BR:Thief

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An Argonian thief stealthily pickpocket a victim
Thief
Agilty | Personality
Thief class symbol
Difficulty
Offense
Defense
Support
2 stars
3 stars
3 stars
2 stars
Delvebound Class | Martial

Class Overview. The Thief is a martial class specializing in stealth, devastating attacks, and moving quickly out of danger.
Sneak Attack. Allows you to deal a devastating blow to a distracted foe.
Cunning Actions. Increases your mobility and avoidance to harm.


Signaling for her companions to wait, a Khajiit creeps forward through the dungeon hall. She presses an ear to the door, then pulls out a set of tools and picks the lock in the blink of an eye. Then she disappears into the shadows as her warrior friend moves forward to kick the door open.

Holding his breath, a Bosmer carefully tugs at a hempen rope, releasing a leather coin purse attached to the merchants belt. He then uses his newly found coin to purchase the silver dagger and quickly leaves the store, leaving a generous tip.

Using his charm and wit, the Nord tells the bar maiden a tale from his most recent voyage. Giving a clever smile, the light of the fire glinting off a gold capped tooth, he convinces the waitress to put this round on the house.

Thieves choose stealth and subterfuge over violence, and often entertain romantic notions of their charm and cleverness in their acquisitive activities.

Silver Tongue and Dagger

Thieves rely on many different skills and can usually find a solution to any situation they find themselves in. Preferring to use their charisma to diffuse confrontations, they can also rely on their quick thinking to avoid harm, and are not afraid to engage in hand-to-hand combat. They excel at picking locks and avoiding traps, which makes them a valuable asset to any adventuring party.

When a thief is forced into combat, they excel in one-on-one battles, or strike and retreat tactics. Thieves have an almost supernatural knack for avoiding danger, and choose patience to slowly wear their opponent down, rather than beat them into submission.

A Livelihood of Infamy

Thieves are a common in any settlement. Some thieves work on their own, but the most successful join thieves' guilds for the extra opportunities and protection. They can find themselves making a living as simple cutpurses, acting as simple beggars and acrobats, or as dangerous burglars and enforcers. Those that find solace on the seas dedicate their lives to piracy and romantic flings in various port cities, or become deadly marauders, pillaging the less protected villages on the outskirts of society.

Although not necessarily on the side of the law, many thieves and guilds team up with local law enforcement, creating an unspoken allegiance to regulate crime. Other thieves might prefer to use their particular skills to become locksmiths, or like to think of themselves as professional treasure hunters, explorers, or investigators.

Creating a Thief

As you create your thief character, consider what you did in the past that allowed you to hone your skills. Do you have a criminal past – or present? Are you on the run from the law or from an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal?

What was the trigger that led you away from your previous life? Did a great con or heist gone terribly wrong cause you to reevaluate your career? Maybe you were lucky and a successful robbery gave you the coin you needed to escape the squalor of your life. Did wanderlust finally call you away from your home? Perhaps you suddenly found yourself cut off from your family or your mentor, and you had to find a new means of support. Or maybe you made a new friend another member of your adventuring party – who showed you new possibilities for earning a living and employing your particular talents.

The Thief

Level Proficiency Bonus Class Features Sneak Attack Exceptional Speed
1 +2 Exceptional Speed, Legerdemain, Sneak Attack 1d6 +5 ft.
2 +2 Cunning Action 1d6 +5 ft.
3 +2 Thieves Archetype 2d6 +5 ft.
4 +2 Attribute Score Improvement 2d6 +5 ft.
5 +3 Uncanny Dodge 3d6 +5 ft.
6 +3 Treasure Hunter 3d6 +10 ft.
7 +3 Evasion 4d6 +10 ft.
8 +3 Attribute Score Improvement 4d6 +10 ft.
9 +4 Thieves Archetype Feature 5d6 +10 ft.
10 +4 Muffled Movement 5d6 +10 ft.
11 +4 Distraction 6d6 +15 ft.
12 +4 Attribute Score Improvement 6d6 +15 ft.
13 +5 Thieves Archetype Feature 7d6 +15 ft.
14 +5 Cunning Manipulator 7d6 +15 ft.
15 +5 Blindsense 8d6 +15 ft.
16 +5 Attribute Score Improvement 8d6 +20 ft.
17 +6 Thieves Archetype Feature 9d6 +20 ft.
18 +6 Elusive 9d6 +20 ft.
19 +6 Attribute Score Improvement 10d6 +20 ft.
20 +6 Thief’s Reflexes 10d6 +20 ft.
If your group uses the optional rules on multiclassing in the 5e Core Rules and the Basic Rules, here’s what you need to know if you choose thief as one of your classes.

Attribute Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least an Agility score of 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a thief.

Proficiencies Gained. If thief isn’t your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as a thief: Light armor, blunt weapon, hand-to-hand, marksman, short blade, Thieves' tools.

Quick Build

You can make a thief quickly by following these suggestions. First, Agility should be your highest attribute score, followed by Personality if you plan to emphasize deception and social interaction. Second, choose the urchin background.

