Thief
Ability Requirements: Dexterity 9
Prime Requisites: Dexterity
Races Allowed: All
Alignments Allowed: Not Lawful
Automatic Proficiencies: Reading/Writing
Thieves come in all sizes and shapes, ready to live off the fat of the land by the easiest means possible. In some ways they are the epitome of roguishness.
The profession of thief is not honorable, yet it is not entirely dishonorable, either. Many famous folk heroes have been more than a little larcenous -- Reynard the Fox, Robin Goodfellow, Robin Hood and Bilbo Baggins are but a few. At his best, the thief is a romantic hero fired by noble purpose but a little wanting in strength of character. Such a person may truly strive for good but continually run afoul of temptation.
Special Abilities
Thieves have skills which allow them to steal things, and get away with it.
To determine the initial value of each skill, start with the base scores listed in the Thieving Skills Base Scores table below. To these base scores, add (or subtract) any appropriate modifiers for race, dexterity, and armor worn (given in the corresponding tables below).
The scores arrived at in the preceding paragraph reflect the skills a new thief has when he starts his career. As a thief progresses, he may choose to hone some skills more than others, and may find that he routinely uses some skills more than others.
For each level that a thief goes up, the DM will distribute 15 percentage points based on skills actually used on the adventures that the thief has been on during his time at the previous level, and the player will have 23 points to distribute based on his training between adventures (IOW, where he wants them). The player cannot add more than 10% at a time to any one skill.
At 16th level, the thief will get only 15 points to distribute, and at 17th and successive levels, he will only get 5.
Points are awarded against the base scores, and racial, dexterity and armor adjustments still apply. Base scores are capped at the level shown in the Thieving Skills Base Scores Table.
To succeed at any particular skill, the thief must roll the modified score or lower on percentile dice.
Thieving Skill Base Scores
| Skill | Base Score (before adjustments for race, dexterity and armor) | Cap Score (after adjustments for race and dexterity but before adjustments for armor) |
|---|---|---|
| Pick Pockets | 30% | 125% |
| Open Locks | 25% | 99% |
| Find/Remove Traps | 20% | 99% |
| Set Traps | 15% | 99% |
| Move Silently | 15% | 99% |
| Hide in Shadows | 10% | 99% |
| Detect Noise | 10% | 55% |
| Climb Walls | 85% | 99% |
| Read Languages | 0% | 80% |
In addition to the base percentages listed above, demihuman characters and characters with high or low Dexterity scores have adjustments to their base numbers. Some characters may find that, after adjustments, they have negative scores. In this case, the character must spend points raising his skill percentage to at least 1% before he can use the skill. (Some races just aren't very good at certain things!)
Thieving Skill Racial Adjustments
| Skill | Dwarf | Elf | Gnome | Half-elf | Halfling | Half-Orc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick Pockets | -- | +5% | -- | +10% | +5% | -5% |
| Open Locks | +10% | -5% | +5% | -- | +5% | +5% |
| Find/Remove Traps | +15% | -- | +10% | -- | +5% | +5% |
| Set Traps | +10% | -- | +10% | -- | -- | +15 |
| Move Silently | -- | +5% | +5% | -- | +10% | -- |
| Hide in Shadows | -- | +10% | +5% | +5% | +15% | -- |
| Detect Noise | -- | +5% | +10% | -- | +5% | +5% |
| Climb Walls | -10% | -- | -15% | -- | -15% | +5% |
| Read Languages | -5% | +5% | -- | -- | -5% | -10% |
Thieving Skill Dexterity Adjustments
No dexterity bonuses apply to thief functions (though penalties do) when wearing armor other than simple leather.
| Dexterity | Pick Pockets | Open Locks | Find / Remove Traps | Set Traps | Move Silently | Hide in Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | -15% | -10% | -10% | -10% | -20% | -10% |
| 10 | -10% | -5% | -10% | -10% | -15% | -5% |
| 11 | -5% | -- | -5% | -5% | -10% | -- |
| 12 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -5% | -- |
| 13-15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 16 | -- | +5% | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 17 | +5% | +10% | -- | -- | +5% | +5% |
| 18 | +10% | +15% | +5% | +5% | +10% | +10% |
| 19 | +15% | +20% | +10% | +10% | +15% | +15% |
Thieving Skill Armor Adjustments
Note: The baseline armor for thieves is simple leather. This table doesn't apply to thieves wearing simple leather.
