Which abilities do you consider to be of more worth when planning a thief character in the longrun?
Example what exactly does the detect illusions skill do, well i can guess from the name but when is it implimented in the game?, will it help me hit a mage who has cast mirror image?
Also move silently and hide in shadows which one of these skills is directly most related to my ability to get behind someone and backstab them?
But generally i usually move my points round quite evenly in an attempt to have a more rounded character.
Most important skill to least?

Detect illusion is great! It works like a true sight spell. Just detect traps and you thief will be detecting illusions as well. Real handy if you are soloing but good with a party as well. Save those slots for better spells :D

so does it have a chance of seeing an invisible character or a mirror imaged person?

Forget mirror image, if it's at a high enough level, Detect Illusion can get rid of Mislead and Shadow Door. Detect illusion is a thief's best kept secret.

Most important:
-Hide in Shadows
-Detect Illusion
-Move Silently
-Set Traps (I'm not a big trap person)
-Pickpocket

I left out disarm traps and open locks because if you're going to have a thief, why wouldn't save yourself some grief and put points into these slots anyway?

Here is what i think about distributing from most important.

1)Detect Traps
2)Hide in Shadows
3)Open Locks
4)Move Silently
5)Detect Illusion
6)Pick Pocket
7)Set traps

unless you are playing abounty hunter, set traps should always be last. As for pickpocket, i only find myself pick pocketing a few times. Here no use for having alot of points there either, and if you want to pick pocket just quaff some thievery or mind focusing potions.

Wow, detect illusions does sound better than I thought it was, so I guess I will throw some points in there, thanks.
Also detect illusions seems to be the only ability that cant be increased with a potion or by using an item, where as other abilities are easy to up with potions rings or special armor...
So when you use it to detect shadow door or the like, how much time are you standing around waiting?, is it like the wait period for detecting a trap, or instantanous? (depends on how high that ability is too I guess)
It sure was a well kept secret, thanks again guys.

I hadn't any idea that detect illusion was at all good. I agree with all the above statments for what skills to put your points into.

Usually I develop my thief as follows:

STEALTH, STEALTH, STEALTH !!! I try to get 100 to 110 in both hide in shadows & move silent - both abilities collaborate ! When you can't hide in shadows properly you cannot move silent either and when you hide in shadows but cannot move silent you'll be seen ...
Good stealth is the key to get behind your enemies back - the higher, the better - and the better your stealth is, the longer you will remain hidden even when stepping out of shadows - this usually makes the difference between a sucessful and a failed backstab. I also like stealth because of the ability to scout and observe an area.

Usually I add more points to find traps and open locks next for they allow you to gather xp without danger.

After that I add - depending on what char I play and how my party looks - pick pockets or detect illusions and set traps. I put detect illusions to the end despite the fact it is very useful - that's because of my playing style.
When I once had a ranger as a main char (and as a scout) I didn't develop stealth first but open locks and find traps and detect illusions ...

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited January 24, 2002).]

1) Detect Traps
2) Open Locks
3) Hide in Shadows
4) Move Silently
5) Detect Illusions
6) Set Traps
7) Pick Pockets

Pick Pockets is a black hole; it doesn't matter HOW high your skill is, you can still get caught. Usually you need at least 150 to have ANY chance of getting good stuff.

Once you develop the first 4, which are important in that order, you should devote *all* your points to Detect Illusion until you have it to at least 80.

Happy thieving! ;)

Not knowing AD&D particularly well, I don't know exactly what the skills are used for. Does anyone know the difference (in AD&D rules and/or how BG handles them) between Hide in Shadows and Move Silently?

First, the reason why BG-1 had only the "stealth"-skill was the x-cap - it would not have been possible to develop this and the other thieving abilities properly considering the points available due to the x-cap.

In BG-2 there was much more space and the split it up gain, as in original D&D (iirc). Both skills, "hide in shadows" and "move silent" cooperate and work as they are named:

-hide in shadows is the skill hat allows you to hide in shadows (I'm serious) and
-move silent basically characterizes your ability to remain hidden after leaving the shadows and moving in open terrain.

Ah, for my Assassins(who only get 15 per level) I usually put 50/50 in Hide in Shadows and Move Silently, as there are many items which can increase this, and this leaves you some points for picking locks. Then I advance Find/Disarm Traps and Lockpick leaving F/D Traps about 10 point behind lock picking till I get them both to 95. Then I'd put the rest of my abilites into Stealth, or maybe Set Snares or Detect Illusions.

Aha, so Hide in Shadows is the skill I use to hide in a dark area, and Move Silently is the skill I use to move through an open room with the sun shining through the window and still not be noticed? I presume it also affects how quickly you become visible after backstabbing someone. Makes sense. It's a little confusing, as the game always says ou succeed/fail hiding in shadows, not move silently.

1. Hide in shadows
2. find traps
3. pick locks
4. detect illusion

I wouldn't waste points on anything else. Backstabbing is incredibly powerful, so hide in shadows is key. It solves a lot of problems with ass kicking mages. They don't usually survive a good backstab.

hide in shadow and move silently are definatley good for scouting and assasins.

but the anoying thing about backstabbing is that later when you reach powerful monsters and the like, either they are immune to it or they sense you when you're hidden, making it impossible to get behind them. but yeah i love backstabbing too! i am begining to think detect illusions is good to pile the points into, so many other stats are able to be increased with other magical items while detect illusion cannot, further more i think most other stats are soso ok at around the 110 120 mark.

My 1st thief I put about 80 points into Pick Pockets and the the gloves of Pick Pocketing I can pick pockets around 95% I try. As always SAVE before you go on a spree. I have lifted loads of minor gems/jewelry but also lot's o' gold (esp guards & merchants)5-25gps/pick, several potions & scrolls (mages of course), and a few magic items (namely the +2 boomerang dagger from the mercenry leader inside inn in the bridge area; ##### Spoiler alert #### believe he's part of the limited wish quest).

Anyway not the greatest but still fun (it's not as if you're struggling fer coin though ;) ).

Mr. five-finger discount,
~Shamroc