Class Features

Hit Points
Hit Dice 1d8 per Thief level
HP at 1st Level 8 + your Endurance modifier
HP at Higher Levels 1d8 (or 5) + your Endurance modifier per Thief level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor Light armor
Weapons Blunt weapon, hand-to-hand, marksman, short blade
Tools Thieves' tools
Saving Throws Agility, Endurance
Skills Choose three from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
  • Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves' tools
  • (a) a rapier or (b) 4 throwing stars
  • (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) a mace
  • (a) a burglar's pack,(b) a dungeoneer's pack, or (c) an explorer's pack

As a thief, you gain the following class features.

Exceptional Speed

1st-level thief feature

Your agile nature increases your speed by 5. This amount increases as you level. Refer to the Exceptional Speed column of the Thief table.

Legerdemain

1st-level thief feature

You gain advantage when making Agility (Sleight of Hand) skill checks.

Sneak Attack

1st-level thief feature

You know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

You don't need advantage on an attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Sneak Attack column of the Thief table.

Cunning Action

2nd-level thief feature

Your quick thinking and dexterity allow you to move quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

You are also able to use the bonus action to make an Agility (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves' tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.

Thieves Archetype

3rd-level thief feature

Choose one archetype. Your archetype grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Thieves Archetype Source
Acrobat Basic Rules
Burglar Basic Rules
Fixer Legionnaire's Guide to Cyrodiil
Pirate Basic Rules
Ruffian Basic Rules
Twilight Shroud Legionnaire's Guide to Cyrodiil

Attribute Score Improvement

4th-level thief feature

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one attribute score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two attribute scores by 1. You can't increase an attribute score above 20 using this feature.

Uncanny Dodge

5th-level thief feature

When an attacker you see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the damage against you.

Treasure Hunter

6th-level thief feature

You have a keen eye for hidden treasures, noticing subtle clues, such as worn surfaces or conspicuous items, that others might miss. Whether it's a cache of relics in an ancient ruin or the prized possession of a humble merchant, you're familiar with where and how things might be hidden. You gain advantage whenever you make a Willpower (Perception) check to search for hidden items or secret doors.

Evasion

7th-level thief feature

Your instinctive agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make an Agility saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Muffled Movement

10th-level thief feature

You have advantage on an Agility (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.

Distraction

11th-level thief feature

You can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to distract one enemy that is within 30 feet of you that can see and hear you, granting advantage on the next attack made by a creature other than you against that target until the start of the targets next turn.

Cunning Manipulator

14th-level thief feature

You can talk your way out of virtually anything. You gain advantage on Personality (Deception) and Personality (Persuasion) skill checks.

Blindsense

15th-level thief feature

If you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.

Elusive

18th-level thief feature

No enemy is able to to gain the upper hand on you. No attack roll has advantage on you while you are conscious.

Thief’s Reflexes

20th-level thief feature

You become adept at laying ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take two turns during the first round of any combat. You take your first turn at your normal initiative and your second turn at your initiative minus 10. You can not use this ability if surprised.

Thieves Archetypes

Different thieves choose different approaches to their smuggling and deception. The thieves archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.

The Acrobat is a polite euphemism for agile thieves and second-story men. These thieves avoid detection by stealth, and rely on mobility and cunning to avoid capture. They have honed their skills to such a degree that they are almost supernaturally adept at scaling walls, running, jumping, and tumbling.
Burglars are well versed in the arts of picking locks. They are able to find their way into areas that others would believe to be inaccessible. They can even sneak into even the most secure of noble houses and escape detection. Adventuring burglars are usually sought out by mercenary companies for their resourcefulness in exploring dungeons, palaces, and places where others might be stopped by locked doors or secret passageways. These agile, silent, and curious prowlers find the challenge of a tricky lock or an open window irresistible and always find a way to slink away with pouches full of treasure.
Among thieves, robbers, and ruffians, it is the Fixer who is seen as a crucial member of any organization. Being able to help themselves and their allies when in a pinch is their entire goal. They are reliable and knowledgeable, and have a knack for excelling where others would fail. These thieves take it upon themselves to make sure they know how to do what needs to get done, and then they do it. Every Thieves Guild or outlaw hideout is in need of a Fixer.
You focus your training on the art of the the art of the blade, relying on speed, elegance, and charm in equal parts. While some fighter are brutes clad in heavy armor, your method of fighting looks almost like a performance. Duelists and swashbucklers typically belong to this archetype. A Pirate excels in single combat, and can fight with two weapon while safely darting away from an opponent.
While most thieves spend their time practicing being unheard and unseen, Ruffians take a different approach. Relying on brute strength and browbeating, rather than finesse and speed, these brash thieves pummel and intimidate their foes into submission.
Blessed with the favor of the night magic, thieves of the Twilight Shroud begin to walk a path of shadows and mystery within darkness. Whether blessed by the graces of Nocturnal, Azura, or another patron of night and shadow.

Optional: Community Subclasses

For those that seek to expand upon the available possibilities for this class, there exist several options among the community subclasses. The existing community creations may surprise you and can add a new perspective to your adventures in Tamriel. The community subclasses have yet to be playtested and will require permission to use from your GM.