Thieving is a members-onlyskill 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 current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 859,929) on the hiscores for Thieving is level 15. As of 04 February 2023, there are 115,999 current members that have achieved level 99 in Thieving.
Pickpocketing
A player successfully pickpockets a man.
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 10-50 life points (the higher the NPC's level, the harder they hit). This damage is not classified as melee damage, and Protect from Melee/Deflect Melee does not prevent the damage as such. Because of the possibility for damage, it is recommended that players bring healing familiars, enhanced excalibur, regen bracelet, or food such as cakes that can be stolen from cake stalls. The best food to bring is a basket of strawberries, because although you need to consume it in several bites, overall it heals more than rocktails. This is excellent for thieving as NPC's hit small amounts of damage. You can successfully pickpocket an NPC even if he or she is looking right at you, but if you pickpocket from the sides or from behind, the chances of getting caught are significantly reduced (this has not been confirmed).
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 salamander without the tar needed, or a (cross)bow without projectiles makes it impossible to accidentally attack an NPC.
A player reaches a level at which they can potentially gain triple loot from Master Farmers.
A player performing a double pickpocket.
As of the 19 January 2010 update, adventurers with high Agility and Thieving levels now stand a chance of pickpocketing double, triple or even quadruple the usual amount of loot from unsuspecting targets. When this happens, an animation with the player rapidly alternating his hands while pickpocketing the victim will be shown. A grab will be made for each bonus looting one does, and the hands will get a "sparkle" applied to them. Additional experience is NOT gained acquiring these random influxes of loot, only the standard amount of experience for a single pickpocket.
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 Hunter level of 54 is needed to wear and a Crafting level of 64 is required to accomplish this.)File:Thieving cape.PNG
A player wearing the Thieving Skillcape and the Thieving Hood
The Abyssal Stealth special move of an Abyssal lurker can temporarily increase both thieving and Agility by four levels (requires Summoning level 62).
Operating or equipping 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.
There are two different random events that are specific to thieving, with one of them being a discontinued event.
Poison Gas - At one point in time, it was possible to activate a poison gas trap upon opening a chest. To avoid this, players would have to merely exit the room.
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. However, players have been known to get it even when they are not thieving. The rotten tomatoes can be bought for 1gp each and can't be bought while you are currently in the cage.
This replaced the Watchman, who would attack players who were thieving when the event occurred. He had the same level as all other hostile random events. He was replaced due to complaints that he would kill the player too quickly, as many would not wear armour while pickpocketing.
Thieving activities
A player attempts to steal from the safe in the Rogue's Den.
There are a number of Activities that are based on, or include Thieving:
Pyramid Plunder - the desert city Sophanem has a pyramid where you can thieve for artefacts, including the Pharaoh's sceptre. 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 than the other team. In the game, you may pickpocket others to gain items from their inventory.
Strange rock
Although the examine of the Thieving Strange rock says "borrowed from a pocket" you can obtain it by picking pockets, stealing from stalls, and stealing from chests. Used to reconstruct a statue at the museum at Varrock, you have to get two from each skill.
Trivia
The first person ever to achieve #1 status in classic RuneScape was a player called Duckman.
After the release of the thieving skill a glitch pickpocketing knights enabled extremely fast experience gain. The discoverer of the glitch, Austrian, achieved this 99 shortly after Duckman.
The second person ever to achieve #1 in classic RuneScape and carried over into RuneScape 2 was a player named Polybren. He achieved this solely pickpocketing Paladins & Knights.
The current #1 Thief in RuneScape is a player named Herbaman. He achieved this solely by pickpocketing Knights.
Most of the newer Thieves have achieved 200 million experience by using Pyramid Plunder.
When stunned while pickpocketing, it is possible for you to do actions that don't require your character to move such as eat food, bury bones, drop items, etc.
The door in Port Sarim's jail can be picked from the inside. The door is available to all players. Any player can pick the door by talking to Shantay. This is done by telling him you are 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.
When you get Thieving experience from the Tears of Guthix activity, you will get the following message: "You feel your respect for others' property slipping away."
When you get a level-up on Thieving under level 50, the music sounds like a part of the Mission Impossible theme.
If your character is stunned and you use the Enhanced excalibur's special attack, the birds representing being stunned will disappear but you will not be able to move or pickpocket for the same amount of time.
When you complete While Guthix Sleeps, and you use 1 of your 100k xp on thieving you get the message:"You feel your respect for others' property slipping away."
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