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Yeah great, I am so [censored] excited.
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so... reading through all that you've posted (I do have Legendary Patience), it boils down to this:
Everyone else should suffer because your template doesn't work the way that you think it should.
It may surprise you to know that many a thief exists who does NOT feel the need to use artifacts for a boost.Some don't even need ninjitsu. I'm sure you can find them, it just wouldn't suit your purpose to defeat your own rant, oops, argument.
The 7AE items have about as much to do with your thief template as a pickaxe has to do with cooking.
What's wrong with this template (assuming a 700 skill cap):
60 Detect Hidden
100 Hiding
100 Ninjitsu
100 Resist
100 Snoop
120 Stealing
120 Stealth
You don't need magery - you've got ninja forms to get around at mount speed, and most thefts take place in/around towns anyway. Taking stealth to 120 gives you the maximum chance of not being tracked. If you don't like that, then put the points back into detect. I'm not a thief, it's just an example, and it, like everything you've posted, is a lot more useful over in the thief forum than in this thread.
Still, my personal opinion on this is, if you need a blessed bandana to be a thief, then all I can say is, you're not a very good thief. What kind of miner would I be if I needed a blessed beetle to take all my ore to the forge?
Getting back on track - thank you VERY much, Mr Tact - I can't wait to see the design become code!