Cultural Considerations

The cultural overview of the campaign setting is an important consideration for the adventuring careers of all PCs, none more so than the thief. Some cultures have a strong and deep-running tradition of thievery while others will be quite foreign to the concept.

Generally, the more primitive a civilization, the less the likelihood of a strong thief element within it. Savage tribesmen or aborigines, of course, have few possessions that a thief would deem worth stealing. While characters from these backgrounds might covet the possessions of other cultures, their methods of acquisition will be less subtle than those of a ``civilized'' thief.

Of course, nothing prohibits a character from a savage or barbarian background from joining the thief class. Ideally, the character will have the opportunity to learn a little about his chosen trade before he meets up with an experienced city watch patrol.

Rural cultures, too, will be less likely to provide interesting settings for thief adventures than will urban locales. Thief characters can of course learn their trades in small town or country settings, but unless they have a steady stream of travelers passing through from which to select their victims, such thieves will have difficulty maintaining a career of any long duration.

But perhaps an even more significant cultural consideration is the view of that culture towards personal property and an honest day's labor. It is in this context that a city, with a strong class of merchants, an important economic system, and a reliance upon trade, becomes the ideal setting for the thief's activities.

The culture of such a bustling city cannot help but give rise to laws and law enforcers, to objects of value, and to interesting inhabitants. All of these items, as they relate to the thief's activities and opportunities, are discussed below.

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