Greed	Professional	Revenge	Artistic	Recreational
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons	Dragon magazine	-	Classes	Dragon #104

"You see two figures wearing leather armor," says the DM. 
"Aha!" shouts a PC. "Thieves -- get them!"

Later, another player character is around the corner scouting and
passes a note to the DM. When the rest of the party arrives, they
find a heap of gold and a complacent-looking halfling. ?Okay, Frowdough,
? says the party leader, ?where?s the big gem?? Sure enough,
when Frowdough is turned upside down and shaken, a diamond
drops out of his boot.
 

Thieves are probably the most misunderstood and misplayed
character type in all AD&D® game play. Most of the thieves I?ve
played with and refereed over the years remind me all too much of
the two examples just noted. Even good AD&D game players, given
a thief character, fall readily into the stereotypical pattern of the
conniving gem-stealer and backstabber who avoids fights and melts
into the background at the first hint of danger. The fact that the
AD&D game rules tend to support and amplify the evil aspects of
thiefdom doesn?t help. We?re told that thieves tend to congregate in
powerful guilds, skulk continually and suspiciously in the shadows,
and specialize in deadly attacks from behind. All this makes for
thieves with highly unsavory reputations.

It?s easy to fall into the stereotyped mold; not only is it implied by
the content of the rules, it makes for a profitable character, too. This
economic advantage, however, is outweighed by the fact that such
thieves make for predictable and untrustworthy adventuring partners.
Parties of good-aligned characters gradually become tired of
watching the thief appropriate all the valuable gems and rings, and
begin devising excuses to leave thieves behind or maneuvering
thieves into dangerous or fatal dungeon encounters. Sometimes,
players of thief characters feel that the rest of the group is out to get
them, and will either start new characters in other classes or leave
the group entirely.

The key to avoiding the preceding situation and to producing
viable thieves lies in deciding why they have adopted their chosen
profession. Strictly speaking, not all thieves are thieves ? certainly,
not all thieves steal for the same reasons. There are five distinct
motivations for becoming a thief, each of which is interrelated to the
character?s alignment, the way he behaves in groups, the kinds of
things he is likely to attempt to steal, and (if the Dungeon Master is
so inclined) certain aspects of his special abilities. Most thieves will
have only one dominant motivation, but the following descriptions
are only examples, and combinations are possible. A reference table
has also been provided to illustrate the differences between differently
motivated thieves.

Table I: Types of Thieves

-	Alignment	Associates	Specialty	Ability  Adjustment
Greed	chaotic	few	grab & run	none
Professional	lawful	guild	burglary	+5% traps
Revenge	neutral	variable	varied	no pickpocketing
Artistic	chaotic	hirelings	high-risk	little magic
Recreational	any	usually	varied	none

Note: This table is for comparison purposes only. Refer to text for
full descriptions of all motivating factors. Ability adjustments in
particular are purely optional and at DM's discretion; they may be
disallowed or expanded as appropriate. For example, thieves of good
alignment might be denied the use of poison, or avenger-types could
be prohibited from backstabbing.

The greed motivation
Of all the reasons to steal, this is the most obvious and the most
frequently found in AD&D game characters. Thieves of this type
steal almost exclusively for personal profit, though not usually to
support an extravagant lifestyle. Greedy thieves are nearly always
chaotic, usually evil (though many won?t admit it), and often a bit
paranoid as well. They tend to work alone whenever possible; even
when traveling or adventuring in a group, they will trust no one
completely. They are hoarders, going to great lengths to conceal the
extent and location of their wealth. They avoid violent confrontations
as much as possible, fighting only in dire emergencies while on
dungeon or wilderness expeditions. In such situations, other party
members are only safe from the thief to the extent that he needs
them to get out of the dungeon alive.

