Alternative Thief Skills

Alternative Thief Skills
I know it's been done to death but I hate percentile skills so here's the thief skill variant that I use. Apologies to the person I lifted it from but I'm sure it's not original.

It is, however, dead simple: at first level all but one thief skill is successful on a throw of 1 or 2 on one six-sided die. The player chooses one special skill for his character and that succeeds on a 1, 2 or 3.

Each time the thief gains a level, the player increases the success range of one skill by one point. One caveat, the character must have at least 2 skills rated at just one point lower than his or her highest skill level.

If a thief is in danger of becoming so skilled that success seems assured there are  a few options.

1. Success is assured. When the character has perfected a skill (to the point where it's successful on a throw of 1 to 6), a die throw is no longer required, success is automatic. In theory this is the option I would use but I haven't had to yet. Your thief will be level 4 before he has a singe skill rated at 1 - 4 if the player chooses to specialise.

2. Capped skills. The maximum success range any skill can have is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. A throw of 6 always fails.

3. Fate conspires against even the mightiest. With a skill range of 1 to 6, the player throws two dice and is successful as long as double sixes don't come along.

I allow thieves to buy thieves' tools for 25 gold pieces. Tools may be used 3 times before their supplies are exhausted. Each use adds 1 to the success range of any one skill. So aside from lock picks, tools include black face paint (hiding); crampons (climbing); tiny listening trumpet (hear noise) and so on.

Thanks
Mike