Skill Overview
Ah, so you want to learn the 'trade' do ya? Well, trust an old thief when I tell you that you're in for a rough time starting out if you aren't careful about how ya practice and who ya practice on. Pickpocketing can be a great way to earn some coin, or earn a lot of crusty robes and moldy bread when you get tossed in the slam. With enough practice, why a proper thief could steal just about anything. You just have to have patience and know the right people.
We highly recommend checking out some of our guides on starting out as a thief, you can find the entire series here: The Way of the Thief - A Guide to Learning the Trade. We also have a guide for setting up some useful macros for thieves here: Thieves Macro Guide.
This skill set is best complemented by knowledge of Setups.
| Skill Info | Ranks Taught by Trainer | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skills/Actions | Difficulty | Prerequisite | Hidden Iridine Trainer 1 | Hidden RV Trainer 2 |
| Pickpocketing | Easy | - | 50 | 200 |
| Quick Grab | Easy | - | 50 | 150 |
| Coin Sharpening | Easy | - | 50 | 150 |
| Palm | Easy | - | 50 | 150 |
| Cut and Lift | Average | - | 25 | 150 |
| Handoff | Average | - | 25 | 150 |
| Receive Handoff | Average | - | 25 | 150 |
| Slice Strap | Average | 10 Ranks in Cut and Lift | 25 | 10 |
| Loose Lift | Impossible | - | - | 150 |
| Knife Lift | Difficult | - | - | 10 |
| Sword Lift | Impossible | - | - | 10 |
| Silent Slip | Average | - | - | 10 |
| Silent Draw | Average | - | - | 10 |
1 Shh! It's a secret! Look for a rat holding a glass of posca in the harbor.
2 Shh! It's a secret! May a torch bracket light your way to wisdom in the Northeast area of town.
Notes on Learning
- If you're looking to learn skills or lessons that are not taught by NPC trainers, you may wish to discreetly inquire about them to one of the Criminal Orgs. It has always been said that certain people with the right connections can learn a good deal more in the art of stealing. Though sometimes it's best to let them find you, rather than seeking them out yourself.
Notes on Sliceability
- Wearables that can be stolen using the skills noted here: large sacks, backpacks, pouches, bags/boxes/tubes, gourds
- Wearables that cannot be stolen using the skills noted here: short bows, jewelry, wearable lockpicks, wearable keyrings, wearable vials
Objects must be visible to be stolen. Wearing a paenula, sagum, cloak, or similar object over the top of any of these items prevents them from being stolen with the skills listed here.
Skill Details
#Quick Grab grab <object> from <target>
A simple, but highly visible move that just about every thief knows from the start - after all, which of ya hasn't had to steal a bit of bread from a merchants hands in order to have a meal for the day? The problem is snatching something out of someone's hands is not the least bit subtle. They're going to notice you take it, and probably call for a guard if you're really unlucky. Be prepared to spend some time in the slam until you master this maneuver and the art of running away quickly.
Visibility
- Target: Visible.
- Public: Visible.
Useful Targets
- A Servant - Good for a meal if you're hungry, usually they'll carry bags or baskets of food in their hands and can be found in a variety of places.
- A Worker - Workers generally carry iron tools for use in their trade, if you're hard up for coin starting out, you can grab these and sell them to Cadmus at Bronze Lane.
- A Miner - Mostly found in Monlon, they carry a variety of tools in their hands, including lanterns.
- A Fisherman - Hungry, know how to fish, and don't want to pay for a pole? Problem solved. Also known to carry fresh caught fish, lantern oil, and other useful bits.
When you see this in use you see:
> grab shovel from worker
TBC
#Coin Sharpening sharpen <coin>
A sharpened coin is one of the most valuable tools a thief has at his disposal. Easily concealed by palming, a sharpened coin can be used to cut straps from coin pouches, or perhaps even to slice traps on heavier objects. Just be careful not to get caught with one in your possession or a grumpy constable might charge you with Destruction of Public Property over defacing a sen. This skill is not overly useful from a training perspective, unless you like cutting up your currency and rendering good coin useless for buying (No merchants will accept a sharpened coin for currency, so don't be so hasty about sharpening those golden cents unless you've got plenty of em to spare).
