The term "Thief" is used to describe anyone with skills that are generally left to the domain of the back alleys and rooftops. While stories are rarely told of these types of adventurers, history rarely ignores them. Thieves are employed in various forms by virtually all walks of life, from the lowest commoners to the highest nobles.

Thieves have the uncanny ability to get where other people can't, through combinations of deceit, cleverness and agility. Commoners rely on the thieves to reclaim stolen property, while the nobles rely on the thieves to oust potential threats to their titles. While assassination is never considered a noble pursuit, many wars of succession have been stopped in their tracks by the arrow of a thief or his poisoned blade.

Thieves are also skilled at getting their group through dangers that are invisible to the untrained eyes of the other classes. Traps, locked doors, and other obstacles are considered by the thief as trivial as an unarmed Kobold is to a fighter, although such obstacles frequently have the ability to kill an entire adventuring group outright.

While many thieves follow the stereotype of fading into the shadows and being generally sneaky, a large number are almost as flamboyant as a bard. They can be charming, chivalrous and amiable - so long as their mark's back isn't turned. Many otherwise alert opponents have been felled by a thief who was sitting right in front of them making polite conversation.