Thief

The Thief (Japanese とうぞく, touzoku) is one of the character classes available to players in the Wizardry series of games. Thieves are sub-par warriors in comparison to the Fighter and other similar classes, but better than the Mage; instead, they are required to clear some of the game's hazards, most notably clearing traps and unlocking chests. The Thief is the equivalent in Wizardry of a common fantasy archetype in several role-playing games, the Thief or Rogue.

Class Description
The Thief is one of the basic character classes available to players upon character creation. They are capable of using weapons and armor that are superior to those normally allowed to Mages, and at times Priests; however, their typical equipment isn't as strong as that of a Fighter, and thus a Thief doesn't have the same chances of survival than most of the Fighter and hybrid-types. Since their conception, the Thief's main ability has been that of searching chests for locks or traps, and bypass said ones to acquire the treasure within without the rest of the party suffering consequences.

In later games, Thieves gain certain new improvements to further difference them from Fighters in combat, and to reinforce the image of the scoundrel. In Wizardry V, for example, the Thief becomes capable of hiding in shadows, which allows him to deal greater damage than usual while reducing the chances of peril; in later games, the Thief acquires the ability to steal from NPCs with greater effectiveness than other classes. Finally, Thieves acquire weapons that allow them to fight from the back row, thus allowing the Thief to remain in the relatively safer back row

Llygamyn Saga
In the group of games that compose the Llylgamyn saga (Wizardry I to V, excluding Wizardry IV), the Thief is one of the easiest classes to access at character creation, with its minimum requirements. Until Wizardry V, the Thief suffers since it must be on the front row, and at times it will not have enough Hit Points or Armor Class to survive battles. On Wizardry V, the Thief becomes capable of equipping bows, and their new Hide ability allows them to Ambush their enemies with any weapon for greater damage, thus nearly eliminating the penalties for lesser AC and HP in front row by dealing extra damage, or remaining in the back row.

To become a Thief, the character must achieve the minimum stat requirements:


 * AGI 11


 * Must be of Neutral or Evil alignment

Race-wise, Hobbits are the race that fits the Thief class. Their naturally high Dexterity, combined with their high Luck rate, causes them to be the primary choice for most beginning players. Gnomes also are a decent choice, supplying a higher Strength and Vitality. Elves are also decent Thieves, but should consider beginning as a magic-based class before becoming one for the spellcasting benefits and the higher HP.

Dark Savant Saga


In the group of games that compose the Dark Savant Saga (Wizardry VI thru VIII), the Thief gains a good set of skills that include the use of slings and throwing weapons, wands and daggers, swords and others. As well, the Thief is one of the few starting characters to have Skulduggery, Legerdemain and Ninjitsu as Physical skills. As a Thief, the character becomes extremely proficient with Skulduggery, achieving very high skill levels in little time. Thieves also achieve high growth in Legerdemain.

To become a Thief, the character must achieve the minimum stat requirements:


 * DEX (Dexterity) 12


 * SPE (Speed) 8

Because of the minimal requirements, any race that favors Dexterity and Speed will be favorable for Thieves: Hobbits, Faeries, Felpurr are good examples.

Duhan Saga (Tales of the Forsaken Land/Wizardry Alternative)
In Wizardry: Tales of the Forsaken Land (also known as Busin: Wizardry Alternative in Japan) and their sequels, the Thief remains similar to earlier incarnations of the class except for their ability to use up to level 3 magic from both Priest and Sorcerer spells, making them excellent choices at the beginning of the game and even far beyond. Since the traps on the game are of a different nature (button presses instead of choosing from a list), a Thief isn't required to deal with traps anymore, though it does provide some benefit.

To become a Knight, the character must achieve the minimum requirements:


 * Neutral or Evil Attribute

As with other games, the best races stat-wise to become a Thief are the Halflings. The sequel to the first game of the series (Busin 0: Wizardry Alternative Neo) has two upgrades to the Thief class: the Noble Thief and the Phantom Thief.