TSR 2111 PHBR2 The Complete Thief's Handbook

as far as half a mile if they are down- compartments are very small, and will onion juice, and strong ammonium
typically only hold one gem of moder- salts-blinding powder can be made
I wind of it. ate size or up to four small ones. The from many ingredients.
Dog Pepper' design of the boot is such that there is
not an externally visible built-up heel, Blinding powder is only useful if it is
I This may be but nonetheless a thief wearing these thrown right into the eyes of a victim.
dropped on the floor, like aniseed, to boots suffersa -5 penalty to any move This counts as a called shot
put dogs off the scent when pursuing a silently rolls he has to make. (DUNGEON MASTER Guide, p.58)
thief. It is less effective than aniseed, with an additional (doubled) penalty,
however, the pursuing dog being al- Marbles for a total of -8 on the attack roll. How-
lowed a saving throw vs. poison to ever, the Dexterity bonus of the person
avoid the effect of the dog pepper abso- The use of these throwing the powder applies to the at-
lutely. If the save is failed, though, the is an old chestnut, but perennially pop- tack roll. Further, the base AC of the
dog is unable to continue pursuit for ular with thieves, not least because of target ignores any armor or shield used,
ld4 +1turns. their effectiveness. A small bag of mar- save for the use of a helmet or helm;
Dog pepper may more usefully be bles (a general term for small spheres of magicalprotection such as bracers ofde-
scattered into the air, a small packet glass, metal, etc.) unleashed over a feme or a ring of protection protect the
holding enough to fill a 10-foot cube. stone floor to roll around forces any target, as does Dexterity (unless the at-
The pepper will hang in the air for ld4 pursuers to slow to half normal move- tack has an element of surprise).
rounds after being flung into it. A dog ment rate or be forced to make a Dex-
entering the area during this time gets terity test. If this test is failed the If blinding powder strikes a victim
no saving throw to avoid the effect of pursuer slips up and has to spend a full the effects are the same as those of the
the pepper. If dog pepper is thrown round getting up again. Because mar- stinking cloud spell save that they last
right into a dog's face, the unfortunate bles roll around a lot, a small bag (30or for 2d4 +2 rounds and no saving throw
animal gets no saving throw and be- so)will cover a 10'x 30'(or equivalent) is allowed. If the victim can wash his
comes hysterical for an hour, during area. Smallstonesand pebbles can only eyeswith plenty of water, the effect will
which time it is totally uncontrollable. be substituted for marbles if they have only last for one round after the eyes
been polished, filed, etc., so that they are washed. Although blinding powder
Hand Lamp are almost perfectly round-a time- can contain some unpleasant ingredi-
consuming business. ents, it has no permanently damaging
This is usually a effects on the eyes.
small metal pot about the size of a Self-Protection and
night-light candle. It has a hinged flip- Combat Death Knife
up lid with a mirror on the inside; a sil-
ver mirror is often used, so the item is The equipment This sinister in-
not cheap. The mirror directs the light, detailed here offers sneaky combat o p strument can appear to be a bladeless
and the lid also works as a snuffer when tions for thieves, which any character kniie, but it is more often disguised as
closed. The lamp provides enough light with any real decency and sense of honor something more innocent such as a case
for the thief to work by (e.g., when try- for a comb or spectaclesor quill pen, a
ing to pick a lock in a dark place), while would usually eschew. Since by defini- tool of some sort, etc. The disguisewill
not shedding enough to give the thief not fool any close inspection, however.
away (hopefully). Certainly, the dim, tion some of these items subvert normal The blade of the knife is within a barrel
focused light is unlikely to be visible at combat options, the DM should feel free inside the handle and is spring-loaded.
all further than some 20 feet from the to modify and/or restrict the availability The kniie is triggered by pressing a
thief, and even within this range it is of items he feels unsuited to his cam- catch on the handle; the blade shoots
very, very dim. paign. However, the concealed weapons forward with considerable force. The
listed, at the least, should definitely be weapon does the same damage as a nor-
I made available to thieves who are mem- mal dagger, although one point of dam-
These come in age is added for a first strike when the
various forms, but a common design is bers of Assassins' Guilds. blade is triggered.
one with swivelling heels. The heel of
the boot is grasped and twisted firmly Blinding Powder The obvious advantage of the death
toward the inside surface. The heel knife is its capacity for surprise. Sinceit
swivels and reveals a small, hollow This is a general doesn't look like a weapon until the
compartment within the boot. These term for any powder which is highly blade is sprung, a victim can be taken
abrasive, irritating to the eyes, and dis- totally off guard by its use. If the target
abling to the victim as a result. Pow- does not realize a blow is coming and
dered stone, pepper, dust soaked in

100

Tools of the Trade

he thief manages to get the weapon time-honored way of ma Variants on this theme are drop
lose to the body of the victim so that a toxin gets into the bloodstrea sheaths, which are usually sewn into
unge can be made with it, any strike is The DM may rule in unusual c leather jackets or similar articles of
reated as a backstab, with standard hit clothing. Here, release of the dagger
nd damage bonuses, given the surprise the victim is clad from head from the sheath can be triggered by me-
lement. A backstab is not always liter- field plate). chanicalmeans (pressinga jacket sleeve
lly a stab in the back! stud, etc.) or by muscular stimuli trig-
Sword Stick gering pressure pads (tensingthe biceps
An envenomed death knife in the firmly against the fist of the other arm,
lands of a skilled assassin is an ex- etc.).
remely dangerous weapon, and the
)M may wish to rule that since the T h e Joyof Sticks
)ladehas to be concealedfor some time
leforea strike there is a 25% (or higher) This section de-
hance that the poison will have tails several uses for poles, staves, or
lrippedfrom the blade before the assas- stout sticks, many of which can obvi-
in strikes with it. ously be improvised as and when neces-
sary. PC thieves might, however, prefer
p l d i n g Bow long, slender, rapie suitably modified poles ready to hand
in case of urgent need!
Bows are very thin blade requiresa weapon pr
iseful for thieves, but are very hard to slot to be used most effectively. Blade P o l e
onceal because of their size and shape. bucklers are particularly fond
i folding bow solves this problem, di- weapon. Damagedoneby the bl This is a substi-
riding neatly in half when unstrung, per a short sword. It takes one tute for a polearm, but is not used as a
naking it a much more suitablesize and draw the blade from the swor combat weapon. Rather, a small blade
lllowingconcealment-for example, in ready it for use. The main is wedged into one end of a pole, and
I thigh sheath. Only short bows have weapon, obviously, is the pos
olding-bow equivalents. smuggling it into pl this is used for cutting objects at a dis-

The joint in the middle of the bow tance. The most notable use for the
veakens it, however, reducing the ef- blade pole is in cutting trip wires (e.g.,
ectiveranges to S4, M 8, L 13,and also at a distance if the thief is unsure
naking it -1 on damage rolls (but any whether traps may be triggered).
lit causesat least one point of damage).
Climbing Pole
This simple lowing it in his game.
a ring with a flip-up lid, be- This has to be a
ow which is a needle capable of deliv- Wrist Sheath stout, strong pole, 10feet long or so, to
iring a dose of poison (or knock-out be of any real use. It has notches cut
hug, etc.) to the target. The most prim- dagger, and is strapped to the fo into it at regular intervals (approxi-
tive version of this will have the pin mately every 2 feet) to enable the thief
;implysittingin a small reservoir of liq- to climb using it. It must be set at a suit-
lid drug or toxin. Since administration able angle against the wall, or else it
)f the poison/drug is rather haphazard cannot be employed. Thieves will not
iere, the victim receives a bonus of +2 often have use for such an item, but it
o any saving throw against its effects. has its uses for dealing with very slip-
subtler and more refined designshave a pery or smooth surfaces, walls made
ieedle capable of drawing up liquid with broken glass shards in the mortar,
:+oma reservoir, so that only a normal and similar unusual cases.
;aving throw (or even one with a - 2
Jenalty) applies. The DM should de- Hooked Pole
:ide which to allow in the campaign
:both can exist at the same time, of A strong hook is
set into the end of the pole, which has
zourse). severaluses. The first is to yank discov-
ered trip wires, if this is what the thief
wishes to do, although a blade pole is

101

Tools of the Trade

usually superior for dealing with such things, either to smuggle them in (poi- ing a redraw on one card, if the player
problems. The more common use, sons, dog pepper, blinding powder, wishes to do so (in this case, the five, in
though, is to use the hook to catch on etc.) or smuggle them out (gems and all likelihood). When rolling the Dex-
objects so they can be retrieved. De- such). Some are so well-designed that
pending on the size of the hook, any- the compartment can be entered from terity test, if the d20 roll is 18+ the thief
thing from a key ring or small jewelry above or below, so that the thief can use
casket (hooked through the catch) to a the false scabbard as a snorkel (or, more has been seen cheating (even if he
rich man's joint of beef can be purloined correctly, as an underwater breathing makes the Dexterity test successfully).
by the thief. At the DMs option, a skill tube) if he has to stay concealed in the For obvious reasons, the DM should
check (a pick pockets roll) may be re- water for any reason. roll this test in secretf
quired for success. In medieval En-
gland, fishing through windows with Hand Warming Lamp Water Shoes
hooked poles was so common that a
subclass of thief who made a living in This small lamp These belong
this way was commonly known and is oil-burning, with a reservoir of oil most correctly in Kara-Tur, land of Ori-
called "the hooker." and a small wick sunk into an earthen- ental Adventures and ninja, but they
ware shell. It is used by the thief to could exist in any fantasy setting.
Mirror Pole warm his hands, by cupping them
around it, if cold would otherwise im- Water shoes are simply large, wicker-
This uses mirrors pair his talents (try picking a lock with work basketlike devices which are
at both ends of the pole, set at a suitable frozen fingers in a cold clime!). Virtu- worn over the feet (and come to mid-
angle so that the thief can peer, ally no light is produced, the aim sim- calf height). The thief balances in an up-
periscope-like, around comers using ply being to warm the hands. The right position and propels himself
the instrument. simplest version of this is a corked across the water with a paddle or oar.
earthenware sphere which can be filled The DM may insist on a move silently
Miscellany with hot oil before the thief sets off on check at some stage. If anything hap-
his work, to be drawn from a pocket pens to startle the thief (such as an ar-
Blade Boots and held in the hands when needed. row whizzing past his head or some
monster rising up in the water), a Dex-
This exotic title is Marked Cards terity test may be called for to avoid
a catchall for specially modified boots and Biased Dice falling over into the water.
which have concealed blades within
them. The blades have to be small, of These are stand- Cost and Availability of
course; they are usually little bigger ard trappings for any self-respecting Equipment
than modern-day razor blades. They swindler. There are no rules for gam-
are usually concealed in secret com- bling in A D & P 2nd Edition, however, In Table 31 be-
partments in the heels of boots (seeHol- so the DM has two options. First, he low, the cost, weight, and legality of
low Boots above), but slender blades can write his own. Second, the simple equipment items are listed. These are
can even be hidden in the soles of boots. rule-of-thumb des suggested here can listed in the same order they appear in
Suchblades are of little use as weapons, be used. the preceding text. A few don't appear;
but can be used to slit pouches and there are no prices for the poles (which
If the Gaming proficiency is being can be rigged up from equipment listed
upurses, to cut ropes, and for similar used, use of suitably marked cards or in the Player's Handbook anyway), for
biased dice allows a -1 modifier to the example. Cost and weight are as per the
tasks. d20 check (rememberthat proficiencies Player's Handbook format and clothing
work when low dice rolls are made). items have weights listed for them but
FalseScabb d are also denoted by the letter "C." They
If the game is actually being played add nothing to encumbrance if worn
Thieves can em- out and the Gaming proficiency not normally.
ploy stout scabbards which are slightly used, then the thief PC is allowed (in ef-
longer than the swords which fit into fect) to replace any one card drawn or Legality of the items is important.
them, leaving a length of scabbard at die thrown if he has the suitable prop Items are listed as L (legal;freely availa-
the end which is a separate, hollow and if a Dexterity test is made. Thus, if ble on the open market), S (shady;
compartment. Usually, this can be ac- the PC is playing blackjack and has available in more liberal countries and
cessed via a sliding panel at the end of drawn a king and a five, the effect of us- in dodgy back-street shops under the
the scabbard. ing marked cards is simulatedby allow- counter), and I (illegal; from a thieves'
guild only). Some items get a split clas-
This hollow compartment can be sification, e.g., "L/S." This may be be-
used to conceal a great many kinds of

Tools of the Trade

ause they are borderline, or because happling Iron L
hey are legal for some narrow, specific
ccupational usage only (and there how, L Magical Items for Thieves
nay be restrictions on their sale). vood biter

Finally, items marked with two aster- h o w , stone L When possible,
sks (**) may be hard to obtain even if biter
tot illegal, for various reasons. They the DM should select the magical items
nay need rare craftsmen to make, basic h o w , stone
ngredients may be hard to find (e.g., he will give out in his campaign. Some-
dack dragon acid!), and such. The biter, adamantite L
tem description should make clear times, though, a fast and random selec-
vhy an availability problem may exist. b o w , minor L/S tion may be needed. In this case,if the
The DM should determine availability wpple DM rolls 99 or 00 on Table 88 of the
rather than using a random roll.
h o w , major L/S 1 DUNGEONMASTER Guide(p. 135),he
PPPle
shouldnot roll for a magicalweapon, but
3imbing make a simple du, roll on Table 32 be-
low.
ipikes, iron (10) L
The items shown in the
:rowbar L fall into three categories:

lass-cutter (i) Items restricted to us
only. These are indicated by
Table 31: handled) L/I ing the title of the item in the tables
PURCHASINGTHIEF EQUIPMENT
lousebreaker's (ii)Items which do not have to be
stricted to thieves only, but which have
/tern Legality Cost Weight lamess** I more than one effect, with at least some
hSling L 3cp of their effects being of value for
Mini-Blade L 5cp * Ceymaking Set I thieves alone.That is, thieves will ben-
Razor Ring efit far more from these items than oth-
iron) S/I 2gp * ,imewood (as er characters. These are indicated by
(T') following the title of the item in
Razor Ring S/I 1ogp ' ,ark strips, 10) L 3cP the tables. The DM may well wish to
@silver) rule that these items can only be used
I 3ogp 1 sharkskin L/S by thieves in his campaign.
per sq. ft.)
(iii) Items which can be used by non-
skeleton Key I thieves as well as thieves, but which are
clearly important for such typical thief
Tar Paper L activities as spying, stealing, snooping,
sneaking and such.
L 50gp Wax, block L
Aniseed, vial L As a general note, most of the items
in this section are of relatively low
Caltrops (10) L/S power. This should allow DMs to intro-
duce one or two such items into even a
L 2gp 1 Catstink, vial"* S/I fairly low-magic campaign with no fear
of upsetting game balance.
Dog Pepper, S
packet

L 3gP 1 Hand Lamp

aw Blade L 6 sp (with silvered L/S
L 5sp mirror) I
L/S l g p Hollow Boots

L 3cP Marbles, bag
'sBoots I 8gp 3 C
Armor** S 750 (30) L

gp+ 50 Blinding Powder var.

