Burglary: How to play an acclomplished thief

[AreteX]

I think random break-ins are something that people MIGHT do, but the risk involved with randomly going into someone's apartment seems to outweigh the potential for reward.  If you break into an apartment and you have no idea who lives there, or what you will even be able to steal it would seem a little reckless.

I think a burglar should find a target and perhaps even become friendly with them, hell, visit their apartment and take a look around!  Smile and sit on their couch, drink their wine, catch peeks at the stuff they have...  Then take it all in the middle of the night when you know they have the night-shift for guard duty at the noble-house they work for!

I think people might not do enough of the ROLEPLAY part of burglarizing people's stuff.  The part where you watch someone.  See their rings.  Notice them wearing different clothes everyday, silks and such.  But then, you find out while watching in Red's that they aren't THAT powerful, just rich for some reason.   Then you stalk them, find out they live someplace and rob them.

The random break-ins seems more to me like a group of people who run up inside a house caring not for people being home, and if they are, even better.  They can beat 'em and mug them too.  Take all their shit.  Kill them with bone swords maybe.  That seems like a house-storming move more than a burglar's idea of a good mark.


So, to Summarize:  A burglar is more than just picking the lock and taking shit afterwards.  The roleplay really could occur days and weeks BEFORE the actual burglary.  And if more people did this I think we would have less complaints about burglars and random break-ins and more stories about someone getting "wiped out" because a burglar did their research and knew just when and what specifically to take to gain the most profit.

[Bacon]

That's one way of doing it for sure. In real life though burglars tend to watch the place and not tail a person when looking for a target. Really the biggest gripe most people have is having their apartment completely cleaned out which really shouldn't happen most of the time. Burglars usually break in, grab a few things that are worth something and get out before the owner returns. You'll never hear me OOCly gripe about being burglarized so long as they didn't unrealistically clean my place out and even then, if they left my place unlocked, I don't know that the neighbors didn't take advantage and clean me out.

[Dakkon Black]

I think more people should make small IC mistakes a bigger part of their RP. Like leaving that 53 coins in your inventory when you are shit-faced at the bar, instead of put coins pack. Close pack. Every time you spend a coin. (not saying everyone does this, but it is a common and tempting habit, and probably appropriate for some people's IC mentalities and OCD's.)

Hell, some of my chars carry money in their inv at all times for reasons like maybe they were too dumb/naive about cities pickpockets not to.

Just saying, I feel like I haven't seen an elf, or a pickpocket since I started playing this game. Maybe that kind of change would help make pickpockets visible/popular again? I'm sure there's other ideas that would help too.

[My 2 sids]

I think more people should make small IC mistakes a bigger part of their RP. Like leaving that 53 coins in your inventory when you are shit-faced at the bar, instead of put coins pack. Close pack. Every time you spend a coin. (not saying everyone does this, but it is a common and tempting habit, and probably appropriate for some people's IC mentalities and OCD's.)

Hell, some of my chars carry money in their inv at all times for reasons like maybe they were too dumb/naive about cities pickpockets not to.

Just saying, I feel like I haven't seen an elf, or a pickpocket since I started playing this game. Maybe that kind of change would help make pickpockets visible/popular again? I'm sure there's other ideas that would help too.

The problem is, it's all a great big world -- until there's a thief.  Suddenly, everything shrinks down to a handful of PCs and the thief is quickly put to death.

[number13]

Just saying, I feel like I haven't seen an elf, or a pickpocket since I started playing this game. Maybe that kind of change would help make pickpockets visible/popular again? I'm sure there's other ideas that would help too.

The only thing that would cause a noticeable spike in the picking of pockets in-game would be a change to the code.  Either critical failure as a pickpocket should be quite rare, or the WTFPWN guards shouldn't care so much about petty theft.  Maybe a new SEMI-WANTED status that removes your protection under the crime code (so victims can choose to retaliate), but doesn't send in the hordes of half-giants.

Otherwise there are going to continue to be two kinds of pickpockets:  The very rare ones that spend X days boring themselves into a stupor practicing the skill on inanimate targets, and (2) the more frequent variety that ends up on the corpse pile before they've played a day or two.

The ridiculous risk of using the steal skill untrained is actually why burglars are so much more common. A burglar can actually practice their craft, do something actually sneaky (albeit with a slim chance of success) at day 1 without automatically bringing down the wrath of Tek. That's sort of backwards, imo. A guy breaking and entering seems more criminal to me than a guy trying to steal some string out of a half-breed's pocket.

[My 2 sids]

^---   yes.  this.
Thank you number13

[AreteX]

Victims retaliating seems like the likely solution.

