In BG1/ToSC, only the first 4 columns of Thieving skills are taken into account (Stealth, Find/Disarm Traps, Open Locks, Pick Pockets). In BG2/ToB, all 8 columns are used: Rangers still use Stealth, but Thieves and Monks use Hide in Shadows and Move Silently.

SKILL BASE AMOUNTS
StealthFind
Traps		Pick
Locks		Pick
Pockets		Set
Traps		Detect
Illusions		Hide in
Shadows		Move
Silently
Base 10 5 10 15 0 0 5 10

RACIAL MODIFIERS
StealthFind
Traps		Pick
Locks		Pick
Pockets		Set
Traps		Detect
Illusions		Hide in
Shadows		Move
Silently
Human
Half-Elf
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Gnome
Half-Orc 		0
+5
+10
0
+15
+5
0 		0
0
0
+15
+5
+10
0 		0
0
-5
+10
+5
+5
0 		0
+10
+5
0
+5
0
0 		0
0
0
+10
0
+5
0 		0
0
0
+5
0
+10
0 		0
+5
+10
0
+15
+5
0 		0
+5
+10
0
+15
+5
0

DEXTERITY MODIFIERS
StealthFind
Traps		Pick
Locks		Pick
Pockets		Set
Traps		Detect
Illusions		Hide in
Shadows		Move
Silently
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25 		-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+18
+20
+23
+25
+30
+35 		-10
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+20
+25
+30
+35
+40 		-10
-5
0
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+20
+25
+30
+35
+40
+45
+50 		-15
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+20
+25
+30
+35
+40
+45 		-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+20
+25
+30
+35
+40 		0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 		-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+18
+20
+23
+25
+30
+35 		-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0
0
0
+5
+10
+15
+18
+20
+23
+25
+30
+35

Add together the scores for each skill's Base amount, your Racial Modifiers, and your Dexterity Modifiers. For example, a Gnomish Thief with 17 Dex would start out with:
Stealth: 20%Find Traps: 15%Pick Locks: 25%Pick Pockets: 20%
Set Traps: 5%Detect Illusions: 10%Hide in Shadows: 15%Move Silently: 20%

Now add in the Thieving points your character earns with each level, which you many put into any of the Thieving skills however you see fit. In BG1, Thieves get 30 points at Level 1 (Character Creation), and another 20 for every Level Up thereafter. In BG2, how many Thieving points you get per level is determined by which kit you selected for your character (if any): Straight Thieves get 25 points per level.

WARNING: Do not let your Thief, Monk, Ranger, or Bard become too skilled at any ability. If a character's score in an ability exceeds 250% or 255% (somewhere around there), the computer doesn't know what to do with it�the ability score actually wraps around and becomes negative, resulting in failure every time. 240% is enough for anything, believe you me.

The type of armor you wear can also affect your Thieving skills�this only becomes obvious when your Thief in BG2 puts on some Elven Chain Mail, and most of his skills go down from 5 to 20%. You can also have your Thief remove his armor and enjoy slight bonuses, but who wants to walk around with a naked Thief?
If you answered, "Me, me, I do, I do," you need to stop playing this game and start dating real people.
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