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C h r i s    L e e ' s

T h i e f    G u i d e        v 2.1
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The officially latest (as well as latest, official) version of this
FAQ/Guide can be found at www.gamefaqs.com.
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Table of Contents
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A word on navigation: to jump to a specific section, simply use the
'FIND' command (CTRL-F) and type in the 5 letter key next to the section (doing only the 3 numbers within the brackets will probably send you to a random section of the guide).
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0.  Pre-introduction: Why am I still updating this guide?  [000]

1.  Introduction and Contact Info (aka what the hell is this?)  [100]

2.  Basic Thief Skills/Abilities  [200]

3.  High Level Skills/Abilities  [300]

4.  Kits  [400] a.  Vanilla Thief  [410] i.  Fighter/Thief  [411] ii. Thief/Mage  [412] iii.Cleric/Thief  [413] iv. Fighter/Mage/Thief  [414] v.  Fighter/Cleric/Thief  [415] b.  Multi-class Variants [420] i.  Berserker  [421] ii. Kensai  [422] iii.Wizard Slayer  [423] iv. Specialized Cleric  [424] c.  Assassin  [430] d.  Swashbuckler  [440] e.  Bounty Hunter  [450]

5.  The Secret of Traps [500] a.  Normal Traps [510] b.  Bounty Hunter Traps [520]

6.  Stronghold  [600]

7.  Tactics  [700] a.  Backstabbing Notes [710] b.  Trapping Notes [720] c.  Hiding Notes [730]

8.  Items of Note  [800] a.  Weapons [810] b.  Armor [820] c.  Accessories [830]

9.  The Solo Challenge [900]

10. Miscellany  [A00] a.  THAC0 Tables  [A10] b.  Backstab Growth  [A20] c.  Saving throw Tables  [A30] d.  HP Growth Tables [A40]

11. Final Notes [B00] a.  Conclusion/Special Thanks [B10] b.  Appendix [B20 c.  Legal Disclaimer [B30] d.  History [B40]
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0.  Pre-introduction:  Why am I still updating this guide?        [000]
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(POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT.)

Baldur's Gate II is now an incredibly old game by entertainment standards.  I remember reading the manual back in early 10th grade; that was over 3 years ago.  Since then, many other games have come out, and even an expansion for Baldur's Gate II has come out.  And many people have moved onto other games, like Diablo II (also still going strong after all these years) or Unreal Tournament 2004.

Yet, here I am, in front of my computer, still typing out stuff and information for a game that is probably already forgotten by the short memory of our gaming society.  Why?

I think I can finally say it.  For years, Final Fantasy VII and
Civilization II duked it out in my mind as the best game ever made.
But now, three years after Baldur's Gate II and six years after
Baldur's Gate started it all (as of this writing), I finally can conclude it:  the Baldur's Gate Saga is the best game ever made.

Because it is one game.  Baldur's Gate II is not a sequel.  Fallout
II is a sequel.  Diablo II is a sequel.  Quake III is a sequel.
Baldur's Gate II is a continuation, it is just one massive expansion pack for the original Baldur's Gate.  And Throne of Bhaal another one on top of it.  (I'm not forgetting Tales of the Sword Coast, that was a nice diversion.)

And as one game, I have spent more time playing it, replaying it, studying, and enjoying it more than any other game.  Final Fantasy VII once held the record for most number of replays, and it probably still does (I lost count), but Baldur's Gate has the highest quality of replay.  Even after the umpteenth time I've watched Jon Irenicus scream in pain, the umpteenth time I saw Sarevok fall down dead, the umpteenth time I saw the final epilogue in Throne of Bhaal, the game continues to challenge me and give me a breadth of experience that no other game has been able to.  Final Fantasy VII, I've mastered.  The
Civilization games I understand through and through and can work through the game mechanics on instinct.  But even knowing all the rules and the tactics of Baldur's Gate, an early Lich battle continues to make my heart pound, seeing a mage cast "Wail of the Banshee" continues to make me scream in delightful frustration, and watching
Minsc get charmed by a dryad in the original Baldur's Gate never ceases to make me cry in pain.

Yet, Baldur's Gate is massive, epic, and at the same time, individual, never forgetting the player in the midst of a grander and grander story.  Even as the realms seem to be ready to implode, your character is always in control of his destiny, always ready to choose good or evil, and for that, Baldur's Gate has achieved an existential triumph over almost every other game created.  No other game has made the choice to not ascend into deityhood a choice well-respected, and a rest and reward well-deserved.

