Thieving

Thieving is a members skill that allows players to make money by stealing from market stalls, chests, or by pickpocketing NPCs. This skill also allows players to unlock doors and disarm traps.

Pickpocketing


This is the act of walking up to an NPC and right clicking to pickpocket them. If successful, you will gain thieving experience and possibly coins or various items. However, it is possible for the NPC to notice a pickpocket, in which case the NPC will yell "What do you think you're doing!" or some other surprised saying and stun you for four seconds, hurting you for a low number of hitpoints. Because of the possibility for damage, it is recommended that players bring food. The equipment that a player wears does not affect the success rate, aside from H.A.M. clothing. However, equipping a bow without arrows makes it impossible to accidently attack an NPC.

Stalls
There are a large number of stalls throughout RuneScape, although many of them are in the Ardougne Market. To steal from a stall, simply click on it. The player will then steal the item, or if he is in the line of sight of the stall owner or any nearby guards, he may be prevented by stealing and attacked. Because of this, it is recommended that the player thieve from a side of a stall that is well-hidden from the owner and guards. When the item is stolen, it will take a short period of time to respawn. It should be noted you may not buy from or sell to the stall owner for 10 mins after last theft from their stall type.

In RuneScape Classic, the player has to wait 24 hours. Also in RuneScape Classic, the baker in Ardougne will not know if a player steals his cakes.

Chests
There are chests scattered throughout RuneScape. Some chests will have traps on them, to disarm them using the thieving skill, right-click on the chest and select "Search for traps" to allow you character to disarm the trap and obtain the items inside. After a player thieves from a chest, he will need to wait for a short period of time before he can again thieve from the chest.

Doors
Certain doors in RuneScape can not be opened by players unless the lock is picked. In order to pick a lock, right-click on a door and select "Pick Lock". If the player has the required thieving level, the door will then be opened. Some doors will require a lockpick to successfully pick the lock.

Temporary boosts

 * A Bandit's Brew brew, purchased at the desert bandit camp for 650 coins will boost thieving by one.
 * A yellow spicy stew has the potential to raise or lower the thieving level by up to 6 levels.
 * The summer sqi'rk juice from the Sorceress's Garden minigame increases thieving level by 3 levels.

Random Events
There are three different random events that are specific to thieving.
 * Watchman - A watchman may attempt to arrest a player and begin to attack him or her. This event has been discontinued.
 * Poison Gas - When thieving from a chest, a poison cloud may appear, which will poison your character.
 * Pillory - It is possible that your character will be teleported to a pillory in Yanille, Varrock, or Seer's Village, where shapes must be matched in order to pick the lock and return to where your character was thieving.
 * When picking pockets in the HAM Dungeon, it is possible to get knocked-out and thrown out of the dungeon.

Thieving Mini Games
It is possible to play mini games which also give thieving experience.
 * Pyramid Plunder - the desert city Sophanem has a pyramid where you can thieve for artifacts. As you get further into the Pyramid, higher thieving is required but it brings increasing amounts of thieving experience. One of the fastest methods to train thieving.
 * Black Jack - Another thieving activity in the desert.
 * Rogue's Den - Traverse a maze with thieving and agility obstacles. Modest experience. More interesting for thieves is to open the safes in the dungeon. Good for experience and for the gems that you obtain as loot.
 * Sorceress's Garden - An interesting game where you dodge guards and try to get fruit.