Visibility
- Public: Visible.
Required Tools: a small blade (wielded)
When you see this in use you see:
> sharpen sen
TBC
#Palm palm <object>
Palming is the absolute easiest way for a young thief to hone their dexterity and skill at the 'trade'. You simply conceal an object in the palm of your hand where it won't be easily noticed by anyone else. It's easy, it's tedious, but it's safe and won't get you arrested. But it might get you funny looks if you do it in front of the Stone Toga Inn. Use your noggin, think like a thief, and do it where someone isn't liable to walk in on you unless you plan on getting branded as a thief right from the start.
Visibility
- Public: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
Once an item is palmed, to reveal it again, use the unpalm <object> command.
When you see this in use you see:
> palm sen
TBC
#Cut and Lift lift <pouch> from <target>
Ahh, now here is the bread and butter of a decently trained thief. Lifting a pouch from an unsuspecting mark is by far the easiest and quickest way to getting the coin you need for all your little roguish dreams. Combined with a few useful skills in Setups, you can make very good money utilizing this particular maneuver. And the best part is, once you're skilled enough in it, the mark will never notice their pouch is missing til you're long gone and moving on to your next target. Learn this, master it, use it wisely, and you'll never go hungry again.
Visibility
- Target: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
- Public: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
Required Tools: a sharp object (blade or coin) in-hand.
Useful Targets
- A Patrician - Often known to carry large amounts of coin, these marks can be found in the forums during the day and certain other locales at all hours.
- A Prostitute - While I myself would frown upon taking from a working girl, their pouches do tend to be overflowing with coin if you find them at the right time of day.
- A Trader - While lifting won't be able to get a hold of their gem pouches, you can still lift their coin purse with ease.
When you see this in use you see:
> lift pouch from Lorican
TBC
#Handoff handoff <object> to <target>
A simple way to subtly give an object to another person. Useful for when you're working side by side with another thief and need to get rid of something before a mark takes notice of ya. Also good for training if you've got a similarly skilled partner.
Visibility
- Target: Visible.
- Public: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
When you see this in use you see:
> handoff pouch to Drunser
TBC
#Receive Handoff receive <target>
The second step to a successful Handoff, this maneuver will let you secretly accept an object from someone trying to hand it to ya on the sly. Both maneuvers are required in order for this exchange to be effective - and completely unnoticed to anyone around you if done right.
Visibility
- Target: Visible.
- Public: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
When you see this in use you see:
> handoff pouch to Drunser
TBC
#Slice Strap slice <container> from <target>
Similar to Cut and Lift, Slice Strap allows you to remove a sack, bag or larger pouch from a target.
Visibility
- Target: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
- Public: Visible.
Required Tools: a sharp object (blade or coin) in-hand.
When you see this in use you see:
> slide sack from Glenh
[Success: 1, Roll: 68] You cut the strap on a black homespun wool large sack and snatch it away from Glenh.
#Loose Lift llift <weapon> [from] <target>
As simple as it sounds, you lift a weapon from your target's belt hoop.
Visibility
- Target: TBC
- Public: TBC
When you see this in use you see:
> llift axe from Dragaxus
TBC
#Knife Lift klift <weapon> from <target>
As simple as it sounds, you lift a knife or dagger from your target's sheath.
Visibility
- Target: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
- Public: Visible.
When you see this in use you see:
> klift dagger from Trycho
[Success: 20, Roll: 63] You start to pull a retalq dagger from its sheath, hesitate for a moment, then continue until it's firmly in hand.
> klift dagger from Thryn
[Success: 50, Roll: 10] You grab hold of the handle of a retalq dagger but don't do a very graceful job of it and lose your grip.
#Sword Lift slift <gladius> from <target>
As simple as it sounds, you lift a gladius from your target's scabbard.
Visibility
- Target: On Success - Hidden. On Failure - Visible.
- Public: Visible.
When you see this in use you see:
> slift gladius from Kered
[Success: 56, Roll: 94] You start to pull an a retalq gladius from its sheath, but lose your grip for a moment before regaining it and liberating an a retalq gladius.
> slift gladius from Rizer
[Success: 56, Roll: 5] You reach out to grab hold of an a retalq gladius, but totally miss your mark and nearly fall down.