Message 1251 : There are some things that thieves need to know. (Oasis)
Written on Thu Feb 19 10:20:04 2004


There are some things that thieves need to know.

First I find that some things are better to practice then others, so
I will give you some tips.  First if you want a backstabbing scout thief,
Which I am.  Then you need to practice several things to be effective.

I find with the new move system implemented in 2004 that you need
A Farley high strength and for a thief you need high dexterity
And perception as well.

Stats that I have found that work well for me are --

Str:16 Int:12 Wis:9 Dex:20 Con:14 Wil:12 Per:18
But feel free to experiment you might want less strenght and more con or such.


Some practices that I think that are important to a thief are --

Piercing: This gives that ability to use a piercing weapon with most
Effectiveness. I would practice this skill to its maximum to insure the
Most damage caused.

Attack: This is also I think a must have because it gives you an
Extra attack almost every turn.  So you can give them two hard hits
Before they even know what hit them. I would also max this skill.

Backstab: The most essential skill of a thief.  This skill allows you to place
Your dagger in the back of your victim causing massive damage.
You can not max this skill until level 16, I think, so what I would do
Is get to level 13 or 14 and stop practicing.  Save all of your practices until
Level 16 then go to the Tharbad sewers and max everything, except maybe
Envenom because that is maxed somewhere else. (Note: I say don't practice
Backstab until level 16 because it's hard to use and your seen a lot when its
Maxed so if you max it then use it then it works wonders).

Missile: This is also a very good skill to have in your early levels because
You can attack fast and hard.  So it might be a good idea to max it in your
Early levels then train off a few practices when you max backstab

Because you will spend most of your time killing in two hits at least
But it's good to finish off the enemy.

Awareness: Is also a must because it allows you to see the names of creatures
Or enemies in pitch black dark so instead of seeing- something is here
Or someone is here you see a stag is here or a*an Orc* is here.  Also
It allows you to find hidden creatures or enemies easier and it also
Helps save you from an enemy backstab.  This skill dose not need
To be maxed, but practiced to at least 95% in order to see the creatures
In the dark.


Sneak: This skill allows you to sneak up on your victim or just sneak past
Without being noticed.  And a very powerful skill and with no doubt
This skill should be maxed.


Hide: This is a handy little skill it allows you to hide in a room and not be
Seen easily, it works for when you know there is a bunch of orcs at the south
Gate of Bree, so you hide thoroughly there and wait for an ambush
I would also max this skill.


Dodge: is also a good skill to have because it allows you to dodge enemies
Attacks, also unlike parry it's not split between how many enemies
You are fighting.  I would max this skill also.


First aid: I think that this is a useful skill cause being a thief you really
Are not smart enough to learn anything like cure critical to fix your wounds.
So in order to stop you self from bleeding you need to cover your wounds.
Only 6-8 practices should do fine.


Ride: this skill is controversial, some say that for a thief it doesn't need to
Be practiced because a thief can not sneak while riding, but with the
New move system I thing that it dose need to be practiced.  Just a bit
To get from place to place, but only 5-6 practices are needed.


Track: Track is a very good skill to learn but it dose not need to be
Practiced when you are a low level.  The only time that it really needs
To be practiced is when you are going to start really getting involved in
The race war with the dark side.  Which usually is not attempted until about
Level 25 or so.  So it's not needed to be practiced early but when and if
You do practice I would practice it to about 100 % or max if you must.


Wilderness: This is a good skill to have because it decreases your need for
Food and water and it help's you see the world around you so you can move
Easier (well I think it dose, but the food and water for sure.)  So I would
Max this skill or at least almost max it.


Pick: is useful for all classes and races of arda and should be practiced.
change wimpy 50 % is good but if you have spare practices it doesn't hurt to
Practice it more.


Search: is a good skill but not necessary it allows you to find hidden objects
Things and enemies faster its useful but not needed to be maxed.


Steal: This command is useless!!! I think steal has been changed so much
That with my 20 dex and my 18 per I could not steal a magic mushroom
From a horse.  So I would not waste your practices on this skill at all.
Maybe just one practice so you can see the inventory or other players.


Envenom: is useful if you can find the right ingredients.  Because with
The right mixtures you can make your enemies sleep while you
Place your dagger in there back or make them lose moves extremely
Fast so you can run them down.


Cure light: this is a good skill but being a thief you don't have much mana so
I practiced it six times but more couldn't hurt but more is not needed.

Create food: I hate looking for food and asking for it so I practiced
This skill eight times.  It also cuts down on the weight you have to carry.