Death Knife** S/I

L Folding Bow LIS
S
L/S 3sp 1 Pin Ring (iron) S/I
L 30gp 5
dSuit 35gp 5 Pin Ring (silver) S/I
bundle 2cp
Sword Stick** L/S Table 32:
2gP
Wrist Sheath S MAGICAL ITEMSFOR THIE

Blade Boots I azo

s 2gP False Scabbard'* LIS Roll Category

Hand-Warming 1-7 Potions and oils

Lamp L ai1 Miscellaneous Magic:

L 2gP 1c Marked Cards, Clothing and Jewelry
I 20gp
Deck** I
12-15 Miscellaneous Magic:
Biased Dice,
I 15gp 1 C bone, box of 4 I Other Sneaky Stuff

Biased Dice, 16-19 Weapons 36
ivorv. box of 4
L 5gp 1 I 20 Special (see below)

103

@-Tools of the Trade

For each of the later tables 33 through Table 34: concentrated, liquefied darkness itself.
36, a simple d6 roll is used to determine MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC: It can be used in a number of ways:
the nature of the item found. None of CLOTHING AND JEWELRY
these later tables has any subtables to (i)When a doseis swallowedit makes
worry about. d6 XP the imbiber's entire body, including
Roll Item hair, teeth, and even the whites of the
Detection Resistance 1 Amulet of Dramatic Value eyes, pure matte black in color. This
can enhancea thief's chance of hiding in
Many of the Death (T) U shadows as shown below.
items listed below were designed to en- 2 Boots of Balance (T*) 1,000
able the thief to avoid detection, to pre- 3 Gloves of Evasion (T*) 1,000 (ii)Similarly, if one dose is diluted in
vent his ill-gotten gains from being 4 Mantle of the Mundane a gallon or so of warm water, the es-
discovered, and such. Clearly, the 1,500 sence creates a powerful black dye. A
avoidance of detection by simple low- (T*) 2,000 gallon of this diluted form can be used
level magical spells is highly important 5 Robe of Vanishing (T) 3,000 to dye clothes and even armor and
to many thieves. As a consequence, 6 Shadowcloak (T') weapons; one gallon of the dye is suffi-
some of the thief magical items are en- cient to treat the clothesand equipment
chanted with detection resistance, re- Table 35: of one character. The dye takes one
quiring any spellcaster using a MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC: turn to mix and soak into the items and
divination spell (such as detect magic, one turn to dry. This process also af-
detect invisibility in appropriate cases, OTHER SNEAKY STUFF fects the chancesfor successfulhiding in
etc.) effectively to overcome 50% shadows.
magic resistance so far as the detection d6 XP
goes. It also protects the thief against Body only (wearing normal
discovery by creatures able to detect in- Roll Item Value
visible (allow a flat 50% chance of au- 5,000 clothes) +5%
tomatic nondetection in cases where 1 Bag of Vanishing (T)
such creatures have no spellcaster 2,500 Body only (wearingno clothes) +25%
level). This detection resistance does 2 Boxes of Delightful
not give the thief any general magic re- Transport 500 Clothes only +20%
sistance, of course!
3 Dust of Trail Dispersion 1,000 Both body and clothes +40%
"XP Value" entries are experience 1,000
point awards which apply for making (T*) 1,250 These bonuses only apply when the
the item. An entry of 'Iu" means that 4 Lens of Remote Viewing thief is trying to hide in darkened areas,
the item is unique and cannot readily be obviously; that is, to "traditional" hid-
magically made, since the original was (TI ing in shadows. Detection resistance
made by unknown means. 5 Lens of Valuation (T) operates on a thief using essence of
6 Tallin's Tightrope darkness to hide in this way.

Table 3 6 MAGIC WEAPONS (iii) Essence of darkness is unstable
and if a vial is struck by a crushingblow
Table 33:POTIONS A N D OILS d6 XP it will explode into darkness 15' radius.
Roll Item A singledose of the magicalessencewill
d6 XP 1 Crossbow of Angling Value create a darkness 5' radius if so struck.
Roll Item 2 Dagger of Impaling (T) 750 This property has been exploited by
1 Essence of Darkness (T' Value 3 Dagger of Resource (T) 300 making small glass or ceramic globes
2 Oil of Slickness (T) 300 500 filled with the liquid which are then
3 Master Thievery (T) 350 4 Dagger of Sounding (T) 300 thrown forcefully onto hard surfacesto
4 Perception (T*) 500 500 create "darkness bombs." At the DMs
5 Sleep Breathing 300 5 Scabbard of Poison option, a thief who has ingested the es-
250 6 Shortsword o f Backstab- 700 sence or applied it to his clothing might
Thievery (T) 350 similarly become the center of a dark-
bing (T*) ness 5' radius effect if struck a severe
blow (50% of remaining hit points,
Description of with a 12hit point minimum for the ef-
Magical Items fect to operate) with a blunt weapon.

Potions and Oils The effectsof essence of darkness last
for six hours plus ld6 turns, if used ex-
Essence of Dark- ternally; if ingested, it has the same du-
ness: This pure black oily fluid must be ration as a standard potion. Each bottle
kept in tough, light-proof containers,
since it is destroyed after one turn in
bright sunlight or one hour exposed to
daylight. Essence of darkness is pure,

104

-@Tools of the Trade

or vial of the essencefound usually con- Increase
tains sufficient fluid for ld4 +4 doses.
Levelof Levels Added ineach
Oil of Slickness: The consistency of
this magical substance is variable; a +1 or +2 on the die). Imbiber bestowed hit dice Skill
sometimes it is found as a small vial of
very viscous oil, sometimes as a pot of bled. This may also be IstJrd 3 3d6 +12%
thin, creamy white salve. It is applied 4th-6th 2 2d6+1 +8%
by rubbing into the skin of the hands check for this; a bonus of 7th-9th 1 ld6+2 +4%
(taking one round). When rubbed in, it such an ability check. A co
improves the speed and coordination of As with the potion of muster thiev-
the hands so that all manually-based bonus of -4 appliesto any o ery, the individualacts in all respects as
thieving skills (pick pockets, open a thief of the higher level gained after
locks, find/remove traps) are improved proficiency check. drinking the potion, with the increase
by 10%. A vial or pot of this oil (or automatically detect in thieving skiis being equally spread
salve) usually contains ld4 +4 applica- across all categories by the bonus
tions. The effect lasts for ld4 +4 turns. makes the imbiber vulnerable shown. Damage sustained is taken
The bonuses to the ability scorescannot from additional temporary hit points
be claimed by any thief who is wearing gained first. The effects of the potion
gauntlets or gloves of any kind, includ- last for ld4 + 4 turns.
ing magical ones!
Miscellaneous Magic:
Clothing and Jewelry

Potion of Master Thievery: This po- tion last for ld4+4 turns. Amulet of Dra-
tion gives the thief a temporary increase matic Death: Only a few of these prized
in levels if he has fewer than 13levels of tion allows the imbiberto br items exist, each createdfor a high-level
experience. The number of levels orless, odorless cloud of slee thief in the service of two powerful
gained depend on the thief's level, as gas up to three times within spellcasters, a mage and an illusionist,
shown below. ter drinking it. This cloud is who combined their skills to create
them. There are six amulets known,
Increase creatures are affected as if s which differ in only one respect; all
have the followingcommon properties.
Levelof Levels Added ineach sleep spell, the effects of wh
actly duplicated by the clo The amulet is activated when the
Imbiber bestowed hit dice Skill thief does not breathe out a wearer suffers one particular attack
way within an hour after form (and only that attack form)which
Ist3rd 5 5d6 +20% potion, he must save versus would be sufficientto kill or wholly d i e
4th-6th 4 4d6+1 fall into a deep, comatose s able the wearer (e.g., by petrification).
7th-9th 3 3d6+2 +16% At this point the magic of the amulet is
loth-12th 2 2d6+3 +12% activated. Damage sustained from the
+8% killing attack is wholly negated, and a
special attack (such as petrification)
The thief acts as if he were at the ex- likewise negated. The thief is at once
perience levelbestowed by the magic of made invisible. Lastly, a powerful pro-
the potion. Damage sustained is taken grammed illusionis brought into opera-
first from magically gained temporary tion so that the amulet-wearer appears
extra hit points. So far as thieving skills to have been slain or disabled by the at-
are concerned, the potion affects these tack. This programmed illusion is both
all equally by the increase shown. The complete and dramatic-e.g., an amu-
effects of this potion last for 5d6 let protecting against magical fire will
rounds. show the victim of fireball attack as a
burned corpse, complete with the smell
Potion of Perception: This enhances shown below. of roasted flesh. Only direct, tactile
the senses of the imbiber to a great de- checks or a powerful divination spell
gree, with numerous effects: will reveal the illusion for what it is.

(i) A thief gains a 10% bonus to his
open locks and remove traps skills.

(ii) A thief gains a 20% bonus to his
find traps and hear noise skills.

