Thieving



Thieving is a members-only skill that allows players to obtain coins and items by stealing from market stalls, chests, or by pickpocketing non-player characters (NPCs). This skill also allows players to unlock doors and disarm traps. The skill of Thieving is designed to allow players the ability to earn quick money for small and sometimes large purposes instead of such skills of Mining and Woodcutting, for which it is best to pursue vast profit gaining in long periods of time.

Pickpocketing


This is the act of walking up to an NPC and right-clicking them, then selecting Pickpocket. In the case of the Master Farmer, only a single left click is required to attempt to pick his pocket. If successful, you will gain Thieving experience and possibly coins or various items. The higher the thieving level, the more NPCs the player is able to pickpocket from.

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 a Master Farmer will say "Cor blimey mate, what are ye doing in me pockets?" and will stun you for a few seconds and cause 1-7 damage (the higher the NPC's level, the harder they hit). Because of the possibility for damage, it is recommended that players bring health healing familiars, enchanted excalibur or food, such as cakes that can be stolen from cake stalls. You can successfully pickpocket an NPC even if they are looking right at you.

Also, if a player attempts to pickpocket an attackable NPC just before its death, the player thieving it will get a message saying: "Too late; they're dead."

The equipment that a player wears does not affect the success rate, aside from H.A.M. robes (when pickpocketing H.A.M. members), an Ardougne Cloak (although the Ardougne Cloak 1 and 2 enhance pickpocketing only in Ardougne), or Gloves of silence. However, equipping a Snowball, a salamandar without the tar needed, or a (cross)bow without projectiles makes it impossible to accidentally attack an NPC.

Thievable NPCs
See For Thieving_Activities a complete list of all Thievable NPCs

Stalls
For Further Details see: Thieving_Activities

Thievable stalls
For Further Details see: Thieving_Activities

Chests
For Further Details see: Thieving_Activities

Thievable chests
For Further Details see: Thieving_Activities

Doors
For Further Details see: Thieving Activities

Pickable doors
For Further Details see: Thieving Activities

Other
For Further Details see: Thieving Activities

Training strategies

 * The Thieving training page contains all the information on effective training.

Temporary boosts

 * A Bandit's 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 six levels.
 * The summer sqi'rk juice from the Sorceress's Garden minigame raises thieving by three.
 * The Thieving Fingers special move of a magpie will boost thieving by two (requires Summoning level 47).
 * Gloves of silence improve the success rate of pickpocketing. Gloves of silence are automatically destroyed after a player is caught around 50 times while pickpocketing with them. However, they can be repaired by using dark kebbit fur on them with a needle, thread, and knife in the inventory. (A Crafting level of 64 is required to accomplish this.)
 * The Abyssal Stealth special move of an Abyssal lurker can increase both thieving and Agility by four levels (requires Summoning level 62).
 * Operating the thieving cape will boost one's thieving level by one, from 99 to 100.
 * The Ardougne cloak 1 reduces your chance of being caught when stealing from the stalls in Ardougne market.
 * The Ardougne cloak 2 gives you a better chance of pickpocketing in Ardougne in addition to the bonus from the Ardougne cloak 1.
 * The Ardougne cloak 3 gives you a better chance of stealing and pickpocketing anywhere in Runescape.

Random events
There are two different random events that are specific to thieving, with one of them being a discontinued event.
 * Poison Gas - When thieving from a chest, a poison cloud may appear, which will poison your character. This event has been discontinued as of February of 2009.[Note you can still get poisoned from the chest if you do not disable the trap]
 * 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. It is possible for players to throw rotten tomatoes at the trapped player, although it won't do any damage.

Thieving minigames


There are a number of minigames that are based on, or include Thieving:
 * Pyramid Plunder - the desert city Sophanem has a pyramid where you can thieve for artefacts. 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 (see bottom of page).
 * Blackjack - Another Thieving activity in the desert where you can knock out and pickpocket bearded bandits, Pollnivneach bandits, Menaphite thugs, and villagers.
 * Rogue's Den - Traverse a maze with Thieving and Agility obstacles, earning modest experience in each skill, and also the chance of gaining Rogue equipment. Perhaps more interesting for thieves are the safes located within 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 fruits to make sq'irk juice. Requires patience, pestle and mortar, beer glasses, a bit of skill, and experience, but yields excellent experience, with moderate Farming experience also gained.  Has four levels each giving increased experience at levels 1, 25, 45, and 65.  Empty beer glasses can be obtained for free at the shelves at the Sorceress's house.  Also, a possible alternative source of Herb collecting. (Note: Completion of the Prince Ali Rescue quest is needed to play.)
 * Stealing Creation - A combat and skill game where you try to produce more clay items that the other team. In the game, you may pickpocket others to gain items from their inventory.

Trivia

 * 27 people have 200 million experience in thieving, the third most for any skill.
 * When stunned while pickpocketing, it is possible to eat food, bury bones, polish buttons, and drop items.
 * Contrary to popular belief, if you steal from a stall, log off and then log back on, you will NOT be able to trade the item you stole back to the stall owner from the stall.
 * The door in Port Sarim's jail can be picked. The door is available to all players. Free players can pick the door by talking to Shantay. This is done by telling him you're an outlaw. Shantay will send you to his jail, and when the player refuses to pay the fee to leave the jail, he/she will be sent to Port Sarim jail. The door can then be picked from the inside. Many people use this method to travel quickly to Port Sarim.
 * When thieving at the Nature Rune Chest, you can tell when to pick it again when it turns a darker colour.
 * Players used to be able to gain easy experience by locking the fur trader in East Ardougne in the house behind the stall and stealing from behind the fur stall. The fur trader is now immobile, consistent with the other vendors.