Life is an endless adventure for those who live by their wits. Ever just one step ahead of danger, thieves bank on their cunning, skill, and charm to bend fate to their favor. Never knowing what to expect, they prepare for everything, becoming masters of a wide variety of skills, training themselves to be adept manipulators, agile acrobats, shadowy stalkers, or masters of any of dozens of other professions or talents. Thieves and gamblers, fast talkers and diplomats, bandits and bounty hunters, and explorers and investigators all might be considered thieves, as well as countless other professions that rely upon wits, prowess, or luck. Although many thieves favor cities and the innumerable opportunities of civilization, some embrace lives on the road, journeying far, meeting exotic people, and facing fantastic danger in pursuit of equally fantastic riches. In the end, any who desire to shape their fates and live life on their own terms might come to be called thieves.
Role: Thieves excel at moving about unseen and catching foes unaware, and tend to avoid head-
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gil (average 140 gil.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gil or less.
Class Skills
The thief’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points Per Level: 8 + Int modifier
Class Main Ability Scores:
The thief mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat, INT for their class features, and DEX, WIS, and CHA for optional class features.
Table: Thief
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the thief.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Thieves are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the chakram, hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and shortsword. Thieves are proficient with light armor, but not with any type of shields.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the thief receives the Limit Breaks (Perfect Dodge and Shroud in Darkness).
Perfect Dodge (Su): This Limit Break makes the thief extremely agile. Any melee or ranged attack roll automatically misses unless a natural roll of 20 is rolled, and even then, the critical threat is unconfirmed unless another natural roll of 20 is rolled. This ability only dodges a number of attacks equal to the thief’s Dexterity modifier per round. This lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four thief levels after 1st. This limit break requires only a swift action.
Shroud in Darkness (Su): This Limit Break makes the thief invisible for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four thief levels after 1st. While invisible, the thief can make attacks as normal and remain invisible. The thief also receives a + 1d6 sneak attack bonus + an additional 1d6 per four thief levels after 1st while under this Limit Break. This limit break requires only a swift action.
Sneak Attack (Ex)
At 1st level, if a thief can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The thief’s attack deals extra precision damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the thief flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 1st level, and increases by 1d6 every 2 thief levels thereafter. If she gains the sneak attack ability from another source, the bonuses stack. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, unarmed strike, or whip), a thief can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack—not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The thief must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A thief cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with total concealment.
Trapfinding (Ex)
A thief adds half her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). A thief can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A thief who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.
Finesse Training (Ex)
At 1st level, a thief gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat. In addition, starting at 3rd level, she can select any one type of weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse (such as rapiers or daggers). Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee attack with the selected weapon, she adds her Dexterity modifier (this bonus is halved if she has a level in another non-prestige class and this is not her favored class) instead of her Strength modifier to the damage roll. If any effect would prevent the thief from adding her Strength modifier to the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier. The thief can select a second weapon at 11th level and a third at 19th level.
When attacking with a two-handed weapon the thief adds 1.5x their DEX to damage, whereas an off-hand weapon only adds 0.5x DEX to damage.
Mark (Ex)
At 1st level, a thief can study an opponent she can see as a move action. The thief then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. The DCs of thief class abilities against that opponent increase by 1. A thief can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the thief studies a new target.
If a thief deals sneak attack damage to a target, she can study that target as an immediate action, allowing her to apply her mark bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).
At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks and to thief DCs against a mark increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the thief is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional mark at the same time. The thief may discard this connection to a mark as a free action, allowing her to study another target in its place.
At 7th level, a thief can study an opponent as a move or swift action.
Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level, a thief can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the thief is wearing light armor, or no armor. A helpless thief (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Thief Talents
As a thief gains experience, she learns a number of talents that aid her and confound her foes. Starting at 2nd level, a thief gains one thief talent. She gains an additional thief talent for every 2 levels of thief attained after 2nd level. A thief cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a thief’s sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack, and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.
- A complete list of thief talents can be found here: Thief Talents
Measure the Mark (Ex)
At 3rd level, when a thief makes a Sleight of Hand check to take something from a creature, the target makes its Perception check before the thief makes her Sleight of Hand check, and the thief knows the Perception check result. She can decide whether or not to make the check based on the results of the target’s Perception check. If the thief elects not to make the check, she can make a Bluff check, opposed by the target’s Sense Motive, to prevent the target from noticing the attempt.
Danger Sense (Ex)
At 3rd level, a thief gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. In addition, she gains a +1 bonus on Perception checks to avoid being surprised by a foe. These bonuses increase by 1 every three thief levels thereafter (to a maximum of +6 at 18th level). This ability counts as trap sense for the purpose of any feat or class prerequisite. The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained from trap sense (from another class).
Debilitating Injury (Ex)
At 4th level, whenever a thief deals sneak attack damage to a foe, she can also debilitate the target of her attack, causing it to take a penalty for 1 round (this is in addition to any penalty caused by a thief talent or other special ability). The thief can choose to apply any one of the following penalties when the damage is dealt.
- Bewildered: The target becomes bewildered, taking a –2 penalty to AC. The target takes an additional –2 penalty to AC against all attacks made by the thief. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty to AC against attacks made by the thief increases by –2 (to a maximum of –6).
- Disoriented: The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the thief. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty on attack rolls made against the thief increases by –2 (to a maximum of –6).
- Hampered: All of the target’s speeds are reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, the target cannot take a 5-foot step.
These penalties do not stack with themselves, but additional attacks that deal sneak attack damage extend the duration by 1 round. A creature cannot suffer from more than one penalty from this ability at a time. If a new penalty is applied, the old penalty immediately ends. Any form of healing applied to a target suffering from one of these penalties also removes the penalty.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a thief can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-
Improved Theft (Ex)
At 5th level, a thief gains a +2 competence bonus on Steal combat maneuvers and any Sleight of Hand skill checks. She gains an additional +2 bonus for every four levels after 5th.
