TSR Thieves Percentages: Expert VS Rules Cyclopedia

[Mezuka]

I'm curious. For those who lived it what did you think of the new thief skill table that extended the percentages up to 36 levels but made the odds lower. For example, a level 8 thief went from 65% odds of opening a lock to 50%.

What did you think of that as a thief player or as a DM?

 

[overgeeked]

It sucked. On both sides of the screen. So we stuck with the B/X version and extended it to 36 levels. Kept roughly the same progression by level, but went beyond 100%, and used the difference in level as a modifier. Whatever’s listed in the B/X books, for picking pockets, I think +/-5% per level difference. Anything over 100% still had a 1% chance of failure.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm curious. For those who lived it what did you think of the new thief skill table that extended the percentages up to 36 levels but made the odds lower. For example, a level 8 thief went from 65% of opening a lock to 50%.

What did you think of that as a thief player or as a DM?

Terrible.

When I think of thieves in the TSR era, I always think, "Way too powerful. Definitely need to be nerfed."

The B/X thief wasn't great, but it was better than the BECMI replacement.

 

[Mezuka]

My thief player had heard the thieves got a new skill table. He tought they would be better! I had to calm him when he saw the table. We never used it either.

 

[Yora]

How often does anyone actually play above 10th level?

It's not a new idea that D&D is mostly enjoyed between level 5 and 15, and that play often putters out around 12th to 14th level at the latest. It's always been that way. (I think spells might have much more to do with that than hit points or damage, which are highly variable in each edition.)

Making thieves worse - and they already start really bad - at the levels that are mostly played, to make them work at levels that pretty much nobody ever plays is a bad move.

 

[commandercrud]

Used it. Totally fine. A lot of noise over nothing.

 

[Mannahnin]

Terrible.

Although TBH one of my favorite house rules for Basic/Expert, BECM or OD&D is to ditch Thief skill percentages entirely, and just have them use the Hear Noise chance for everything. With a +2 for Climb Walls.

BTW, this should probably be in the D&D Older Editions sub-forum.

 

[Mezuka]

Used it. Totally fine. A lot of noise over nothing.

Did you start playing D&D with RC?

 

[commandercrud]

Did you start playing D&D with RC?

no

 

[Mezuka]

no

A man of few words.