So how exactly do you pickpocket effectively?

[Arthur Morrigan]

I read that I should be hexing who I'm robbing, however whenever I do that, they become hostile. I'm currently casting Blessing of the Trickster on Astarion and having him pickpocket in a room I've snuffed all the candles in. Is there more I should be doing?

[Grumpy Old Guy]

long story short if you just cat's grace the pickpocket and guidance them and then use fog cloud to cover them you should be good. Maybe bardic inspiration if you have it.

Unfortunately the DC's of some of those pickpocket attempts are stupidly high. Like 25-30 high, and even with all the buffs you can manage you still have a really good chance of failing.

[Metrod125]

I think someone wrote an entire guide about how to effectively pickpocket.
But the basic gist is this: every slight of hand bonuses you have will apply to the pickpocket roll, including advantage.

[Naamtar]

Invisibility :) Shift+Spacebar to activate turn based mode, so that it does not run out while you're pick pocketing.

[FireGryph]

My issue is that even if you successfully pick someones pocket, they always notice something is missing and bee-line it right for you to question you anyways.

[OyajiBR☕]

Talk to the NPC you want to steal from, then select another character with the menu on the low left corner, crouch and steal while the NPC talks to your other character. I do that with my half-elf druid and Astarion.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

Origineel geplaatst door FireGryph:

My issue is that even if you successfully pick someones pocket, they always notice something is missing and bee-line it right for you to question you anyways.

Turn based mode. You can steal repeatedly in it and then when you finish up book it because time doesn't pass on your turn. Then there's the dialogue trick where you talk to them with another character and steal from them and they won't notice till you break dialogue and walk away.

[victorvnv]

Even if you are really bad at it you still have 1/20 chance for critical success and steal.

Naturally it’s a save/ load game but some vendors will straight up atack you if they find you so you need to have a good exit strategy like successful steal then right away fast travel away.

In moonrise towers I had this issue with the bugbear vendor that he would atack in sight even if he doesn’t find my rogue but just randomly sees my other characters in the next room who had nothing to do with the theft.

So make sure no one from your party is around when trying ti pickpocket then save/load and use whatever advantages you have

[Kaze]

So. I can empty a merchant's inventory at level 3 as long as I don't roll a critical fail which is usually every time. So if you don't want to save scum: Take Aaron at the Grove for example. Talk to Roland and co. to get them to go down the hill, then split your rogue from the rest of the party and enter sneak with them. Buff them with Cat's Grace and Guidance. Enter Turn-based Mode. Pickpocket (action) will open Aaron's inventory and you can keep stealing stuff till you roll a 1, at which point he sends you to Jail. Escape Jail. Exit Turn-based mode. Wait for the fugitive timer to wear off. Repeat as necessary.

There are some merchants that are damn near impossible to do this to unless you also apply invisibility or some type of obscure, I usually just use these merchants (i.e. Goblin Trader in Goblin Camp) to sell all the stolen stuff to.

[yoot]

Origineel geplaatst door Susan:

I read that I should be hexing who I'm robbing, however whenever I do that, they become hostile. I'm currently casting Blessing of the Trickster on Astarion and having him pickpocket in a room I've snuffed all the candles in. Is there more I should be doing?

Use guidance, get gloves of thievery and smuggler's ring, lock the npc in dialogue with a different character or use turn-based mode, invisibility if the npc is constantly being watched, and if you want to steal gold easier you can split their gold stack in the trading window.

[Arthur Morrigan]

Origineel geplaatst door yoot:

if you want to steal gold easier you can split their gold stack in the trading window.

oh ♥♥♥♥

[Zoid13]

buy everything, steal back the gold (less stealing involved, less chance of getting caught)
turn based mode for freezing patrols and turning NPC's
dash away while in turn based mode then deactivate and run a little further. you'll be gone by the time they start looking around.

[BeautifulFlowerField]

Pickpocketing is just a way to save time, it doesn't show you DC btw it shows you what you need to actually roll. So if it says 12 and your bonus is +5 the DC is actually 17, it's stupid. You get so so so much gold now since the patch, it was already abundant if you sell all the enemy equips plus paintings/gems/silver plates/etc. It's way faster to warp back and forth from camp selling your loads of daggers, swords, crossbows, leather armors, etc. than it is to set up an elaborate pickpocket. Just grab some easy stuff now and then for convenience sake unless you're really into the roleplay of it.

[Fringehunter7719]

Basically you want anything which increases Dex ability modifier or sleight of hand modifier, proficiency and expertise in sleight of hand, advantage on sleight of hand or dex checks (enhance ability dex does this, for example) and the guidance cantrip (this is concentration, so it can't be provided by the same person who does enahnce ability if you use that).

You can easily make everyone look away with minor illusion and/or a bard's class ability to perform music. Have your thief already in hiding, then enter turn based mode when everyone looks away.

You can block sightlines with fog cloud in some situations if needed.

Stealing is disgustingly easy when you combine some of these things!

[6h0$t942]

Hide--turn based--steal--f8 as needed. If guidance works use that. Gloves of power, dex boosting. After stealing quickly leave turn based and waypoint away with the thief. The target will investigate the "innocent" party members and let you go without rolling.
Some places this doesnt apply. The "merchant" hideout in act 1, if you steal there you are always guilty, regardless of party member.

[CorwynCorey]

Ok... there are a few tricks mentioned here... but the absolute best is simple.And it relies on what makes stealing difficult... one of the things that raises the dc initially.

Before the attempt, trade with them. Buy everything you want, with cash.

Then, before leaving the barter window, split their gold. Repeat until you have many many small gold piles... under 50 for sure, closer to 10-15 ideally. Because the DC is directly related to value. Small piles are easy. Huge ones hard. Send the non-stealing party members as far away as possible.

When they have all of your cash, make sure that the thief has advantage (cat's grace or gloves of thievery) and any bonuses possible (guidance and the shapeshifter's ring, for example).
Then;

Make sure no one can see you in their vision cone.
Hide.
Start the pickpocket.
Then when you are at full actions etc, enter turn based.
Steal all the little piles of gold (often needing a target of 1. With advantage you will fail so rarely it hardly matters) till you have them all.
While still in turn based, stop the steal, and move away. Use that thief dash if you are a rogue... and the second if a thief. Or use a spell like dimension door, misty step etc.
once far enough away, wait a while. Eventually they stop searching.
After that you are safe.