| Skill | No Armor (1) | Elven Chain | Studded or Padded Leather(2) | Chain mail(2,3) or Ring Mail(2,3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick Pockets | +5% | -20% | -30% | -25% |
| Open Locks | -- | -5% | -10% | -10% |
| Find/Remove Traps | -- | -5% | -10% | -10% |
| Set Traps | -- | -5% | -10% | -10% |
| Move Silently | +10% | -10% | -15% | -20% |
| Hide in Shadows (4) | +5% | -10% | -20% | -15% |
| Detect Noise | -- | -5% | -10% | -5% |
| Climb Walls | +10% | -20% | -30% | -25% |
| Read Languages | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| (1) This category applies when wearing bracers of defense and/or a cloak, but no large protective devices. | ||||
| (2) No dexterity bonuses apply to thief functions (though penalties do) when wearing armor other than simple leather. | ||||
| (3) Only Bards can wear ring mail or non-elven chain mail while using thief skills. | ||||
| (4) Assumes that armor worn is covered by another garment. Elfin chain mail is light and thin, and can be worn under normal clothing. Studded leather armor is stiff, and can only be covered by a full body cloak | ||||
Wall Climbing - Vertical Feet per Round of Climbing
| Condition of Surface* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Surface | Non-Slippery | Slightly Slippery | Slippery |
| Very smooth - few cracks | 6' | 3' | 0' |
| Smooth but cracked - somewhat rough | 12' | 6' | 3' |
| Fairly rough and some cracks - very rough | 18' | 9' | 6' |
| Rough and with ledges and many projections | 24' | 12' | 9' |
| Slightly slippery surfaces double the chances of slipping, and slippery surfaces make the chance of falling ten times as great. Use the following table to determine the final % chance of a successful climb, after all other modifiers have been applied. For percentages between lines, use the line above the percentage. | Modified % Chance | Chance of slipping is twice as great | Chance of slipping is 10X as great |
| 100% or better | 99% | 95% | |
| 99% | 98% | 90% | |
| 98% | 96% | 80% | |
| 97% | 94% | 70% | |
| 96% | 92% | 60% | |
| 95% | 90% | 50% | |
| 90% | 80% | 40% | |
| 85% | 70% | 30% | |
| 80% | 60% | 20% | |
| 75% | 50% | 10% | |
| 60% | 30% | 6% | |
| 50% | 25% | 5% | |
| 40% | 20% | 4% | |
| 30% | 15% | 3% | |
| 20% | 10% | 2% | |
| 10% | 5% | 1% | |
Skill Explanations
Pick Pockets:
The thief uses this skill when filching small items from other peoples' pockets, sleeves, girdles, packs, etc., when palming items (such as keys), and when performing simple sleight of hand.
A failed attempt means the thief did not get an item, but it does not necessarily mean that his attempt was detected.
If the pick pockets roll is 21% or more higher than the success percentage, the victim notices the thief's attempt. (Whether he can do anything about it is another matter.)
The potential victim reduces the thief's chances for success by 5% for every level of experience he or she is above the 3rd, i.e. -5% at 4th level, etc.
For example, a high level thief (Master Thief, 12th level) is planning to pick the pockets of a magic-user he has noticed nearby. The base chance for success is 100%, the thief is a half-elf and adds 10% for racial ability; the thief also has 18 dexterity ability score, so another 10% is added. This totals a nice, safe 120% - can't fail! However, the victim happens to be 12th level also, so the subtraction is 9 X -5% = -45%. This brings the chance for success down to 75%. A good chance, but if 96% or higher is rolled, the thief will be noticed.
A thief can try to pick someone's pocket as many times as he wants. Neither failure nor success prevents additional attempts, but getting caught might! Up to two attempts at picking a pocket can be made during a round.
The DM should make this roll, since the thief may or may not know immediately that he's been noticed if he fails.
Open Locks:
A thief can try to pick padlocks, finesse combination locks (if they exist), and solve puzzle locks (locks with sliding panels, hidden releases, and concealed keyholes). Picking a padlock requires tools. Using typical thief's tools grants normal chances for success. Using improvised tools (a bit of wire, a thin dirk, a stick, etc.) imposes a penalty on the character's chance for success. The DM sets the penalty based on the situation; penalties can range from -5 for an improvised but suitable tool, to -60 for an awkward and unsuitable item (like a stick). The amount of time required to pick a lock is d10/d4 rounds (round up). A thief can try to pick a particular lock only once per experience level. If the attempt fails, the lock is simply too difficult for the character until he learns more about picking locks (goes up a level).
