Best way to steal thoughts.

[Aemoh87]

The title says a lot but when I say best I mean best way without dedicating a character to it. I am building a character who is practically a pacifist who is only interested in stealing things. He specializes in Disarm and Sleight of Hand, and is really built around these things. Currently he is a Gnome but that could be up for change. But I want a reliable way that he could steal secrets from the people he knows them so that there is nothing he cannot steal. Items, quick dips, PrCs, Feats. Whatever you have for me, just nothing that requires he is over level 12 or over 30k in gold.

[Cog]

Cabinet Trickster from Races of Eberron comes to mind. Supernatural Detect Thoughts as the spell, with the DC based on a 5-level PrC; normally that cuts you short, but at least it beats out what's otherwise a second level spell (and just two levels of the PrC gets you even with the spell). Starts out with limited uses, but if you take the whole class you get unlimited use.

[VarianArdell]

if race is subject to change, you could always be a doppelganger. detect thoughts as a supernatural ability; heck, the ability to "borrow" someone's body. seems like the obvious choice.

[Aemoh87]

What's the LA on Doppleganger though?

[VarianArdell]

What's the LA on Doppleganger though?

LA +4, and 4 RHD...

[Admiral Squish]

Cabinet Trickster from Races of Eberron comes to mind. Supernatural Detect Thoughts as the spell, with the DC based on a 5-level PrC; normally that cuts you short, but at least it beats out what's otherwise a second level spell (and just two levels of the PrC gets you even with the spell). Starts out with limited uses, but if you take the whole class you get unlimited use.

This. However, I prefer to take it a step further. Throw on levels of Mindspy afterwards. The first level gives you the ability to concentrate on your detect thoughts as a free action, so you can actually use your detect thoughts in combat. With the at-will uses from Cabinet Trickster, combined with the thought tricks, you can be constantly scanning four minds at once, getting surface thoughts in a single round, gaining bonuses against the target whose minds you're reading, and spamming out save-or-stun effects every round, plus any sneak attacking you could do anyways. It's usable at 11, and hits full power at 15. Plus, with changeling, you can throw in the aforementioned ability to 'steal' people's faces.

[Aemoh87]

This requires being a changling though. Any other ideas? I would be really nice if they were ones that didn't involve just surface thoughts since hypothetically some one could hide their secrets by thinking about something else. This is defiantly something some one would do if they knew I was detecting their thoughts.

[Jack_Simth]

This requires being a changling though. Any other ideas? I would be really nice if they were ones that didn't involve just surface thoughts since hypothetically some one could hide their secrets by thinking about something else. This is defiantly something some one would do if they knew I was detecting their thoughts.

Well, if you're worried about that level, there's Dominate Person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dominatePerson.htm). Order them to give you their secrets. Bard-4, Sor/Wiz 5 - so a Bard can have it at the same level as a Sorcerer, and the Bard also gets access to Disguise, Slight of Hand, Hide, Move Silently, et all. A Beguiler probably does it slightly better, though.

[Amphetryon]

Check out Cognition Thief, PGtF, chapter 10.

[Aemoh87]

Oh man I forgot about all the weird stuff in the back of that book. Maiden of pain... lol. But this is alittle bit to much of a character investment for me.

[Cog]

In addition to what Jack_Simth said, the problem with getting deeper thoughts is that it's a correspondingly higher spell equivalent, and so it's going to require more than a couple class levels to get such an ability. His class suggestions work; alternatively, UMDing wands of relevant spells can get you there.

A big defense against people thinking about other things is them not knowing you have the ability. Cabinet Trickster's Su ability, versus Cognition Thief's Sp ability, takes care of that (although Read Thoughts is a stronger ability than Detect Thoughts). Also, note that there is no Psionic Blast power in 3.5 psionics, so that class is impossible even to qualify for without a rewrite.

[Aemoh87]

God I love the 3.0 Faerun books. If you wanna know what good intentions look like, it's right there. Big plans... little follow through... but still amazingly good books purely out of sheer will.

But yes I realize I am looking for some powerful stuff. And I am not dismissing any ideas, in the end I am going to see what is the most useful/reasonable and run with it. Odds are I am going to wind up depending on an item for this, but I would really prefer not too. What do you do though, big guns don't come cheap.