[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]What Is Yours Can Be Mine: A Thief's Handbook
Selling Points: Why You Would Want To Play A Thief
Thieves are reliable – At-will DPR is the bread and butter of a Thief, and they're pretty darn good at it, whether melee or ranged.
Thieves are skilled – With the right choices, a Thief can be the best skill monkey in the game, as well as have amazing stealth abilities.
Thieves are simple – This is not a complex class; because the class features are so focused and there are so few levels to choose from gigantic power lists, the Thief is probably the easiest class to optimize in the game.
This Handbook will use the following system for ratings:
Purple – Situationally useful, but overall pretty meh.
Black – OK. You could do worse than pick this.
Blue – Good stuff. You probably want this.
Sky Blue – Seriously consider taking this option before anything else that isn't sky blue or gold.
Gold – Why haven't you taken this yet? A defining choice for a build, or even the whole class.
This Handbook covers the following sources:
AV – Adventurer's Vault
AV 2 – Adventurer's Vault 2
D XXX – Dragon Magazine, issue XXX
DMA 2009 – Dragon Magazine Annual 2009
DP – Divine Power
DSCS – Dark Sun Campaign Setting
FRPG – Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
HotFK – Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
HotFL – Heroes of the Fallen Lands
MM – Monster Manual
MM 2 – Monster Manual 2
MOTP – Manual of the Planes
MP – Martial Power
MP 2 – Martial Power 2
PHB – Player's Handbook
PHB 2 – Player's Handbook 2
PHB 3 – Player's Handbook 3
PHH 1 – Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 1
PHH 2 – Player's Handbook Heroes: Series 2
PHR: DB – Player's Handbook Races: Dragonborn
PHR: TF – Player's Handbook Races: Tieflings
PrP – Primal Power
PsP – Psionic Power
RB – Red Box
SAC – Seekers of the Ashen Crown Adventure Module
BBEG – Big bad evil guy.
Burst/Nova/Spike Damage – Generally understood to mean the highest amount of damage a character can inflict in the space of a single round. Usually, calculations for this allow 1 round of setup before the actual damage.
CA – Combat advantage.
DPR – Damage per round, which is generally meant to mean the character's expected damage value using At-Will powers against a standard enemy of the same level (eloquently described by Adslahnit as the Official CharOp Inanimate Block of Tofu™).
ED – Epic destiny.
HP – Hit points.
LX – Level X.
MAD – Multiple attribute dependency, which is defined as needing 3 or more ability scores for a given build.
MBA – Melee basic attack.
MC – Multiclass or multiclassing.
NAD – Non-AC defense.
OA – Opportunity attack.
PP – Paragon path.
RBA – Ranged basic attack.
SAD – Single attribute dependency, which is defined as a build that really only needs 1 ability score.
THP – Temporary hit points.
Props to:
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Power Source and Role
Your power source is Martial, and your role is Striker. Translated, that means "aggressive and aggressive."
Burst/Nova/Spike Damage – This is usually defined as the highest amount of damage you can come up with on short notice. You don't have encounter powers (aside from Backstab) or dailies, so you don't have the same potential as others. This changes quite drastically in epic, or even late Paragon for ranged.
Damage Per Round (DPR) – Your at-will DPR is amazing. Thieves charge and charge and charge and it's great. Ranged Thieves are less good at this.
Debilitating Effects – You're not nearly as good as a regular Rogue, but you can hand out a lot of prones, and prone is nice action advantage and penalties. Ranged is less good at this.
Survivability – …Er. Got some bad news here. Your armor proficiencies aren't great, your HP and surges are low, and you're not a Con class. Also you want to be in melee. You've got some utility to help out, and staying at range helps, but this is not your strong point.
Targeting Capacity – Despite the fact that your extra damage feature is conditional to having CA against your opponent and that you're comparatively fragile, the fact of the matter is that CA is not all that hard to get, and some rudimentary tactics will get you where you need to go with all of your limbs still attached. Not your area of expertise, but you are good at it.
Defender – You're incredibly fragile and the entire fluff of your class is based around not atttracting attention. Why would you want to be a defender?
Leader – Out of the box, you got nothin'.
Baseline Mechanics
You're an I-class: barring some riders, you've got exactly one ability score you care about in combat.
Your basic game mechanics are pretty standard-issue, with the notable exception of Weapon Talent: an accuracy bonus makes certain options much more appealing and forms part of the core Thief identity.
Healing Surges – 6 + Con modifier. Standard issue for the role, and you'll be glad to have them.
Defense Bonuses – +2 to Reflex means your strongest defense is very strong, but the other two were kind of left hanging. Ah, well.
Weapons – You get five weapons. It's a really good thing you have ways of dealing with that.
First Strike – Getting a free round of Combat Advantage (since, barring horrible luck, you should be very high up on initiative orders) is never a bad thing.
Sneak Attack – The limitations are, for you, barely limitations, and you not only deal a ton of damage, you can deal it every turn. Amazing.
Weapon Finesse – Improved Melee Training plus a damage bonus on the only weapons you're ever going to use. Also the damage gets better later. Yesplz.
Backstab – It's like Power Strike, but also an accuracy boost and not an attack power. This is very good. You get more uses later on, too.
Level 2
Skill Mastery – Another skill training from a list of awesome and you can critical hit skill checks. I love it.
Thief Weapon Talent – You want more awesome? Here's some free awesome.
Level 4
Cunning Escape – While the bonus is only for one attack and thus doesn't help against enemy multiattackers, it really does help with durability and the shift can help you GTFO when you really need it. I'm a fan.
