Reputation and Stealing

[Playboy™]

Super confused, ive been reading a lot of different forums about losing reputation for stealing etc even when no one knows you stole something. Can anyone comment on whether this is true? I've never really been into stealing and pickpocketing but wanted to do it more in my next playthrough but wanted to know if this was the case.

[harisopsp]

STEALING : As fas as I am playing this game I have noticed that when I steal and nobody sees me, then it's ok, and always I checked and doublecheck before and after the act of stealing, so I can ensure you that when NOBODY is near you then you are clear as the blue sky!
But be careful with the following:
If you have low reputation at Rattay for example, and you steal something with nobody seeing you.....ok, you are clear......but because of your low reputation there is a chance of some guard to search you, not because of your stealing act but because of your low reputation, your are something like "black-listed"....so if he searches and finds out your lot you become red-handed and he tries to arret you, unless if you pay or persuade him that you are innocent.
PICKPOCKETING : It's the same with stealing, if nobidy sees you, you are ok! But when you are travelling and, for example, you meet up with a wayfarer.....you are only you and him at the middle of nowhere....and while you try to pickpocket him, you fail.....this guy will start run, so it's better to kill him, because if he manage to get away of you, he will go to the nearest city, probably he reports the incident, and, oops, you become red-handed in the middle of nowhere with no witnesses. Be careful also with this issue.

I have an opinion if you like about looting stores, e.x. tailor's shop at Sasau....you sneak into the shop, you check how many persons are sleeping there and you knocked them out, careful, do not kill them, so after that you have your field totally clear to loot up the entire shop! If you kill someone by accident it is possible from someone to hear the last gasp of the victim and come to the area of the incident, so after you will be seeing by some witness, and again you become a red-handed criminal.

I hope I 've being helpful

[Playboy™]

Thank you so much for the effort you put into the response. That cleared up all the stuff I wasn’t sure about and even taught me a thing or two!

[ScareCrow]

wearing a piece of clothing that you looted from a bandit will make the guards search you alot more often aswell, maybe its the conspic. rating or that the clothing was on a bandit I am not sure of, but it is def. not smart to wear those clothes, buy low consp clothes legit to be sure

[Turd King]

I read that even stealing without being caught has unintended effects. Such as Guards random searches.
I did a playthrough without stealing and never had a guard randomly search me.
I noticed Guards only searching me in towns I stole from.

[Count D'Cinamon]

well i've tried stealing in broad day light with the shop owner in the room next door. I close the door and clean up the room and dont seem to be searched or anything so i guess as long as no one see you, you are fine

[kaay]

The more you steal, the more often the guards will be performing searches.
Has nothing to do with reputation or being caught or seen stealing.
This system has been used in other a-rpgs like Gothic 3 for example.
The "logic" of this system is that as you keep stealing stuff, people will become aware there is a thief in town so the guards will do random searches more often.

What is different (and confusing) in this system is that in certain cases people will see you committing a crime but will not react directly, making you think you got away with it, but they will report you, so next day you will be tagged for jail time or fine paying, so at the next random guard interaction, you will be directly accused instead of being searched.

Also you dont lose reputation by stealing, if you are not getting caught, meaning you have to be careful when stealing, but also need the necessary charisma and perks that let you smooth talk the guards when they are trying to search you.

[ScareCrow]

Originally posted by kaay:

The more you steal, the more often the guards will be performing searches.
Has nothing to do with reputation or being caught or seen stealing.
This system has been used in other a-rpgs like Gothic 3 for example.
The "logic" of this system is that as you keep stealing stuff, people will become aware there is a thief in town so the guards will do random searches more often.

What is different (and confusing) in this system is that in certain cases people will see you committing a crime but will not react directly, making you think you got away with it, but they will report you, so next day you will be tagged for jail time or fine paying, so at the next random guard interaction, you will be directly accused instead of being searched.

Also you dont lose reputation by stealing, if you are not getting caught, meaning you have to be careful when stealing, but also need the necessary charisma and perks that let you smooth talk the guards when they are trying to search you.

Oh I must disagree there buddy, guards react to youre conspicous level aswell, the more suspicious you look the more likely they will search you, try drinking until youre dead drunk and see youre consp level rise and they will search you

[Duchess of Kvetch]

It’s probably a combination of factors. But what Kaay says about the theft level increasing “stop and frisk” chance has been repeated many other places, so I tend to think it may be the strongest variable.

[philhinton71]

Originally posted by Turd King:

I read that even stealing without being caught has unintended effects. Such as Guards random searches.
I did a playthrough without stealing and never had a guard randomly search me.
I noticed Guards only searching me in towns I stole from.

The more crimes you commit, even without being seen will increase the guards presence in the area, and they are more likely to "stop and search". I've not done the Vagabound quest in Rattay so the town is fairy easy going, some times there's not even guards on the gates.

[ScareCrow]

would be nice to get it confirmed from the devs how this mechanic is, could it be that if you have an item marked as stolen, in youre inventory, horse or chest that triggers the risk of being frisked/searched?