MMORPG.com Final Fantasy XI Correspondent Wesley Bond writes this overview of the Theif career in Final Fantasy XI.

To steal or not to steal, that is the question. Thief is a class you are able to play from the start and do not have to unlock to play. The Thief is a very utilitarian job in the game of Final Fantasy XI and is handy both as a main and as a subjob. It can be used effectively in full parties, small parties and solo play. The role of a Thief in parties may be a lot different than you might think. For those that haven’t played you may think about stealing, for those with little experience with Thief you may think damage dealing but Thief is more than the sum of its parts, it’s about control. Thief gives you some nice options when facing down monsters that can really keep things humming in a group or give you the option to leave the situation in solo. Evasion and Agility are your friend and when others rely on heavy armor, you will really on speed and dodging incoming attacks.

So what does this job do?

Read A Look at the Thief