Create water: I also hate being thirsty so I also practiced this eight times.

Climb: this is an ok skill allows you climb up or down without hurting you're
Self I practice it two times and it seems to work well.

Swim: some leaders like to swim a lot so if you need it practice it a lot.
If not I find that two or three practices work well.

Create light: lots of people don't like this spell and say it's useless.
Sometimes there right for example if you have a ruby this spell is
Useless but if you don't have a ruby it cuts the weight of carrying flasks.
So I find it useful but the only problem is it needs a few practices to be
Useful so if you have spare practices and don't have a ruby
I say it's worth it.



SOME TIPS FOR PLAYING THIEVES


To get started in some tips under the create food I said I hate looking
For food. The good thing about some piecing weapons
(Example ekets and daggers and such but not thorns or fangs) is that
They can act as butcher knifes or hunting knifes so you
Don't have to carry any extra knifes.

Thieves are extremely fun to play because you are the stalkers
Of the shadows.  Unlike our friends the warriors who are stupid and dumb
(No offence) who just stand there and take blow after blow.  Our way of
Fighting might seem like being a coward.  Hitting and running but there
Is a lot more skill involved.


For an effective thief fighting against the dark forces most of the time you
Need to catch your enemies off guard and hit them where it hurts the most.
Its not all just stab flee, stab flee, stab flee, ECT. ECT. when you get really
Down to playing and having fun it's just like stalking you're pray.  First you
Pick your victim and get as close as you can.  Then as they are completely
Unaware of your presence right next to them you attack with
A vicious thrust leaving your opponent staggering, and wondering
What happened.  Another example is when there is a raid going on
And orcs are invading bree, what you do is set a trap,
Hiding just south of the gate where they meet before they
Barge in killing all in there path.  You know that there coming and where they
Will be but they don't know one thing where you are, so you sit and wait.
And when they come you don't dally you attack and you attack hard and catch
Them off guard when there not expecting it.  The only problem is when your
Enemy is either a very strong warrior (or high level) you most likely will not
Succeed in killing them with one blow of your dagger but chances are that you
Will leave them in a pretty pickle, and in good shape for your fellow defenders
Of the stronghold to slay them and place them in the soil where they belong.
There is a down fall to being a thief and that is the flush command.
If you have a strong Opponent and you don't succeed in your first attack
To leave them at your mercy.  They may either try two things fight back,
Or run like mad.  If they choose to fight back they some times have the
Advantage because of the flush command.
When you sneak into the room where the enemy is and try to attack they can
Flush you hitting you, if they find you, so your attack is ruined and your
Surprise attack is gone.  Where you can flee and try again or try to out attack
And win with strategic battle moves.  But if they run and run fast you might
Want to turn sneak off because sneak uses your moves pretty fast
Especially if you track and sneak at the same time but if your enemy
Dose not know exactly what he is doing he just might run to fast and exhausts
Himself out down the road where he is at your mercy.  Because he can't
Move very far.  Another way to run down your opponent is to envenom your
Blade with a highly potent poison. After doing so, a nice little cut on your
Opponent will render them at your total mercy.


SOME ADVICE FOR RUNNING FROM THE FORCES OF THE DARK LORD.


If you are wandering around looking for some mobs to kill you might just be
At an advantage because if your sneaking when you pass the dark forces,
(That seem to hard for you to take on by your self) on a Road or in a
Forest its likely that they did not see you the first time so you
Can slowly follow them and alert your fellow darkie hunters to where they are.
And slay the evil beasts.  But if they did see you don't panic just make sure
You are sneaking and move slowly because if you spam around to much you just
Might be doing your self great harm, because if you run out of moves your last
Line of defense is hiding but not just hiding, because you may be found really
Fast if you hide wrong.  Because if you run in a straight line and hide at
The end you are lost right there because the enemy will follow you to the
End or your tracks then he will have no where else to go because you went
Nowhere else.  You need to run away and make some circles and hide in the
Middle of your circles making a loop track.  But you cant hide in this trap
Forever unless your enemy is quite dense thinking you disappeared into thin
Air. This is merely a way of gaining quick moves while the enemy wastes moves
Looking for you so when you have more moves or the enemy finds you just.
Continue to run slowly away so don't panic and slowly move away.

The key to a defensive thief is --
Sneak, and don't panic.
Because if you panic you've lost


Well that's about it my fellow thieves so good luck and safe journeys

P.S.
This was my personal views on the skills and playing of thieves
So fell free to tweak them A bit to ensure your maximum playing skill

---- Oasis Unknown ----