The Player can make this roll, since the results will be immediately apparent.
Find/Remove Traps:
The thief is trained to find small traps and alarms. These include poisoned needles, spring blades, deadly gases, and warning bells. This skill is not effective for finding deadfall ceilings, crushing walls, or other large, mechanical traps.
To find the trap, the thief must be able to touch and inspect the trapped object. Normally, the DM rolls the dice to determine whether the thief finds a trap. If the DM says, "You didn't find any traps," it's up to the player to decide whether that means there are no traps or there are traps but the thief didn't see them. If the thief finds a trap, he knows its general principle but not its exact nature. A thief can check an item for traps once per experience level. Searching for a trap takes d10/d4 rounds (round up).
Once a trap is found, the thief can try to remove it or disarm it. This also requires d10/d4 rounds (round up). If the dice roll indicates success, the trap is disarmed. If the dice roll indicates failure, the trap is beyond the thief's current skill. He can try disarming the trap again when he advances to the next experience level. If the dice roll is 21% higher than the success number, the thief accidentally triggers the trap and suffers the consequences.
This skill is far less useful when dealing with magical or invisible traps. Thieves can attempt to remove these traps, but their chances of success are half their normal percentages.
While the DM should roll for the Find, (since the thief won't know if he missed a trap, the Player can roll to Remove/disarm, since the results will be immediately apparent.
Set Traps:
This skill involves setting traps such as the ones that can be found as described above.
Simple traps are those which involve mechanical components which the character setting them has normal access to, such as arrow traps, trip wires, and spring-propelled missiles. Special devices such as poisoned needles, scything blades, and any similar traps with special mechanical components will also require the efforts of one or more specialists - those required to manufacture the component parts.
If the dice roll is 31% higher than the success number, the thief accidentally triggers the trap and suffers the consequences.
The DM must make this roll, since the thief will always think he's successfully created the trap, unless he sets it off accidently.
Move Silently:
A thief can try to move silently at any time simply by announcing that he intends to do so. While moving silently, the thief's movement rate is reduced to 1/3 normal. Successful silent movement improves the thief's chance to surprise a victim, avoid discovery, or move into position to stab an enemy in the back. Obviously, a thief moving silently but in plain view of his enemies is wasting his time.
The DM rolls percentile dice to determine whether the thief is moving silently; the thief always thinks he is being quiet.
Hide in Shadows:
A thief can try to disappear into shadows or any other type of concealment -- bushes, curtains, crannies, etc. A thief can hide this way only when no one is looking at him; he remains hidden only as long as he remains virtually motionless. (The thief can make small, slow, careful movements: draw a weapon, uncork a potion, etc.) A thief can never become hidden while a guard is watching him, no matter what his dice roll is--his position is obvious to the guard. However, trying to hide from a creature that is locked in battle with another is possible, as the enemy's attention is fixed elsewhere.
The DM rolls the dice and keeps the result secret, but the thief always thinks he is hidden.
Hiding in shadows is automatic in total darkness, except to those with infravision.
However, hiding in shadows can be accomplished with respect to those with infravision, but only if there is a heat source nearby to mask the thief's heat signature.
Note that spells such as True Seeing or Detect Invisibility will reveal a thief hiding in shadows.
Detect Noise:
A good thief pays attention to every detail, no matter how small, including faint sounds that most others miss. His ability to hear tiny sounds (behind heavy doors, down long hallways, etc.) is much better than the ordinary person's. Listening is not automatic; the thief must stand still and concentrate on what he's hearing for one round. He must have silence in his immediate surroundings and must remove his helmet or hat. Sounds filtering through doors or other barriers are unclear at best.
The DM rolls this one.
Climb Walls:
Although everyone can climb rocky cliffs and steep slopes, the thief is far superior to others in this ability. Not only does he have a better climbing percentage than other characters, he can also climb most surfaces without tools, ropes, or devices. It assumes that the surface is coarse and offers ledges and cracks for toe and hand holds. Only the thief can climb smooth and very smooth surfaces without climbing gear. Of course, the thief is very limited in his actions while climbing--he is unable to fight or effectively defend himself.