In towns, these thieves are solitary operators and make up most of
the pickpocket population ? an indication of the methods they
prefer. Greedy thieves will generally avoid planning sophisticated
burglaries ? they prefer to grab and run. Their favorite targets are
gems and rings of all kinds, but anything portable and valuable is
worthwhile prey. Magic items may be an exception to this rule,
however, as they are more difficult to sell or learn to use. Greedmotivated
thieves are generally more likely to employ poison than
any other type.

The professional motivation
Professional thieves are, like those driven by greed, among the
most numerous and easily located sorts. These are the second-story
men, the hired burglars, and the career stickup artists. They steal
for the same reason that weavers make rugs and smiths forge armor
?it?s their source of income, the one thing they do well. Professional
thieves are nearly always lawful and generally affiliated with a
local guild, relying on the guild for training, job contacts, and technical
support. Most work alone, though in some cases teams of two
or three will operate together. More experienced professionals will
frequently specialize, stealing only certain kinds of merchandise or
operating exclusively as cat burglars or armed thugs.

A professional thief's goal is to be thorough, efficient, and inconspicuous.
He will carefully scout a target prior to carrying out a theft
to determine the extent and type of security to be overcome. Business
arrangements made with a client will be strictly honored so long
as the client acts in good faith, but should a professional be deceived
or betrayed, he will act to protect his interests and will not hesitate
to kill to do so, though guild-affiliated thieves especially frown on
unnecessary violence. Experienced members of a guild will only
rarely accompany a party on a dungeon adventure or the like, unless
they have been hired to overcome a specific obstacle or recover a
particular treasure. If the campaign supports it, a DM may elect to
allow guild-affiliated professionals a 5% better chance at finding and
removing traps as a result of their special opportunity for training in
this area.

The revenge motivation
The avenger or crusader is an unusual and relatively scarce sort of
thief, typified in literature and legend by Robin Hood and the
Count of Monte Cristo. He is distinguished from other thieves in
that he only steals from a particular individual, organization, or
social class, and usually does so in the name of justice. Frequently,
some incident in a character?s past in which he has been wronged is
responsible for the decision to assume the role of thief. In game
terms, avenger-type thieves are normally neutral or neutral good in 
alignment. Their goals are ultimately those of law and order, but
their approach is chaotic in nature.

Avengers are almost never affiliated with guilds, and often conduct
their thieving careers under cover of a new name or identity.
Many avenger-types are dual- or multi-classed, having changed
careers to vent their wrath. They generally work alone or as the
leader of a very few trusted partners, and their campaigns of vengeance
often encompass much more than simple thievery. Avengertypes
often possess a very developed sense of honor, and can be
relied on when they give their word, though they are not above
orchestrating elaborate deceptions designed to ruin or humiliate
their chosen enemies. Some DMs may elect to rule that, because of
their highly honorable characters, avenger-type thieves will not
employ the ability to pick pockets.

The artistic motivation
This sort of thief steals neither for the money nor as a professional
contractor -- at least, not primarily. Rather, he is continually devising
and testing ways to commit the perfect crime. Though typically
chaotic in alignment, the artistic thief is frequently a member of a
guild, disdaining all but the most difficult and prestigious assignments.
At these, however, he will excel. ?Impossible crimes? and
ingenious confidence games and swindles are the artist?s stock in
trade, and though such a thief will invariably plan and engineer a
project alone, he may have hirelings or trusted assistants to carry out
the actual theft. Above all, they are stylists, and will occasionally
take unnecessary or flamboyant risks in pursuit of their goals.

Artist-thieves are equally likely to accept paid commissions or to
undertake jobs purely for the challenges they represent. Their targets
are invariably of the highest value and rarity. Though an artistthief
will on rare occasions mastermind a kidnapping, he will usually
avoid violence and murder. There are two reasons for this: first,
artists have exceptionally high overhead (many leave imitation items
in place of the stolen property), and second, many artist-thieves
began as guild members with that organization?s desire for obscurity.

