Stealing

Stealing
Type	Skill
Effect type	Activated
Range	Personal
Activation	0
Cooldown	10s
Description	The character is quick enough to pilfer small items from others, whether friendly or hostile, so long as they are not too alert.

See Also Skills, Coercion, Stealing, Trap-Making, Survival, Herbalism, Poison-Making, Combat Training, Combat Tactics.

Information

This skill gives a character the ability to pickpocket NPCs (including some very profitable targets). Use caution; there might be consequences to failed stealing attempts, especially in Denerim and Lothering. For example, stealing widely in Denerim playing on normal or hard level can lead to assaults by 10-20 guards (swords & bows) at random moments as you try to move round the city. Furthermore certain NPCs may refuse to interact with the player, preventing the initiation of side quests.

A character with the Dwarf Commoner Origin automatically starts with one rank in this skill.

Stealing can be improved by increasing the skill itself, raising the character's Cunning, and making an attempt while Stealthed. (See for details.)

Prior to game version 1.04, it was possible to assign Stealing as an action through certain Combat Tactics configurations, yielding results if the character in question had all 4 tiers of the skill. This functionality was removed (without documentation) in the 1.04 patch.

Tiers

Stealing	Activated Range: Personal Activation: 0 Cooldown: 10s Requires: 10 Cunning	The character is quick enough to pilfer small items from others, whether friendly or hostile, so long as they are not too alert.
Improved Stealing	Upgrade Requires: 12 Cunning	The character has become a subtler thief, making attempts at stealing more likely to succeed.
Expert Stealing	Upgrade Requires: 14 Cunning	The character is so quick-fingered that victims almost never notice the theft until it's too late.
Master Stealing	Upgrade Requires: 16 Cunning	The character is a world-class thief, able to distract and mislead the poor mark, even during combat.

Notable Thefts

For Full List Stealing: Profitable Targets.

• Crime Wave — one of two quest lines requires that the Warden have at least one rank in Stealing.
• Hardy's Belt from Quartermaster in Ostagar.
• Headband from Sanga, madam of The Pearl in Denerim.
• Imperium Crossbow from a merchant in Lothering.
• The Notes of Arl Foreshadow, an easter egg within Summoning Sciences.
• Thorn of the Dead Gods from Lord Dace in either Orzammar Royal Palace or Diamond Quarter^{[confirmation needed]} .
• Tiara from Habren in Denerim Market District.

Notes

• There are confirmed consequences to failed attempts:
  • A soldier at Ostagar will complain to Duncan about the Warden, who will in turn rebuke you the next time you talk to him.
  • The Dalish in the Brecilian Forest could stop trading (and speaking) with the party.
  • Failed attempts in the Dalish Camp can result in an ambush by a party of Dalish hunters, led by Melora. This will be a random encounter in Wooded Hills, often between Denerim and the Brecilian Forest.
  • Several large parties of guards will accost the Warden in random encounters traveling around Denerim if failed theft happens in the Denerim Market District (up to three times).
  • Knights from Redcliffe Castle also might become hostile.
  • Some players report evidence that Lothering becomes inhospitable after too many successful thefts.
  • Guards in Orzammar also might become hostile.
  • Greagoir will scold the Warden if he witnesses a theft attempt prior to clearing the Circle. (May also happen afterwards^{[confirmation needed]} )
• The relevant file is skill_stealing.nss (which can be read/adjusted using the Toolset).
• Most characters can be robbed only once, but some can be robbed multiple times; if they move into a new area or something has happened in the plot. Example: Murdock can be robbed in the village square before the The Attack at Nightfall, and again afterwards when he's in the chantry.