Thief character 
  That's part of Edgerunners DNA  

The Thief, is a TTRPG trope, we are not playing D&D. Roles aren't class, the system may be tactical, but it's not a tactical TTRPG. On the other hand you need to remember "It's always a Capper". That's why I made a post about Heist, planning and execution. The Face is described in the CRB p.394, but there is nothing about the Thief. Mainly because this chapter is trying to give you hints on how to use each Roles.

Well, what is a Thief in a Cyberpunk game? Someone who will overcome obstacles while being discreet. Infiltration either with stealth or Either by going undercover and impersonating someone people won't suspect. In both case you want to avoid violence or to choose when you will use violence.

Nevertheless, the Thief gonna be very interesting to play as part of the team. You'll see that many Roles can play thief as always in a skill based TTRPG. Of course some Roles are better. The Thief will facilitate the discreet approach during the planning or during the execution of a Heist.

First of all, your characters can be a thief, a cover ops, a ninja, whatever the name and concept, it's always around the same idea with minor differences. You will face counter measures that will disrupt your plan to overcome an obstacle without violence (or with focused violence) :

• NET architecture defenses

• Guards, employees, people

• Physical barriers

You will need a large array of skills in order to deal with all these counter-measures. On the other hand you don't need everything. Still the most difficult one for a Edgerunner is going to be the NET architecture defenses. Small time target might not have one as it's expensive. But if you try to hit the big league, that's another story. You have few solutions here : Interface (Netrunner) or Electronic /Security (x2) for everybody else.

Yeah, that can be an issue, if you are the only one stealth / undercover capable, you might have to do it by yourself. That's fun, for you certainly, but other players might want a bit of action too. That's my main issue when the concept is more than pick pocketing something or opening a door for the group.

As a GM I prefer my players to be part of a Cover Ops team. They decide it during session 0. And they all try to hit a decent stealth value. After all it's under DEX and people tend to be good in Evasion (base 12). Else it's still possible, but harder to balance during a short session of 3-4 hours. There is a balance to find.

You will see that many Skills can be useful or a thief. That's why being a team might also helps.

Awareness

Perception - INT

• "Skill of spotting hidden things, like clues, traps, and people using the Stealth Skill, but not objects hidden with the Conceal/Reveal Object Skill."

• If you want to be stealthy, you need to have a clearr understanding of your environement. If you don't see a trap, you will not avoid it. Most defense have DV17 in Perception to be spotted.

Conceal/Reveal - INT

• "Skill for hiding objects and finding objects that have been hidden. This is the Skill used for concealing weapons under clothing and detecting concealed weapons."

• Ok, you avoided traps, know you are looking for some hidden object Concealed by a professional. You need another skill for that. For example a Hidden compartement (Home accessories) has a DV15 to be spotted.

Movement

Stealth - DEX

• "Skill of moving quietly, hiding, doing an action discreetly, or otherwise evading detection. Other Characters can try to find you with their Perception Skill."

• You're thief, most of them are stealthy, not all of them.

Athletics - DEX

• "Skill of jumping, climbing, throwing, swimming, lifting weights, etc. It combines the basic elements of any high school-level sports program. This Skill also covers thrown weapons."

• If you are a cat burglar, you need a good score in Athlectics.

Contortionist - DEX

• "Skill of manipulating your body to get out of handcuffs or other bindings and to fit yourself into otherwise inaccessible places or spaces"

• It's more niche, but there is trap with a laser grid and you will need Contortionist. Your GM might give you an entrance through air conduit. And escaping from handcuffs is a Contortionist check.

Evasion - DEX

• "Skill for getting out of the way of someone attacking you in melee. A Character with REF 8 or higher can also use this Skill to dodge Ranged Attacks and Explosions"

• You're a thief, Sooner or later you will need to dodge.

Heist planning

Library search - INT

• "Skill of using databases, the Data Pool, libraries, and other compiled information sources to find facts."

• During your heist preparation, you need intel, that's one way to get some.

