When your opponent is someone like the Chieftain, who is definitely stronger than your character, you should try to obtain things from him secretly (the Chieftan is not famous for his generosity).
To do this, sneak up on him and click on the "Use/Steal" icon. You'll see the cursor change shape. When it does, click on the character you want to steal from.
Note: to issue the "steal" command, you must select a single character. If you select more than one the "Use/Steal" icon is unavailable.