Level 9
Thief Combat Readiness – You should be pretty amazing at this anyway, but hey, free +2 init.
Level 16
Slip From The Grasp – An awesome escape plan. I love it.
Level 19
Evasive Backstab – Free shift is great, though you certainly have other ways to accomplish this.
Level 22
Invisible Stalker – You have a ton of shifts and powers that want to consume your move actions. It's not horrible or useless, but I'd power-swap this, personally.
Level 23
Elusive Thief – RtB is pretty great, especially since you hate these conditions. COMBOS WITH DISCIPLE OF FREEDOM GUYS
Level 27
Reliable Thief – Sure why not.
Level 29
Epic Skill Mastery – Let me put this in perspective: if you take Jack of all Trades, you will have the equivalent of every skill trained. This is good.
Skills
You get the same skills as the Rogue, which is to say AWESOME: four from a great list plus two set ones that are hella good.
Athletics – Kind of redundant with Acrobatics in some aspects, but it can do things the other can't.
Bluff – The classic con-man skill, any Thief with a positive Charisma modifier should be considering picking it up.
Dungeoneering – In all likelihood, the party radar should have this skill covered. If you're the party radar, grab it.
Insight – No one likes falling for their own tricks; this skill ensures that won't (at least not as often).
Intimidate – This skill is great if you want to have a wide plethora of social skills, plus it can help speed up combat.
Perception – While your Wisdom may or may not be awesome, there really is little reason to skip out on this skill.
Streetwise – While its usefulness does vary by campaign, you likely will be one who will be very good at it, and at the very least it's a good fluff fit.
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Ability Scores
Thanks to Melee Training, you are in the incredibly odd position of being able to make your abilities whatever you want; as your damage bonus is independent of any ability, you'll lose out on 7-8 damage per hit. That's quite a bit, but can be worth it if you have a compelling reason to do so. That said, there generally isn't one.
As a standard Dex-loving Thief, start with Dexterity 20 and make either Charisma or Wisdom as a secondary. If you're melee, you want Strength 13 for multiclassing; ranged wants 13 Wisdom instead. Spare points are for whichever defense your multi doesn't raise.
Races
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Thief Tricks
The Essentials model for Martial Classes is distinctive because of its reliance on the basic attack. To supplement it, you get a choice between a handful of At-Will Stances, each with a different effect. You get to pick two from this list at L1, and another at L4, L7 and L17, so don't sweat it if you didn't have room for a Stance you liked at the beginning of your career: you'll have another go.
Note that these are all move actions. Also note that the rating of most of these goes up slightly if you can regularly get Combat Advantage without having to use a Trick
Acrobat's Trick (HotFL) – Power bonus to damage, and if you're smart, this can be good as at-will flight. I love it. While this might not be your first-level choice, every Thief should have it by 7 at the absolute latest.
Acrobatic Maneuver (RB) – Compared to powers that let you shift, this is just lackluster. It's also useless if Strength isn't your secondary.
Ambush Trick (HotFL) – While there are a ton of ways to get CA, this is a pretty good one since it allows you to hit those that your party can't spare a flanker for. Also, since ranged Thieves don't get flanking, this is amazing for them.
Athletic Advance (RB) – Ignoring difficult terrain is nice, and it's an at-will Athletics boost. Still very Strength-dependant, though.
Escape Artist's Trick (HotFL) – The ability to slip out of total concealment, shoot, and then slip back in cannot be overstated. Neither can charging and then shifting two squares away. This trick is fantastic.
Feinting Trick (HotFL) – I cannot think of a situation in which you wouldn't have CA and couldn't generate it by taking something else.
Nimble Positioning (RB) – Strictly worse than at least two other options.
Sneak's Trick (HotFL) – Hey, you know what's awesome? Being a Cunning Sneak. Now, for the low, low price of one trick, you can be one too! And even better: once you get your Phantom Chausseures or Shadowband, this is permastealth. I would have a hard time not taking this at level 1.
Tactical Trick (HotFL) – After some serious playtesting, I can say that this is now my favorite level 1 Thief trick to take. It not only promotes focus fire, but lets you charge every turn relatively safely. This is really good. Ranged obviously loves it as well.
Thug's Trick (HotFL) – It's not bad–it's an easy way to cause out of turn attacks, for crying out loud–but it's not what you should be doing.
Tumbling Trick (HotFL) – The shift 3 is good; the damage diffusion and secondary stat dependancy isn't. Ranged can't use this.
Unbalancing Trick (HotFL) – This trick's utility entirely depends on whether or not you can consistently get Combat Advantage without using another Trick. If you can, it's great. Ranged can't use this.
Rogue At-Will Powers
While a typical Thief has nothing to do with these powers, a Human member of the class can choose to take one of these instead of the Heroic Effort power. For their benefit, we will mention them and how they apply to a Rogue:
Acrobatic Strike (MP 2) – Light Blade only, but auto-escaping a grab is nice, if situational. Could be worse.
Clever Strike (PHH 2) – You have better ways of getting CA.
Duelist's Flurry (D 381) – I want to like this power… but honestly, you should be able to get your CA anyway. The slide is nice, if outside your focus.
Piercing Strike (PHB) – A good accuracy boost until level 11, when you get Deft Blade and reflexively retrain this.
Riposte Strike (PHB) – Honestly, you're probably better off charging… but if for some reason you're not, this is an interesting idea.
