hieves are the masters of stealth, supreme in sneaking, backstabbing, and assassination. Thieves rule the underworld both on the Surface and in the Underdark, wherever criminals may gather together. Other thieves prefer to work alone and avoid the company of their peers. Thieves are inferior to warriors, barbarians, and some of the other more battle-oriented classes in face-to-face combat, although they can outmatch the pure spell-casting classes physically. Like warriors, thieves have no magical power, but have no compunction about using magical items.

A thief is best off with piercing weapons that will allow them to backstab, yet will not encumber their sneaking abilities, such as a dagger.

Thieves are not usually concerned about their alignment, but because backstabbing is an evil skill, they will tend to be evil.

hieves may learn the following skills: Appraise, Assassination, Axe Throwing, Axes, Backstab, Bandage, Blind Fighting, Bribery, Case, Catch, Climb Walls, Concealed Weaponry, Cooking, Crit Hit, Dagger Throwing, Daggers, Dart Throwing, Disarm, Dodge, Draw, Dual Switch, Dual Wield, Extra Attack One, Extra Attack Two, Extra Attack Three, Extra Attack Four, Feint, Find Deathtraps, Find Hidden Doors, Greatswords, Hammer Throwing, Hammers, Hide, Listen, Lose, Maces, Palm, Pick Locks, Plant, Pole Arms, Read Magic, Scan, Shadow, Sneak, Inside, Sneak, Outside, Spear Throwing, Spears, Spot, Star Throwing, Staves, Steal, Swimming, Switch Opponents, Swords, Toss, Track, Unarmed Combat, and Whips and Flails.

hieves may learn the following specialties: Accuracy, Adrenaline Surge, Alertness, Ambidexterity, Athletics, Blackjack, Blood Lust, Charisma, Chirurgery, Clarity, Close Quarters, Coup de Grâce, Cowardice, Cutthroat, Evasion, Eye Gouge, Hamstring, Heir, Incognito, Jack of Trades, Leadership, Lightfoot, Low Profile, Lurk, Magebane, Mêlée Maneuvers, Might Makes Right, Misdirection, Nimbleness, Nine Lives, Off Hand, Opportunism, Outflank, Outmaneuver, Packrat, Parting Blow, Perception, Porter, Prone Defense, Quicksilver, Reason, Recuperation, Repair, Resilience, Retreat, Ruthlessness, Silver Tongue, Skirmishing, Snake Strike, Stroke of Luck, Surprise Attack, Tactical Awareness, Throwing Expertise, Tolerate Healing, Toughness, Trip, Tumbling, Vigilant Rest, Vigor, and Weapon Finesse.

hieves gain the following abilities at avatar levels:

	Initiate Avatar:	Appraise skill functions as Identify
	Lord of Earth:	Bash skill
	Lord of Water:	Extra Attack Five skill
	Lord of Fire:	Reduced delay for backstabs
	Lord of Air:	Ignores alignment restrictions on items
	Elemental Lord:	Parry skill
	Spiritfinder:	Instant Stand skill
	Spiritmaster:	Fleshtaint skill
	Lord of Spirit:	Double Backstab skill
	Avatar:	Further reduced delay for backstabs
	Grand Avatar:	Skulk skill