True Thief (3.5e Prestige Class)

Summary::You can steal anything. Yes, even the hearts of others, someone's soul, or concepts. Length::10 Minimum Level::4 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Moderate Fortitude Save Progression::Poor Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Other

True Thief
"What's worse than a fake theft? A real theft... a true theft even. Come, and I will teach you how to steal everything from everyone."

Anyone can try stealing, but you're limited in your prey. A gold piece, a ring, interesting but it can only be done under cloak of night and of limited value. You're so good at stealing, you'll steal right under their noses. What they gonna do about it?

Becoming a True Thief
True thieves are typically rogues with a desire for mugging, but technically any class can try and be a true thief. Those that value Dexterity enjoy the benefits most of all.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the True Thief.

This is not limited to spellcasting classes; it can advance a rogue and it's sneak attack, an initiator, or even a fighter and its bonus feats. If you had more than one class before becoming a True Theif, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your effective class level in that class.

If she already has the feat she can choose a different one she qualifies for.

 : As part of a melee attack the true thief can attempt to steal something from a target which is flanked, flatfooted, or denied their Dex bonus. Make a sleight of hand check opposed by the user's spot check. If successful, you can steal one unsecured object on the creature as long as you have an empty hand available. The enemy is aware what you have done unless you exceed their result by 20 or more.

Alternatively you can make a disarm check to disarm a creature of a wielded or secured object (provoking attacks of opportunity as normal if you lack Improved Disarm. Success means you disarm the creature and the item goes to your empty hand, or falls on the floor up to 5 feet away.  Regardless of the success or failure of the stealing or disarm attempt you still deal normal damage.

She need not put any ranks in it herself, and is still limited to her normal maximum skill ranks.

 : At 2nd level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can choose to absorb an amount of health equal to your sleight of hand check, gaining it as temporary hit points while dealing damage. The temporary hp lasts for 1 hour. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 3rd level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can choose to steal away half a creature's speed and add it to your own. For example you can steal half the speed of a human (30 ft) and gain a +30 ft movement speed. You can even gain movement types if you do not have the listed movement speed, such as speeding half of a creature's 60 fly speed (average) to grant yourself a 30 ft fly speed (average). The penalty and bonuses apply for 1 minute, and do not stack. You can choose to steal from a different movement type or or creature, but not benefit from two land speeds stolen from two creatures, or apply a land speed penalty twice. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 4th level, wou store your gear in an extradimensional space far away, which you can access via any bag or container-like object. This extradimensional space acts as a handy haversack and can carry up to (your level squared x 100) pounds of objects at one time.

 : At 4th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can activate the effect of charm monster at a caster level equal to your character level. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + your highest mental ability score. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 4th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can render the target mute and unable to speak, while you can mimic their voice perfectly. They gain a Will save to resist this, as it is a permenant curse (treat as bestow curse for effects which can revert it). The save DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + your highest mental ability score. You may only have one voice stolen at a time, stealing another voice releases the previous stolen voice back to its owner. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 :  At 5th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can steal a creature's sense, such as hearing, sight, taste, touch, and so forth. You gain the sense from their position and experiences, while they take the appropriate penalties (such as being blinded or deafened) for the duration. You are not disoriented from sensing things in two different perspectives. This lasts for 10 minutes/level, but can be reverted by the victim as a full round action. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 5th level you can somehow manage your sleight of hand checks anywhere in Close range as long as you have line of effect.

 : At 6th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can steal a creature's ability scores. You deal 1d4 ability damage to one ability of your choice, and gain an equal amount as an enhancement bonus to your stats, to a maximum of +8. The enhancement bonus lasts for 1 hour before fading. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 7th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can steal a spell effect they are currently under and apply it to yourself. Use your sleight of hand result as a dispel check; if successful they lose the benefits of the spell and you gain them with the same duration and choices as originally. You can technically also steal negative status effects, such as nauseated or stunned, to cure yourself though you are faced with the status effect as if it originally targeted you. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : You're very difficult to find. At 7th level you are always under the effect of nondetection with a caster level equal to your character level, and you never leave tracks if you do not wish to.

 : At 8th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can instead steal one of their special qualities. They lose said quality and you gain it for 10 minutes/level, but can be reverted by the victim as a full round action. You can only have up to one stolen special quality at one time, stealing another returns the previous stolen quality. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 9th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can instead steal one of their special attacks. They lose said quality and you gain it for 10 minutes/level, but can be reverted by the victim as a full round action. You can only have up to one stolen special attack at one time, stealing another returns the previous stolen quality. Spell-like abilities stolen still retain the material and XP cost of the spell they duplicate, and you cannot steal Spellcasting ability itself (such as the clerical spellcasting of a solar). You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 10th level, all the "Steal X" abilities granted by this class become extraordinary.

 : At 10th level you steal your soul away from the afterlife, making you immortal. The true thief no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and short of violence, the true thief will never die.

 : At 10th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can grasp their very soul. Thereafter the true thief can try to slay the victim at any later time, as long as the attempt is made within a number of days equal to her character level. To make such an attempt, the true thief merely wills the target to die as a free action, and the target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + highest mental ability score) or die. A successful saving throw insteal deals 1d6 points of damage per character level to the target, which may still kill the target. If the target dies to either the kill attempt or the damage on a successful save, the true theif steals their soul and may transfer it to an appropriate container (as if using trap the soul). The true thief may hold onto one soul at a time before they transfer it to a container.

The true thief can use this anytime, but a successful save renders the target immune to further attempts for 24 hours. This is a [Death] effect. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

 : At 10th level, when you make a successful sleight of hand check (as normal or as a result of Mug) you can steal away their time, locking them in stasis for 1d4+1 rounds and granting you haste for an equal amount of time. Creatures in stasis cannot be harmed or affected, and are unaware of the passing of time, frozen in place. They gain a Will save to reduce it to slowed for 1 round, while you only benefit from haste for 1 round. The save DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + your highest mental ability score. You may only have one voice stolen at a time, stealing another voice releases the previous stolen voice back to its owner. You can only apply one "Steal X" ability a round, regardless of the number of attacks made.

The epic True Thief gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic True Thief feats) at 13th and every three levels beyond (16th, 19th, etc).

Epic True Thief Bonus Feat List: PENDING

Playing a True Thief
Combat: You usually retain your role in combat as before, but to fully benefit you wade into melee so you can pick an opponent naked before killing them, or perhaps while killing them.

Advancement: The class usually benefits melee rogue types, and as such scoundrel-type classes and melee classes are ideal.

Resources: It turns out when thieves gather, they either work together swimmingly and become a mafia or they become deadly rivals. Either way, the organizations of true thieves are not "public".

True Thieves in the World
"We finally caught Smorky, the kender thief. I still don't know why he was carrying 256 fire extinguishers he stole."

NPC Reactions: Would you trust a thief? You wouldn't trust a true thief either, but they do have a way with words, and with hearts.

True Thief Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research true thieves to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

True Thieves in the Game
Sample Encounter: A mysterious woman in red has stolen... the Statue of Liberty. Wait, how does that even...

EL 15: PENDING