105

The amulet will function only once per doves gains a proficiency MI escapolo- rision, etc.). It can also be used to cast
day. Roll Id6 on the table below to de- Mcness, darkness 15' radius, and con-
termine the single attack form which is w,being able to manipulate his hands rinual darkness once each per day (at
protected against by the amulet. 12thlevelof magic use).Finally, once per
n such a way that he can escape from day thewearer can actually transformin-
d6 Roll Specific Protection nanacles, chains, irons or similar re-
itraints if a Dexterity check (with a +2 to a shadow (cf. MONSTROUS
1 Magical fire (including red >onus if the character is a thief) is COMPENDIUM@ 1) for up to 12 tums,
dragon breath, etc.)
nade. becoming a shadow in all respects Save
2 Lightning and Electrical at- Mantle of the Mundane: This very For mental ones (thus, the wearer cannot
tacks be damaged by nonmagical weapons,
xdinary, even shabby, brown or grey undead take the wearer for a shadow and
3 Cold-based attacks :loak makes its wearer appear utterly ignore him, etc.). Saves against light-
4 Petrification unmemorable. It gives a 5% bonus to based attacks (e.g., a light spell cast into
5 Edged Weapons hide in shadows in all circumstances the eyes) are always made at -2 by the
6 Blunt Weapons and makes the wearer 80% undetect- wearer of a shudowcloak.
able if in a crowd (detection resistance
Boots of Balance: The wearer of applies here also). It also makes the If a cleric successfully makes a turn-
these soft, low-heeled supple leather wearer almost impossible to recognize ing attempt against the wearer in sha-
boots is endowed with a magically en- after having been seen-very useful in dowform, the cloak wearer is permitted
hanced sense of balance. This has the avoiding identification after a crime. a saving throw (thisis at - 4 if the cleric
following important effects: Unless a witness (and it must be an eye is actually able to damnldestroy
witness) makes a check against one- shadows). If the save fails, the wearer
(i) A thief wearing the boots gains a fourth of his Intelligence the wearer of suffers Id6 points of damage per level
+lo% bonus to all move silently rolls the mantle will have appeared so mun- of the cleric and the shadowcloak is de-
and also to all climb walls rolls. dane and boring in appearance that the stroyed. If the save is made, the charac-
witness will be unable to relate him to ter takes half damage and must flee in
(ii) The Dexterity of any character the thief (regardlessof whether the thief fear from the cleric at maximum rate
wearing the boots is increased by one is wearing the mantle the next time the for one turn.
witness sees him).
point for all purposes where the hands Miscellaneous Magic:
are not involved. Thus, a thief cannot Robe of Vanishing: This simple and Other Sneaky Stuff
claim a bonus to skills such as open
locks, but a bonus to Armor Class may innocent-looking robe is a boon for a Bag of Vanish-
apply, and likewise a bonus applies to thief needing to elude pursuers quickly. ing: This appears to be a simple pouch
Dexterity checks in certain situations The thief only needs to grasp the hems capable of carrying some 2-3 lbs. or so.
(e.g., to avoid a fall). of the robe and clutch it very tightly
about him and he will simply seem to In fact, it operates as a bag of holding
(iii) The wearer gains the tightrope vanish, although the thief will just have
walking proficiency; if this is already been affected as per a rope trick spell capable of carrying up to 50 Ibs. weight
possessed, a - 4 bonus modifier applies (no rope is visible, of course) and also while having an encumbranceof only 3
to all proficiency check die rolls when made invisible. detection resistance ap- Ibs. Further, the bag of vanishing can
wearing the boots. plies to the extradimensionalspace cre- have its drawstrings tugged tightly
ated. The rope trick effect will last for once per day and it will simply disap-
I A wearer of boots of balance cannot up to six turns but the invisibility cre- pear for six turns; the equivalent of a
also claim a further bonus for moving ated is of the normal sort (permanent rope trick spell will operate on the bag
silentlyfrom mundane aids (suchas the until some offensive action is under- (although it will stay with its owner)
use of leather strapping to cross creaky taken). Wise thieves will make sure and it will also have detection resist-
floorboards). Also, the bonuses gained that other magical aids to escape (nota- ance operating upon it.
from boots of balance cannot be added bly a potion of flying) are on hand to
to the bonus gained if the wearer also maximize the value of this robe. The This bag is invaluablefor smuggling,
uses gauntlets of dexterity. robe can be used up to three times per as should be obvious. The only prob-
Gloves of Evasion: These gloves are day to create its magical effects. lem is that each time the rope trick
made of exceptionally supple, thin calf- function is used there is a 5% chance
skin, and when put on they blend with Shadowcloak: This large, cowled that the contents will vanish into the
the skin and become virtually undetect- cloak is made from pure black velvet. Ethereal Plane and the bag will be emp-
able (and are detection resistant). A ty when it is checked later.
thief wearing them gains a + l o % bo- When worn by a thief it improves hide in
nus to open locks skill and can undo al- shadows chances by 25% and makes a
most any knot automatically in one
round. Any character wearing the thief 50% likely to be invisible in near-
darkness (even to infravision, ultra-

Boxes of Delightful Transports: ing (a process which takes four ~____
These wooden boxes are 6-inch cubes, meditation), he can then "see"
and come in identical pairs (oftendeco- the lens whatever scene is ha Tools of the Trade
rated with great attention to detail). front of the lens and within
When a nonliving object of suitablesize vision, wherever the lens Weapons
is placed in one and the lid closed and a There is no range limit,
command word spoken, the object will perceptionacross the plan Crossbow of An-
disappear, only to reappear (effectively No auditory information is gling: This appears to be a quite normal
through the lens, and no light crossbow, although it has a thick
teleported) in the matching box. This wrist strap attached which is of unusual
function operates up to three times per one time, any thief may be att design and toughness. On command it
day. a number of such lenses not can fire bolts with special properties up
one-half his Intelligence sco to three times per day. The magical bolt
While boxes of delightful transports fractions down). These items fired counts as a +2 bolt for deterrnina-
are obviously very useful, they have ally found singly, and are of tion of attack rolls (and damage if ap-
certain limitations. It is not possible for value in spying. propriate). When fired, this special bolt
the object-teleport to cross any planar is trailed by a pencil-thin snakingline of
barriers. And, while the distance be- conditions of supply or dema faint blue light (which radiates magic
tween the boxes is not important in af- Merchants usua fairlystrongly)which connects it to the
fecting the teleport range, there is crossbow. When the bolt impacts, the
always a 5% chance that the object dis- thieving community, it head expands into a small claw which
patched will not reach its destination, after by fences, who can embedsitself in the target, such that the
instead appearing at some random lo- this item. bolt gripsit strongly. By the useof a sec-
cation lodl0 miles away. Thus, dis- ond command word the crossbow user
patch of valuablesis not recommended. ward at an angle of up to can "reel in" the target, the thin "cord"
The boxes are more often used to send ward or downward, but of magical energy shrinking to drag the
messages, which can always be sent in its owner and up to five man- target to the archer.
duplicate (which gives very high
chances for at least one successful dis- rope owner attempting to wa The speed at which the target is re-
patch). trieved depends on its weight, friction,
normal rope of climbing. etc.; the maximum speed is 60 feet per
The major limitation on use of these round. The DM may need to exercise
boxes, though, is that no enchanted ob- his judgement in most cases. If the tar-
ject can be teleported using them. Even get is heavier than the archer or is im-
the placing of a simple Nystul's Magic movable or braced in some way, then
Aura spell on an object will prevent its the crossbowman may actually be
being teleported using these boxes. dragged to the target rather than the re-
Hence, magical items such as rings, po- verse applying. This can be exploited,
tions, amulets and other such things, of course, to pull a thief up to a c e i l i i
small enough to fit into one of these or up a wall. The magical cord is AC
boxes, cannot be teleported to a distant
location. -2 and takes 15points of damage (non-

Dust of Trail Dispersion: A generous magical weapons do no damage) to de-
pinch of this magical dust, when scat- stroy.
tered over the beginning or origin of a
trail (such as at the bottom of a wall Dagger of Impaling: These daggers
surrounding a house the thief has are +2 to hit and damage, and on a nat-
burgled, at the point he reaches the ural roll of 20 (and also of 19 if this is
ground) will prevent its being followed sufficient to score a hit) on a backstab
by all normal sensory means (rangers, attack they impale the target, inflicting
bloodhounds, etc.). The dust is usually an additional ld4 +2/ld3 +2 points of
found in a small box, or packets, with damage and also staying in the wound,
one "find usually being sufficient for where they cause an additional ld4 +2/
ld3+2 points of damage each round
ld4 +4 uses. until removed.

Lens of Remote Viewing: These Dagger of Resource: These daggers
small, clear gems (the term "lens" is a usually have handles of ebony or ivory,
slight misnomer here) appear to be or some similarly valuable and exotic

substance, and have l d 3 +1small studs

in the cross guards. The dagger has at-

107

tack and damage bonuses, but it also coat the blade. The venom will be away with that previous user. So, when
has additional tools located within it, wiped from the blade after one success-
and depressing one of the studs will ful hit on a target, or evaporate after they see it on the person of the PC. . . .
cause the corresponding item to spring 2d4 rounds in any event. Any venom
from the hilt of the dagger, ready for can be used, for the dweomer gives the The history of the item can have great
use (only one tool at a time can be venom virulenceagainst whatever crea- potential for adventure locked within
used). These bonuses and tools depend ture is struck. The scabbard holds it, which the DM doesn't need to exploit
on the number of studs in the weapon, enough poison for six doses, but must immediately. Also, the player whose
as shown below: be manually refilled when empty. 25% character gets the item should not be
of these scabbards are the right size for told the history of the item; that's some-
No. Hit/ long swords, 25% suitable for short thing he will have to find out for himself
of damage Tools Description swords, and 50% for daggers. All re- and, again, there may be adventures
studs bonus avail. of tools strictionswhich apply to the use of poi- locked within this search. This is espe-
2 +4 2 Lock picks add- son weapons apply here, of course, and cially true if command words are
only evil characters would routinely needed to activate certain properties.
ing +5% to use such a device.
Open Locks Don't make too much of such items,
rolls, plus tool for Short sword of Backstabbing: In the or other players may feel their charac-
removing stones hands of any character this is a +2 ters are being put in the shadeand over-
from horses magical weapon, but in the hands of a shadowed by all the attention the thief
hooves' thief it is especiallypotent.When a thief is getting. But a unique item, something
+3 3 As above, plus makes a backstab attempt with this the thief knows he is the only person on
Lens of Detection short sword, it allowshim to attack as if Oerth (or Krynn or in the Forgotten
(see DMG, p. four levelshigher than his actual experi- Realms) to have, adds color and char-
173) ence level, with corresponding im- acter to any adventuring party!
provements in THACO, attack rolls,
~ and damage multiplier on a successful
hit.
+ 2 4 As above, plus
G e m of Bright- Special Results
ness with 3d10
charges If the DM rolls a
"Special" result from Table 32, then a
Dagger of Sounding: This oddly- unique item should be developed for
designed dagger is +1 for attack and the thief. This takes carefulwork by the
damage determination, but it has a pe- DM to design the item, and also to de-
culiar, hollow bronze bulb at the end of termine a suitable history for it. Multi-
its pommel. If this is gently tapped property items in the listings above
against a hollow surface, it gives a re- (such as the potion of perception, boots
sounding ring quite different from the of balance, amulet of dramatic death,
dull tone emitted if struck against solid etc.) can be taken as inspirations. A
stone. Tapping it gently against walls specially-designed item should have
allows the thief a 5 in 6 chance for find- several functions, none of exceptional
ing a secret door, rising to 11 in 12if the strength, and with an emphasison pro-
thief is elven or half-elven. Also, the tection and nondetection rather than
thief can search for secret doors at twice strong offensive potential.
the normal rate when using this dagger.
In other cases, the thief is 80% likely to A history for the item is well worth
be able to determine successfully the the effort. One obvious possibility is
approximate thickness and nature of that someone, sometime, will come to
the material the dagger is used to try and get the item back! Certain NPCs
sound. may be hunting the previous wearer/
user of the item, and while they do not
Scabbard of Poison: These scabbards have a description of the previous user
have reservoirs in which poison can be they know what the item looks like.
stored, and when a blade is placed in Perhaps they have been hired to do
the scabbard and then drawn, the
venom will automatically and magi-
cally be drawn from the reservoir to

--

The old rogue slurped his ale noisily, Through fast-talk, distracti gaining the confiuenre of the pigeon,
complaining to the bartender, "The sleight-of-hand, you trick th while the other pretends to be a foolish
thieves these days, they've lost the art stranger. The steerer conspires with the
of it all. Like a bloody bunch of bandit The story at the end real target, ostensibly to swindle the
half-orcs: Their idea of an elegant theft lustrates the short-change swindl money of the stranger, his true partner.
is a rich victim bashed neatly on the Gambling In the course of the game, the steerer
head, so his fancy clothes don't get finer racket. Gambli winds up with all the money.
scuffedso much and can be fenced more
dear." The young bartender raised his who makes a gambling pro Of course, he's not able simply to
eyebrows, a little wary but curious check will probably be wise to t share it with the pigeon, since they've
h u t what the wizened old coot had to dler's tricks. supposedly just pulled a fast one on the
say. "Now, in my day, the thief w e all foolish stranger. They have instead
looked up to was one whose only weap- Dice Games: Dice-throwin agreed beforehand to meet somewhere
ons were his wits and a steady, speedy oped in ancient times, and and share the spoils. Of course, the
hand. I t would be hours before his vic- mained popular since (even into steerer never shows up to share and the
tim even knew'd he was robbed, and would-be con artist is left penniless.
then he couldn't be sure who done it. pockets roll, at -40%. for each Furthermore, since he was duped on ac-
count of his own greed, trying to do
"There was this one guy, Willie- aohs, and is simple to run a what was done to him, he'll probably
Cool Willie, they called him, 'cause he around. swallow his chagrin and never report
never lost his cool. He know'd ALL the the incident to the local authorities!
The favorite variation for
scams. . . dlers working a sucker is The Shell Game The shell game is
wins"; Three coins are toss another age-old classic. The swindler
Since day one, there have been peo- sets up at some event, like a circus, fair,
ple eager to get a free ride, to swindle or even a busy street comer. He has a
others out of anything they can. These single pea and three shells, which he re-
people, it has been observed, are typi- arranges. It is a test of observation, he
cally the best targets for the swindler. says: Anyone who can identify which
After all, how likely are you to report a shell covers the pea, after they've been
con man, when the reason he succeeded shifted around, will win whatever he
was that you thought you were taking bet. If he guesses wrong, he loses his
advantage of him? Playing off other money.
peoples' greed is the key to a successful
swindlingcareer, on whatever scale it is Someonetakes on the challenge, and
performed. wins! Of course, this is an accomplice
of the shell man (known as a "capper").
An astute swindler is always on the The crowd thinks the swindler is play-
lookout for opportunities for a good ing honestly. Then a real target places
racket. Some of these situations and his bet. He, too, will win. The swindler
scams have been nearly immortalized, will nurse the target's self-confidenceto
and are classics: Not only does it seem raise the stakes, and then (mysteri-
everyone knows them, but everyone ously!) the victim's powers of observa-
still uses them-and they still work. An tion will decline, and he'll fail to spot
excellent book filled with real-life anec- the right shell! This of course is done
dotes of classic cons is The Compleat through sleight-of-hand. (To do it un-
Swindler, by Ralph Hancock with noticed, the thief needs to make a suc-
Henry Chafetz (New York: Macmillan, cessful pick pockets roll.)
1968).
Quackery
What follows is a sampling of scams
for the novice pigeon plucker. Quackery is the
realm of the mountebank, the seller of
Short-change Swindles three are the same, no one wins. "snake dil" and all manner of exotic po-
tions, unguents and charms, each sup-
On the simple posed to be a medical wonder, but
level, you have the short-change swin- usually worthless (if not actually dan-
dle. This is something you do to