Ranged
Preparatory Shot (MP 2) – You have better ways of getting CA. Ones that don't require secondary investment and have damage rolls.
Melee or Ranged
Deft Strike (PHB) – You honestly have better options for move-attack than this.
Disheartening Strike (MP) – Without Ruthless Ruffian, this doesn't have a lot to recommend it.
Gloaming Cut (MP 2) – Has its uses in some builds. Not too bad.
Palming Strike (D 389) – Not my cup of tea, but situationally useful. Useless if you took Fast Hands, though.
Probing Strike (PHH 1) – Okay, fine you get a freaking attack bonus. So it's not red. But you get so many of those that, well…
Sly Flourish (PHB) – if Cha is your secondary, this is probably your choice.
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Utility Powers
Level 2, Utility
Sneak in the Attack is easily my favorite here, especially if you did the smart thing and grabbed Backstabber.
Agile Footwork (D 381) – If he ends his turn next you, you move away. It won't help you dodge an attack, but out-of-turn repositioning is nice to have, though a bit unreliable.
Arm and Edge (MP 2) – Not a bad choice if you're taking the weapons listed, but really: how often do you find yourself out of range?
Cunning Step (MP 2) – Int is a pretty useless stat for you, but if you're using it anyway, this actually comboes nicely with a few tricks.
Deadly Knowledge (MP 2) – Situational + dump stat = no.
Double Take (MP) – Reroll Perception ain't bad, especially if you've got a Cha mod. There's better, though.
Fleeting Ghost (PHB) – Straight-up worse than Sneak's Trick. (Okay, well, you get to move your full speed, but that's it.) Take that instead.
Great Leap (PHB) – To get over your speed is DC 35, and you have tricks for this kind of thing. Better out of combat, though
Hop Up (MP) – This really doesn't compete with similar options, out of turn or no.
Lurker's Cloak (MP 2) – Decen for turtling, but not my favorite.
Marked Escape (MP) – Strictly worse than False Bravado, and you should have Bluff trained. Even if you don't, Obscured Avoidance is still better.
Master of Deceit (PHB) – Pretty basic. Could do worse, could do better.
Quick Fingers (PHB) – Not sure when Thievery's action expenditure comes up outside of combat, and I'm even less sure of when making a Thievery check in combat will come up at all (barring your DM getting Tomb of Horrors-level trap-happy). Not sold on this one.
Reap the Rattled (MP) – It requires a rattled enemy, only grants CA for two turns, and it's a Daily? Garbage.
Sneak in the Attack (MP) – Handing out your Sneak Attack damage to your flanking partner without having to give it up yourself is a strong benefit to have. The best thing about this power is that it doesn't specify who gets the free Sneak Attack damage, so anyone can come in and deliver. COMBO WITH UNBALANCING TRICK GUYS
Sudden Leap (HotFL) – A minor action move equal to half your speed can help advance your movement pretty nicely.
Switcheroo (MP 2) – While this may not be useful all the time, you can use it all the time, and sometimes you or your ally may need it to get where you need to go. This does get a lot better if your allies take the Agile Opportunist Paragon feat, since switching places counts as a slide.
Tumble (PHB) – Not quite as good for you as a normal Rogue, since you probably have at least one trick that can mostly simulate this. Still nice though.
Level 6, Utility
Find something you like and roll with it. I personally would go for Swift Parry or perhaps Vexing Flanker, and if you're a stealth Thief you probably want Chameleon.
Chameleon (PHB) – I actually really like this, especially as you don't have a lot of use for minor actions. Not so great if you're not stealthing a lot, but I promise it'll come in handy at one point.
Ferret Out Frailty (MP) – You get CA against one enemy for one turn, or 2 turns if he's taking a Rattling penalty. Of course, it's hard for you to get such a thing, so this is generally one turn only. Still, CA is CA.
Fortuitous Dodge (MP) – This power is lolzy as hell, and it actually can have a rather nice effect. Killed by it being a daily.
Hidden Blade (PHH 1) – Sure it's conditional, and it only works for one attack, but CA without being target-specific leaves your options wide open, and that's got to be worth something.
Ignoble Escape (PHB) – Same deal as Tumble. Don't take both.
Mob Mentality (PHB) – A useful trick for skill challenges, especially if you're not the party face.
Nimble Climb (PHB) – You have a trick that does this so very much better.
Perfect Feint (MP 2) – 2 turns of CA against any adjacent enemy. This can come in very handy, as it gives you options as to who you're going to attack.
Sidestep Stance (MP) – +2 to AC against one enemy, and you can keep switching enemies. This can come in handy, though it is a bit limited.
Slip Aside (HotFL) – Given that AC is the most targeted defense, you're bound to get hit sometime, and at that point an ability to take half damage might save your skin.
Slippery Mind (PHB) – +2 to Will isn't all that and a bag of chips, but it's an Encounter power, so it's not all that bad (it IS one of the few defensive Utilities you have…).
Swift Parry (D 381) – CA as an ImmInt? Yesplz.
Threatening Glare (MP) – Cute, but not something you generally want to be doing.
Ugly Finish (MP 2) – It may be a Daily, but a mass -2 to attacks and CA for dropping someone or landing a crit is a good power to have in my book.
Vault Position (MP) – …Huh? +1 to Reflex on a Stance is rather marginal, and an Athletics check is nice, but not as a Daily…
Vexing Flanker (MP) – Insta-flanking for your ally, and for you on your turn. As an ImmInt. I like.
