Pickpocketing trainers

[Jon.Topps]

I did this all the time back in the day, and I was able to do it with the alchemist in Whiterun, but I can't do it with Vilkas. Any idea why? I see people online saying they're not able to do it either, but I am able to do it with the alchemist, so is it just dependent on the trainer or something?

[mikk011]

Trainers can only train in their own specialty, a set number of times per player level, and only a few trainers per skill can teach higher-level skills. See https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Trainer_(Skyrim) for details.

If any trainer you have dealt with behaves other than what the wiki says your game is bugged or a mod is affecting training.

[Jon.Topps]

Not sure if you follow what I'm asking, I'll try to be more specific.
When training with a trainer, you pay them gold, and the gold doesn't get deleted, it becomes part of their inventory. Because of this, many players would exploit this aspect in order to get both free training, and free levels in pickpocketing. I've done this with many trainers, getting pickpocketing to 100 multiple times over, which also helped level the more difficult skills, like twohanded and destruction. However, I've just trained with Vilkas, the gold did not go to his inventory, as it normally would, so I can't pickpocket it back. I see others complaining about this too. However, when training with the alchemist in Whiterun, the gold went to her inventory, and I could steal it back. I'm just wondering if this is a feature, where some of the NPCs no longer put it in their inventory, or something like that.

[mikk011]

I see. I don't do stuff like that so, alas, I can't address your problem.

[Vlad 254]

Originally posted by Jon.Topps:

I did this all the time back in the day, and I was able to do it with the alchemist in Whiterun, but I can't do it with Vilkas. Any idea why? I see people online saying they're not able to do it either, but I am able to do it with the alchemist, so is it just dependent on the trainer or something?

Must have been a long while since you last played. Are you using the Unofficial Patch?

[voehringer_nitron]

The Unofficial Patch prevents you from taking gold back from trainers who are also followers. It probably removes the gold from their inventory entirely so it can't be pickpocketed either.

[Vlad 254]

Originally posted by voehringer_nitron:

The Unofficial Patch prevents you from taking gold back from trainers who are also followers. It probably removes the gold from their inventory entirely so it can't be pickpocketed either.

Yep, that's the point. Another point is that this was implemented a long while back.

[Jon.Topps]

Originally posted by voehringer_nitron:

The Unofficial Patch prevents you from taking gold back from trainers who are also followers. It probably removes the gold from their inventory entirely so it can't be pickpocketed either.

Ahhhhh yes, Vilkas can be a follower, but the alchemist can't. That makes a bunch of sense. Kind of strange, but at least I know now, so I can figure out who the trick will still work for, so it's much easier moving forwards.
Thanks!