Legends of Belariath
Classes
Thief
Conspicuously clever, quick of tongue, and even quicker of fingers, the thief has perfected the subtle art of relieving their hard-working, inattentive victim of money. Able to seduce, cajole and then pluck their coin from an unwilling victim as well as weave tales of great woe to line their own pockets with your much needed donations. Afterward you may get a thanks or a wink but don't ever think you may always catch one in action.
Thieves are known as master manipulators of circumstances and a turn of phrase. Dexterous and with a distinct penchant for misdirection, thieves have well earned their reputation for craftiness. While they often times work alone, it is their cunning, that will cause them to band together, to take on far larger targets such as caravans, or Noble Houses. Those who walk the darker lines of the shadows are not above finding employment as the hand that slip potions or poisons into the drinks of one's hunted, if the coin or reward is right. Perhaps it is their uncanny ability to slip so nimbly out of danger, and back into it's arms again, only to moments later squirm from reach, that makes them so suited to these tasks.
Character Creation
Allowable Races: Cat People, Dark Elf, Drak Sen(Mineral and Metallic), Duessa, Fae, Goblin, Halfling, High Elf, High Human, Nymph, Pixie, Satyr, Sithian, Sylvan Elf, Torian
Qualifying Classes: Base Class
Type of Class: Physical
Spell Spheres Allowed: Common, Racial
Armor: A B
Weapons: A B
Class Bonus Stats:
| STR | INT | AGI | RES | STA | SPL | LFE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Stats | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mindset:
Conspicuously clever, quick of tongue, and even quicker of fingers, the thief has perfected the subtle art of relieving their hard-working, inattentive victim of money. Truly, there is an infinite number of possible ways a thief is able to unburden their chosen prey of his or her earned mehrial. The most infamous of manners, is pick pocketing - A thief's most basic, fundamental skill. Such a task, only one trained in the ways of a thief can accomplish, requiring considerable dexterity, and a pension for misdirection. Thieves are also at times considered connoisseurs of manipulation: able to seduce their prey, only to pluck their coin pouch afterwards; capable of weaving grand tales of sorrow in order to collect donations.
There are, of course, other means a thief might employ to gain their treasure. Lock picking is a time-honored ability - with the right tools, a handy thief might find his way into the manor of an unsuspecting noble or merchant, cleaning their house more thoroughly than any maid of valuable items. Usually done under the cloak of darkness or in a secluded home whilst the family is away, this is likely the safest method of a tried and true pilferer. But it does cause a problem when it comes time to sell such collectibles as many vendors are wary and savvy enough to know what is honestly come by and what is not. Therefore, it is not unusual for a thief to have someone of more unsavory methods to move the hot goods.
Concept:
"If you care about it, you'll protect it." The ideology of every auspicious thief. Sticky fingers, as well as a general greedy, conniving attitude, thieves are quite superfluous in the realm of Belariath. Some live to steal, and others steal to live, but they all have one thing in common; if they want something, they'll take it.
Some might use their wiles to trick another into giving up the desired item; others might decide to simply pluck it from their pocket. Oft-times wiry, the thief still has greater strength then a mage, yet is easily outclassed in physical combat by classes dedicated to such. Agile, quick and quiet, a thief usually possesses unusually high dexterity, which in turn gives them a far greater chance of dodging blows or spells. When struck, however, they normally do not possess ample defense and life, and may fall the first hit. Particularly fond of daggers or even short swords, if the thief is not too small to wield such. Swift, precise strikes are preferred above sheer strength.
Advantage:
Light Fingers
Stealing, is an art form, and a life long dedication for a true thief. While almost any thief will gladly 'liberate' coins from the pocket or purse of a unsuspecting passer by, they are not limited to merely stealing in that way. Those with bigger "pockets", greater skill, and nerves of mithril have the ability to steal, even from the Empire's stores without the risk outweighing the rewards. For each time the thief class is chosen, a thief's ability to perform pickpockets, and shop steals increase. (See shop stealing/pickpocketing guides for more information.)
Escape Artist:
Fair fights are for chumps. If a thief sees a battle is not going his way, he's well able to find the way out. A fake move, a quick distraction, some sand in the eye, and the quick, nimble opportunist is gone, running away at top speed, faking his demise, hiding somewhere out of sight for the heat to die down. A thief may make an agi+int check opposed by the opponents agi+int. If he succeeds, combat ends as the thief evades his opponent. This trick can only be attempted every 5 rounds. Even the thickest warrior won't fall for the same trick in a row THAT quickly. This skill can only be used to get out of fights, it cannot be used to escape manacles or jail cells. Once a successful attempt is made, combat immediately ends and the thief may make their escape. If the thief does not make an attempt to escape and makes any hostile attempts upon any of their opponents then combat continues as normal with the thief going last regardless of !init rolls. (Please note: if this roll is tried and failed, then Trip (below) is triggered.)
Disadvantage:
Risky Profession
The thief character, by their very nature, often deals on the far side of what the law will allow. Their most basic attribute is that they know how to deftly ply another of their coins, whether by using their silver tongue, or their sticky fingers. This gives those of the Thief class a certain reputation, and inspires distrust and wariness from those who are aware that they speak to one of such lowly morals, often making it hard to get by and increasing the chance of ending up in a cell.
Trip!
This disadvantage is triggered if the "Escape Artist" roll fails. Basically they foul up their escape attempt, either by tripping or some other clumsy problem. As they try to regain their bearings, the thief leaves himself open, suffering a -5% to all defenses during the next combat round.