Level 10, Utility
Acrobat's Escape or Counter-Step are clear favorites here; I prefer the latter. That said, a sneaky Thief might also look to Shadow Stride.
Brisk Stride (MP) – +4 speed for one move and 2 turns of no difficult terrain as an Encounter power can come in handy.
Certain Freedom (PHB) – The fact that you really hate this condition is the only thing making this not red.
Close Quarters (PHB) – I don't like that it has a size restraint, is a daily, and draws an OA, but the benefits are nice enough to make it someone's cup of tea.
Combat Tumbleset (MP) – Another good mobility power, moving through enemy spaces while not risking OA's means you can pretty much go wherever you want, which is a good freedom to have.
Counter-Step (HotFL) – This has everything I love in a utility and more. Yesplz.
Dangerous Theft (PHB) – This is not what combat is for.
Daring Gamble (MP 2) – Limited because you likely can't coerce people to attack you and it only lasts a turn, but free CA for the whole encounter is worth finding a way to make trigger while not getting yourself in too much trouble.
Deadly Sacrifice (MP 2) – I see few Thieves as sturdy enough to take a hit for another class (Controllers or badly injured characters for the most part), and while CA and more Sneak Attack damage for the whole encounter is nice, it is a Daily and based of a likely dump-stat, so it has its limitations.
Executioner's Mien (MP) – It's a cute trick, and combos with a few feats you might take for the purpose. I'm a fan.
Gap in the Armor (MP) – I love accuracy buffs, and you don't get a lot of the same ones that other E-classes do.
Nimble Fingers (HotFL) – Now first of all, notice that this is just about straight-up better than Dangerous Theft. It has out-of-combat utility, but frankly, you have better things to take this level.
Peripheral Concealment (MP) – I really doubt this is a problem for you by this level.
Shadow Stride (PHB) – A Fleeting Ghost upgrade. Remember the move restriction, though.
Sneaky Roll (D 375) – I'd like this more if you could use it BEFORE you got hit, but you can't. Still, movement outside your turn that doesn't provoke OA's and disregards enemies being there is not all bad.
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Skill Powers
Skill powers here have been categorized into whether the skill is a class skill for your not. Within these categories, they have been split up into levels. Most of your powers are pretty good, though, so a Skill power will likely have to be real awesome to be a genuine option.
Class Skill Powers
Level 2:
Agile Recovery (PHB 3) – Forever changes standing up to a Minor Action. Pretty cool.
Level 6:
Dodge Step (PHB 3) – The trigger goes off too late to avoid a hit. Unimpressive.
Graceful Maneuver (PHB 3) – You already got this at L2, only twice as good: it's called Tumble.
Perfect Balance (PHB 3) – It provides a small speed advantage while traversing narrow or difficult terrain, and doesn't require checks. Decent.
Tumbling Dodge (PHB 3) – An example of a power that gets better as time goes on. Right now, you're likely getting a +2 bonus to all defenses at best (which is still good), whereas later on you'd be looking at +4 or so. Nice.
Level 10:
Drop and Roll (PHB 3) – How often does this really come up? Not enough to occupy a Utility slot in my experience.
Rapid Escape (PHB 3) – The definitive answer to being grabbed; it allows you to escape as a Minor Action, grants you CA if you do escape, AND it’s an At-Will. It faces stiff competition and grabbing ain’t exactly the most common status effect under sun and moon, but this is awesome when it does come up.
Level 2:
Bounding Leap (PHB 3) – A power that subs your move action for a jump that carries a bonus. Unless you optimize your Athletics check or roll very well, this is only worth it later on in your career when you can reliably clear an Athletics check equal to your speed + 1 (DC 30 for speed 5, DC 35 for speed 6, and a whopping DC 40 for speed 7). At least it’s useful out of combat…
Scrambling Climb (PHB 3) – It's a great movement Utility if you have to climb up stuff a lot. The question is, will you? Not in most campaigns.
Level 6:
Mighty Sprint (PHB 3) – Speed +4 is nice. Ignoring difficult terrain is also nice. An Athletics bonus for whatever stunt you may want to pull off along the way is just gravy. This is a pretty decent pick.
Sudden Leap (PHB 3) – Essentially, this is flanking without provoking OA's, no matter how big your opponent is, once per encounter. It can definitely see use on a Rogue.
Level 10:
Incredible Stride (PHB 3) – Whoa. +4 speed for the encounter is a big buff. A very nice choice.
Level 2:
Battle Feint (PHB 3) – Not the flashiest thing in the world, but CA does have its uses for you.
Serpent's Tongue (D 389) – Getting a bonus after you fail can be of some usage.
False Bravado (PHB 3) – Shedding off a mark just because you want to is a solid benefit to have.
Level 6:
Confusing Blather (PHB 3) – It can potentially allow you and your allies to maneuver and disengage unmolested by your enemies. Nice.
Dirty Tricks (PHB 3) – This just seems like a lesser version of Confusing Blather to me, so just take that instead.
Fast Talk (PHB 3) – Saving you from yourself. Could be useful for those times you roll a 3 or less on a Diplomacy check, assuming you bother to train it.
Level 10:
Improvisational Arcana (PHB 3) – If you were to choose to use rituals, this has the handy effect of making sure you don't suck at them. Solid enough.
Stall Tactics (PHB 3) – It might as well say, "Once per day, your party wins initiative, no questions asked." This can set up some devastating tactical advantages for you and your allies.
Level 2:
Deep Shadows (PHB 3) – Your Dungeoneering should never trump your Stealth. Ever.
