You can make a decent amount of money right from the start just by robbing everyone blind, even with zero points in Lockpicking and Sneak. I don't think it's particularly necessary to start out with a significant amount of money.
Of course, the problem is that eventually you run out of things to steal, and then it's quite possible to be screwed. So I do agree with the complaints about the unreliable vendors and low drop rates. At least one of these two problems needs to be addressed, preferably both. Random chance being a factor isn't a problem, but right now your entire ability to build a decent party hinges on it, and that's a bit too much.
I agree with the idea the original poster is trying to get across and I don't think stealing is the right answer here, particularly when the main characters have a conversation about that very subject and one of the two options is to keep their hands off the property of others. It seems silly to choose that option and then have no choice but to steal everything anyway.
I actually really dislike the way stealing works in this game. It seems like you can get away with taking anything as long as the owner doesn't have line of sight on you. You can walk into a building, speak with the owner, go around a corner and take everything that isn't nailed down and somehow get away with it. For some reason they can't put together the fact that you were the last person in the room before their pillows were stolen, shields removed from the walls, and collection of potions vanished from the shelves. Your reputation seems go unscathed, and that makes absolutely no sense.
