No Thiefs in Port

I do not use the Thief class.

Let me say that again: I do not use the Thief class.

This is a job, not a character class.

This is the reason why: When the Thief does this thief things, everyone else stands around and watches him do it. Either he succeeds or fails and if he fails, that's usually the end of that. It's a dead end. But in the meantime nobody else is trying to do what he's doing.

If you remove the Thief class and tell your players anyone can try hiding, sneaking, setting off or setting traps, picking pockets and so forth, then they will try these things. They can even try to pick a lock; it just takes a long time for an attempt. While a Thief can try it noiselessly and quickly, a normal person may take ten minutes and make a little noise.

There are a couple of things you lose out on: 

Bypassing magic traps

Backstab

Climbing walls like Spider-Man.

Maybe there are other Thief things you really enjoy that you would lose.

These are not huge losses, I don't think.

But the point is, everyone gets involved in searching and setting off traps and sneaking around and that's more inclusive and dramatic game play.

These are good gains.

Fear not, Thief lovers, there is a class that plays the same kind of role a Thief does. It is the Rat-Catcher made up by +Simon Bull who is also one of the creators of the Delving Deeper retroclone.

Remember Port is a game with all d6 Hit Dice which will be indicated on the advancement chart.

The Rat-Catcher

FLUFF: 

A professional Rat-Catcher is essential to every castle, city, town, and village with a pest problem, or wherever there are people. These crafty Men must frequently work in the "undesirable" places where vermin fester, including sewers, derelict basements, and catacombs. They risk health and safety in proximity to diseased and rabid pests.

Rats, mice, and other vermin were ubiquitous throughout Medieval life, and an ever-present harbinger of pestilence, famine, disease, and epidemics. The Black Death was spread by rats and is estimated to have killed 30 to 60% of Europe's total population 1346-53, putting the toll around 75-150 million people. 600 years later, with all the World's most grievous weapons, WWI would kill an estimated 17 million soldiers.

Keeping the rat population down was crucial work in preventing the spread of disease and damage to food stocks. Thus, professional Rat-Catchers were always in demand and despite their work being grim and dirty, they were actually rather respected. Even today, folklore casts the Pied Piper of Hamlin in a positive light.

In the fantastic medieval genre vermin can be driven by vampires, lycanthropes, or diabolical cunning, or grown to giant-size, or conjured as part of who knows what wicked sorcery? The Rat-Catcher could hardly be less important in the fantasy medieval wargame than he was in reality.

CRUNCH:

The Prime Requisite of the Rat-Catcher is Wisdom.

Arms & Armor: A Rat-Catcher may use Leather armor without penalty. He may wear heavier armors, but he is at a penalty of doubled encumbrance from these.  (His best defense is mobility.) He may use the backsword, dagger, hatchet or hand axe, war hammer, staff or spear. He may also use the light crossbow and the sling.

Combat Ability: The Rat-Catcher uses the Cleric’s Attack Matrix line and Saving Throw charts.

The Rat-Catcher’s Class Abilities:

Dungeoncraft:

The Rat-Catcher learns his craft where vermin are. He has a keen awareness of mischief and danger in such places.

Rat-Catchers can be nearly invisible and can move almost silently, surprising enemy on a throw of 1-4 on a six-sided die.

When actively searching, Rat-Catchers will locate secret doors with a throw of 1-4 on a six-sided die; when merely passing by they will do so with a throw of 1-2. 

Rat-Catchers are able to identify useful information from faint noises when listening with a throw of 1-2 on a six-sided die.

They will note traps and slanting passages, and have good vision even in the feeblest light. 

Poison Use: A Rat-Catcher can lace food with wolfsbane (or hemlock) to poison vermin via the clerics versus undead table, affecting vermin and lycans with as many HD as the indicated undead types. Such types in animal form will take the food 5 times out of 6 per usual.

Favored Foes: In combat, he is particularly effective at skulling and boning vermin, doubling damage dice versus animals, ooze-types and lycans. Lycans will always attack a Rat-Catcher in preference to other enemy.

Tracking Vermin: Rat-Catchers can identify vermin by signs or marks of their activity and can track them with a throw of 1-4 on a six-sided die. He can collect a bounty of 1 gp per hit die for each carcass he returns to the local authority (live vermin may fetch a higher price where baiting is practiced for sport).

Hunter’s Kinship: The Rat-Catcher frequently handles cats, ferrets, serpents, and the like to root out and destroy vermin. He adjusts reaction checks by +2 in any dealings these types but alas!, the smell and appearance of him adjusts reaction checks with civilized Man-types by -1, and Lycanthropes' reactions are always adjusted by -2.

Disease Immunity: Grimalkins (2nd level) and above are immune to natural diseases.

Sense Dangerous Vermin: Ferreters (4th level) are aware of unseen animals, ooze-types and lycans within 3".

Speak With Vermin: A Stalker (6th level) and above can speak with calm vermin in a rudimentary fashion (cf clerical Speak with Animals spell).

Charm Vermin: A Piper (9th level) and above is highly sought after for his ability to charm vermin with pan pipes (or similar) for so long as he continues to play (cf magic-user Charm Animals spell). Unintelligent vermin such as slimes and oozes will be held in a quivering, immobilized state while rats and their like will follow after the Piper, mesmerized.

A Piper Lord (10th level) can establish an operation in any existing town, city, or stronghold that does not already have such, including any run by a non-player figure (even non-players have rat problems). This operation will attract 4d6 Mousers who will each generate 1d6 gp profit per month of normal practice. Any activities outside of "normal practice" remain the jurisdiction of the player.

Any Rat-Catcher can be ennobled and added to the household staff of a Baron or greater.  He then earns 140 GPs per month and is no longer subject to taxation.