Help needed on Thief build

Well after a long time of not playing Arcanum, I have decided to finally finish it.

I am starting over and planning on creating a thief and am in need of a few answers.

First of all, from reading from the forum posts, I am convinced that I do and do not want to play a thief, but how effective is prowling? I do know I do not want to be a gunslinger and pick off enemies in the shadows without them even moving, so basically I would use backstab. The problem is that from what I have read many have said if prowling is to be used it is better to be soloing.

Now basically I want to know if it is possible to progress through the game realatively easily soloing with masteries finally being reached in backstab, lockpicks,melee and expert in pickpocketing or would a party be needed in which case I would have to tell the members to wait while I do thieving deeds and if it is really that much trouble telling them to wait every time you need to do something?

Prowling master in the manual states that one can conceal himself during combat. Does this also apply if you have party members already in the fight helping you?

Finally if this character is not really viable what would be a good alternative keeping in mind the character I want some of the thieving abilites. (Again not the cheap prowling gunslinger type)

Maybe an elf with Unlocking cantrip? What other skills would complement this char?

Thx

 

Unlocking Cantrip is terribly noisy. You must place yourself the farest from the place you want to unlock because the noise comes from you and you don't want to be discovered!

Playing solo as a thief could be unhealthy. But if you have expert status in at least melee or firearms you will survive.

Prowling is really useful, and you can't use picklock without using prowling, or you'll always be discovered! At a fight with Master in prowling you can excape from a fight, but if you have followers only you will escape and stop being attacked, not them.

Backstab is an excellent skill to have, mostly if you become expert in it. You can do around 22 damage with 8 strength and a dagger as your weapon (but you must attack enemies from behind! ).

I hope that answers some of yer questions.

 

Thief, DX & PE. Backstab must be paired with mele, or you gut yourself with great regularity. My first backstab atempt killed himself 6 or 8 times at the crash site.

You can do over 70 dammage with a Mechanical Dagger, & for the mage thief, the Arcane Dagger has been reported to do 120.

Go with lockpicking, you will not be using Harm, or other spells that require a high MA. Go for Invisibility. AoF is a big help, as is the Helm of Yacazar's Cost.

 

Thank you for the help, a few things are much clearer now :grin:

One last thing, is it better to go the non-tech/non-magic route, with picklocks being the only tech inclined skill, using a halfling for example,
getting backstab, pickpockets, picklocks, melee, dodge and maybe spot traps if points are to spare later?

or an elf specializing in thieving skills and magic / dwarf specializing in tech and thieving ?

And if the elf (using magic as well) is reasonably possible what spells would complement the theiving skills well?

Thx again

 

Why not try them all? A dwarf tech thief - gunslinger with spot & disarm traps. A halfling, try Raised by Orcs, as skills based (give him a few utility spells & you can keep him neutral). An Elf with Invisibility & UC. All with prowl.

 

I have played a gunslinger with pickpocket but that was about as close as I have come to playing a thieving char

So I think I will take your advice and play halfling with raised by orcs and balance out his tech with a few spells to keep him neutral.

Disarm and Agility of Fire sound good? Not to sure how many more will be needed to balance out.

 

I always use those two + Purity of Water & Shield of Protection. Neutral is cool, Charged Rings + AoF, & don't forget the small Robe of the Chameleon.When your prowl & lockpick is good enough, try the chests in the guardhouse in Dernholm.

Prowling folowers; Volinger, Sebastian, Tollo Underhill. But Tollo is a bit redundant for a thief PC. Dog doesn't even try.

 

Well thank you both for helping out.

I have one last question though (hope it is the last )

Raised by Orcs = +2 strength, +2 perception, +1 to all combat skills, -6 charisma, If I can remember correctly.

Now getting raised by orcs, will It still be possible to have Tollo, Volinger and Sebastian join your party even though your charisma will be terribly low? (and having such a low charisma won't some things be much harder to accomplish?)

 

Well... I suppose not.
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Remember if you're tech to research in Mechanical... for the trap springer, the Auto Skeleton key, maybe the Eye gear for increasing PE for prowling and Spot Traps. Also if you research the first two of Electrical you can have the Flow Specktrometer that when you have it in your shield hand you'll have like full-spot traps and won't need to spend points in it.

 

Hehe, you two

Making this terribly hard for me

*One guy says neutral rocks then the other guy reminds me of the great tech side with all its items*

I can see why many have replayed the game many times. So much variety.

Well I think to make this easy on myself I will flip a coin for my thiefs stats

Thx again to both of you, a great help both of you have been.

 

There are 2 - 5 free points in CH available in the early game (depends on MA). It is relitivly easy for a PC to get to CH 9 & persuasion Expert, follower limit 3.

BTW, everything rocks in this game. I keep 12 - 18 games active at once. I just can't seem to find only one way to get through it.

If you can wait that long, Sebastian makes Charged Rings & Flow Spectrometers.