Pick Pockets

The ability to pick pockets extends far beyond reaching into a victim's coat pocket and removing its contents. It has many other applications, as listed below. Some of these applications can be reversed and are indicated below. For example, "Redo" is the opposite of "Undo."

· Undo/Redo: A bard can untie, unstring, unclasp, unbuckle, unbutton, etc., an item without being noticed.

· Palm/Place: Palming enables a bard's hand to be held naturally while looking empty, but it actually contains some item: cards, a dagger, a scroll, silverware, coins (up to 10 + 2/level), gems (up to 5 + 1/level), etc.

· Lift/Drop: Lifting is the art of removing small items from others' pockets, sleeves, girdles, packs, etc., without the victims noticing.

· Strip/Garb: If a bard removes any accessible item (small or large) from a sleeping person (swords, boots, hat, and so on) without waking the victim, he is stripping items from the victim.

· Sleight of Hand: This is a general category that enables a bard to transfer an item from one hand to another, make the item seem alive, make it vanish and reappear, cause it to appear behind another's ear, and so on.

· Adjust Items: This skill enables a bard to make subtle adjustments without being noticed. For example, a bard could slip a peg from hole 1 of some game into hole 2.

· Exchange: Exchange enables a bard to reach into a pile of coins and remove more than he places there or to drop in a gold but remove a platinum.

· Slit: Slitting is the art of cutting through straps or cutting holes in bags, garments, purses, pouches, etc., without being noticed.

Most of these pick pockets functions can be reversed. So doing requires a successful pick pockets roll. An example follows.

While enjoying a fancy dinner party, the bard, Rembam, may wish to frame the good cleric Baldwin as a thief. To do so he might undo Madam Morgava's necklace, lift it from her, then drop it in Baldwin's pocket (this process requires three pick pockets rolls).

Later Rembam could alter the topic of discussion to that of jewelry, causing Madam Morgava to notice her missing necklace. As soon as a large stir is made, Rembam might exclaim, "I noticed the good cleric here was doting over your person earlier. Perhaps we should ask him to empty his pockets."

Success/Failure/Detection: If a bard rolls equal to or below his pick pockets score, he succeeds in the attempt. If he rolls above his pick pockets score, he fails. However, success and failure are separate from being detected. A bard's attempt to lift a gem from a merchant's pocket might be detected regardless of whether the bard succeeds in his attempt.

Detection is determined by subtracting three times the victim's (or observer's) level from 100. If the bard's roll is equal to or above this number, his attempt is detected (regardless of the attempt's success or failure).

Table of Contents