Bureaucracy - INT

• "Skill for dealing with bureaucrats, cutting red tape, knowing who to talk to in a bureaucracy, how to reach them, and how to extract information from bureaucracies."

• Another way to obtain some Intel, this time it will be about the building's plan.

Conversation - EMP

• "Skill of extracting information from people without alerting them through careful conversation."

• If you want to be discreet while trying to get intel, Conversation is the way.

I think, you should try to be always ready that's why cyberware seems the better choice here. Thief should be opportunist (or at least prepared) and being always ready with the right tools helps a lot. That's just an opinion.

Neural link + Chipware socket:

• Tactile Boost: That's important during infiltration as you will be able to know how many people are moving behind the next door

• Skills chip : the one you might need set at 3.

  • • For a Tech with Field expertise, that's enough to deal with tech problems.

    • For "Spy" you will have more COOL skills.

Radar/Sonar: it's complementary with the Tactile boost. Because you're not always inside a building. You are behind a cover, They are not, ou will know where they are, and you will avoid them.

Cyber audio suite

• Amplified hearing: +2 Perception (sounds based)

• Voice stress analyser: +2 Interrogation + 2 Human perception + lie detector (this one is the one you need here)

Cyberarm

• Techscanner: +2 to multiple TECH skills the one important here : Electronic / Security

• Extra-Jointed Cyberlimb Upgrade: + 2 Contortionist

• Grapple hand: for better movement capability

Cyberarm

• Cyberdeck: a cyberdeck, but always with you and concealed.

• Integrated Cyberdeck Upgrade: a boost to your cyberdeck capabilities

• Tool hand: always have your best tool in your hand.

Cyberlegs (techup)

• Jump booster: better jump capability for better infiltration

• Grip foot: for a better climbing capability

• Extra-Jointed Cyberlimb Upgrade: 2x +2 Contortionist

Independant air supply: niche, but with Contorsinist you can fit inside a small box without oxygen, you have your own.

Subdermal armor / Trauma Response Nanomatrix: best armor for infiltration + regeneration capability. Why ? Becaue sooner or later you will get caught. Having an armor is better.

Nasal filter: some traps have gas.

Audiovox: +2 Acting, that's important for Spy Thief.

Cybereyes (or Smart GLass TUp)

• Image enhance: +2 visual Perception

• Low Light/Infrared/UV : negate night and smoke malus (-4) Because you move in the shadows obviously.

2 GMBL + Fūma Kotarō Linear Frame (7000eb total + 3 therapy that's 10k): BODY 12 + 2 stealth + 2 EQ weapons embedded an concealed. But that's the only bonus to stealth in the game (so far, IIRC).

Netrunner

That's obviously the best choice for a thief. Why ? Because one of the most dangerous danger while infiltrating a place is the NET archi defenses. As a Netrunner you have all the tools needed to deal with them : Interface. Netrunning has low STAT requirement (REF for Initiative) and no Skill requirement, it's all about Interface (IIRC). Meaning you are free to invest in whatever you want.

Solo

Solo are about violence ? Not always, they can also be about cover operations, which can lead to violence IF necessary. And they have another outstanding advantage: Combat Awareness. That's very versatile, outside combat, go for Threat Detection, with the right cyberwares you can reach high level. INT 6 + Perception 6 + Image Enhance 2 + Threat detection 4 = 18 at chargen (you can reach 20 with INT 8, 22 with Boost). Keep in mind traps detection (Environmental Defenses) is a Perception check DV17 at most (be careful a vicious GM might go higher, don't make assumptions, "You know what they say about assumptions") . And when the situation goes south, and it will, Combat Awareness will save the day again.

Medtech

Medtech can do whatever you need, Pharmacist can reach insane level in Acting while being good at cat burglar stuff. And they are already good in TECH. You want a character capable to deal with everything at quite an high level. Medtech is the answer.