-
The Arts of Deception: Classic Cons

gerous to its user). Even in a world The rogue fished in his pockets. g u m sand thieves can't very well report
where magic is real, quacks can make "Hmm," he said. "AllI have is this gold thefts to the authorities (assuming they
brisk profits from those who cannot tell piece. Have ya got change?" don't control those authorities through
a real potion from fake. bribes or blackmail).
"BelieveI do,"said the bartender, tak-
Forgery and Qounterfeiting ing the gold coin and putting out an And, of course, authorities permit
electrum coin, four silvers, and six cop- the theft of stolen items when its pur-
I pers in change. pose is recovery, to return the goods to
the original owner, as bounty hunters
Forgery may also "Say, w h y don't you get me a slab of do.
be a swindler's calling, including coun- cheese for the road?" asked the rogue,
terfeiting. Interestingly, forgery was sliding over two coppers for it. Sanction and some degree of protec-
not a serious crime in the middle ages; tion might also be gained from a rival
barter took precedence above coinage While the bartender retrieved the guild. Mob wars provide many oppor-
or credit notes, and it's hard to counter- cheese from beneath the counter, the
feit a bushel of wheat or forge livestock. rogue opened his pouch to put the re- tunities for the daring thief, willing to
maining coppers inside. "Well look run around in the crossfire, scoring
As the Renaissance came, however, here! Guess I had a silver after all!" he loot. The trick is not to be identified as
and banking developed, so did the forg- declared. He moved his hand toward stealing from the wrong people (i.e.,
er's art-and the punishments became the others, palming his new-found sil- the guild that wins in the end).
serious. As late as the first half of the ver and hiding the electrum beneath the
19th century in England, men and other coins, while appearing just to set Perhaps the biggest advantage of all,
women were hanged for the crime of the new silver coin with the rest. "Say," and the reason that thieves will brave
forging one-pound notes. he tells the bartender. "I'd be hatin' to the risks, is the enormous wealth that
take all yer change like that. W h y can be concentrated in the hands of a
The value of forgery, therefore, and dontcha gimme an electrum for these singlecriminal, especially an important
the risks involved, will depend on the five silvers?" officer of the guild.
nature of commerce and trade in your
campaign. "Sure," said the bartender, handing But there's no shortage of risks. First
him an electrum. The old rogue turned off, intelligent thieves understand
dJewelrySwin les toward the door. "Wait!" said the bar- themselves and, by extension, other
For the well- tender. "Ye left an electrum coin here thieves. Each thief needs to be a trou-
trained rogue, jewelry swindles can be with the silver!" bleshooter, in a way, designing protec-
both the most lucrative and the easiest, tion for himself and his possessions,
because it is so difficult for the un- "So I did! Thank you. Honesty's a and making sure that it's proof at least
trained eye to identify or to judge the difficult quality to find these days! against any thief of his skill or less. This
value of a precious stone. Besides deal- Well, to keep you with enough change, means that in stealing from another
ing in paste and glass fakes, jewelry w h y don't I just give you this silver"- thief, you can expect a fairly difficult
swindlers may pass off a lesser stone as he then produced the coin he had job.
something more valuable (e.g., quartz palmed-"and you give me back the
for diamond), or pay someone (espe- gold piece?" Sometimes, however, a thief may be
cially naive but treasure-laden adven- surprisingly flippant about not protect-
turers) for a diamond as if it were "All right," said the bartender. "Have ing his wealth. The people who can get
quartz. A nimble-fingered rogue may a nice day, then!" away with this are incredibly powerful
also replace fake jewels for real ones, crime lords, with vast wealth and myr-
As he walked down the street from iad connections. They have the re-
and the owner may never know the dif- the tavern, five silvers richer, the old sources to find anyone who dares to
rogue permitted himselfa grin and a lit- steal from them and deliver a fitting
ference! tle skip of delight. All these years, and punishment. Among such punish-
Sly NPC jewel swindlers are a great Cool Willie hadn't lost his touch. ments, a simple assassination is very
mild and humane.
way for DMs to relieve characterslack- Robbing the Robbers
ing gem cutting proficiency of their Understand that the underworld is
cash and jewels (provided they don't Thieves as a class often harsher on thieves than the estab-
spew out at the start, "The dragon's are people who enjoy toeing the line, lished authorities. The underworld
treasure includes 12 opals at 1,OOO gp when it comes to risk-taking. Someren- does not presume innocence; and sweet
each). egade thieves take it a step further, of- revenge is more important to a
ten a step too far, and dare to steal from wronged crime lord (and his ego and
"How much A7 owe ya?" asked the other thieves, or even thieves' guilds. ruthless reputation) than the recovery
old rogue, upon finishing ale and tale. of any but the most precious property.
It's dangerous activity, but it does
"Four coppers," said the bartender. have certain advantages. Foremost, the

110

This section introduces rules of Describing Types The new equipment listed in Chapter
idvanced complexity that players and 5 includes a variety of aids for just such
IMs may wish to use in the campaign. the DM can provide delicate work. By utilizing greater de-
While they are recommended for use in stacle facing the thi tail in the description of a lock or trap,
i gaming environment where thieves player's options in facing it. more opportunities for the use of this
ire common, they are not exclusively equipment will arise.
imited to the thief character. Locks can inch
keyhole locks with Building Better Locks
As an exception to this generality, tumblers, puzzles that involve per
hose optional rules that modify spe- A character with
:ificthief activities are, of course, usea- locksmith proficiency can try to build a
de only by thieves. superior lock, but only if the proper
materials are available. In most cases
New rules are provided for lock and this means an iron or steel lock, though
rap construction, removal, and modi- special considerations can be adjudi-
ication; for specific animal training, cated by the DM. The locksmith must
ricks common and useful to thieves; to make a proficiency check for the lock.
implify the poison rules presented in A roll of 1or less indicates a lock of su-
he A D & P 2nd Edition DUNGON perior craftsmanship. Subtract 1 from
MASTER Guide; to allow thieves to the die roll for every proficiency slot
mssibly knock out a victim with a sur- beyond the first spent on the locksmith
>riseblow from the rear; and to detail the skill. For example, a craftsman with
rncumbrance &ects when armoredchar- three slots of locksmith skill creates a
icters attempt to perform acrobatics. superior lock on a roll of 1,2, or 3.

Rdvancedlocksand Modifying Checks The modification for such a specific
Craps lock is determined by rolling ld10, re-
trap maker, the materials sulting in a 1-10% modifier. Each im-
The game works proved lock will be at least as good as
Jerfectly well under the assumption moneychanger's house. the one before it, however, so re-roll re-
hat a lock is a lock, regardless of its the DM to establish a variet sults that are lower than the modifier
nake or mechanism. Traps generally for a previous lock made by that same
tarn greater detail ("a poison needle smith. When the locksmith makes locks
licks out of the panel beside the lock," with a 10% modifier, he is allowed to
:or example), but even so, the actual roll 2d10. When he reaches 2 0 1 , he re-
Norkings of the device are not usually ceives 3d10, but is no longer guaran-
Jescribed. teed to beat his previous high roll. He
does get to roll 3d10 until he gets a re-
However, locks and traps are in fact sult of 20 or greater, however.
:ound in great variety, and while many
might provide little challenge to the For example, a locksmith builds a su-
skilled thief, some will prove daunting perior lock and rolls a 7% modifier. On
wen to the most experienced veteran. his next superior lock, he rolls and dis-
A device can be listed with a modifier cards a 6, 3, and 5,before rolling a 10.
He keeps the 10, since that is the first
of + or - up to 30%, reflecting the roll to equal or beat his previous high
of 7. On his next superior lock, he rolls
ease or difficulty with which a thief 2d10, using the first adjusted roll of 10
might pick the lock or find and remove or higher. If he eventually gets a 20, he
a trap. The modifier is applied to the rolls 3d10 until he gets a result of 20 or
thief's chance of success with the obsta- greater. All his subsequent superior
cle; a -30 lock, for example, lowers locks, then, will gain at least 20% mod-
the thief's chances of picking it by 30%. ifiers, with the occasional one perhaps
If his normal percentage is 65%, then as high as 30%.
his chance with this lnrk i s nnlv 15%.

A simpler way to or less to train the ferret for the task. room or yard. Specific objects include
make a room dr chest more secure The ferret, consequently, needs a roll of coins, gems, jewelry such as chains or
17 or less to fetch the gems properly. bracelets, or even items of food and
simply to protect it drink. Additional training sessions can
lock. Iron-bound Players should record the stats for train the animal to perform its task with
animals on the PC character sheet. List stealth.
three built-in locks the tasks each animal has been trained
for, recording this proficiency number The animalcan be sent by gesturein a
twere not unco on in rich treasure beside the notation.
specific direction. It will seek for some
vaults. Certainly a powerful and suspi- At the DMs option, some animals
cious wizard w uld not entrust his may have such exceptionalintelligence, time in the area indicated, finally re-
spellbooksto a c , binet with only a sin- or strength, or speed, that their ratings turning to its master. Generally, the ani-
gle lock. mal will spend ld8 turns on the search.
are granted a +1or, rarely, a +2 modi- However, additional training sessions
A thief attempt- can add another l d 8 turns to this dura-
fier to specific tasks. tion.
Ianyone within ezirshot. Dogs can serve primarily as protec-
If a thief fails a ilent attempt, he can- If an animal is discovered or fright-
not try to open t e same lock normally. tors, requiring little training before ened during this task, it will attempt to
they become alert and aggressive fleeto itsmaster. It can be trained to flee
Animal Ass stants watchdogs. in a different direction, or even to at-
tack, if a good trainer takes the time to
' A thief with an Dogs can also be trained to track a do so.
character or other animal. The dog re-
y at animal handling quires some scent information about Poison and Sedatives
the object being tracked and a general
monkeys. Othed types can be used location of the trail. A proficiency The DMG pro-
given the approv' 1of the DM; develop check is made to find the trail. Another vides detailed rules on poison types and
and define the abiities of the animal us- check must be made every 1-4 turns, effects(pg. 73). The followingrules add
and also whenever the trail takes an un- several types of non-lethal poisons, in-
these creatures. ' usual turn (through water, along tree troduce poison gases, and describe
limbs, etc). Dogs specially bred for this
of the animal is dsome poison antid-.
(includingmany hounds) gain a +1or Sedatives are ingeste poisons that
disable, rather than injure, a character.
+2 to this particular ability. A sedative can be administered in food
Dogs can sometimes be trained to or drink, with different rates and ef-
fects:
perform the "Thief's Fetch trick, be-
low. Generally, small and nimble dogs Method Onset Weakness Duration
are used for this task.
Eaten 4-40 1-6 2-12
Ferrets can fit through openings as Drunk min. min. hours
narrow as 2", and thus have an ability 2-12 1-6
to go places other animals cannot. Fer- min. min. 1-4
rets can be taught the "Thief's Fetch hours
trick to acquire gems, coins, or other
small objects. Sedatives are treated as regular poi-
sons, except that their first effect is a
Monkeys are the most adaptable of period of weakness when all ability
these animals. A monkey can be trained scores and the character's movement
to be selective in its fetching. Gate- rate are reduced to half. This lasts ld6
ways, high windows, and other obsta- rounds, after which the character saves
cles can easily be traversed by a vs. poison. Failure renders him uncon-
monkey. A monkey will fight to defend scious. Success means that the weak-
itself if cornered or seized. ness lasts for another hour. The
character then saves each hour, with
Monkey: AC 7; MV 12(9climbingh); the weakness remaining until a success-
HD1/2; THACO 20; Dmg 1-4 ful save is made.

The Thief's Fetch

Animals can be
trained to retrieve specific types of
items from a general area such as a

I112

Poison Gases are rare, expensive, and Healing Proficiency Producing Antidotes
highly dangerous.A typical dose is a clay and Poison
x glassjar weighing 5pounds. If thejar is Most of the time
shatteredor opened,gas fillsa 10'x 10'x proficiency rules for poison, an antidote has not been prepared in
10'cube.It disperses after one round un- Player's Handbook, are as fol advance, and a character with herbal-
less contained on all sides. The gas lasts ism proficiency will attempt to produce
:or 2d6 turns in an enclosed room; 2d6 A character with healing pro an antidote from scratch.
rounds in a room with at least one open can attempt to aid a poisoned
door, window, arrow slit, etc. ual, provided the poison Doing this presupposes an assort-
through a wound. If the ment of herbs, mosses, and such neces-
It might be possible for creative play- acter can be tended im sary materials, already selected and
:rs to create larger doses of poison gas, close at hand (e.g., gathered, dried and
>ut such lethal devices are left to the until the last round of tending). stored in a pouch). If the herbalist needs
D M s discretion. to gather the materials as well (and
immediately (normally by there are materials around to be
Poison gases generally have the ef- any other action by the profi gathered-not the case in most
'ects of poison type D, taking effect af- acter) and cannot do anythin dungeons), at least half an hour is re-
:er one or two minutes, inflicting 30 If the care and rest are int quired to do so. When materials are
9oints of damage (2d6with a successful poisoned character must available, putting together and admin-
;ave).The damage is inflictedeach turn istering an antidote takes ld6 + 4 (5-10)
he character breathes the gas. son. This result is unalterable minutes.