Otherworldly Lore (PHB 3) – Though conditional (not only do you have to encounter an aberrant creature, you have to nail the check), it DOES hand out +4 to hit essentially for free…
Level 6:
Eyes of the Deep Delver (PHB 3) – Blindsight for a turn, just because you can. Usually, one turn is all you need.
Stonecunning (PHB 3) – There is no reason your Dungeoneering should beat your Perception by enough of a margin as to justify taking this power.
Level 10:
Trap Sense (PHB 3) – A sweet trap-redirection ability, it’s rather conditional, which is what holds it back against pretty stiff competition.
Level 2:
Anticipate Maneuver (PHB 3) – Creating CA for yourself is something that's nice to have, at the very least.
Level 6:
Empathic Read (PHB 3) – Saving your allies from themselves is nice, but some of you will likely be the party face, which means that you'd much rather have someone use this to your benefit.
Insightful Counter (PHB 3) – A very nice way to negate disadvantages from running into a tight spot.
Prescient Maneuver (PHB 3) – This doesn't seem like your thing at first glance, but there are characters that can wring some use out of it.
Level 10:
Insightful Comment (PHB 3) – A very nice out-of-combat power, especially because it also affects you. Can effectively put a non-combat encounter on Easy Mode.
Prescient Defense (PHB 3) – A solid defensive bonus for you when you are attacked, which helps keep you around dangerous siuations.
Level 2:
Ominous Threat (PHB 3) – Freeing an ally from a mark while slapping on one of your own is a bit too risky for my taste.
Level 6:
Demoralize Foe (PHB 3) – A free debuff when you hit is always nice for keeping your allies up on their feet.
Everybody Move (PHB 3) – A mass push 1. It can be useful for rearranging the battlefield or allowing allies to escape situations they really don't want to be in.
Try the Stick (PHB 3) – Subbing Intimidate for Diplomacy every now and again can have some use on certain flavors of Rogue.
Level 10:
Snap Out of It (PHB 3) – Absolute flavor gold, and it can help you support your Leader on the saving throw department, which can be very important, especially at higher levels.
Level 2:
Far Sight (PHB 3) – A nice way to pick your target without worry about what's around him.
Level 6:
Guided Shot (PHB 3) – Given that Reflex is usually a whole lot worse than AC, this can turn a few misses into hits for your allies, which can help you provide some support.
Trapfinding (PHB 3) – Understandably, this can help you in certain situations.
Warning of Peril (PHB 3) – Your Passive Perception covers a huge area. Can work better for you if your Passive Perception is a strong suit.
Level 10:
Focused Sight (PHB 3) – Far Sight's big brother. A solid choice if obstacles consistently give you the blues.
Perfect Sight (PHB 3) – Should you need to see an elusive enemy for a turn, this will help you get him in your sights.
Spot Weakness (PHB 3) – A hefty damage buff for your next attack. Pretty respectable.
Uncanny Instincts (PHB 3) – While it sounds nice at first glance, your Perception shouldn't be beating your initiative.
Level 2:
Obscured Avoidance (PHB 3) – You get At-Will mark avoidance, sans the conditional requirement, later, so this has less luster for you than for most others.
Level 6:
Concealed Shift (PHB 3) – Shift you when you’re missed if you have cover/concealment. Meh.
Shrouding Gloom (PHB 3) – A bit of action economy for your Stealth checks. Can be useful if you're scurrying from cover to cover or need a do-over on your last Stealth check.
Level 10:
Crowd Cover (PHB 3) – A pretty cool way to mess with enemy Ranged combatants, but it has its limitations (only works against ranged attacks, cover only provides +2 to all defenses). That said, it can be pretty cool if it does work.
Persistent Tail (PHB 3) – A decent power to keep yourself out of sight. Great out-of-combat utility for this one.
Level 2:
City Rat (PHB 3) – Your Streetwise shouldn't be beating your Stealth.
Nose for Trouble (PHB 3) – Your initiative check will rarely lose to your Streetwise check.
Level 6:
City Dweller (PHB 3) – Once per day is too steep a limitation for this level of power.
Slow Pursuit (PHB 3) – Rather conditional, but creating difficult terrain can help defend allies you're not standing in front of.
Level 10:
Navigate Crowds (PHB 3) – Functionally, this is a clone of Combat Tumbleset, and thus will be rated identically.
Level 2:
Fast Hands (PHB 3) – A miniature Quick-Draw Trick for anyone who’ll train in the skill. Could be useful.
Lock Tap (PHB 3) – Action economy on Thievery checks can be useful in certain situations, but I don't think those situations are all that common outside of combat, and you shouldn't be popping locks open in most fights anyway.
Quick Palm (PHB 3) – Again, action economy on a Thievery check, but for something you're more likely to need to do fast.
Level 6:
Hasty Retreat (PHB 3) – A decent emergency shift away, it could get you out of the range of a few traps' triggers, especially ones like poison needles in doorknobs and the like.
Quick Switch (PHB 3) – Though the effect doesn't cover all that much space, it could help you introduce your enemy to your Defender without an OA for either of you, which is nice.
Stolen Defense (PHB 3) – This is Anticipate Maneuver… Leader edition. You could just flank, you know.
Level 10:
Disruptive Stunt (PHB 3) – An attack debuff as part of an opportunity-free move action through an adjacent enemy's space. The movement likely won't be all that earthshaking, but a repositioning power with a free debuff can be decent.
Recommended Non-Class Skill Powers:
This category is kept from getting too out of hand by only talking about skill powers when it's already recommended that you pick the skill up.
