The Joy of Sticks (CTH)

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This section details several uses for poles, staves, or stout sticks, many of which can obviously be improvised as and when necessary. PC thieves might, however, prefer suitably modified poles ready to hand in case of urgent need!
==Blade Pole==
This is a substitute for a polearm, but is not used as a combat weapon. Rather, a small blade is wedged into one end of a pole, and this is used for cutting objects at a distance. The most notable use for the blade pole is in cutting trip wires (e.g., at a distance if the thief is unsure whether traps may be triggered).
==Climbing Pole==
This has to be a stout, strong pole, 10 feet long or so, to be of any real use. It has notches cut into it at regular intervals (approximately every 2 feet) to enable the thief to climb using it. It must be set at a suitable angle against the wall, or else it cannot be employed. Thieves will not often have use for such an item, but it has its uses for dealing with very slippery or smooth surfaces, walls made with broken glass shards in the mortar, and similar unusual cases.
==Hooked Pole==
A strong hook is set into the end of the pole, which has several uses. The first is to yank discovered trip wires, if this is what the thief wishes to do, although a blade pole is usually superior for dealing with such problems. The more common use, though, is to use the hook to catch on objects so they can be retrieved. Depending on the size of the hook, anything from a key ring or small jewelry casket (hooked through the catch) to a rich man's joint of beef can be purloined by the thief. At the DM's option, a skill check (a pick pockets roll) may be required for success. In medieval England, fishing through windows with hooked poles was so common that a subclass of thief who made a living in this way was commonly known and called "the hooker."
==Mirror Pole==
This uses mirrors at both ends of the pole, set at a suitable angle so that the thief can peer, periscope-like, around corners using the instrument.