Even six years after it began, I still find myself drawn back to the game.  It might not boast the latest in vertex-weighted technology, but the artwork is still expansive and beautiful.  It might not offer support for 5.1 surround sound systems, but the music still stirs.
But above all, the game has achieved a gameplay that, while first ingrained into the workings of Dungeons and Dragons, has eventually achieved independence and superiority to the system that spawned it.
Even six years after the story and quests began, I still find myself drawn into the city of Baldur's Gate, I still find myself eager to smash into Candlekeep again, I still find myself ready to destroy
Irenicus, and still always await the final epilogue.

Because I will always return to this game, because this is the game that for the rest of my life will define all other games, because this is THE epic, and furthermore because it is a game with near-infinite possibilites, this guide will continue to recieve its occasional updates.  I think it is the best tribute I can make to the men and women who labored so long to give us such a fine product.  And for you, the reader, if you managed to read through all my ramblings, I hope you enjoy the work I put into this guide, because I myself enjoyed every second of it.  Nothing more needs to be said, only to go and play the game once more.

-2004, Chris Lee
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1.  Introduction and Contact Info (aka what the hell is this?)    [100]
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So you gaze upon this guide/FAQ, and you wonder, "What's the point of this guide?"  Well, the point of this guide, oh so curious one, is that while there may be loads of general literature (walkthroughs,
DSimpson's excellent Class FAQ), there are very few FAQs for Baldur's
Gate II/Throne of Bhaal that actually focus specifically on a given character class.

Why would this even be a necessity?  Arguably, some classes do not need so much detailed investigation.  In fact, if this were Baldur's
Gate 1 and I chose the Fighter class, I'd probably have all of 2 pages to write about it.  However, this is Shadows of Amn with many items, many tactics, many unique party members, many enemies, and furthermore, with Throne of Bhaal's high level abilities and uber-items, almost every class explodes in potential.

So then why the thief?  First, I love thieves (especially 3rd ed
D&D variant Rogues).  Screw you if you hate them.  Second, the average player uses rogues to the extent of Jan/Imoen/Nalia disarming and detecting traps, MAYBE occasionally pickpocketting a Ring of
Regeneration or some other decent item.  Which is a pity since Rogues are potentially the most versatile and powerful class in the game.

What?  Rogues?  Powerful?  You might never have thought that, especially since Jan and Yoshimo do a damn good job of getting themselves killed in combat.  My goal with this FAQ is to hopefully illuminate the wondrous possibilites of a thief, to clear misconceptions, and to hopefully show some inadequacies of current opinion on the thief.  (Note:  While DSimpson's aforementioned Class
FAQ is a good read, I do have some issues with it.  Nevertheless, if you haven't taken a look at it, I recommend you do; it's a good piece of work.)

By the way, much kudos goes to DSimpson's excellent guides (whom I will occasionally mention), since it really is his work that has inspired me to do this.

Self-plug:  I take pride in the fact that I appear to be one of VERY few people (heck, I haven't seen any other guides...) that have actually taken the time to study how Traps evolve and behave.  If you need some new insight into traps that no one else seems to know, head right on over to section 5!

A word on e-mail:  If you have an issue to discuss, e-mail me with subject heading "THIEF FAQ : " followed by whatever your topic is.
This allows me to parse through my e-mail easier.  The e-mail address is: s__i__m_u_l___c_r__a@uchicago.edu
*WITHOUT THE UNDERSCORES* (the underscores are there to prevent internet parsing software from grabbing my correct e-mail address for spam purposes).  So, the correct e-mail address should read as 8 alphabetical characters followed by "@uchicago.edu".
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2.  Basic Thief Skills/Abilities                                  [200]
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So, in order to start convincing how amazingly powerful the thief is, I'll have to start by taking a look at the thief's abilities, that is, the seven increasable skills that are the hallmark of the thief:

Pick Pockets
Detect Traps
Pick Locks
Move Silently
Hide in Shadows
Detect Illusions
Set Trap

And also Backstab

Pick Pockets - Unfortunately, this skill has been given a bad rap throughout BGII: SA/ToB.  After all, what good is improving this when you can rarely get a good payoff, and when you do, you can always prepare for it by drinking 2-10 Potions of Master Thievery?  While
Pick Pockets should rarely ever be a first priority, this skill is still immensely useful in that Potions of Master Thievery aren't infinite in quantity, and that a high enough Pick Pockets will give you the freedom to steal freely without being item-dependent.  In case you don't think the payoff is worth it (aside from Ribald and some other rare stealing opportunities), try stealing a bit from
Nobles and soldiers of sorts.  Sometimes the individual payoff can