Level 2:
Master Diplomat (D 389) – Rerolling Diplomacy checks ftw.
Soothing Words (PHB 3) – Essentially, you get a little extra bang for your buck on your healing surges while you rest. More on the Leader side than what you typically go for, and its benefits are not that great, anyway.
Level 6:
Haggle (PHB 3) – Redundant with Master Diplomat.
Stirring Speech (PHB 3) – Again, more on the Leader side of the spectrum than what you're typically comfortable with.
Level 10:
Befriend (PHB 3) – In skill challenges, this is a hefty boost to have. Otherwise, it's a bit marginal, but I like it as an aid for non-Charisma Rogues to be the party "face".
Cry for Mercy (PHB 3) – A very nice Leader-y power. +4 to all defenses and no OA's on movement for a Bloodied ally every encounter can be effective.
Noble Sacrifice (PHB 3) – While the spirit of helping others is nice to have, you're not as capable of taking prolonged punishment as some members of your party are, so this is a gamble I'd rather not take.
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Equipment
This is a bit out of order for a normal class handbook, but before I talk about feats and PPs I have to talk about weapons. There are exactly three weapons an optimal Thief will ever use: rapier, dagger, or hand crossbow. Which you use will determine your entire build, from Paragon Path down to the vast majority of your feats.
Why is this? Because, frankly, a Thief's class features make certain weapons miles better for them, to the point where nothing else can at all compete. Compounding that with the fact that certain weapons are just better at certain things than others — the big offender here is hand crossbows versus shortbows, for example — the choices are down to three.
If you are a melee Thief, you are using a rapier. No ifs, ands, or buts; it's flat-out better than anything for you. You'll take the Gritty Sergeant background to get it. If you're ranged, you either pick dagger or hand crossbow: the former has a slight edge in Heroic and a larger one in Paragon, but is blown out of the water by the latter in Epic. Anything else is, in general, almost strictly suboptimal, if that.
Armor
Cloth – No reason to wear this.
Leather – The best armor you're proficient with out of the gate, and likely the one most of you will stick around in. It offers a decent bit of extra AC with no penalty to skills, which is always nice.
Hide – While it is better AC than Leather, it costs a feat (along with attribute placements), and the skill penalty kind of stings, too. The feat cost really, really stings, as defenses are really not what a Thief wants to be concentrating on; that said, melee already wants Str 13 for their Fighter multiclass.
Chainmail – Costs feats, reduces speed and skills, and offers lower AC than light armor. No.
Scale – Even more expensive (and unnecessary) than chain.
Plate – The most egregious alternative considering the cost and the lack of benefits accrued.
Shields – You're not proficient with them out of the box (so they cost feats), they pigeonhole some stat points, but they're a quick and easy way to get a good AC and Reflex bonus. The feat cost is, to me, the dealbreaker. Not completely awful, but not your priority — and feat space is limited.
Magic Items
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Feats
Thief is, in essence, a "solved" class: there are so few actual choices to make with it in terms of construction that pretty much every choice is clearly ranked in terms of how good it is. To that end, pretty much every feat for any kind of Thief is "set:" you can take something else, but you'll almost definitely end up worse at what you do.
There are exceptions to this, but not many, and they're mostly non-mechanical. So yeah, go ahead and take something else if you think it's cool, but in terms of optimization there are really only about four feat progressions you want to use. They're found in "Sample Builds," two posts below.
Because of that, and because of the sheer number of feats in this game, I'm not going to list all of the various feats you could take like most of the other handbooks. The priorities for a Thief are, however, listed below.
Accuracy: Reliable DPR comes first and foremost from the ability to deliver the damage your hits will deal. You do want to strike a bit more of a balance than, say, a controller, but this is still paramount for you.
At-Will Damage: Static damage mods, or things that make your bread-and-butter attacks better. After all, if you hit all the time but don't deal damage, what's the point?
Defenses: You're fragile enough that this takes the edge over bursts; that said, a few feats and you'll be fine. I'm including things like Disciple of Freedom and/or Superior Will in this category.
Burst Damage: Unlike many strikers, this isn't that huge of a priority for you. Thieves are good at consistent, always-on damage, and this isn't a huge thing for them.
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Paragon Paths/Multiclassing
So Kulkor got nerfed. Ow.
Fortunately, there are a number of good PPs out there left to take. KAM just isn't worth the investment any more, so the field's a little more open than it once was. With that said, though, the vast majority of Rogue PPs are just not that good for you–so your multiclass feat will probably depend on your PP choice.
Contract Killer: Everything you like to do. works for both ranged and melee. Not legal in LFR.
Daring Acrobat: The daily's great and the ability to take actions after charging is fantastic. Too bad everything else is so worthless.
Daring Slinger: You just had to ignore my advice about ranged weapons, didn't you? If you're really going to insist on slings, this is actually a pretty neat option that stays competitive all through paragon. Unfortunately, because there's no feat to make sling RBAs target Reflex, I can't really recommend this path. Oh, and use dejadas.
Darkstrider: Wis+3 extra damage on all attacks while hidden is hard to pass up, but that's about the only feature that really stands out.
Dread Fang: Kind of like a less good Cloaked Sniper. Good Drow flavor, though.
Jack-of-all-Trades: You're already one of the most skill-versatile classes in the game; this just brings that even further. It's also packing an amazing daily.
Kensai: +1 to hit and +5 damage. Love it.
Master Thief: The utter awesomeness of not losing Steath when attacking cannot be overstated, though everything else besides the U12 is pretty lackluster.
