Thief

Thief
Base HP: 6
Weapons: one handed edged weapons, staves, slings, bows.
Armor: no shields, no metal armor.
Special Abilities: Hide, Sneak, Pick Locks, Sneak Attacks.

Thieves on the surface seem a poor choice. They have only average base hit points, they cant wear metal armor. They cant use two-handed weapons or shields. If played properly however they can be equal or more powerful than all the other classes. Hide allows a thief to dissappear and hide from wandering monsters. It is almost impossible for an enemy to spot you. Once you move however, you will be visible. Sneak allows a thief to be hidden from the eyes of enemies. Thier chance is greater than hidden of course, but you can move. Sneaking also gives you the ability of a "Sneak Attack". If you are hidden from an enemy and you attack them, you get a bonus to hit. If a hit is successfull the damage is calculated based on weapon and strength as normal. Critical hits are also calculated. (critical hit means double damage) Then the "Sneak Attack" bonus is applied. That value is based upon your level, but it starts at 2x the damage and ends at 5x the damage! This is a very powerful attack. Thieves are also the only class that can open some doors and chests. If you are the correct level chests and doors will be picked with 100% success. If you try to open a door/chest and it fails, then you are not a high enough level thief yet. Thieves also move slightly faster that the other classes. (i.e. an elven thief is the fastest combination. )