The fields of magic and roguery are not immiscible. Some inquisitive apprentice thieves investigate the mysteries of the arcane, while certain acquisitive apprentice magic-users turn their hands to larceny. Such thief-dabblers and their protégés practice legerdemain in both magical and mundane forms.
The prime requisites for a thief-dabbler are Intelligence and Dexterity. A thief-dabbler character whose Intelligence or Dexterity score is 13 or higher will receive a 5% bonus on earned experience. Thief-dabblers whose Intelligence and Dexterity scores are 13 or higher will receive a 10% bonus to earned experience.
RESTRICTIONS: Thief-dabblers use four-sided dice (d4) to determine their hit points. They may use any type of weapon, but they may not use shields, nor any armor more protective than leather. Thief-dabblers must have a minimum score of 9 in Intelligence and Dexterity.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Thief-dabblers have access to all of an ordinary thief’s skills: bonuses to hit and damage for striking unnoticed from behind, along with the ability to pick pockets, climb steep surfaces, move silently, hide in shadows, open locks (with appropriate tools), find or remove traps and hear noises. In addition, a thief-dabbler starts play knowing a single randomly determined magic-user spell and may prepare and cast spells as a magic-user of half the character’s level (rounded up). Thief-dabblers may read magic-user spells from scrolls. In addition, they may utilize wands and miscellaneous magical items normally usable only by magic-users, but there is always a 10% chance that any spell or power evoked from such an item will backfire, having an unexpected result.
SAVING THROWS: As thieves.
ATTACK PROGRESSION: As thieves.
ADVANCEMENT: As per the fighter advancement table.