18 | +15 | +14 | +15 | +16 | +14 | +17 | +11 |
| 12 | +18 | +16 | +14 | +17 | +18 | +16 | +18 | +12 |
Special Features
Thieves’ Cant: Thieves can speak a secret coded language called thieves’ cant that allows them to relay information to other thieves without revealing the true details to an eavesdropper. They can also read and write special symbols that only other thieves can read which denote useful information about an area, such as the presence of danger, traps, monsters, law enforcement, watchful folks, or wealthy targets.
Backstab: If a thief attacks an unaware foe from behind, add the thief’s backstab bonus to the attack roll. This may apply during a surprise round in combat, or if the thief makes a successful Move Silently check to sneak up behind the target. A successful backstab inflicts double (x2) damage. This increases to triple (x3) damage at 5th level and quadruple (x4) damage at 9th level.
Thief Skills: Thieves are capable of performing extraordinary feats of stealth and cunning, allowing them to do things other classes cannot. To perform a skill check, roll 1d20 + Skill Bonus. An ability modifier is also applied to the roll, depending on the skill being tested. The result must meet or beat DC 20 to succeed. The referee can adjust this DC by +/-5 for harder or easier tasks.
- Climb Sheer Surfaces (CS): A thief may attempt to scale sheer surfaces, steep inclines, or smooth masonry without specialized climbing gear. The thief’s Strength or Dexterity modifier is also applied to these checks. If the roll is failed by a margin of 5 or more, the thief must make a Death Save or fall from the halfway point, taking 1d6 damage per 10′ of fall. Otherwise, failure indicates that the thief is unable to complete the climb and is forced to descend.
- Find and Remove Traps (TR): A thief is trained to detect and disable all types of traps. One check is required to find a trap and another to disarm it. The thief’s Wisdom modifier is applied to checks to find traps, and any Dexterity modifier is applied to checks to remove them. The check to find a trap is in addition to the normal chances for a character to spot a trap. If the roll to remove the trap is failed by a margin of 5 or more, the thief must make a Death Save or accidentally trigger the trap.
- Hear Noise (HN): In a quiet environment and with concentration, a thief may attempt to listen for faint sounds, footsteps, or muffled conversations. The thief’s Wisdom modifier is applied to the skill check. This check is in addition to the normal chance to hear noises.
- Hide in Shadows (HS): A thief is able to hide with only shadows to obscure them, as if they were hiding behind full cover. They must remain completely motionless, unable to move or attack. The thief’s Dexterity modifier is also applied to the skill check.
- Open Locks (OL): A thief is trained to unlock non-magical locks and latches using lock picks instead of a key. These lock picks are called thief’s tools and the thief must have these on hand to use this skill. Their Dexterity modifier is also applied to the check.
- Move Silently (MS): A thief can sneak up on or sneak past enemies without being noticed. This may allow the thief to gain surprise against a foe and get into position for a backstab. Their Dexterity modifier is also applied to the check.
- Pick Pockets (PP): A thief can attempt to steal things off of another creature without being noticed. Failure means the thief is unable to steal the object. If the roll is failed by a margin of 5 or more, the attempt is noticed by the target. Their Dexterity modifier is also applied to the check. A bonus or penalty is applied to this roll equal to the level difference between the Thief and the target (e.g., a Level 3 Thief picking the pocket of a Level 1 target has a +2 bonus).
- Read Languages (RL): A thief may attempt to read any non-magical writing or language, as well as decipher non-magical codes. Failure means the thief may not try again until they reach the next experience level. The thief’s Intelligence modifier is also applied to the check.
Scroll Use: A thief may attempt to use their Read Languages skill to cast an arcane spell scroll. On a failure, the spell is not cast and the thief is unable to attempt to cast that spell from a scroll again. If the roll is a natural 1, the scroll is destroyed and the spell is cast in the reversed form or else is unexpectedly harmful or problematic (per the referee).
At 9th Level: If a thief controls a stronghold, they attract 5d6x10 knaves to serve as a ring of thieves.