In Baldur's Gate 3, mastering the art of pickpocketing will let you amass huge amounts of gold, obtain vital crafting materials, and acquire powerful weapons to bolster your party's effectiveness in combat and dialogue. However, a failed pickpocketing attempt can result in unwanted repercussions, including lowered faction attitude, merchants turning hostile, or alerting nearby guards to attack.

Success at pickpocketing requires careful planning, which includes solid character build, skill selection, and gear choices. The following is a comprehensive guide to pickpocketing in Baldur's Gate 3 that lets you take full advantage of this high-risk, high-reward mechanic.

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How Pickpocketing Works In Baldur's Gate 3

When attempting to pickpocket an item in Baldur's Gate 3, the game displays a Roll Target, which is a number you need to meet or exceed on a 20-sided die to successfully steal the item. This Roll Target factors in your Dexterity modifier and Sleight of Hand proficiency.

Even though the displayed Roll Target may not seem to account for bonuses gained from your class, spells, or gear, they are still applied to your overall Sleight of Hand skill check behind the scenes, improving your odds.

It's also worth nothing that the highest Sleight of Hand difficulty class in Baldur's Gate 3 is DC 30, and building a character that can consistently roll close to over above 30 is key to succeeding at this crafty art.

Best Race, Skills, & Class For Pickpocketing In Baldur's Gate 3

The best race for pickpocketing in Baldur's Gate 3 is the Halfling, as they gain Halfling Luck as one of their racial features, allowing them to re-roll a critical failure and use the new result. Additionally, choosing the Lightfoot Halfling subrace gets you the Naturally Stealthy subrace feature, granting advantage on Stealth checks.

For a pickpocketing build, the ideal class to pair with a Lightfoot Halfling is a mono-class Arcane Trickster Rogue, which becomes incredibly powerful at level 11, gaining the Reliable Talent class feature. Reliable Talent prevents you from rolling anything below 10 for all the skills you are proficient in.

Combining Halfing Luck and Reliable Talent creates a powerful synergy for a strong pickpocketing setup, with the former allowing you to re-roll critical failures and the latter preventing you from rolling below 10. You can further enhance the Arcane Trickster Rogue by selecting complementing spells, skill expertise, and gear, turning it into a reliable pickpocketing build for the entirety of the game.

For a pickpocketing build, it's highly recommended to hire a hireling named Brinna Brightsong from Withers, as they belong to the Halfling race. You can then respec them into an Arcane Trickster Rogue.

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Ability Score Distribution for Pickpocketing Build In Baldur's Gate 3

To maximize your effectiveness as a pickpocketing Arcane Trickster Rogue, it's important to prioritize the right ability scores and skill proficiencies that make the build reliable from early levels. The following Ability Score distribution and skill selection ensure that you have a solid foundation for the Arcane Trickster Rogue that only continues to get better as you level up:

Ability

Score

Bonus

Strength

15

Dexterity

16

+1

Constitution

8

Intelligence

8

Wisdom

8

Charisma

17

+2

Skill Proficiencies:

  • Sleight of Hand: X2
  • Stealth: X2
  • Intimidation
  • Persuasion

Level Progression For Arcane Trickster Rogue

The following is the recommended level progression for Arcane Trickster Rogue from levels 2 to 12, with optimized cantrips, spells, and feat selections:

Levels

Choices

Level 2
  • No choices

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5
  • No choices

Level 6
  • No choices

Level 7
  • Spells: Invisibility

Level 8
  • Expanded Spell: Darkness
  • Feat: Ability Score Improvement (+2 Dexterity)

Level 9
  • No choices

Level 10
  • Cantrips: Light
  • Spells: Hold Person
  • Feat: Lucky

Level 11
  • Spells: Mirror Images

Level 12
  • Feat: Ability Score Improvement (+2 Charisma)

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As with any build, no class is truly functional unless it is effectively itemized. So is the case with the Arcane Trickster pickpocketing build, which heavily relies on specific items that grant the necessary bonuses to your character's Dexterity, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth stats:

Item Name

Description

Shadow Of Menzoberranzan (Helmet)

The Shadow Of Menzoberranzan can be acquired in Act 1 in the Underdark. The cowl allows its wearer to cast Invisibility (2 turns only) once per short rest, which can be handy for rogues who are limited to only two spell slots.

Cloak of Cunning Brume (Cloak)

Creates Fog Cloud for 1 turn whenever the wearer Disengages. You can purchase the Cloak of Cunning Brume from Mattis in Act 3.

Graceful Cloth (Armor)

Grants advantage on Dexterity checks and also increases Dexterity by +2, up to a maximum of 20. The The Graceful Cloth can be purchased or looted from Lady Esther in Act 1.

Nimblefinger Gloves

Adds +1 to Sleight of Hand and +2 to Dexterity if the wearer is a Gnome. The Nimblefinger Gloves are sold by the Ironhand Gnome merchant, Bumpnagel, in Act 3.

Silver Pendant (Amulet)

Allows the wearer to cast Guidance. You can find the Silver Pendant on a skeleton, southwest of Emerald Grove in Act 1.

Shapeshifter's Boon Ring

Grants a +1d4 bonus to all checks if the wearer is disguised. You can get the Shapeshifter's Boon Ring by either killing the Strange Ox or trading with it after turning it temporarily hostile.

Smuggler's Ring

Grants +2 to Stealth and Sleight of Hand checks, but -1 to Charisma. You can find the Smuggler's Ring on a skeleton near Risen Road in Act 1.

How To Play The Arcane Trickster Rogue For Pickpocketing

Character pickpocketing Dammon in Baldur's Gate 3

The Arcane Trickster Rogue is a self-sufficient character who has all the necessary tools at their disposal to pull off the perfect heist. This character can concentrate on Invisibility or Guidance on themselves before attempting to pickpocket an NPC. They can also distract nearby NPCs with their Find Familiar or Minor Illusion cantrip. Moreover, if they somehow get unlucky and fail a roll, their high Charisma allows them to talk their way out of trouble.

Here's how you should play this character to excel at pickpocketing:

  • Start your day by casting Disguise Self to gain a +1d4 bonus from the Shapeshifter's Boon ring.
  • Find your target NPC to pickpocket and distract the nearby crowd either with Minor Illusion or Find Familiar: Cat.
  • Crouch and enable turn-based mode, before pickpocketing your target.
  • Once you've gotten the necessary loot, exit turn-based mode to either fast travel to camp or cast the Invisibility spell before slipping away from the crime scene.
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Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
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RPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
August 3, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Larian Studios
Engine
Divinity 4.0
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Full cross-platform play.
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Cross Save
Full cross-platform progression.
Div
Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical Only
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
PC Release Date
August 3, 2023
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
December 7, 2023
PS5 Release Date
September 6, 2023
Genre(s)
RPG
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Local Co-Op Support
1-2 Players
How Long To Beat
100+ Hours
X|S Optimized
yes
PS Plus Availability
N/A