Dice are rolled at the end of each full round that the thief spends climbing,but there will always be at least one roll, no matter how quick the climb.
A score in excess of the adjusted base chance indicates the thief has slipped and fallen from the midpoint of that round's climb. Compute damage from the fall to the nearest 10' rounding down. (1d6 damage per 10' of fall)
The player can make this roll, since the effects will be obvious to the thief.
Example: Roark the Half-Orc thief is climbing a slightly slippery wall that is rough with ledges and projections, and is 40 ft high. He moves at a rate of 12' per round. He checks at the end of the first round, (12' mark), and at the end of the second round (24' mark), and at the end of the 3rd round (36' mark). He doesn't need to check again at the end of the 4th round, since he has finished the climb by then. If he had failed the second check, he would have fallen from a height of 18', suffering 1d6 damage. If he had failed the third check, he would have fallen from a height of 30', suffering 3d6 damage.
Read Languages:
Out of necessity, thieves tend to learn odd bits of information. Among these is the ability to read various languages, particularly as they apply to treasure maps, deeds, secret notes, and the like. At 4th level, the thief has enough exposure to languages that he has a chance to read most nonmagical writing. This ability naturally improves with more experience. However, your DM can rule that some languages (those the thief has never encountered) are indecipherable to the thief.
The die roll to read a language must be made every time the character tries to read a document (not just once per language). A successful die roll means the thief puzzled out the meaning of the writing. His understanding of the document is roughly equal to his percentage chance for success: a 20% chance means that, if the thief understands it at all, he gets about 20% of the meaning. A different document in the same language requires another die roll (it probably contains different words). It isn't necessary to keep notes about what languages the thief has read in the past, since each document is handled individually.
Only one die roll can be made for any particular document at a given experience level. If the die roll fails, the thief can try again after gaining a new experience level.
If the character knows how to read a given language because he spent a proficiency slot on it, this die roll is unnecessary for documents in that language.
The player can make this roll, since the result is immediately apparent.
Other Thief Abilities
Thieves have other abilities not listed on the Thieving Skill Base Scores Table:
Backstab:
Thieves are weak in toe-to-toe hacking matches, but they are masters of the knife in the back. When attacking someone by surprise and from behind, a thief can improve his chance to successfully hit (+4 modifier for rear attack and negate the target's shield and Dexterity bonuses) and greatly increase the amount of damage his blow causes.
To use this ability, the thief must be behind his victim and the victim must be unaware that the thief intends to attack him. If an enemy sees the thief, hears him approach from a blind side, or is warned by another, he is not caught unaware, and the backstab is handled like a normal attack (although bonuses for a rear attack still apply). Opponents in battle will often notice a thief trying to maneuver behind them--the first rule of fighting is to never turn your back on an enemy! However, someone who isn't expecting to be attacked (a friend or ally, perhaps) can be caught unaware even if he knows the thief is behind him.
Bottom Line: The victim must be unaware of the thief's presence at the start of the attempt, and the thief must successfully roll to Move Silently.
The multiplier given in the table below applies to the amount of damage before modifiers for Strength or weapon bonuses are added. The weapon's standard damage is multiplied by the value given in the Backstab Damage Multipliers table. Then Strength and magical weapon bonuses are added.
Backstabbing does have limitations. First, the damage multiplier applies only to the first attack made by the thief, even if multiple attacks are possible. Once a blow is struck, the initial surprise effect is lost. Second, the thief cannot use it on every creature. The victim must be generally humanoid. Part of the skill comes from knowing just where to strike. A thief could backstab an ogre, but he wouldn't be able to do the same to a beholder. The victim must also have a definable back (which leaves out most slimes, jellies, oozes, and the like). Finally, the thief has to be able to reach a significant target area. To backstab a giant, the thief would have to be standing on a ledge or window balcony. Backstabbing him in the ankle just isn't going to be as effective.