Rockerboy

They have a great social tools for infiltration : Charismatic Impact. Because you can have someone working for you inside. On the other hand Rockerboy are supposed to be famous, that's not the always the best feature to use Acting as a means to enter a place. I think Rockerboy are Excellent in support of actual thief. Just slap a good base Stealth on him and he will be able to be part of an infiltration team. Or don't listen to me and build a Tech Rockerboy who is playing guitar like a demi-god (TECH based) and who also steal from the Evil corpo.

Conclusion

Any Role can be a Thief, as always Cyberpunk's skill based system allows you to have a lot of freedom during chargen. Netrunner and Tech have the advantage here. Unless your thief is also an assassin.

Infinite type of thieves.... let's says they are 2 main type : Stealthy one and the Undercover one. And you can mix.

Spy Netrunner

Let's try something else. That's not the most effective Netrunner ever. But he can do so much more than Netrunning. Social engineering is a thing for a thief. This one can do a bit of everything. Cat burglar thief ? no problem, Spy stuff ? also ok. In combat he will be capable later at short range. Think sleep ammo for Dartgun. Works fine against low level mooks. Expensive, but effective.

INT 6 - REF 6 - DEX 8 - COOL 8 - TECH 7 - WILL 6 - LUCK 4 - BODY 4 - MOVE 6 - EMP 7

Netrunner - Interface 4

Skills

Awareness: Perception 6, Conceal/Reveal 6,

• Cat burglar: Athletics 6, Evasion 6, Stealth 6, Picklock 6, Pickpocket 6

• Spy: Acting 6, Persuasion 6, Conversation 6, Human Perception 6

• Combat: Handgun 6, Brawling 4, Concentration 2, Resist T&D 4,

• Misc: Education 2, Local expert 2, Streetlsang 2, First aid 2

Gears

• Cyberarm + Cyberdeck: a cyberdeck, but always with you and concealed - 1000eb

• Neural link + Reflex co-processor - 1000eb

• Dartgun

Mastermind thief

This one will not do everything by himself. He is the brain and will open doors / disable traps: Electronic/Security & Picklock. He will be a very dangerous one later. He has INT 10 under Boost, that's a Tactics & a Perception 16 at chargen. He can multiclass immediatly in Solo and reach insane level in Perception while improving his combat capabilities. Yes, he is weak in Social skills. You don't have to be good everywhere. That's fun to RP a very smart dude, but a socialy awkward one.

With Melee, Airhypo and Sedative he can try to oneshot takedown guards (Resist T&D DV15 for Sedative, better than DV13 for Sleep). He has also Brawling, and Athletics to use grenades. (all kind of grenade). With high level in tactics and a lot of combat tools, he will take the best tactical decision to help the group.

INT 8 - REF 4 - DEX 8 - COOL 2 - TECH 8 - WILL 8 - LUCK 4 - BODY 4 - MOVE 8 - EMP 8

Medecine 4 (Speedheal, Rapidetox, Stim, Sedative)

Skills

• Mastermind: Perception 6, Tactics 6

• Cat burglar: Athletics 6, Evasion 6, Stealth 6, Picklock 6, Electronic/Security 6

• Combat: Brawling 6, Melee 6, Concentration 2, Resist T&D 2

• Medic: First aid 4, Cybertech 6

• Misc: Persuasion 2, Conversation 2, Education 2, Human perception 2, Local expert 2, Streetlsang 2

Gears

• Cyberarm + Medscanner + Techscanner

• Tech tool + Med bag

• Blade

• Air hypo

• Boost + Prime time

Future gears

• Neural link

  • Reflex co-processor

  • Chipware socket

    • • Bureaucracy

      • Deduction

      • Cryptography

      • Conceal/Reveal

      • Lip reading

• Smart glass + Image enhance

• Linear frame

Thieves are fun to RP. Don't take all the spotlight with yours. I recommend playing them as a team. Else, try to be a team player as much as possible. You're not a D&D rogue. You're not a meme. You're an Edgerunner with Stealth/Undercover capabilities. But still an Edgerunner.