I dont see the entire city militia and soldiers coming to take away that pickpocket who failed to steal 5 coins from someone's pouch.  Seriously.  Especially in this setting where you have sorcerer's and other shit to worry about!

I don't want to turn this thread from its original subject but I think it would be really great if the chance of someone noticing you taking something when you fail to take anything was MUCH lower, perhaps even the ability to modify a message when stealing.

For instance:  steal amos coins say (as he bumps into ~amos and frowns with a wave towards ~bartender) Feckin' drunk as shit!  Lemme buy you a drink!

The emote in this case would only be on FAILURE.  A successful steal would not be noticed.  This way when you fail your steal depending on the critical rate of failure(minor failure gives the emote, major failure shows your hand in the amos' coinpurse or whatever).  This way you could have a more realistic approach to failing because as a pickpocket, you should surely have a backup plan in case in a split second it goes from a good idea to "oh crap he's looking at me."


To the original subject:  I really think hemotes and interaction with people is the way to do things.  If someone receives roleplay from being stolen from I think they're less likely inclined to go on that OOC notion of "That guys a fucking pickpocket, fuck him."  Then when someone just sneaks in with a hood on and tries to steal some shit.

[Synthesis]

Right now, in both city states (you're still screwed in Luir's and Red Storm), it is phenomenally easy to (master) the steal skill as a pickpocket without ever putting yourself at risk.

The code doesn't need to be made easier, and player-hatin' ain't ever gonna change.

[Rhyden]

Code Select Expand

pick door e
open door e
get all
flee self

Jokes aside, the most successful burglars will steal their loot without their victim ever noticing, or noticing their item is gone after it's way too late.
The best of burglars will target their victim waaaaay prior to the burglary, and even know what item they're going in for before they do it.

[Synthesis]

Of course, if you're a sneaky/tailor and all that ever goes missing is my goddamn gold and silver dye, eventually I'm going to catch on to you.

[jstorrie]

Have you yet figured out that it's my sneaky/stonecrafter who keeps breaking in and salvaging your stone furniture?

Sorry. I can't find anywhere that sells the little wheel bits for couch-legs.

[Jingo]

At the lowest skill levels there's only a handful of apartments in each city you get to practice on. So that means you'll be breaking into the same places over and over again. Even if you arn't actually taking anything.

[Synthesis]

At the lowest skill levels there's only a handful of apartments in each city you get to practice on. So that means you'll be breaking into the same places over and over again. Even if you arn't actually taking anything.

Eh, this isn't true at all, from my experience.  I think you might be inappropriately generalizing from non-burglar burglary.

[Thunkkin]

I suppose I'm clueless about the crimcode... but the WTFPWN guards have never killed me for my non-theft crimes. "No save arrest" just makes sure my ass is hauled to jail. Sometimes you get to play with a templar. Sometimes not. Do they behead pickpockets or something?

[Riev]

I said it earlier in this thread, and I'll say it again here. "Plant" is a skill that is the exact opposite of steal. You do not have to walk around, dipping your hand in pockets to steal stuff day in, and day out, just to be an "accomplished" thief.

And if you want to be an accomplished pickpocket, you should be the one that can sneak into a bar, steal the weapons hanging off that Salarri's belt, sit at the bar, and have everyone point at the elf in the room.

Even in Tuluk. Sure, its an art form, but its MASTURR RACE if you can pin the crime on other people.

[lussien]

I think I'll just cause mischief if I ever have the chance.

[Qzzrbl]

Maybe a new SEMI-WANTED status that removes your protection under the crime code (so victims can choose to retaliate), but doesn't send in the hordes of half-giants.

This would actually be ridiculously cool.

[Synthesis]

Maybe a new SEMI-WANTED status that removes your protection under the crime code (so victims can choose to retaliate), but doesn't send in the hordes of half-giants.

This would actually be ridiculously cool.

It's called "night on the streets."

[Ouroboros]

I agree with pretty much every point others have shared so far, except one.

Calling cards are a good thing, in my experience. First off, it promotes your reputation. Which can lead to good things happening, if played right. Second, it gives the owners an idea of who to speak with about having any items they particularly cared about be returned (more than likely at a nice blackmail cost to them). Third, it promotes rp opportunities.

Playing any shady class should never be a completely self-serving experience. You're basically a parasite, feeding off the pbase host. If all you're doing is feeding yourself until gorged... Well, either the host will die (and take you with it) or the host will eliminate the parasite (again, taking you with it). However, there are parasites that can have positive effects on their host, which in turn makes that relationship more symbiotic and less parasitical. Offer something back for the shit you steal. Be it rp opportunities, your services, or anything else you can think of.