Backstab Damage Multipliers
| Thief's Level | Damage Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | 2 |
| 5-8 | 3 |
| 9-12 | 4 |
| 13+ | 5 |
Thieves' Cant:
Thieves' cant is a special form of communication known by all thieves and their associates. It is not a distinct language; it consists of slang words and implied meanings that can be worked into any language. The vocabulary of thieves' cant limits its use to discussing things that interest thieves: stolen loot, easy marks, breaking and entering, mugging, confidence games, and the like. It is not a language, however. Two thieves cannot communicate via thieves' cant unless they know a common language. The cant is useful, however, for identifying fellow cads and bounders by slipping a few tidbits of lingo into a normal conversation.
The concept of thieves' cant is historical (the cant probably is still used today in one form or another), although in the AD&D game it has an ahistorically broad base. A few hours of research at a large library should turn up actual examples of old thieves' cant for those who want to learn more about the subject.
Use Scrolls:
At 10th level, a thief gains a limited ability to use magical and priest scrolls. A thief's understanding of magical writings is far from complete, however. The thief has a 25% chance to read the scroll incorrectly and reverse the spell's effect. This sort of malfunction is almost always detrimental to the thief and his party. It could be as simple as accidentally casting the reverse of the given spell or as complex as a foul-up on a fireball scroll, causing the ball of flame to be centered on the thief instead of its intended target. The exact effect is up to the DM (this is the sort of thing DMs enjoy, so expect the unexpected).
Stronghold
Thieves do not build castles or fortresses in the usual sense. Instead, they favor small, fortified dwellings, especially if the true purpose of the buildings can easily be disguised. A thief might, for example, construct a well-protected den in a large city behind the facade of a seedy tavern or old warehouse. Naturally, the true nature of the place will be a closely guarded secret! Thieves almost always build their strongholds in or near cities, since that is where they ply their trades most lucratively.This, of course, assumes that the thief is interested in operating a band of thieves out of his stronghold. Not all thieves have larceny in their hearts, however. If a character devoted his life to those aspects of thieving that focus on scouting, stealth, and the intricacies of locks and traps, he could build an entirely different sort of stronghold--one filled with the unusual and intriguing objects he has collected during his adventurous life. Like any thief's home, it should blend in with its surroundings; after all, a scout never advertises his whereabouts. It might be a formidable maze of rooms, secret passages, sliding panels, and mysterious paraphernalia from across the world.
Followers
Once a thief reaches 10th level, his reputation is such that he can attract followers -- either a gang of scoundrels and scalawags or a group of scouts eager to learn from a reputed master. The thief attracts 4d6 of these fellows. They are generally loyal to him, but a wise thief is always suspicious of his comrades. The Thief's Followers table can be used to determine the type and level of followers, or the DM can choose followers appropriate to his campaign.
Thief's Followers
| D100 Roll | Follower | Level Range |
|---|---|---|
| 01-03 | Dwarf fighter/thief | 1-4 |
| 04-08 | Dwarf thief | 1-6 |
| 09-13 | Elf thief | 1-6 |
| 14-15 | Elf thief/fighter/mage | 1-3 |
| 16-18 | Elf thief/mage | 1-4 |
| 19-24 | Gnome thief | 1-6 |
| 25-27 | Gnome thief/fighter | 1-4 |
| 28-30 | Gnome thief/illusionist | 1-4 |
| 31-35 | Half-elf thief | 1-6 |
| 36-38 | Half-elf thief/fighter | 1-4 |
| 39-41 | Half-elf thief/fighter/mage | 1-3 |
| 42-46 | Halfling thief | 1-8 |
| 47-50 | Halfling thief/fighter | 1-6 |
| 51-98 | Human thief | 1-8 |
| 99 | Human dual-class thief/? | 1-8/1-4 |
| 00 | Other (DM selection) | -- |
Restrictions
Thieves have a limited selection of weapons. Most of their time is spent practicing thieving skills. The allowed weapons are club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso, short bow, sling, broad sword, long sword, short sword, and staff. A thief can wear leather, studded leather, padded leather, or elven chain armor. When wearing any allowed armor other than plain leather, the thief's abilities are penalized (see Thieving Skill Armor Adjustments table above).
The Thief-Acrobat
Any thief character with a minimum strength of 15 and a minimum dexterity of 16, having gained enough experience to rise to the 6th level of experience, may choose to forego normal thievery and become a "split-class" specialist, a Thief-Acrobat. The thief then leaves off all practices which increase his manual dexterity and begins a regimen of physical exercise in order to build coordination, muscle tone, and balance.