An extremely lethal poison gas is re- If time for gathering materials and
mted to exist, similar to poison type J
:onset in ld4 minutes, causes death or making the antidote turns out to be
10 points of damage with save). greater than the poison's onset time, the
efforts are in vain. If not, a proficiency
Unlike injected or ingested poisons, check must be made to determine the
iowever, poison gas does not remain in antidote's success or failure. The check
3 character's system after death. Thus, suffers a -10 penalty if the poison has
attempts to raise characters who have not been identified. If the check is suc-
3erished this way do not have to con- cessful, the antidote takes effect.
.end with the venom in the character's
system. For example, the assassin Therius is
adventuring with his companion, Or-
If1joison Antidotes knowledge to prepare a purgativ lene, when she is struck by a poisoned
Optional Rule) blade. The opponent is swiftly dis-
ingestive and contact poisoning. patched and Therius turns his attention
In AD&D@2nd to her wound. Orlcne, meanwhile, has
Antidote Effects
Edition rules, a character with healing failed her saving throw. The DM

proficiencyis able to aid poisoned indi- knows that the poison is Type 0, in-
jected, with an onset time of 20 min-
viduals. This is described on pg. 59 of utes; he notes this information secretly.
One minute has already gone to finish-
the Player's Handbook. We reproduce ing combat. If the poison is not success-
fully treated, Orlene will be left
those rules here with additional op- paralyzed for nine hours.

tions, including ones for those cam- Therius is a 7th level thief (assassin
kit) with herbalism proficiency and In-
paigns that are not using nonweapon telligence 14;he does have a kit of use-
ful herbs with him just for such
proficiency rules. emergenciesas this.

, Campaigns without tirely (if the poisoned character He first sets out to identify the poi-
savingthrow in the first place)o son. His base chance is 35% (7th level)
Nonweapon Proficiencies its effect to saving throw level.
+ 5% (Int 14) = 40%. This is his
Treat rangers,
characters with forester secondary chance of learning from Orlene's s y m p
skills, and thieveswith the kits assassin, toms. He rolls a 48 on percentile dice
bounty hunter, and scout as having her-
balism proficiency; treat clerics and and fails. His next attemut is bv- sig-ht.
paladins as having healing proficiency;
and treat druids as having both.

113



CA
]New Rules for Thieves
~

the armor of the character, as shown mor class by 4 against attacks tnieves. i h e Players nanabook notes
n Table 37.Should the resulting total solely at him in any round of the benefits or penalties of wearing no
e less than zero, the character fails the provided he has the initiative armor, elfin chain, and studded or pad-
crobatic feat entirely (probably by goes all attacks that round. The ded leather armor, since these options
ipping and landing flat on his face). are also availableto thieves. In some in-
Pole vaulting is a different matter. To character can get when he is stances thieves will be found wearing
iccessfullyget off the ground in armor various sorts of armor. Whe still other sorts of armor. Multi-classed
ulkier than leather requires a profi- armed combat, a character demihumans and dual-classed humans,
lency check, adjusted, as indicated on bling proficiency is also normall for instance, may have fighter or cleric
able 37,accordingto the pole vaulter’s to improve his attack roll b as one of their classes, and may
mor. In addition, a pole vaulter with nus, if any, that the character ha fore be permitted any sort of
m o r heavier or bulkier than studded whatsoever.
r padded can vault no higher than the “Tumbling- Attack.“
eight of the pole. The third function of tu Thieves using the disguise profi-
Tightrope Walking: Adjustments ciency also should be permitted to wear
sted on Table 37indicate the penalties ciency is the ability to avoid fa armor not normally used by their class,
ssociated with each sort of armor if it damage. If the character makes a to aid the deception. (Otherwise it be-
, worn while tightrope walking. The cessful proficiency check, he takes comes obvious that anyone in leather
)M should also take into account how armor who refuses to don chain mail
eavy the character and all his armor, IArmor and Thief Skills must be an assassin or spy.)
reapons and equipment are, and
rhether the rope or beam or other sur- tionally wear no For this reason we offer exp
ice on which the character walks is ca- mor, since garb rules to cover the effects of the h
able of supporting such weight. and bulkier armor types on thieves’
Tumbling: Defensive and offensive skills. Table 38 lists the adjustments ac-
imbling maneuvers are limited by the corded to each armor type.
seof armor. As the Player’s Handbook
:ates (pg. 64), a character with tum-
ling proficiency can improve his ar-

Table 38:
EFFECTS OF ARMOR ON THIEF S <ILLS

Armor‘ Chain Ring or Brigandinescale or Plate

orpadded Hide Chain orSplint Banded Mail’

---

MTerrak, the aster, looked through his band to escape. Now they gathered great hall, serves as a symbol of his van-
here, dry kindling awaiting the spark ity. It has left a bitter taste in the
the hazy air of the hideout. The acrid that would ignite the flames of their re- mouths of the entire city. Its theft will
scent o f charco 1 smoke mingled with venge. put a large dent in the Duke’s armor of
the sweat drippjng freely from his as- rulership!” (At least, I hope it will!),
sembled thieves1 Indeed, the air in the Terrak turned to an old man beside Terrak concluded silently.
him. “Andso, Rorden, the Duke’s trea-
carious was theii-position in the city, so sury awaits us now ?” “Now, the challenges,” the Master
firm was the Blhck Duke’s grip on the Thiefcontinued. He lookedat Kyrin, to
The man nodded his balding head. his left.
n y hint of their pres- Terrak reminded himself that the man
bring swift and brutal was not as old as he looked. The Duke, “I will have the wagon ready,”the girl
reprisal. however, had siezed Rorden‘s wife for answered solemnly. She had been just
For the hundkedth time, Terrak ex- use as a concubine many years earlier. old enough to understand her loss when
By threatening her with death, the ruler her parents had died in the inferno of
were bound to had forced the talented Rorden to keep the guildhouse. Terrak knew that she
his books and provide him with infor- spoke the truth.
he knew they lespected him-but in- mation. Now, the Duke’s threat to
flaming hatred. He claim the man‘s daughter for a similar “Hereare the magic mouths.” Terrak
such a ragged as- fate had finally driven Rorden to fight gestured at the parchment as Rorden
be a threat to against his brutal lord. nodded.

one as mighty ad the Duke. But then he “Indeed. Master.” Rorden spread a “My spell of silence will be ready,“
piece of parchment on the floor. “You nodded another thief, a thin and wiry
skillfully during the see here the layout of the Duke’s man- man of indeterminate age. Only the
day, and none Suspected that her bot- sion. I have marked the secret passage golden sheen of his blond hair sug-
to the vault, though I could not gain the gested his true race. The half-elf was a
Itles of dye, or er carefully wrapped key to the lock. I am sorry, but the skilled thief, but at times his talents asa
Duke keeps it on a key around his magic-userwere even more valuable to
bundles of cloth were used to smuggle neck.” the band.
the gains of the1band around the city,
and even to locations beyond the high Terrak waved away the man‘s apol- “Thesewalls are oiled to prevent scal-
wall. Even nom the band gathered in ogy. Once they found the lock, he knew ing,’‘ explained Rorden, gesturing
the attic of he? shop, since she had Xeno could open it. Indeed, the lock- around the periphery of the courtyard.
risked her cover and her life to provide picker even now instinctivelyflexed his
fingers and licked his lips. Xeno, too, A snicker came from a young woman
had lost his woman in the Duke‘s raid. across the room, and Terrak allowed
Terrak knew he would perform with himself a slight smile of his own. The
skill on this night. Black Duke would need more than slip-
pery walls to stop Bria the acrobat and
“And the painting?” asked Terrak, her grappling hook. “lust remember to
drop a rope for the rest of us,“reminded
carefully watching the other members the Master.
of his band. He saw Rocko flex uncon-
sciously, graspingthe stump of his right “And finally, the guards,” pointed
arm with his left hand. Rocko had lost Rorden. “They are commanded b y
his hand as a mere boy, when the Puroch, whose loyalty the Duke extorts
Duke‘swatchmen had caught him steal- b y holding his family at knifepoint.”
ing bacon in the marketplace. Rocko
was brave, but not terribly bright. He, “The family is now safe‘in hiding?”
of all of them, had expressed the most asked Terrak, looking at the old
misgivings about the plan to steal the weavemoman.
piece of art along with the Duke’s trea-
sury of gems. She nodded with a toothless grin.
“Purochwill join us now.”
”Remember,the Duke is ruled by his
vanity above all else,’’ Terrak reminded Terrak looked again at his small, ca-
them, directing his measured stare at pable band. He knew them all, under-
the unflinching Rocko. “That painting stood their strengths and their
of himself, the work he paid thousands weaknesses. He would not betray
of gold pieces for that it may hang in his them, and he knew they would not be-
tray him.

“Wecannot hope that the theft of a
painting and a few gems will bring the

116

power of this duke crashing down," he than those of a "civilized" thief. NPCs, detailed sufficiently for smooth
said softly. "But if, b y this theft, w e can interaction with the PCs, and a society
force the entire city t o see him for the Of course, nothing prohibits a char-
madman he is-and his madness will be or culture with enough features to pro-
plain to all when he discovers the de- acter from a savage or barbarian back- vide motivation and ambition to
faced painting hanging above the outer ground from joining the thief class. thieves and to allow plenty of room for
gate of his mansion!-we can do him Ideally, the character will have the op- adventure.
great harm. portunity to learn a little about his cho-
sen trade before he meets up with an Some of the significant features of
"And too, we can pave the road to experienced city watch patrol. such a campaign include:
our return. Soon, m y loyal comrades,
w e will become the influential guild Rural cultures, too, will be less likely The Social Overview of
that we were once before!" to provide interesting settings for thief Thieves
adventures than will urban locales.
Elements of the Thief characters can of course learn How does this
Thief Campaign their trades in small town or country society view thieves? Are they vigor-
settings, but unless they have a steady ously exterminated wherever they can
The thief cam- stream of travelers passing through be found? Are they encouraged to leave
paign resembles any other AD&D@ from which to select their victims, such town by the closest available gate? O r
game campaign in many respects: There thieves will have difficulty maintaining are they an integral part of the city's in-
a career of any long duration. frastructure, contributing to its eco-
must be a challenge for the PCs to face, nomic life every bit as directly (if not,
But perhaps an even more significant perhaps, as constructively) as the trad-
the challenge must be balanced to the cultural consideration is the view of ing of merchants?
strength of the characters, and the re- that culture towards personal property
wards must be enjoyable enough to keep and an honest day's labor. It is in this The answers to these questions deter-
everyone having a good time-but not context that a city, with a strong class of mine, to a great extent, what kind of
so abundant as to drastically inflate the merchants, an important economic sys- status a thief might hold in the society.
finances of your campaign world. tem, and a reliance upon trade, be- Of course, status is almost always en-
comes the ideal setting for the thief's hanced by y a l t h , but a wealthy thief,
But it is in the specifics of play that in many societies, is still regarded as
some of these campaign aspects can activities . mere scum, however cleansed and sani-
take on unique and entertaining fea- tized he may be on the surface.
tures when applied to a campaign in- The culture of such a bustling city
volving many thief characters. cannot help but give rise to laws and In areas where thieves are vigorously
law enforcers, to objects of value, and persecuted, thief characters will have to
This section explores some of these to interesting inhabitants. All of these operate almost entirely underground.
features, providing detail to DMs and items, as they relate to the thief's activi- Even the location of such a major estab-
also players. ties and opportunities, are discussed be- lishment of the thieves guild will be a
low. carefully guarded secret. The guild
headquarters might move around fre-
Cultural Considerations The Social Campaign quently, changing locations at the first
Environment hint of detection.
The cultural
overview of the campaign setting is an Thieves, more Thieves in these types of societieswill
important consideration for the adven- than any other character class, must in- probably need to have several alternate
hideouts lined up, ready for use at a
turing careers of all PCs, none more so teract with NPCs in order to utilize the moment's notice. The number of
thieves working together, whether in a
than the thief. Some cultures have a full capabilities of their class. Unlike the guild or a more informal band, will be
strong and deep-running tradition of fighter or the magic user, who can face small. Paranoia among the members
thievery while others will be quite for- an opponent from the safety of spell or will be common, and even the hint of
eign to the concept. missile range, or in the heat of melee betrayal will likely meet with gruesome
combat, the thief must often communi- consequences.
Generally, the more primitive a civili- cate with his enemies, staying alive as
zation, the less the liklihood of a strong much by his wits as by his strength. Indeed, thieves in societies that strive
thief element within it. Savage tribes- to root them out will often be forced to
men or aborigines, of course, have few It is incumbent upon the DM, of resort to a cover occupation or identity,
possessions that a thief would deem course, to provide the necessary envi- simply to maintain appearances with
worth stealing. While characters from ronments for his players' enjoyment. neighbors, casual aquaintances, and
these backgrounds might covet the pos- For thief characters, and particularly in
sessions of other cultures, their meth- a campaign with numerous thief-types,
ods of acquisition will be less subtle this means the creation of numerous

