Thief/Necromancer

To be a dual-classed thief/necromancer, the character must have a minimum 15 Dex and 17 Int (including, of course, the minimum 16 Wis of the necromancer). This combination does not have many advantages, though. From the character’s perspective, the combat abilities (hit points and THAC0) of the rogue are only marginally better than that of the wizard. In addition, even at low levels, a wizard’s spells can dramatically overshadow a thief’s mundane abilities. For instance, who would not prefer a spider climb spell over the usual climb walls ability? Why pick a lock when you can knock?

The trap detection and lock picking abilities of a thief would greatly benefit a subtle necromancer who enjoyed tomb robbing, but remember that once the wizard can animate dead, the importance of such skills may be greatly reduced (as noted in the Introduction). Perhaps another exception to this rule is the Anatomist or any other necromancer who must regularly work at the heart of civilization. For the Anatomist, who needs a steady supply of stolen bodies, a rogue’s skills might prove indispensable. Moving silently and hiding in shadows, for instance, are practically impossible to duplicate without spells from the Illusion school (which is forbidden to all necromancers).

From the DM’s perspective, a rogue’s percentage ability scores are considerably more difficult to generate than those of the warrior. As with the fighter, a dual-classed thief/necromancer character will not have advanced to name (10th) level before changing professions. The DM can quickly determine the character’s level of experience as a thief by rolling 1d8+1 (resulting in 2nd to 9th level).

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