1.
Picking
pockets (or folds of a garment or a girdle) also
includes such activities as pilfering and filching small items. It
is done by light touch && sleight of hand.
Picking Pockets fails if a score above the percentage shown for the level of thief attempting the function is generated.
If the score is 21%
or more above the #number# shown, the victim notices the thief's attempt.
The potential victim
reduces the thief's chances for success by 5% for every level of experience
he or she is above the 3rd, i.e. -5% ot 4th level, etc.
For example, a high level thief (Master Thief, 12th level) is planning
to pick
the pockets of a M-U he has noticed nearby.
The base chance for
success is 100%, the thief is a half-elf and adds 10% for racial ability;
the
thief also has 18 dexterity ability score, so another 10% is added. This
totols
a nice, safe 120% - can't fail! However, the victim happens to be 12th
level also, so the subtraction is 9 X -5% = -45%. This brings the chance
for
success down to 75%. A good chance, but if 96% or higher is rolled, the
thief will be noticed, and . . .
Success gains an
item from the victim;
the item is determined
at random from a list of possessions unless the exact location of a particular
item is known by the thief.
DMG:
Failure allows additional
attempts.
The victim might notice
and allow
the thief to opercte anyway in order to track him || her back to the place
he or she uses as a HQ.
Up to two attempts at picking
a pocket can be made during a round.
Q: In the OA
book, both
Table 23 and the description of the
yakuza character class state that the ninja
has the thief ability to pick pockets. Why
are the percentages for this ability not
given on Table 24 with the other thieving
abilities? Since all the percentages for the
other thieving abilities which apply for
the monk, ninja, and yakuza character
classes were altered slightly, I am not sure
whether I can use the PH
figures without risking imbalance.
A: Use the "pick pockets" percentages
given in the PH.
(Polyhedron #32)