117

The Thief Camnaiv

even curious members of the city convenient shorthand procedure for PCs successes.
watch. The development of the cover keeping track of all these characters. It Thieves will often develop contacts
can involve as much time and detail as is not necessary, for example, to include
player and DM want to spend. In this stats and proficiencies and equipment with NPCs even lower in status than the
type of culture, a thief's success at his for each shopowner and innkeeper in thievesthemselves. Thesecharacterscan
cover can affect his fortunes every bit as the player character orbit. Often a include beggars, urchins and orphans,
much as his performance on the job. name for the character and a one or two harlots, and other low-life types. A sta-
word personality description will suf- ble of these NPCs can provide the PCs
While a cover provides a thief char- fice to give the DM all he needs to role- with a ready source of information
acter with an inherent professional play the NPC in an interesting and ("Here's a copper, kid-go and count the
weakness, it can also provide wonder- consistent manner. (Remember, if the guards outside the storehousefor me!"),
ful opportunities for roleplaying. Addi- innkeeper is "greedy and bigoted the as well as providing a touch of believa-
tionally, a thief who works to preserve first time the PCs encounter him, he is bility to the campaign background.
a cover might find himself working in likely to be that way next time as well.) These low-life NPCs will, of course,
an area that is normally closed to have the same variety of personalities
thieves. This entails a corresponding in- Of course, NPCs who might logically and abilities as other NPCs. Because the
crease in the likelihood of encountering be expected to enter combat with the PCs represent persons of power to them,
lucrative targets for theft. Also, there PCs (guards, rival thieves, thugs, bul- however, player character actions can
will often be a relative lack of competi- lies, etc.) will need to be detailed with have a great rebounding effect in their
tion from other thieves in such an envi- the relevant combat information. relations. For example, a thief that al-
ronment. Other NPCs who fill the roles of the po- ways shares a (however small) portion
of his take with the gang of urchins con-
Conversely, societies where thieves tential targets for PC thievery (mer- stantly roaming the neighborhood will
are at least tolerated, and those where chants, nobles, dandies, caravaniers, find those urchins to be useful lookouts
thieves are accorded rank of some sta- fences, influential criminals and and helpful, willing sources of informa-
tus, present thief player characters with thieves, etc.) will need additional infor- tion. The thief who spends his time curs-
other challenges. Because of the notori- mation on valuables possessed, how ing and kicking the youngsters away
ously chaotic nature of the class, those goods are secured-including from his abode may just find them lead-
thieves are constantly adjusting the sta- notes on locks, traps, secret compart- ingan eliteunit of the city watch straight
tus of members within their ranks. ments, and the like-as well as enough to his door.
Thieveswho would succeedmust strug- combat information to allow the DM to
gle to stand out from the masses. Where quickly adjudicate an encounter should Potential targets for robbery include
every street has its cutpurses and every matters come to blows. a whole vast realm of NPCs: wealthy
neighborhood its petty boss, the thief merchants, powerful nobles, influential
PC will find himself in the midst of sav- The AD&D@2nd Edition DMG in- foreigners, even thieves and other ad-
age competition. He will nearly always cludes valuable information on defin- venturers who have enjoyed a certain
be forced to choose sides. Although this ing the personalities of NPCs (pg. 114) amount of financial success in their en-
selection can include the choice of inde- and on creating fast, realistic characters deavors. A variety of characters is es-
pendent operations, of course, most when needed (pgs. 115-117). sential here because this gives the PCs
thieves look upon those who are not de- the opportunity to determine for them-
clared friends as undeclared enemies. The DM, after working out an easy selves what will be the site of the next
Competition from other thieves and way of recording his NPCs, must then furtive operation.
thief organizations becomes a major keep this information close at hand
conflict for these characters. where it can be easily referenced. He is Here your group might try pacing the
then ready for any encounters the char- gaming sessions to give the players
Detailed and Varied acters might decide to find. complete freedom of choice, while not
Non-Player Characters burdening the DM with the task of de-
A variety of NPCs is every bit as im- tailing every mansion, noble house,
Obviously, NPCs portant as the detail used to record and merchant shop in town. Simply use
are a major part of any social campaign them. In all campaigns, the player char- the expedient of closing a gaming ses-
environment. For a campaign with ma- acters will interact with folks from all sion with the PC planning meeting for
jor roles for thieves, this must be one of walks of life-in a thief campaign such the next operation. Then, when the tar-
the primary areas of DM concern. interaction is common and expected. get for the theft has been selected, the
DM has the next week (or next few
Details are important, as always. Be- Some of the NPCs will need to be hours, depending on how often you
cause of the number of NPCs needed, peers of the PCs-fellow thieves and play) to prepare a detailed layout of the
DMs will probably want to develop a rogues inhabiting the same area. These setting.
NPCs can serve as rivals, temporary
helpers, sources of information, and

even sort of k measuring scale for the

118

'heThief famnaiui

No campaign is complete without at will have one or two esc Unique Buildingsand
Last one, or ideally several, strong vil- planned from every location wher Structures
l i s to serve as antagonists for the is likely to be encountered. These
layer characters. Villains, of course, do only be used in emergencies Whether these are
ot have to be criminalsor other low-lie but can serve an important camp temples, fortresses, vaults, inns, pal-
pes. They can be nobles, government function in that, as a villain e x aces, or mansions, the buildings in a
fficials, law enforcement officials or thiefly environment should be well de-
iagistrates, foreign ambassadors, pow- the players will developth tailed. Determine, as much as possible,
rful wizards or sinister clerics-in vation in wishing to go after hi detailssuch aswindow placement, even
iort, all types of characters can make on higher floors.
ood villains in a thief campaign. And resolution, ideally occurrin
on't overlook the grandmaster of the many gaming sessions, then b Features of construction can be im-
ueves guild or some other powerful major triumph in the PCs' ca portant; a brick wall may prove easier
riminal who might be a rival of the course, if they blow it, to climb than a surface of smooth plas-
Cs; these kinds of long-running feuds can make a glorious fin ter. Are there trees or clinging vines
m kindle the firesof many an extended near the walls? Are the grounds well-
ampaign adventure. PC career... maintained? (Many a thief has failed a
Whoever the DM picks as a central move silently check because the leaves
illain for the campaign, a few general A final category of N rustled beneath his feet!)
rinciples apply. The villain must be a to overlook in the thief campai
owerful character-one who can in- those characters entrusted with Add entertaining features to your
>irefear, or at least grudging respect, buildings such as balconies, atriums,
i the PCs. Power can be expressed in power-whatever prevails in wide stairways with railings, chande-
nancial resources (an estate, fortress, campaign environment. Even s liers, swimming pools, secret passages,
Dllection of treasures, etc.), authority you have created an anarchistic s and so on. Hanging draperies can make
;uch as a troop of guards or command wonderful emergency transportation,
f the city watch), personal abilities ally involve big, tough fighters. and a wine cellar, icehouse, or other
;uch as magic powers, magical arti- specialized room can also be put to in-
icts, combat skill and weaponry, or The gruff sergeant-major of the teresting use.
leer intelligence or charisma), or, ide- watch, for example, might ha
Ily, some combination of all these stem words for the PCs each t Experiment with unusual settings as
haracteristics. Certainly in order to are apprehended. A villainous t well-just because your thieves adven-
?emformidable, a villain's power must charge of a platoon of m ture in a social environment doesn't
Kceed the combined power of the PCs. guards might develop a mean that you can't put a dungeon un-
Scenes involving the villain should grudge against the PCs that c der a noble's manor, or a hidden cavern
e paced and staged carefully-the PCs into a major campaignstoryline. leading to and from the lair of a rival
robably will not find him in a back al- severe magistrate can be a re band of thieves. After the PCs have
:y rolling drunks. (If they do, that plundered several houses, you might
hould tell them something about the details for these NPCs. Nter all, offer a tower or a pyramid for a change
runk!) Villains, being powerful and 100 NPCs in the campaign is of pace.
lfluential individuals, are not stupid. use if the DM has to shuffle 1
Vhen they are encountered, they will of paper every time a player Insomuch as a great portion of a
sually be surrounded by their lackeys asks a question. It isbest to wor thief's career might be spent skulking
nd henchmen (some of these can be about the buildings of the campaign
uite stupid, at the DMs option). required for consistent, enjoyab world, it is well worth the DMs time to
while allowing a brief enough prepare them carefully and imagina-
In fact, the villain's lackeys should be that the DM does not becom tively.
ommon antagonists of the player char- whelmed with recordkeeping an
cters throughout the campaign. It is creation. A Well-Defined Economic
well worth a DMs time to develop some System
I f these henchmen as detailed NPCs-
ninor villainsin their own right. What is This can be as sim-
he Sheriff of Nottingham without his ple as consistent observation of the
~ y ahlouse guards, after all? prices and costs listed in the Players
Handbook, or as complicated and in-
Any villain worth his black mustache volved as a DM cares to make it. Be-
cause so many thieves measure their
accomplishments in financial terms,
however, some sort of consistent mea-

T h e Thief CamDnian

sure of worth is extremely important. tem for the world, of course, as men- give careful thought to the role of law
Another consideration within the ec- tioned above. But takiig the time to and order in the campaign culture. It is
specify treasuresand their worth within far more important for penalties to be
onomic system is the effect of theft on that economic system carries the con- consistent than for them to be harsh.
the itemsbeing re-sold. Certainly a jew- cept to a level of detail that greatly en-
eled tiara can be appraised at 1,OOO gp. hances any campaign-but particularly Once the DM has established a con-
However, if word of its theft has trav- one involvingmany thieves and their il- sistent legal structure for the society, a
eled far and wide, PC thieves might licit activities. working knowledge of that structure
have difficulty getting someone to pay should be communicated to the play-
half the listed amount. Objects can be classified by type and ers.
artist, most obviously, but also by such
Other aspects of economics often things as materials (especially in the In any event, the laws of a society
overlooked in a campaign can be very area of gems and jewelry), intricacy of will usually be formed to reflect the
relevant for thieves. Bribes are often design, and size. standards and expectations of the ma-
necessary in order to gain information jority (or at least the most influential
or to persuade a guard to look the other It doesn't so much matter what you portion) of the populace.
way-keep rigorous track of this cost choose to invent and define here. It is
of doing business! Protection money more important for the DM to create As always, game balance is impor-
might be offered by victims; con- enough detail about some area that the tant here as well. Societies with harsh
versely, if a merchant is paying protec- most treasured pieces are known to one penalties for thievery tend to discour-
tion money to someone else (a thieves and all, and enough other facts about age such nefarious activities. Because of
guild, for example), those being paid the art to allow PC thieves to make the risk involved, potential gains
will leave no stone unturned in seeking proper value judgements. should be correspondingly higher than
the one who has flaunted their warn- in locations with more easy-going mag-
ings. Of course, establishing an artistic istrates.
level of a culture is an ingredient of any
All such extra costs and hidden con- campiagn. Thieves, however, are more A fewwords about specificpenalties:
sequences should be determined by the apt to become involved in the gaining While the death penalty for law-
DM, at least to the extent of their im- and losing of such items than are char- breakers is not an unrealistic sanction
pact upon the campaign environment. acters of other classes, and because of in a medieval-based society-and, in-
It can be left up to the PCs to discover this the thief campaign calls for a little deed, many a nail-biter of a rescue has
for themselves how these little extras extra attention to be paid here. pulled a character from the shadows of
can impact (perhaps even shorten!) the gallows, headsman's axe, or
their illicit careers. Whether these objects are paintings, whatever-it is not the most enjoyable
statues, jewelry or gemwork, tapestries thing to roleplay.
Interesting Objects D'Art and or rugs, ornate crystal, or religious
Other Treasures icons, a well-defined set of existing trea- Far better to have a character who
sures helps a thief put his own aquisi- has gotten himself in deep trouble be
A well-defined cul- tions and losses into context. Dungeon subjected to leverage from the law, per-
tural store of valuable objects always Masterswill find the time spent creating haps being coerced to betray his com-
gives a thief something to think about, a detailed cultural and artistic back- panions or spy upon a powerful rival
and can provide some wonderful impe- ground for the campaign well spent. thief in exchange for his freedom and
tus for roleplaying. ("I simply must pardon. This way the sanction is a de-
have that last Van Hoot original!") Player character thieves will doubt- vice propelling the character into an-
These items add a great deal of color less find one or two more things that other adventure instead of a one-way
and life to a campaign, encouraging just might cause them to lick their ticket out of the campaign.
players and the DM alike to think in chops.
terms other than simply the gp value of Counter-Thief Tactics
a treasure. Indeed, a valuable art object Well-Defined Legal System
may be worth far more than its base This is an area all
value to a collector. By the same token, This does not mean too often neglected in campaign and
such an object might be recognized far that your campaign has to have a law- city design. It reflects the truism that
and wide as stolen property-a compli- and-order basis with plenty of tough people who have been robbed, or who
cation that can make disposal of the penalties for thieves, and a gung-ho know they are susceptible to robbery,
goods an adventure in its own right. team of watchmen and sheriffs to see will take steps to guard their belong-
that unlawful perpetrators are quickly ings.
Part of this campaign aspect involves apprehended.
establishing a consistent economic sys- Counter-thief tactics include struc-
Instead, a well-defined legal system tural features such as locks, walls, traps
in a campaign means that the DM must and alarms; NPCs such as guards,

