Is the thief too powerful or are we playing wrong?

[hshepley]

We recently played a game where a person became a thief and proceeded to steal every single item on the table from everybody. Obviously she went to level 1 actually 2 because she was a cyborg which meant we couldn't even kill her to remove the thief card. This probably took over 30 minutes as she continued to discard items that she just stole until nobody had anything left. Plus since she was the lowest level all discards went to her. Are we playing this right?

[Mister Ed]

After a while one has to wonder, what's the point? They aren't going to win that way, and by basically bringing the game to an unsatisfying screeching halt like that, they are guaranteeing that if they ever DO change gears and try to win, everybody else will do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't even come CLOSE to happening.

Basically what I'm getting at is, a level 1 (or 2 in this case) thief CAN pull this sort of nonsense if they make THAT their goal, instead of actually having a goal of winning the game, but in most cases they don't because they just ensure they won't win, and that they WILL be the target of pretty much every curse anybody comes across, until they find one that makes them lose their class.

[tremorlaine]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

After a while one has to wonder, what's the point? They aren't going to win that way, and by basically bringing the game to an unsatisfying screeching halt like that, they are guaranteeing that if they ever DO change gears and try to win, everybody else will do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't even come CLOSE to happening.

Basically what I'm getting at is, a level 1 (or 2 in this case) thief CAN pull this sort of nonsense if they make THAT their goal, instead of actually having a goal of winning the game, but in most cases they don't because they just ensure they won't win, and that they WILL be the target of pretty much every curse anybody comes across, until they find one that makes them lose their class.

While that may be true I successfully did this to weaken the lvl 9 players in such a way that I was finally able to get up to lvl 5 before they won. Seeing the look on my opponents face when I said I was going to steal his Loaded Die was funny. Seeing the look on his face when I used to Loaded Die to steal his Kneepads of Allure was priceless.

[Heegu]

This is why most people make it a house rule that a thief can only steal once per turn or have to stop once they fail once.

[DoomedDuck]

I successfully stole a reloaded die one time. I was assuming he would use it to change my roll so I didn't get it (I was already level 1) but he didn't. Needless to say, I was very confused, but happy at the same time.

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by Heegu

This is why most people make it a house rule that a thief can only steal once per turn or have to stop once they fail once.

I think you meant to write "some people," maybe even "many people." I think "most people" is an exaggeration.

[Heegu]

Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard

I think you meant to write "some people," maybe even "many people." I think "most people" is an exaggeration.

Well sure. I of course can't know everyone's gaming habbits here :p I just see people way too often using the thief to annoy everyone else if they are having a bad game so putting a limit on stealing seems very necessary to me.

[Blazinjsin]

The thief's ability to steal is probably the least used ability in my group. Odd.

[Snail Shell]

See, in our games, we steal stuff we can't use so we can sell it and go up a level. Added levels AND you enrage everyone else at the table! :D

SS

[Enzzo]

Since you have to discard a card to power the theft ability, and it has a 50/50 chance to succeed, it already limits itself pretty well. I haven't seen a need to limit it further.