This program of gymnastics precludes any further progress in the following skills:
- Pick Pockets
- Find Traps
- Open Locks
- Remove Traps
- Read Magic (never gained)
This means that when the thief advances in level, he may no longer assign (nor will the DM assign) any of the percentage points accruing to the new level to those skills. However, the skills are not forgotten, so they remain at the level they were when the thief began to specialize in acrobatics in conjunction with his profession.
The thief-acrobat continues to improve his abilities to:
- Move Silently
- Hide in Shadows
- Hear Noise
- Read Languages
- Climb walls.
In all other respects except as indicated herein, the thief-acrobat is treated as a thief. Thief-acrobats will be a part of the normal thieves' guild if any such characters exist in the territory controlled by a guild. They can be leaders in such organizations, since they are treated the same as regular thieves by their brethren.
Experience Levels are shown in the Thief-Acrobat Experience table below.
Thief-Acrobat Experience Levels
| Level | XP | Hit Dice (d6) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 20,000 | 6 |
| 7 | 45,000 | 7 |
| 8 | 75,000 | 8 |
| 9 | 125,000 | 9 |
| 10 | 180,000 | 10 |
| 11 | 250,000 | 10+2 |
| 12 | 500,000 | 10+4 |
| 13 | 750,000 | 10+6 |
| 14 | 1,000,000 | 10+8 |
| 15 | 1,250,000 | 10+10 |
| 16 | 1,500,000 | 10+12 |
| 17 | 1,750,000 | 10+14 |
| 18 | 2,000,000 | 10+16 |
| 19 | 1,250,000 | 10+18 |
| 20 | 2,500,000 | 10+20 |
The primary functions of a thief-acrobat are tightrope walking, pole vaulting, jumping, and tumbling.
Tightrope walking assumes that the character will use this means to cross from place to place. The skill allows ascent up a rope or narrow beam of about a 45 degree angle (maximum) or descent at a slightly steeper angle, all while upright and with hands free (in general). This is accomplished by balance, muscle coordination, and superb reflexes.
A check will be made for every 60 feet the character travels, but at least once if the distance is less than that.
Movement rate while tightrope walking is 1/2 the normal movement rate for the character.
Moderate winds decrease chance of success by 10%, strong winds by 20%.
In strong, gusty wind conditions there is always at least a 5% chance of failure.
In non-windy conditions, a balance pole increases the chance of success by 10%.
Using this skill requires the thief-acrobat to be either barefoot or wearing slippers or light leather shoes without stiff soles.
Failure to perform successfully means that the character falls to the area below, taking damage accordingly.
Those characters who are not thief-acrobats cannot attempt to walk a tightrope at all, but can shimmy their way along either hanging underneath or balancing on the rope. They have a base 80% chance of success at this, but move no faster than 20' per round.
Pole vaulting includes any jumping which employs a leverage device to assist the individual in gaining height from momentum; i.e., a teeter board or springboard might serve as well or better than a pole in some cases. It will help to get quickly on top of or over obstacles. It requires strength, dexterity, and practice to improve. A successful pole vault requires at least a 30' running start and a pole of at least 4' greater height than the vaulter. The pole is dropped when the vault occurs. The vaulter can land on his feet atop a surface of 1/2' less height than the maximum height of the pole vault if so desired, assuming such a surface exists. Otherwise, the vaulter lands, tumble rolls, and is on his feet in 1 segment.
Non-thief-acrobats cannot effectively pole vault.
When rising in level and assigning % points to this skill, each 5% increment (and they must be assigned in 5% increments) will add one foot of height to the ability.
Jumping includes all sorts of unassisted leaps - high jumping and broad jumps (both from a standing and a running start) being important here. The use of this skill requires coordinated strength and continual practice.
High Jumping requires at least a 20' running start. The high jumper clears the obstacle in a near-horizontal position but lands on his feet. If some elevated step, or a series of such steps, enables the character to maintain rapid motion, he can then high jump from such an elevated step just as if doing so normally.
Alternately, the jumper can opt to land atop some higher surface. This surface must be no more than 4' above the level from which the jump is made, or 2' under the maximum height for normal high jumping, whichever is the greater. In either case, the thief-acrobat lands on his feet in 1 segment. Non-thief-acrobats can high jump about 3' without difficulty.