Mithral Arm: …Why is this on here? Because almost every Thief trick talks about moving your speed, and this gives you Teleport 2. Consider being an undead Dragonborn for this purpose.
Moonstalker: There is a lot–a lot–to like here. The powers are relevant (though the E11 suffers from the annoying 2/4/6 scaling) and thanks to Unbalancing Trick, you can pretty much guarantee that extra 1d6+Wis. It would be sky blue if not for some very harsh competition.
Nocturnal: A pretty neat alternative to some of the more traditional melee picks, this class gives you a bunch of nice charge-related features. It's only blue because some of the base features are kind of situational, but not a terrible grab. Your recommended multiclass for this is Barbarian.
Ocular Adept: If you don't mind being a member of one of the silliest PPs in the game, you can seriously spike your damage output here. Ranged only, but awesome for them.
Paragon Multiclass (Ranger): So in general, this is a terrible idea… except for one extremely broken trick. Because PMCing just has you swap an at-will for an at-will and not a level 1 at-will for a level 1 at-will, you can switch a trick for Dual Weapon Attack. Which is just absurdly good for you. Many expect that this will be errata'd soon, though, and it obviously doesn't work at all for ranged attacks.
Shock Trooper: Almost everything about this class is amazing for you; heck, even the Strength-based daily is made up for a little by having a really absurd to-hit bonus to begin with. You'll also end up being tougher than a normal melee Thief, as you can skip getting Rapiers with a background and just use a shortsword.
Traveler's Harlequin: It's a neat way to get Shadow Walk–which would matter a lot more if there weren't a paragon boot item that did the same thing. There's nothing bad here; it's just that a lot of other paths give you a lot more.
Thuranni Shadow Killer: A classic, though not legal in LFR. This does just about everything a melee Thief wants, and a lot that a ranged one wants as well.
Winter Fury: Not so good against more than one monster, but using Winter Fury's Rage with Escape Artist's trick can be hilarious. You also get frostcheese capability without the associated weapon.
Epic Destinies
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[quote="tsuyoshikentsu"]Sample Builds
Below are a few sample Thief builds.
Super Trooper, level 30
Half-Orc, Thief, Shock Trooper, Destined Scion
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Dexterity)
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Strength)
Background: Born Under a Bad Sign (Born Under a Bad Sign Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 24, Con 12, Dex 30, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 13.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 10, Dex 18, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 11.
AC: 45 Fort: 42 Reflex: 46 Will: 41
HP: 187 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 46
TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +33, Thievery +33, Bluff +24, Insight +27, Acrobatics +34, Athletics +30, Dungeoneering +25, Streetwise +24
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +18, Diplomacy +19, Endurance +21, Heal +20, History +18, Intimidate +21, Nature +20, Perception +22, Religion +18
FEATS
Level 1: Light Blade Expertise
Level 2: Backstabber
Level 4: Surprising Charge
Level 6: Silvery Glow
Level 8: Battle Awareness
Level 10: Wintertouched
Level 11: Deft Blade
Level 12: Slaying Action
Level 14: Icy Heart
Level 16: Improved Defenses
Level 18: Scoundrel Training
Level 20: Nimble Blade
Level 21: Light Blade Mastery
Level 22: Epic Will
Level 24: Martial Mastery
Level 26: Superior Will
Level 28: Disciple of Freedom
Level 30: Mobile Warrior
POWERS
Scoundrel Training: Low Slash
Thief utility 1: Tactical Trick
Thief utility 1: Acrobat's Trick
Thief utility 2: Sneak in the Attack
Thief utility 4: Unbalancing Trick
Thief utility 6: Chameleon
Thief utility 7: Escape Artist's Trick
Thief utility 10: Counter-Step
Thief utility 17: Tumbling Trick
ITEMS
Badge of the Berserker +6, Horned Helm (epic tier), Bracers of Mighty Striking (epic tier), Gloves of Ice (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Diamond Cincture (heroic tier), Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold (epic tier), Ring of Free Time (epic tier), Feytouched Starleather Armor +6, Frost Short sword +6, Wraithblade Dagger +6
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Ken Doll, level 30
Human, Thief, Kensei, Destined Scion
Kensei Focus: Kensei Focus Rapier
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Dexterity)
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Strength)
Human Power Selection: Heroic Effort
Gritty Sergeant Benefit: Weapon Proficiency (Rapier)
Background: Gritty Sergeant (Gritty Sergeant Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 17, Con 12, Dex 30, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 13.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 13, Con 10, Dex 18, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11.
