Do I need a hunter or thief to enter locked doors? If not, is it still useful to have one so I don't waste points identifying/opening chests?

Thanks.

Rob

Yes, however a Bard or Ninja will also work. (A summoned monster will not work for locked doors, but will for chests.)

Having a character who can deal with traps is helpful if you have someone with Mysterious Bag, and especially if you also have someone with Find Treasure as well. If you don't have Mysterious Bag, you'll likely run out of inventory space before you run out of High Portal casts. (Assuming you have an alchemist, of course.)

By the way, if you want a Ninja, don't bother creating one. Instead, find a suitable monster and Spirit Pact it. Red Caps are good early, while Dragonflys, Master Ninjas, and Brainslys are good later.