When rising in level and assigning % points to this skill, each 5% increment (and they must be assigned in 5% increments) will add one foot of height to the ability.
Broad Jumping is self-explanatory. A jump of any sort requires but a single segment to accomplish. A running broad jump requires a run of at least 20'. In standing jumps, the thief-acrobat can leap forward up to the maximum distance, or backward up to half the maximum distance, in order to attack or avoid being in attack range, if this is deemed possible by the DM. All jumps assume the character will land on his feet. If the character wishes to leap in an extended position, additional distance can be gained, but the character will then land prone. See the following table for additional penalties.
Broad Jumping
| Extra Distance | Recovery Time (Segments to get back on their feet) | Chance of Failure |
|---|---|---|
| 2' | 2 | 0% |
| 3' | 3 | 25% |
| 4' | 4 | 50% |
| 5' | 5 | 75% |
Non-thief-acrobats can perform a standing broad jump of up to 4' in distance and a running broad jump of up to 8'. They will always land prone and require a full round to recover.
Naturally, no extra weight or bulky armor may be worn when high jumping or broad jumping.
When rising in level and assigning % points to these skills, each 5% increment (and they must be assigned in 5% increments) will add one foot of distance to both of the related scores. IOW, adding 5% to Broad Jumping will gain a foot in both Running and Standing Broad Jumping ability.
Tumbling assumes all sorts of gymnastic skills - tumbles, rolls, jumps, handstands, and so on. Characters who are not Thief-Acrobats may not benefit from tumbling maneuvers.These routines are then used in attack, defensive evasion, and in jumping/falling. Tumbling maneuvers have the following benefits:
Attack adds the indicated percentage to the character's chance for success in hand-to-hand combat involving pummeling (street-fighting tricks).
Evasion enables the character to opt to evade attacks directed at him or her - just as magic resistance would work with respect to magical attack forms directed at the individual (or within a relatively small area, such as a few square feet, from which the thief-acrobat could easily remove himself or herself), or from melee combat - in the case where the thief-acrobat has the initiative, but only in this case. In any event, the chance for success cannot exceed a base of 60%, adjusted for dexterity and/or race. Evasion routines of any sort require 1 segment maximum to perform.
Note: Evasion refers to leaving the vicinity of where the attack occurs by tumbling out of the way. It should not be confused with, and cannot be combined with parrying in melee.
Falling percentage indicates the chance for the thief-acrobat to take no damage from a fall of 0 (zero) feet. To determine the chance for a distance greater than 0, subtract the distance in feet from the listed %, and that is the percent chance of avoiding damage from a fall of that distance. Thus, at 6th level there is a 40% chance that the character will take no damage from a 10' fall. If damage is taken, the converse of the percentage to avoid damage is used to find maximum damage. Again in the case of a 6th level thief-acrobat falling 10' and taking damage, only 60% of normal (ld6) damage, rounded down, is taken.
Example: A 10th level thief-acrobat has allocated 40 % points to his falling ability, for a current total of 90%. He is knocked off a tightrope and falls 60' to the rocks below. He has a 30% chance of avoiding all damage, and if he misses that roll, he'll take 70% of 6d6 damage from the fall. If the distance were only 30 ft for the same thief-acrobat, he'd have a 60% chance of avoiding all damage, and take 40% of 3d6 damage if he missed the roll.
Thief-Acrobat Function Table (Plus Racial, Strength and Dexterity Adjustments)
| Broad Jumping | Tumbling Maneuvers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Tightrope Walking | Pole Vaulting | High Jumping | Standing | Running | Attack | Evasion | Falling |
| Base Score | 75% | 9' | 4' | 5' | 9' | 6% | 10% | 50% |
| For these abilities, each 5% spent gains a foot extra height/distance. | ||||||||
| Cap Score | 100%* | 17.5' | 9' | 12' | 22' | 20% | 60% | 100% |
Racial Modifications: | ||||||||
| Dwarf | -5% | -2' | -1' | -2' | -3' | +10% | +5% | -- |
| Gnome | -- | -2' | -1' | -1.5' | -4' | +5% | +5% | +5% |
| Elf | +10% | -- | -- | -- | -1' | -- | +5% | -- |
| Half-Elf | +5% | -- | -- | -- | -- | +5% | ---- | |
| Halfling | -- | -2' | -1' | -1.5' | -4' | +5% | +10% | +5% |
| Half-Orc | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | +10% |
| Ability Score | Dexterity Adjustments | Strength Adjustments | Dexterity Adjustments | |||||
| 16 | +5% | -- | -- | -- | +.5' | +1% | +2% | -- |
| 17 | +10% | +5% | +.25' | +.25' | +1' | +2% | +3% | -- |
| 18 | +15% | +10% | +.5' | +.5' | +2' | +3% | +5% | +5' |
| 19 | +20% | +15% | +4% | +8% | +10' | |||
Cap scores are BEFORE Racial and Strength/Dexterity adjustments.