Such thieves do have one unusual prejudice ?they will almost
never employ purely magical methods (such as using a chime of
opening) to achieve their ends, considering the action to be ?cheating.
? They have no objection to protective magic, however, and will
sometimes employ minor magical effects under special conditions. A
few mavericks subscribe to the opposite extreme regarding magic,
and will use it liberally if possible; these thieves are generally multiclassed
or have a wizard as a close companion.

The recreational motivation
Thieves of this persuasion might also be called adventurers,
though not in the same sense as the term is generally used. In many
cases, they are not thieves in the criminal sense at all, but have
merely acquired their special skills either by accident or without
criminal intent. Bilbo Baggins, Tolkien's archetypical burglar, is the
role model for thieves of this motivation. If these characters steal at
all, they do so not for profit or revenge, but rather because it is more
exciting than making keys or repairing trunks. They are a traveling
breed, sometimes reluctantly so but always inevitably, and encompass
a wide range of temperaments and alignments. Not all may be
as mild-mannered as this description might imply; some could be
fleeing guildmembers caught with their hands in the cookie jar, or
inveterate pickpockets moving to fresher and safer territory. Still, the
good adventurer-thief will generally do nothing to endanger his
status with the band of wanderers of which he is normally a part. He
will have little or no objection to fair distribution of jointly discovered
wealth, though a private windfall gained at serious personal risk
is another matter.

Thieves of a recreational philosophy are rarely specialists; they
will apply their talents to whatever opportunities arise, relying on a
dogged pragmatism rather than sophisticated strategy. They will
fight and kill if need be, though not indiscriminately, and usually
finish anything they begin ? rarely indeed does an adventurer-thief
leave a project in the middle. Some will be more active than others;
many, like Bilbo, require a certain amount of persuasion to leave
their homes and families for an adventure in lands and caverns
unknown.

Any one of these motivating factors may be the driving force
behind a PC or NPC thief. Understanding and developing
these diverse kinds of thieves can easily lead to innovative and
unusual adventures for characters (and players) accustomed to the
standard ?chaotic greedy? mold. Players might be drawn into the
intrigue generated by an avenger-type, hired to execute a theft
planned by a high-level artist, or asked to persuade the only thief
capable of dismantling a complex trap to travel halfway across the
continent from his flower garden.

Both players and DMs can make creative use of unusual thief
characters. A routine random encounter with two footpads can turn
into something quite unusual if the two footpads happen to be working
for the Hooded Jackal, the same cruel duke who tossed the party
into the dungeon at an earlier time. Similarly, a player who designs
a clever artist-thief may gather a group of followers around him and
prompt the group?s DM to design a series of unique encounters and
adventures appropriate for the character. It is significant to note that
different permutations of the various motivations allow thieves to be
of nearly any possible alignment, good and evil alike, so that characters
can no longer react without thinking to an encounter with a
thief or thieves, assuming that ?they must be evil, so let?s kill them.?
They must deal with each encounter, relying on character interaction
and role-playing instead of merely reaching for weapons and
combat dice. Further, logically motivated thieves are much more
likely to be productive members of adventuring parties, so that
explorers need no longer sacrifice the valuable skills of the thief class
in order to keep party members from cutting each other?s throats.

In short, adding logically yet uniquely motivated thieves to a
campaign can serve as a catalyst to spice up a drooping adventure,
provide a new focus for the party?s attention, or attract a new player
or two.

Even if a thief simply has an odd personality quirk, the results can
be startling. Case in point: A player in one of my campaigns created
a very chaotic thief character, whose unstable temperament caused
him to change his surface alignment in times of stress. Thus, at one
time he was behaving in a highly evil fashion and tried to backstab a
high-level magic-user, but on another occasion he was most cooperative
and lawful in talking his way through a trial. (Needless to say,
this called for very careful role-playing.) Well-rounded thieves are all
too rare in AD&D gaming, but they can make the difference between
an average campaign and an excellent one.