Veteran faction thief here (I used to be a full time faction thief on Baja).
Before Ninja was released, I utilized this template:
120 Stealing (so that I could steal in stat with stealing items)
120 Stealth (+15 item)
120 Spirit Speak
90 Snooping
100 Hiding
95 Magery
90 Detect Hidden
Magery was used solely in regard to escape sticky situations or to help out in a grinder (IE: E-field myself up/down a building, arch cure, gheal, mind blast, dispel field)
Snooping, because what thief back then didn't have it? (Plus one time, I stole 4 +25 stat scrolls from a guild that just finished a harry, and took a bit to long to get inside their GH)
Spirit speak so that I could find res points translate trash talk, and self heal.
Nowadays though, when I make a faction thief, I make it with the following skills
120 Stealing
120 Stealth
110 Ninja
100 Magery
100 Hiding
90 Detect Hidden
80 Tracking
720 Total
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60 Stealing (110 with Jewelery, Shadow Dancer Legs and Burglar's Bandana)
120 Stealth
120 Spirit Speak
120 Ninja
100 Hiding
100 Magery
100 Detect Hidden
720 Total
Some items that I also used to use: Teleport Rings (We didn't have Ninja then, so no shadow jump), Bracelet of Binding, Invisibility Items (Again, no ninja back then, no smoke bombs), a pile of snow (to get things on last target) and stylish double blessed clothing that matched a dark grey LRC suit.
Also I used to carry a 100% RPD suit with as much HPR as I could get on it (with the Bracelet of Health) because back then, there was no cap on RPD, and it did work to dexxers who would go after the thief that was on foot.