Baldur’s Gate 3: Pickpocketing – Why you keep failing and tips on how to steal better

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Pickpocketing in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be frustrating if you keep failing. MeinMMO tells you why this is the case and how you can improve your chances.

Why do I fail at pickpocketing? A common misunderstanding is the interpretation of the number shown (the required throw) when stealing. This number is the actual number you have to roll – your bonuses have already been taken into account. Even if you see a low number, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the roll is easy.

An example: Assume that as a rogue you have a +10 bonus to pickpocketing (through Dexterity, Proficiency + Expertise). If the displayed number of the required roll is at least a 12, that does not mean that you only have to roll a 2 to be successful. In fact, you need a 12.

The actual height of the required throw is shown in the combat log. There you can see the actual amount that you had to reach in order to steal successfully. In this case the actual difficulty of the roll was a 22. You had to roll at least a 12 and your +10 was already taken into account.

  • Another little note: If you roll a 1, it is always an automatic fail. And if you roll a 20, it’s always an automatic success (no matter how difficult the roll is).

    • 5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3

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    Tips and tricks on how to steal better

    There are several ways you can best steal. We have put together a few tips for you.

  • Hide well: Make sure your thief is well hidden before attempting the theft. So make sure you are out of the NPCs’ field of vision (press Shift) and sneak. As a thief, it’s best to take someone with high dexterity – for example Astarion.
  • Group members: Make sure your members are far enough away from the crime. So separate the group.
  • Always save, except in Honor mode: If you save the game once, you can always reload it. So if you fail the roll or get caught, you can go back to the previously saved score. However, this doesn’t work in honor mode, as you can’t do save scumming.
  • Use turn-based mode: Activate the turn-based mode as soon as you have started your theft attempt, i.e. the window opens (enemy’s inventory). If you were successful, you can close the window. If not, you can reload the previously saved game and try again. You can then switch on real-time mode again. Then it’s best to travel to the camp and wait a few minutes until you return to the NPC you stole from.
  • Use distractions: As an alternative to the turn-based mode, you can distract the NPCs by using other members of your group, for example to have a dialogue with the target. This makes it easier for your thief. If you are successful, travel to another area with your thief. The group member can then end the dialogue. However, this doesn’t always work so well because you are often caught by NPCs walking past.

    • The items and the gold that you can steal all have their own level of difficulty. This means that you have to roll a different number when stealing a potion than when stealing an expensive weapon. The difficulty depends on the value of the item and can therefore vary.

    A player from the MeinMMO community also explained how you can use a simple trick to steal from dealers in Baldur’s Gate 3 again and again – without scaring them away.

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