He can steal items from stores, as well as find important items out in The Lands. He also is the most knowledgeable of the familiars, and will be able to give important information and advice. He's weak in a fight, but tough to hit because he's so fast. If an NPC says something important, the journal will automatically make a note of it. There are not dialogue trees.
Combat takes place in real time and is pretty much point and click.
Combat is an important part of the game, and you'll have to fight to finish. As I said earlier, we think we've made one of the most accessible RPGs in existence. The interface is streamlined and customizable. The journal is literally a manual that builds itself. The automap is incredibly powerful.