Thief’s Edge (Ex)
At 5th level, a thief has mastered a single skill beyond that skill’s normal boundaries, gaining results that others can only dream about. She gains the skill unlock powers for that skill as appropriate for her number of ranks in that skill. At 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, she chooses an additional skill and gains skill unlock powers for that skill as well.
- For more information on skill unlocks, go here: Skill Unlocks
Skilled Liar (Ex)
At 7th level, whenever a thief uses Bluff to attempt to deceive someone, she gains a bonus on the opposed roll equal to 1/2 her thief level (minimum +1).
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
A thief of 8th level can no longer be flanked; she can react to opponents on opposite sides of her as easily as she can react to a single attacker. This defense denies creatures the flanking bonus by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more thief levels than the target does.
Distraction (Ex)
At 9th level, whenever a thief is detected while using Stealth, she can immediately attempt a Bluff skill check opposed by the Sense Motive skill of the creature that spotted her. If this check succeeds, the target assumes that the noise was something innocent and disregards the detection. This only functions if the creature cannot see the thief. This ability can only be used once during a given Stealth attempt. If the same creature detects the thief’s presence again, the ability has no effect.
Mug (Ex)
At 10th level, once per round, when the thief deals sneak attack damage, she can make a free Steal combat maneuver to take an item from her target. This ability can only be used against creatures that have yet to act in combat. If the attack is successful, the target takes a –5 penalty on the Perception check to notice the theft.
Thief Advanced Talents
At 12th level and every two thief levels thereafter, a thief can choose one of the following advanced talents in place of a thief talent.
- A complete list of thief advanced talents can be found here: Thief Advanced Talents
Skirmisher (Ex)
At 13th level, whenever a thief moves more than 10 feet in a round and makes an attack action, the attack deals sneak attack damage as if the target was flat-footed. If the thief makes more than one attack this turn, this ability only applies to the first attack. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to this ability.
Steal Life (Su)
At 14th level, the thief can make a melee touch attack against a living creature and deal 1d8 points of shadow damage + 1 per thief level. The thief gains a number of temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage dealt. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour. A creature targeted by this ability cannot be targeted by this ability again for 24 hours.
Theft Mastery (Ex)
At 15th level, the thief can take 10 on Sleight of Hand skill checks even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.
Master of All (Ex)
At 16th level, a thief can reroll any skill check as long as it is a class skill in which she is trained. She must take the second result, even if it is worse. She can use this ability no more than once per minute.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
At 17th level, the thief can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.
Shadow Step (Su)
At 19th level, as a move action, the thief can step into an area of dim light or darkness, which transports him along a coiling path of shadowstuff to another dim or dark location within 30 feet.
Masterful Talent (Ex)
At 19th level, the thief has been a pickpocket, an actor, a merchant, a scout, a confessor, a friend, an assassin, and a dozen more things besides. The thief gains a +4 bonus on all of her skills.
Master Strike (Ex)
Upon reaching 20th level, a thief becomes incredibly deadly when dealing sneak attack damage. Each time the thief deals sneak attack damage, she can choose one of the following three effects: the target can be put to sleep for 1d4 hours, paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, or slain. Regardless of the effect chosen, the target receives a Fortitude save to negate the additional effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + half of the thief’s level + her Intelligence modifier. Once a creature has been the target of a master strike, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to that thief’s master strike for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack damage are also immune to this ability.
Favored Class Bonuses
Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to the listed race who have thief as their favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.
- Aegyl: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
- Amalj’aa: The thief gains +1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Al Bhed: The thief gains +1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Bangaa: Add a +1 bonus on the thief’s sneak attack damage rolls during the surprise round or before the target has acted in combat.
- Burmecian: Add a +1/2 bonus on Escape Artist checks.
- Dwarf: Add a +1/2 bonus on Disable Device checks regarding stone traps and a +1/2 bonus to trap sense regarding stone traps.
- Elvaan: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
- Galka: Add +1 to the thief’s CMD when resisting a grapple or reposition attempt.
- Garif: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
- Genome: Add +1/2 on Stealth skill checks.
- Goblin: Add +1 to the thief’s CMD when resisting a grapple or reposition attempt.
- Gria: Add +1 to the number of times per day the thief can cast a 1st-level spell gained from the major magic talent. The thief must possess the associated thief talent to select this option.
- Half-Breed: Add a +1/2 bonus on Bluff checks to feint and Diplomacy checks to gather information.
- Hume: The thief gains +1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Hypello: Add a +1/2 bonus on Perception checks while in a forest or swamp.
- Immortal: The thief gains +1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Kobold: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks and Perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Loporrit: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Mandragora: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
- Mithra: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Moogle: The thief gains a +1/2 bonus on Disable Device and Use Magic Device checks related to glyphs, symbols, scrolls, and other magical writings.
- Moomba: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Namazu: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Nu Mou: The thief gains a +1/2 bonus on Disable Device and Use Magic Device checks related to glyphs, symbols, scrolls, and other magical writings.
- Palico: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- PuPu: The thief gains +1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Seeq: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This does not stack with the Critical Focus feat.
- Seto Lion: Add a +1/2 bonus on stealth checks and perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
- Tarutaru: The thief gains a +1/2 bonus on Disable Device and Use Magic Device checks related to glyphs, symbols, scrolls, and other magical writings.
- Tonkin: Add +1/3 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using sneak attack (maximum bonus of +5). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
- Varg: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks.
- Viera: The thief gains 1/6 of a new thief talent.
- Yagudo: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks and Perception checks made in dim light or darkness.
Archetypes
- A complete list of thief archetypes can be found here: Thief Archetypes
