Pickpocketing is a form of stealing in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can get you tons of items and gold. Many NPCs, especially merchants, have large quantities of gold, exquisite items, and weapons. If you are stealthy and careful, you can acquire them easily via pickpocketing.
However, pickpocketing is not easy, like in real life. You will get caught and jailed if you pickpocket with the wrong character or fail your checks.
How to pickpocket in BG3
Pickpocketing is a mechanic in Baldur’s Gate 3 to get the desired item from the target without buying it or using violence. It uses the Sleight of Hand mechanic to get you what you want. The perfect candidate for this job will be the Rogue class, particularly the Thief build of the Rogue class since they have high Sleight of Hand bonuses.
The foremost step in selecting your victim is ensuring the target is alone and not surrounded by other people. Use the hide action to see your target’s vision. If you fall into the red area, you will be spotted. The default key for sneaking is C; if you have changed it, press that button.
Sneak in to get near the target and click on them. Click on the pickpocket button to see the inventory showing everything they have. Highlight the item you want, and see the dice check needed to pickpocket the item successfully. The number will vary depending on the item’s rarity and the surroundings. Now, you need to roll at least the number shown. If you pass the check, you will pickpocket the item.
After pickpocketing, the target will get suspicious and search around for the stolen item, so you need to run away, or you will get caught. You can cause diversion to lure your target out if it is in a crowded spot. You can also use Fog Cloud and sneak in and pickpocket the item.
Who to use for pickpocketing in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Since pickpocketing requires you to sneak and pass the Sight of Hand Dexterity check, not all classes can do it. Rogues are best for pickpocketing because of their sneaking abilities. Astarion in the Rogue class is perfect for this task because of having a high Dexterity score and good sneaking ability.
Other classes, like Cleric and Wizards, can assist Rogues in Pickpocketing with the Guidance cantrip.
You can level up the Rogue to level 11 and gain a class feature (Reliable Talent). This feature will allow you to roll a minimum of 10 on the Sleight of Hand dice roll, so you can easily pickpocket items with a Dexterity check of 10 or lower.
Best use of pickpocketing
Pickpocketing is the best mechanic to get rare items and weapons without indulging in fighting. The perfect NPCs to pickpocket are the merchants. Since they have many items with them, you can choose your item to pickpocket. Ensure that Target has the item that benefits you, or it will be all for nothing.
There are some risks associated with pickpocketing; the first one is getting caught. However, you can talk your way out by using the persuasion skills of your character. In some cases, you are also jailed if caught in the act. You need to lockpick or use a deceiving or Charm check to get out of jail.