120

dges and investigators; magical pro- social setting will have tension be employ their own unique talents. Most E
dures for locating lost objects or pro- the various legs of the power st significantly,this means many opportu-
cting items of value; and any other whether these are ruling house nities to pick locks, to find and remove 4x
eps property-owners and societies cal parties, or even d traps, to climb sheer surfaces, and so
ight take to hamper the activities of on.
ieves among them. social strata is anoth
The degree of counter-thief tactics The DM should additionally tail
nployed in a campaign can be a useful strive in their own right to gain a s the challengesto the specifictype of
dancing tool for the DM, as well as a of the good life. In venture suitable to the thief or thieves
urce of endless challenge and adven- in the campaign. A character with gre
re for the PCs. As with any roleplay- nate, while at the same t proficiency in disguise, for exampl
g game situation, the degree of financialbetterment for should have opportunities to use
iallenge should be compatible with their families. cover identity, or to find work as a spy.
e amount of reward offered. Not
rery small strongbox in a city will Religious conflict is a By successfully creating challenges
we magical locks and a full-time pa- that match the particular strengths of
01 of high-level guards. of varied gods. Thieves and others the player characters(of all classes),the
However, the protections employed often be employed by the clerics of PCs have a chance to carve out a solid
7 a society to counter thievery will ferent templesin order to spy upon, niche for themselves in the campaign
so relate directly to the amount of world.
ievery to be expected. In places where Conflicts among thieves themsel
lbberies are common but wealth is and obviously between the law The Thieves' Guild
ilued, those who have the wealth will breakers of the law, should be sta
ke vigorous steps to protect it. features of the campaign. The c Whether or not
Suchprotectionsdo not all have to be to place a guild in your campaign set-
:thecommon nature-extra guards, a has become a cliche, but it still c ting is a decision central to the gaming
ap built into the lock, etc. SomeNPCs careers of your thief player characters.
ill certainly hide their loot in unex- only conflict around which the Guilds can provide many interesting
paign is based. conflicts, and also require a certain
xted locations-the nightmare of amount of DM commitment in order to
any a cat-burglar. Another occasion- exist believably in a campaign world.
ly employed tactic is the substitution
: some worthless object for the real Consequently, the creation of a guild
ling. A nasty twist on this latter case is not a decision to be taken lightly. Of
3s the thief actually stealing some- course, they are more or less standard
ling harmful to himself or others. For in many gaming environments, and if
(ample, the thief who has just poi- everyonein the campaign expects there
nted his guildmaster with what he to be a thieves guild, there probably
)ought was a potion of eternal youth should be a guild.
nds himself in a very awkward situa-
Thievesguilds can provide many o p
iackground of tory, give that NPC a faceand portunitiesfor adventure, as detailed in
mteresting Conflicts ality. When conflicts are pers Chapter 4: Thieves Guilds. Many of the
player charactersdevelop ana ideas there can be used in creating a
A thief campaign guild for your own campaign environ-
m probably run for a long time on the lution. ment,
:ntral conflict of "Havesvs. the Have-
ots". Playersand DMs alikewill find a I Remember also, should you decide
)t more flavor and depth in a setting not to have a guild in your own cam-
rith a little broader background of paign world, that the absence of a guild
onflict, however. does not mean there aren't plenty of
Conflicts appropriate to a thief cam- thieves running around out there, look-
aign are little different from those that ing for their share of the spoils and
hould liven up any campaign. Every working actively to defend their "turf".

Challenaes To Thief

Characcr Class Abilities

Finally, the t

campaign should ideally include a
tiplicity of opportunities for

I The Thief Camoaian

Basic Storylines For powerful city-state, perhaps). Occasion- The Mysterious Client
Thief Campaigns ally, an artifact will combine features of
all these types, and more. Objects la- The mysterious
Perhaps the belled as "artifacts"in the A D & Pgame client is usually an NPC. He or she can
player character thieves will be content system usually fall into thiscategory. be a player character, however, if that
at the start of a ,campaign to plunder player is briefed by the DM privately
this noble manvjon and that opulent Whatever its nature, some generali- beforehand.
gallery, staying one or two steps ahead ties about the theft of the great artifact
of the city watch. Such campaigns re- apply. Its worth is fabulous. Although However the client is played, the role
quire little planhing beyond the next is that of a person (or perhaps a deity)
gaming session fbr the DM, and work it may not be sought by everyone, there who contacts the main group of PCs
well with players who can only attend are plenty who would give anything to and asks them to perform some task
occasional gaming sessions. own it. worthy of their thiefly abilities.

However, the repetition of objectives The great artifact's acquisition This storylie is easy to start because
and motivations can prevent players the client can always direct the PCs to-
from exploring the full possibilities of should be a process requiring many ward the first encounter. The most im-
their characters and the game. Even if gaming sessions. Perhaps several addi- portant feature here is for the DM to
each mission involves a different set- tional quests are required before the surround the client with an air of mys-
ting, new monsters, and unique, chal- theft of the artifact can even begin-a tery. Perhaps the characters never see
lenging traps anld NPCs, players and the client's face, or learn his or her
DMs alike may find themselves want- key must be obtained before the magi- name. Maybe all of their communica-
ing more. cally warded chest can be opened, for tions are in writing, and they are al-
example. lowed no information as to where the
The addition df a basic storyline can client can be found.
add a theme tying the campaign to- The protections of the artifact should
gether, giving the player characters a be many, and their effectivenessshould Mysterious clients can be drawn
cause higher than mere plunder for increase the closer the PCs get to their from any and all character classes, or
their exploits. Storylines allow for goal. These barriers should ideally in- even from the ranks of monsters. A
greater developxqent of NPCs, and also clude obstaclesto the mental, as well as powerful and intelligent monster that
provide the PCs pith more opportuni- the physical, abilities of the characters. cannot mingle freely with humans
ties for interactive roleplaying (as op- Often a great deal of planning and coor- might seek thieves to perform some of
posed to combdt and other physical dination can be required of a band of its business. In the ultimate extreme, of
encounters). thieves, in order to pull off the theft ev- course, the client turns out to be a pow-
eryone thought was impossible. erful god or other extraplanar being,
Several suggesfedstorylines are pre- and the PCs are involved in really big
sented here. Many dungeon masters Indeed, there might be a body of lore time trouble before they know what's
prefer to create their own, and this is surroundingthe artifact. Player charac-
encouraged. The examples are brief ters willing to do their homework might happening.
enough that each campaign's will be be able to find survivorsof previous ex- The task required of the thieves by
specifically tailored for a unique fit. peditions, or at least hear tales handed
down from earlier years. Such caution- the client can include theft, of course.
The Great Artifact ary tales, of course, may contain more Other possibilities include the search
fiction than fact. They may also be for a lost object, often requiringinvesti-
This is the type of couchedin obscurelanguage (as,for ex- gative work as well as stealth; the gain-
story that gets the old thieves talking ample: "Beware the witching moon ing of information by requiring the
late into the night, sipping their mugs when the hog walks upon the water"), charactersto serve as spiesor scouts; or
and reminiscing wistfully about the big containing a meaning that only be- other even more nefarious tasks in-
job that they never quite got around to. comes clear when certain conditions vented by the client or the DM.
come to pass.
The great artifdct is a unique object, a Role Reversal
one of a kind w 4 d or gem or statue or The quest for the great artifact does
anything else of themendous worth. It is not have to end with its acquisition, by An interesting
famedfor its power (likea magic item)or the way. Once its removal becomes challenge to player characters, and par-
its symbolic value ( l i e the crown jewels public knowledge, any object of such ticularly thief player characters, is the
of a proud government) or perhaps sim- great value becomes the focus of atten- task of protecting some object from an
ply for its mindboggling worth finan- tion for bounty hunters, master imminent theft. This story can be com-
cially (the mint ar gold repository of a thieves, and whoever had the object bined with the mysterious client
stolen to begin with. Especially in the plotline to create another twist.
case of potent magic, the PCs might
find themselvesholdingonto a lot more
than they bargained for.

- Che Thief t a m n r i o n

The Thief Campaign

The PCs can be assigned to move the detailed NPCs. If it is used capriciously However, this should in no way in-
object somewhere, guarding it on the in a settingwith fewNPCs, players may hibit players with similar interestsfrom
way, or simply to protect it where it is. become inclined to distrust every NPC creating PCs of the same class. Indeed,
The challenge arises from anticipating introduced to the game. This is frustrat- there are many situations where such
the plans of whatever thieves might be ing for players and DM alike. groups make ideal adventuring
inclined to make the attempt. parties-a smallgroup of captains com-
The Spy manding several companies of soldiers
Generally, the PCs will be tested with upon a mission of conquest, for exam-
one or two easy probes before the real This plotline ple, might all be fighters.
challenges occur. The guardianshiprole works most effectivelyfor small groups
can easily be extended through several of player characters, or even individ- Nowhere does this specialization
gaming sessions, as more and more vig- uals. More complex evolutions can in- lend itself so well to a campaign setting
orous attempts to acquire the loot are volve large groups, all cooperating on as when a band of thieves gather to em-
mounted. an intelligence-gathering mission, but bark upon missions of stealth. The
these are harder to run and more con- presence of a fighter, with his heavy
This storyline is not as well suited for fusing to play. boots and clanking armor, can be a seri-
a longrunningcampaign as are some of oushindrance to such a group. Charac-
the others. However, characters who Perhaps more than any other, a spy- ters of all other classes will find sheer
spend most of their time attempting to ing storyline allows the DM to draw surfaces to be serious obstacles, even as
obtain items of value might find the upon a vast store of novels, films, and the thieves are already scrambling
change of perspective interesting. other media. Plotlines involving spies, down the far side. And indeed, no char-
even when set outside the fantasy area, acter can move so quietly, or remain
best combined with one of the others. It can often be converted into challenging hidden so effectively, as can a thief.
fits well in the thief subculture and can roleplaying situations. Substitute a
be wrapped around any significant crystal ball for satellite reconnaisance, The tactics discussed in this section
non-player character in the campaign. clairaudience for a phone tap, and a fly- do not imply that a campaign must be
It provides PCs with strong motivation ing carpet for a helicopter, and you will populated exclusively with player char-
and can dramatically shake up a cam- be able to reproduce many a modern acter thieves. Players who wish to run
paign that starts to run too smoothly. thriller in an AD&D@game setting and characters of other c l a s s should be
format. able to do so, and the DM should be
The NPC who betrays them should sure to provide appropriate challenges
be an important figure in the campaign, The spy storyline offers another ad- to all characters. However, if most PCs
and one who is fairly well known to the vantage to many players in that it choose to play thief characters, a vari-
player characters. He can be their em- serves as a non-evil alternativefor thief ety of adventure opportunities bgkon.
ployer, or a respected neighbor, or even player characters. Of course, spies can Additionally, interesting roles and ac-
a mentor or family member to one of be evil, but a spy may alsobe motivated tivities for other character classes are
the PCs. Ideally, in one of the latter by grander ambitions than perhaps the easy to generate.
cases, the NPC has a deep and compel- common thief. A character or group
ling motivation for the betrayal. Most sent to infilitrate the ranks of a menac- Wizards Working With
characters, even including thieves, ing warlord or bandit king can perform Thieves
would not be too likely to sell their great service for the good of society if
brother or grandmother down the road they can succeed in their mission. Of all the other
for a small profit.
Playing In And Running classes, wizards might best perform
The betrayal should be set up care- with a band of thieves. They have no
fully by the DM. Perhaps one or two the Thief Campaign metal armor or heavy weapons to make
clues might indicate the NPCs true na- noise, and spells such as levitate and si-
ture, but only if the players are excep- One of the great lence can provide cover for themselves,
tionally alert. The betrayal itself should strengths of the AD&W game and its and even enhance the abilities of the
not be the end of the story, however; attendant campaign worldsis the diver-
the PCs should have a long and difficult sity of character types that will be thieves. Magic users can be found in all
road to follow in their quest for an ac- present, both as NPCs and generally as
counting. PCs. The mixture of combat, stealth, alignments, and many have no particu-
sorcery, and spiritual abilitiesall add to lar moral qualms about engaging in
The betrayal situation works best in the whole in ways that can help keep theft and other illicit activities.
campaigns where there are many well- the game fresh and imaginativeeven af-
ter many years of play. Wizardscan provide a variety of use-
ful seMces to thieves as well. Even at
low levels, spells such as sleep, charm
person, spider climb, and Tenser'sfloat-

124

vg disk offer obvious possibilities on a exhibit knowledge of another ch thieves guikls it is ummdistic to assume
class will sometimes undergo
mission of thievery. that most members wiU be PCs or the
Many a thief guild has one or more rades. Very rarely will a
thief/cleric rise to a position of henchmen of those X s .
vizards of low to medium level in its nence in a thieves guild.
mploy, even occasionally among its are subject to less prej Henchmen, of c m , are another
tadership. Of course, extremely high because their abilitiesa
we1 wizards generally grow beyond standable to thieves. Fighter/ matter. They will generally be tmsml
he need for such companionship. High are nonetheless cons
?vel wizards associated with thieves to know almost eumything the PC
enerally treat the latter as if they were Henchmen and Hirelings o
lightly odiferous servants. Thieves knows. As with any PC,some hench-

