Creating New Thief Kits

If there's a special type of thief that the DM or player would like to have, they can design a new Thief Kit for that thief-type.

To design a Thief Kit, you must answer the following questions about this sort of thief and its role in your campaign.

Description: What is this thief type? What literary, mythological or historical source is he drawn from? What special requirements are there if a character wishes to be one?

Role: What is this thief type to be in the campaign? How does his culture regard him? How does his subculture, the underworld, regard him? Is there a special sort of outlook he needs to have to belong to this thief type? And what does this thief tend to do in a campaign? Reading the earlier chapter on role-playing thieves may give you some more ideas for this section.

Legal Issues: What legal penalties, if any, are there in your campaign for the activities with which this sort of thief is involved? A little bit of historical or literary research may help you get ideas, or you can just make things up to suit your campaign.

Secondary Skills: If you're using the Secondary Skills system, you need to determine if this thief type requires such a skill. If no one secondary skill, or limited range of secondary skills, should be common to all thieves of this type, then don't require a secondary skill. But if all members of a thief type seem to have a particular skill or one of a small number of skills, then you should limit the choice of characters who select the kit to that skill or skills.

Weapon Proficiencies: Some thief types gravitate toward specific weapon types, or are more open-ended than other thieves in the range of weapons that they may choose. If this is the case with the thief type you are simulating, then make note of it in the kit.

Non-weapon Proficiencies: Most thief types seem to have certain skills in common. It would be silly to have an Acrobat without jumping, tumbling and tightrope walking, for example. So you may assign up to two proficiency slots to be given free to the character. If it's appropriate, the proficiencies may come from listings not appropriate to thieves (the Priest, Warrior and Wizard listings). Though normally the cost in slots for non-thief proficiencies would be higher, it doesn't matter if the proficiencies are being given for free.

Skill Progression: Which of the traditional thieves' skills are most important to this sort of character, such that the character should concentrate his experience on them?

Equipment: If a thief type is known for having specific types of equipment, require of the thief that he have such equipment when he enters the campaign. If a thief seems to prefer a specific type of equipment, but it's not so widespread a choice that you don't feel like requiring it of the character, simply list the types of equipment that the thief prefers and recommend the character take them.

Special Benefits: Every thief type could have some special benefit, but it's not absolutely necessary. It's up to you to choose what that benefit is, but it should fit in with the way this thief appears to function in fiction, folklore, or wherever he comes from. Types of benefits include: Bonuses to reaction rolls (especially from certain categories of people), bonuses on thief skill use (especially in certain situation), and special abilities.

Special Hindrances: You should also provide a special hindrance (or hindrances) which limit the character about as much as his benefits help him, especially if you have given him a Special Benefit. Such hindrances can include: Penalties to reaction rolls (especially from certain categories of people), inability to learn specific weapon or nonweapon proficiencies; special vulnerabilities in combat or to certain magic; or special restrictions in the culture in which the character normally lives.

Races: If there are variations to the kit based on the character's race, note them here. Some races can't take a specific kit; some will have different proficiencies, benefits and hindrances attached to them.

Notes: If you have any additional notes about the Thief Kits pertinent to your campaign (such as which players you'd prefer for specific kits, for example), put them here.