The Campaign Builder's Guild

hey guys, iv'e been taking a break from building to hopefully role play and it happend last weekend and i am now in a thief campaign.

all characters are rogues, we all have the same set of stats (i rolled really high and he dm said i couldn't out shine the others), we all start with dagger,bow,and chain shirt, and we can be any race. Its in a big city that hasn't had thieves in it for at least 50 years and the guards are brutally strong, and we have a safe home in the 'waiting rabbit' tavern. so after all this useless info i have a question (look below)

ok, if i were to want to make a character who focuses on breaking and entering then assassinating people, what is some equipment i should pick up and what are some feats you suggest and also what are skills i should pick up? and last but not least what prestige should i look into? btw i dont want to break the game with diplomacy so dont suggest that xD

Get the best theives' tools you can afford, and ask your DM about being able to magically enhance them (+2 theives' tools, etc.)
Get a:

*collapsible ten foot pole, for checking traps.
*Bag of Holding, for obvious reasons.
*A Sap. Killing people is worse than taking their stuff, and soemtimes you want to stage a kidnapping.
*rope and a grappling hook. You can never have too much rope. Ever.
*A Hand of Glory. Light that can't be seen by anyone else? Yes please!
*Chalk. Keeps you from getting lost in a house, and allows one to alert others if you have accomplices. (An X on a door means a sleeping person, etc.)

two things:

1> Max ranks in UMD
2> Don't select special abilities, pick out Bonus Feats, since you don't need to qualify for them

The first is in case somebody let's the dogs out and you need something only magic can deal with (like Wands o'CLW, or Fireball Sniping and Demolition).

The second is for having stuff like Gape of the Serpent ("I will eat you." - Frank's Rogue), Epic Spell (cheese burger tactic) or Arcane Disciple (pseudo cleric mode).

Yeah after my first mark i will be allowed to purchase from the underground in the city and i will be purchasing thieves tools and most of that. im interested in said hand of glory, is it in the dmg/phb? also are there any special arrows that might help me? i was thinking of screeching arrows as signals, and maybe some flaming arrows to distract people (start a fire on the other side of town with a well placed shot) uhmm any armor or anything that you can suggest? of course nothing to expensive, i should have stated i am level 1

i will be dumping max ranks into UMD every level. and as soon as i can i plan to lift a few wands off of people/shops

Once again, I've confused the hand of glory in the 3.5 for what it is in legend.

Screw that. Get a Hand of the Mage. 5lb. telekinisis at will and only 800gp.

Hat of disguise is always fun. Can change your appearance at will. You do the math.

Your standard armor progression will be:
Level 1: Studded Leather
Level 2: Chain Shirt
Level 2.5: Mithral Shirt
Level 3: +1 Mithral Shirt

After that, you can obtain any enhancement effect and use scrolls/wands/oils of Magic Vestment to finish off your AC bonus.

i will indeed invest in the hand of the mage and right now i got chain shirt, and i plan to try and pick up mithral shirt as soon as i can. depends on how much my dm likes me this weekend.

Favorites from the Eye of Stenron (at least ones not mentioned so far...)

Acid

caltrops

flash powder

glass cutter, small

listening cone

magnet (for pleing with tumblers)

masks (often with special markings, to distract)

ring with inner pins/blades, sometimes with resevoir

yellow musk/powdered tears

razor wire/razor thread

shock freese

vest of tools

acid needle

Ah, yes. Sneak attacking with vials of Alchemist's Fire and Alchemist's Acid. Classic use of sneak attacks on touch AC. Remember to have one rank in sleight of hand to be able to draw the vials as a free action.

one rank? another i plan to max out xD cant help it if im a klepto. thanks for the list lord, i will go down the list and buy all i can.

Any innocent group of learned folk you can make freinds with?  Great for getting building plans and finding out sensitive information about wealthy old families.

Same with the men and women who run the salons and gathering places of the wealthy and powerful.  One of the older PC's from the Eye Of Igbar knows that the Night Captain of the Scarlet Pilums Watch is having an affair with the underaged daughter of the Trader Tercious of the Sceding Tree Traders.  This particular thief hasn't even let his guild know about it, but when he needs to know the watch schedule or when he needs a ship to get a cursury inspection for contraband, he quietly pulls in this favor.

You will be what your skills are.  Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive will get you out from the dark shadows and into the dinner parties... and a higher class of marks and better role playing to boot.  Disable Device, Open Locks, Search etc, is your standard housebreaker repertoire.  Don't overlook skill bonus feats, there's good and the there's good.

Disguise is one of the most under-rated skills. Seriously, put a few ranks into it, and suddenly you can be anybody... Get a disguise kit, a hat of disguise, a good charisma, and some bluff, diplomacy, and gather info. You got to know the facts to obscure them...

I agree, you can become anybody.  You can also become nobody.  Perhaps easier and just as expedient in many cases.