.evels of Magic in the wolves, or in small, stealthy men mightbe gaimdkam the &s of
'hieves' Campaign they will often have need of the
hirelings who have ewed loyally and
Like any good numbers, of other
ampaign, the level of magic in use is a ties generally flourish in tub bravely through the years.
unction of the players' and DMs de- ments, there is usually no
ires, the cultural setting, and perhaps NPCs for the characters to mee Ideally, how-, &e piayer and DM
3 an extent the experience levels of the
'Cs. Much of this decision should be adventuring classes. should give somethoarght to interesting
ased on the magical capabilities of the
'Cs (whether or not the thieves have a trusted with the knowledge of backgrounds for ether henchmen,
rizard working with them, for exam- hideout. They will be contacte
le) and the degree of reward to be own place of residence or w based specikicallyon the player bat-
ained by overcoming magical chal-
tnges. rious thief who disappears into ter's backgrmmd. This is es-y im-
In general, most challenges to thief leys and backstreets. Even
'C missions should be found in forms hirelings are used on a portant if the chzuacbx adventares in
he characters can cope with: mechani- will often be joined at a r
al traps instead of magical ones, for ex- side the guild, and left t the same city or n a t b where he spent
mple, provide a better gaming mission is over.
bstacle to thieves. hischildhoodandyov&.Itislikelythat
However, a DM can certainly em- This is not a hard and fast rul
lloy magical traps to protect things he ever. Particularly in cases where some contacts wonl
oesn't want the PCs to get their hands location is well known, or w
Nn. Also,such traps add an element of lings are necessary to the funct during that p e r i o d e t s that now
msion to a mission that helps keep ev- the guild-there aren't enough
ryone on their toes. A mission of offer the potential d valuable help to
hievery involving an intrusion into the
air of-somepowerful wizard should al- the aggressive yomag l i e f .
Pays have an air of magical, mysteri-
,usdanger. panion. Pia)rersdDMs &odd com-
bine to &&ne a
aulti- or Dual-Classed Thieves drawn from a PC
character should
Thieves who can but s h d be given
Is0 perform the tasks of one or more ties. If the henchmen
Ither character classes also offer clear ing class, he AouM
dvantages when accompanying a mi* than the player charmbr.
ion. The fighter/thief, for example,
vi11 find many opportunities to wield Dens and Hideouts
i s sword and perhaps a shield while his
tealthy comrades go about their work. Of course, the

However, thief characters who also Dens and guildhaus
in relationship to t

rity, appropriate to
the guild n d s to m

Some societies e

flourishintheirmi

haps even promine
course, it is not likely t

posted, d d b h g the

ture, but a few discreet i r t q h k will

1 The Thief famnaian -

usually allow one to discover the guild- neighbors think it abandoned. Main-
hall. Its location will certainly be taining this appearance requires dili-
known to the city watch or other law gence on the part of the thieves,
enforcers. Indeed, sometimes a watch however, for a pattern of noise or light
captain or lord-mayor might allow a detected from the “abandoned house
thieves guild to function in a known lo- will be sure to arouse suspicions.
cation simply to keep better tabs on it.
If a cover is necessary, often a coop-
But more often the guildhall’s loca- erative merchant or craftsman will la-
tion will be a secret, guarded jealously bor in part of the house, maintaining
and ruthlessly by the guild. Likewise, a the pretense of a place of business. Such
den or hideout serving as a shelter for a a worker might even be a thief, but un-
small group of thieves will have a dis- lesshe can put forth a resonableappear-
creet and carefully protected location. ance of knowing his cover occupation,
the craftsman and the hideout can both
Privacy can be found underground, be in danger.
of course. Subterranean thieves lairs of-
fer the advantage that their presence is Guildhouses and dens may also be
easily concealed from the outside maintained as private residences. Such
world. However, many humans and locales are not so likely to be visited by
demi-humans (excluding dwarves, of strangers as are cover locations in
course) dislike the chilly, damp nature places of business. However, the resi-
of underground living quarters. dents of the house will probably be
Thieves who risk their lives to gain ob- known to the neighbors, at least by
jects of value are not likely to hide their sight. Large numbers of strangers may
wealth and themselves away in a hole in give rise to suspicion.
the ground.
The hideout should ideally have sev-
Additionally, the underground lair eral entrances, at least one of which is a
presents problems in construction. block or two away from the actual den.
Large amounts of dirt must be hauled A large guildhouse will have several
away, much labor is required in order such access points, usually connected
to create a lair of any size. Both consid- via underground passages or secret cor-
erations add major difficulties to the se- ridors passing through surrounding
crecy of lair construction. A wizard buildings.
with a dig spell, on the other hand, can
make the excavtation a whole lot easier, Thus, in a secret guild, the number of
but doesn’t solve the problem of dirt people entering and leaving the hall will
disposal. not be visible to neighbors or other ob-
servers. Indeed, if an accessroute is suf-
The easiest type of lair to set up is ficeintly torturous, a visitor can be
found in some already existing struc- brought into the guild without being
ture, or perhaps group of structures. A shown the building’s exact location. He
long row of town houses, for example, might know nothing more than that the
might be interconnected into a single, guild is within several blocks of a cer-
convoluted guildhouse. Or the attic of tain alley where he stepped through a
somemerchant’sshop can be taken by a secret trapdoor in the ground.
small band to use as a hideout until they
can get something better. Of course, if A major guildhallwill also have sev-
the merchant doesn‘t know about the eral built-in traps to deter unwelcome
thieves, chances of discovery increase intruders. If enough thieves man the
dramatically. The best hideouts are lair (more than a dozen or so), a full-
buildings inhabited only by thieves, or time watch will be maintained.
by thieves and those who are in league
with them. Only the most permanent of thieves’
dens will have a built-in vault or stor-
In some cities it will be necessary for age chamber for the loot. When such a
the hideout to maintain some kind of chamber exists it is only used for the
cover. Perhaps it is enough that the temporary storage of objects that can-
not quickly be fenced. Thieves know

126

TAR1 FC

Item Legality Cost Weight

THIEVING SKILL THIEF KIT ADJUSTMENTS CharcoaI, bundle L 2cP
Weaponblack (vial)
Ability Listening Cone s 2gP
Pick Open
Pockets' Locks FIR Move Hidein Detect Climb Read (brass) L 2gP
Traps' Clawed Gloves' *
hief Kit -- SL S-_ hadows-Noise Walls L-ang. I 20gp 1c
- - Clawed Overshoes
- I 15gp 1c

ClimbingDagger L 5gP 1
Grappling Iron L 3gP 2
Arrow, wood biter
L 8sp

Arrow, stone biter L IgP

Arrow, stone biter,

adamantite L 7gP

Arrow, minor grap-

ple L/S 6gp
Arrow, major grap-

ple LIS 1ogp 1

Climbing Spikes, iron

(10) L 5sp
Crowbar L 6sp

Glasscutter

toubleshooter -10% +5% +5% - - (handled) L/I 1 2 0

- gP 1

Housebreaker's

IOTES TO TABLE 4 Harness" I 25gp 2

1.Includes similar feats of manual dexterity, such as legerdemainand slipping poison ee Keymaking Set I 60gp 6
[sonote 3, below).
e, Limewood (as bark x
2. This ability may also be used in the placement of traps. :r-
lis strips, 10) L 3cP
1 3. Assassinsand bounty hunters are adept at slippingforeign substances (poison, seda il-
Sharkskin(per sq. ft.) L/S 12gp 1
I.c.) into the food or drink of their targets. Successin such a feat of manual dexterityis d
Skeleton Key I var.
ined by a pick pockets roll, and the assassin or bounty hunter gets +5% on the roll.
ecial bonus does not apply, however, to pickpocketingor other tasks covered by this Wax, block L 3cP *
L 2sp
Aniseed,vial

Caltrops (10) L/S 3gP 1

Catstink, vial""

4. In the wilderness, the bandit gets +5% to this ability. Dog Pepper, packet

Hand Lamp (with sil- L/S low

- vered mirror) 1

Hollow Boots

Marbles, bag (30)

Table 2 8 Table 31: Blinding Powder
ENCED ARMOR (ELFIN CHAIN) PURCHASING THIEF EQUIPMEN
Death Knife** S/I 12gp 1
4 EFFECT O N SKILL
Folding Bow L/S 45gp 2
-25
gaIity cost M ght Pin Ring (iron) S/I 2 g p =
-5 Pin Ring (silver) S/I 1ogp =
L 3cP f
L 5cP f Sword Stick" L/S 25gp 4
S/I 2gp Wrist Sheath
S/I 1ogp 1 Blade Boots s 3sp
I 30gp
1 I 1 5 g p 3c
L 5ogP 1
lo False Scabbard** L/S 12gp 7.'
L 2gP C
tect Noise I Thieves Picks L 3 gp Hand-WarmingLamp L 2 s p
mb Walk Acid, Metal-eatink, I L 6sp 50
d Lmazes vial' * L 5sp Marked Cards,
(Lock)Chisels, L/S l g p 1
L 3cp 5 Deck** 1 5gP
set of 3 I 8g~
Hacksaw (equivalent) S 750 5 Biased Dice, bone,
Hacksaw Blade
Metal File gP+ box of 4 1 5gP
Wire Cutters
Funnel, small L 3 sp Biased Dice, ivory,

Footpads Boots s NgP box of 4 I 20gp
Silenced Armor**
L/S 35gp Water Shoes, pair S/I 5gP 1
Leather straps (pair)
Darksuit C = CIothinp. Adds nothing to encumbrance
Woodland Suit when worn normally.
L=Legal
S = Shady
1 = Illegal
** Indicateshard-to-find item.
* Item weighs little individually. About ten of

these items weigh one pound.

- TABLES

Table 32: :1 .
MAGICAL ITEMS FOR THIEVES
Table 37:t t t t C r S OF ARMC& O N k C R O g h k P&

Studded Ring

d20 No Elfin or or Brigandine Plate Plate
Roll Skill Armor' Chain Padded Hide Chain Splint Maif Armor'
1-7 Category Table
8-11 Potions and oils 33 running
Miscellaneous Magic:
12-15 ' 34
Clothing and Jewelry
16-19 Miscellaneous Magic: 35
20 36
Other Sneaky Stuff (see text)
Weapons
Special

Table 33: POTIONS AND OILS staidinrr '

d6 XP "
Roll Item
Value Tumbling
1 Essence of Darkness (T*) 300
2 Oil of Slickness ( T ) 350 - -1 -1 -3 -5 -6
3 Master Thievery ( T ) 500
4 Perception (T*) 300 General Notes: Leather armor is taken to be the standard, with no nositive nr n w a t i v m ad-
5 Sleep Breathing 250
6 Thievery(T) justment to thief s!&. No dexterity bonuses apply to thief functions (though p e d t i e s do)
350

Table 34: when wearing armor other than simple leather. 4 i.,* ,
MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC:
CLOTHING AND JEWELRY 1.This category applies when wearing bracers of defenseor a cloak, but no large protective

d6 XP devices.
2. Includes bronze plate mail.
Roll Item Value 3.Encompasses both field plate and full plate armor.

1 Amulet of Dramatic Death ( T ) U

2 Boots of Balance (T*) 1,000

3 Gloves of Evasion (T*) 1,000

4 Mantle of the Mundane (T') 1,500 Table 38:EFFECTSOF ARMOR ON THIEF

5 Robe of Vanishing (T) 2,000

6 Shadowcloak (T*) 3.000 Studded -Rine

Table 35: No Elfin or or Brigadhe or Plate Plate
MISCELLANEOUS MAGIC:
Skill Armor' Chain Padded Hide Chain Splint Banddd Maif Armnr'
OTHER SNEAKY STUFF

d6 XP

Roll Item Value Traps
Move Silently
1 Bag of Vanishing (T) 5,000

2 Boxes of Delightful Transport 2,500

3 Dust of Trail Dispersion (T') 500

4 Lens of Remote Viewing ( T ) LOO0 Bise

5 Lens of Valuation (T) LOO0

6 Tallin's Tightrope 1,250 Read Languages

Table 36:MAGIC WEAPONS 1.This category applies when wearing bracers of defense or a cloak, but no large protectivede-

d6 XP vices.

Roll Item Value 2. Includes bronze plate mail.

1 Crossbow of Angling 750 3.Encompassesboth field plate and full plate armor.
~
2 Dagger ofImpaling (T) 300
4. Assumes that armor worn is covered bv another earment. Elfin rhain mail is livht and thin and

3 Dagger of Resource ( T ) 500 c.baunl.k.bye, worn under normal clothing. All other types of armor except simple leather are stiff or
on.ly . covered..by f.ul.l .bo~d~ y c~loa~k.
4 Dagger ofSounding (T) 300 and can a
be

5 Scabbard ofPoison 500

6 Shortsword of Backstabbing

(T*) 700

128

you thought that was all a thief was good for, think again.
The masters of skulking and skullduggely are a force to be
reckoned with. I s anyone or anything safe from a person
who might be anywhere, anytime? Learn the thief’s most
closely guarded secrp+s it. +hisdevious accessory for the

A US., CANADA, ASlA ROPEAN HEADQUARTERS
-0 r n d t l C , h LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Belaium
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