* Once 100% is reached, adding more % points in increments of 10% will yield the following benefits for tightrope walking.
Tightrope Walking Modifiers
| Points added to Base Score | Effective % Chance of Success | Additional Weight Carryable (lbs) in No Wind / Penalty | Additional Weight (lbs) Carryable in Moderate Wind / Penalty | Additional Weight (lbs) Carryable in Strong Wind / Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <=30 | <=100% | 0 / 0% | 0 / -10% | 0 / -20% |
| 40 | 100% | 100 / 0% | 0 / 0% | 0 / -10% |
| 50 | 100% | 200 / 0% | 100 / 0% | 0 / 0% |
| 60 | 100% | 300 / 0% | 200 / 0% | 100 / 0% |
| 70 | 100% | 400 / 0% | 300 / 0% | 200 / 0% |
Generally speaking, thief-acrobats must be totally unencumbered to perform the functions of Vaulting, Jumping, or Tumbling. No backpack can ever be worn during those activities, either. However, as they gain experience, they gain the ability to perform these feats with some light encumbrance, as shown in the table below.
Thief-Acrobat Weight/Encumbrance Limits
| Experience Level | Body-associated weight /encumbrance (lbs) | Additional carried weight / encumbrance (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 45 | 10 |
| 7 | 46 | 20 |
| 8 | 47 | 30 |
| 9 | 48 | 40 |
| 10 | 49 | 50 |
| 11 | 50 | 60 |
| 12 | 51 | 70 |
| 13 | 52 | 85 |
| 14 | 53 | 100 |
| 15 | 54 | 150 |
| 16 | 55 | 200 |
| 17 | 57 | 225 |
| 18 | 60 | 250 |
| 19 | 63 | 275 |
| 20 | 65 | 300 |
| 21 | 66 | 350 |
| 22 | 67 | 400 |
| 23 | 70 | 400 |
The term Body-associated Weight / Encumbrance refers strictly to the clothing, accessories, armor, and weapons of the character.
No more than the indicated weights/encumbrances (and no backpack) can be borne by the thief-acrobat at any time he is attempting to perform Vaulting, Jumping, or Tumbling. Climbing functions of the thief-acrobat assume that only the stipulated weights/encumbrances will be borne.
The term Additional (carried) weight/encumbrance refers strictly to the weight borne when tightrope walking. Since this movement is very slow anyway, such great encumbrance is of no matter as long as it is evenly distributed and properly balanced. Note that this does NOT allow thief-acrobats to exceed the normal encumbrance limits for their strength normal encumbrance limits for their strength, and they are subject to the normal encumbrance movement penalties in addition to the 1/2 speed limit for tightrope walking.
Eolf the Half-elven thief-acrobat has a 17 strength and has risen to 16th level. His normal movement is 12. He can perform ANY acrobatic functions with up to 55 lbs encumbrance (not including a backpack, of course). He could walk a tightrope with up to 85 lbs at a rate of 60'/round (1/2 of his normal movement). He could actually manage to carry 200 lbs on a rope, since that's less than his max carried weight, but he'd be moving at 5'/rd (10'/rd for severely encumbered, and 1/2 that because he's on a rope). When he gets to 19th level, he will be able to carry a max of 220 lbs, because that is as much as he can carry at all. Of course, if he manages to raise his strength to 18, then he'll be able to carry 250 lbs at 18th level and 255 lbs at 19th level.
If Eolf had spent at least 40 % points on Tightrope Walking by the time he made 16th level, he could walk that tightrope with his full 220 lbs of max carried weight.
Eolf's cousin Floe has a strength of 18/92, and is 23rd level, so he could carry up to 380 lbs (his max carried weight from the encumbrance table) on a tightrope, moving at 5'/round.