Strapping

A thief may use lengths of strapping—usually of stiff, hardened leather—to improve his chances of moving silently if these would otherwise be reduced by such factors as squeaky floorboards (but not otherwise). These straps will usually be 30 to 36 inches or so in length, and they help distribute the thief's weight over a wider area. Their use negates any negative modifier arising from squeaky floorboards, but the thief has to pick up the strips and move them before him as he walks along. This reduces his movement rate to only one-half of that which normally applies for attempting to move silently—i.e., one-sixth of normal walking move rate!