AC: 45 Fort: 43 Reflex: 47 Will: 41
HP: 169 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 42
TRAINED SKILLS
Perception +28, Stealth +33, Thievery +33, Bluff +24, Insight +28, Acrobatics +34, Athletics +26, Dungeoneering +28, Streetwise +24
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +18, Diplomacy +19, Endurance +19, Heal +23, History +18, Intimidate +19, Nature +23, Religion +18
FEATS
Human: Light Blade Expertise
Level 1: Backstabber
Level 2: Surprising Charge
Level 4: Silvery Glow (retrained to Lasting Frost at Level 11)
Level 6: Slaying Action
Level 8: Battle Awareness
Level 10: Wintertouched
Level 11: Deft Blade
Level 12: Reserve Maneuver
Level 14: Icy Heart
Level 16: Improved Defenses
Level 18: Superior Will
Level 20: Nimble Blade
Level 21: Light Blade Mastery
Level 22: Epic Fortitude
Level 24: Disciple of Freedom
Level 26: Martial Mastery
Level 28: Scoundrel Training
Level 30: Mobile Warrior
POWERS
Reserve Maneuver: Snap Shot
Scoundrel Training: Tumbling Strike
Thief utility 1: Tactical Trick
Thief utility 1: Acrobat's Trick
Thief utility 2: Sneak in the Attack
Thief utility 4: Unbalancing Trick
Thief utility 6: Chameleon
Thief utility 7: Escape Artist's Trick
Thief utility 10: Counter-Step
Thief utility 17: Tumbling Trick
ITEMS
Badge of the Berserker +6, Horned Helm (epic tier), Bracers of Mighty Striking (epic tier), Gloves of Ice (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Diamond Cincture (heroic tier), Siberys Shard of Merciless Cold (epic tier), Ring of Free Time (epic tier), Feytouched Starleather Armor +6, Frost Rapier +6, Wraithblade Dagger +6
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Knives Rodriguez, level 30
Drow, Thief, Dread Fang, Destined Scion
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Dexterity)
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Wisdom)
Background: Born Under a Bad Sign (Born Under a Bad Sign Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 14, Dex 30, Int 10, Wis 24, Cha 14.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 12, Dex 18, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 12.
AC: 46 Fort: 41 Reflex: 47 Will: 42
HP: 187 Surges: 8 Surge Value: 46
TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +35, Thievery +33, Perception +30, Athletics +24, Insight +30, Acrobatics +34, Bluff +25, Nature +30
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +18, Diplomacy +20, Dungeoneering +25, Endurance +20, Heal +25, History +18, Intimidate +22, Religion +18, Streetwise +20
FEATS
Level 1: Light Blade Expertise
Level 2: Nimble Blade (retrained to Wintertouched at Level 12)
Level 4: Backstabber
Level 6: Improved Defenses
Level 8: Superior Will (retrained to Primal Eye at Level 11)
Level 10: Primal Sharpshooter
Level 11: Deft Blade
Level 12: Lasting Frost
Level 14: Silvery Glow
Level 16: Reserve Maneuver
Level 18: Slaying Action
Level 20: Nimble Blade
Level 21: Martial Mastery
Level 22: Knife in the Dark
Level 24: Epic Fortitude
Level 26: Superior Will
Level 28: Disciple of Freedom
Level 30: Superior Initiative
POWERS
Lolthtouched: Cloud of Darkness
Primal Sharpshooter: Grappling Spirits
Reserve Maneuver: Snap Shot
Thief utility 1: Acrobat's Trick
Thief utility 1: Tactical Trick
Thief utility 2: Fleeting Ghost
Thief utility 4: Ambush Trick
Thief utility 6: Chameleon
Thief utility 7: Escape Artist's Trick
Thief utility 10: Counter-Step
Thief utility 16: Slip from the Grasp
Thief utility 17: Athletic Advance
Thief utility 22: Invisible Stalker
ITEMS
Cloak of Distortion +6, Eagle Eye Goggles (epic tier), Gloves of Ice (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Diamond Cincture (heroic tier), Feytouched Starleather Armor +6, Frost Dagger +6, Rhythm Blade Dagger +1
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Bond, level 30
Drow, Thief, Cloaked Sniper, Destined Scion
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Dexterity)
Epic Heroism: Epic Heroism (Wisdom)
Background: Born Under a Bad Sign (Born Under a Bad Sign Benefit)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 12, Con 16, Dex 30, Int 10, Wis 23, Cha 12.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 10, Con 14, Dex 18, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10.
AC: 46 Fort: 42 Reflex: 47 Will: 41
HP: 187 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 46
TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +35, Thievery +33, Bluff +24, Insight +29, Acrobatics +34, Athletics +24, Dungeoneering +29, Nature +29
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana +18, Diplomacy +19, Endurance +21, Heal +24, History +18, Intimidate +21, Perception +24, Religion +18, Streetwise +19
FEATS
Level 1: Crossbow Expertise
Level 2: Backstabber
Level 4: Ruthless Hunter
Level 6: Two-Fisted Shooter
Level 8: Weapon Focus (Crossbow) (retrained to Lasting Frost at Level 11)
Level 10: Primal Sharpshooter
Level 11: Primal Eye
Level 12: Wintertouched
Level 14: Silvery Glow
Level 16: Improved Defenses
Level 18: Steady Shooter
Level 20: Slaying Action
Level 21: Deft Aim
Level 22: Bow Mastery
Level 24: Martial Mastery
Level 26: Knife in the Dark
Level 28: Epic Fortitude
Level 30: Superior Will
POWERS
Lolthtouched: Cloud of Darkness
Primal Sharpshooter: Grappling Spirits
Thief utility 1: Acrobat's Trick
Thief utility 1: Tactical Trick
Thief utility 2: Fleeting Ghost
Thief utility 4: Ambush Trick
Thief utility 6: Chameleon
Thief utility 7: Escape Artist's Trick
Thief utility 10: Counter-Step
Thief utility 16: Slip from the Grasp
Thief utility 17: Athletic Advance
Thief utility 22: Invisible Stalker
ITEMS
Feytouched Starleather Armor +6, Cloak of Distortion +6, Eagle Eye Goggles (epic tier), Bracers of Archery (epic tier), Frost Hand Crossbow +6, Frost Hand Crossbow +6, Gloves of Ice (paragon tier), Acrobat Boots (heroic tier), Diamond Cincture (heroic tier)
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