My advice? Get licensed, whatever that means in the city-state you're playing in. Make contacts with your local crime organization and let them know you exist. Leave a calling card (kruth decks are great for this). Get some muscle behind your actions, to defend your making yourself known. Get someone of rank to back you and possibly ensure you don't need to steal to survive. Yes, putting yourself out there means risking your head. But that's part of the experience, and if you play your (calling) cards right, it can be far more rewarding for you, as well as those around you.

Or.. If you want to play the small fry with no connections that just steals to survive... Steal -just- to survive. Don't clean out apartments, don't nick from high-profile characters (PCs or NPCs), just go for the basics. No one will be pissed off because some meat goes missing from their apartment or a few sid are stolen from their belt. But if you start making big waves, be prepared to either play nice with others or.. get caught and die promptly.

[Fredd]

Lets not forget: Find yourself another burgler to work with.

Some of my favorite burglerings was having my partner detain someone at a bar, while I'm all like " all your base are belong to us"

Plus, really helps to have a willing subject to practice planting and lifting things off of.

[HavokBlue]

The problem with things like calling cards is that the playerbase is so eager to hunt down any sort of "bad" character that burglars are often hunted and dealt with no different from a rogue magicker.


On another note, this page makes my Chrome's malware detection go crazy.

[Whiran Luck]

I think the problem is a little complex. Not in that people don't appreciate a well-played thief. I know I certainly do. The problem comes in when there are numerous thieves. Or thieves that routinely steal quite a lot from one person or one place. Someone may be playing the most wonderful thief in the world, but after you steal that jeweled mantis-head club from my belt, and thief #2 steals the second one, and thief #3 steals my beer money that I have been saving, and thief #4 has broken into my apartment to steal my  cheap replacement clubs, and random opportunizing neighbor has come in at the open door to steal a chest of my stuff, and random opportunizing neighbor #2 has come in to steal the bedsheets, and the guy who lives upstairs stole the bed, and this happens on a fairly regular basis, my appreciation has gone out the window.

Yes, certainly, there are subsistence thieves. You are applauded and I salute you. You are the reason I carry a decent around of sid on my person and not closed into my pack or my cloak or whever you can't get to it. But when you ignore what I carry to give you something to take, and go for the weapons I carry under my closed cloak, and this happens multiple times, it makes me more likely to treat you like a scourge than anything else.

So if you wonder why people might end up treating you worse than bad, read the above.


*Which is not to say I actually treat thieves like that myself.

[My 2 sids]

On another note, this page makes my Chrome's malware detection go crazy.

mine too 

[Nyr]

On another note, this page makes my Chrome's malware detection go crazy.

mine too 

Yeah, I fixed it.

[Fredd]

I think the problem is a little complex. Not in that people don't appreciate a well-played thief. I know I certainly do. The problem comes in when there are numerous thieves. Or thieves that routinely steal quite a lot from one person or one place. Someone may be playing the most wonderful thief in the world, but after you steal that jeweled mantis-head club from my belt, and thief #2 steals the second one, and thief #3 steals my beer money that I have been saving, and thief #4 has broken into my apartment to steal my  cheap replacement clubs, and random opportunizing neighbor has come in at the open door to steal a chest of my stuff, and random opportunizing neighbor #2 has come in to steal the bedsheets, and the guy who lives upstairs stole the bed, and this happens on a fairly regular basis, my appreciation has gone out the window.

Yes, certainly, there are subsistence thieves. You are applauded and I salute you. You are the reason I carry a decent around of sid on my person and not closed into my pack or my cloak or whever you can't get to it. But when you ignore what I carry to give you something to take, and go for the weapons I carry under my closed cloak, and this happens multiple times, it makes me more likely to treat you like a scourge than anything else.

So if you wonder why people might end up treating you worse than bad, read the above.


*Which is not to say I actually treat thieves like that myself.

In my experience of playing  burlgers in the past.

If I take your coins, I'm just getting some coins.

If I take your weapon from your belt, i want you to know you were robbed for some reason.

If I leave your door open, I want you to know you were robbed for some reason

Why would I want you to know you were robbed? You probably pissed off my pc in some way


Just saying. i do agree. Sometimes there can be a LARGE ammount of thieves in a general city, all thieving. this hurts everyone, including the thieves.

So when I'm in a leadership styled role, I like to hire thieves to steal information. They make the coin they need, i get a pawn i need. Works great for everyone.

Edit: Didn't realize that was much of a secret. sorry. took out the info on peek.