Template:Picking Pockets/Shoplifting/Prestidigitation

Picking Pockets/Shoplifting/Prestidigitation (Larceny)

If one character attempts to filch items off another character's person without his knowledge, doing so requires an opposed roll of (Dexterity + Larceny) against the (Wits + Awareness, difficulty 1) of the target. The difficulty for the thief depends on how securely the item is kept: 1 for back pockets and pouches, 2 for front pockets and 3 for breast pockets/objects against the skin. Add one if the pouch/pocket is secured against theft and one if the character lacks a sharp knife for the task. If the thief obtains successes equal to the difficulty, the theft is successful. The target notices the theft immediately, however, if this threshold beats the thief's threshold. If the thief is unsuccessful and the target gets a single success, the failed attempt is automatically detected.

This system can also be used when a character grabs items from a merchant's stall or otherwise attempts to shoplift. Small objects on a shelf are difficulty 1, objects under direct observation are difficulty 2 and objects under direct observation within reach of the merchant are difficulty 3. Detection works exactly as described previously.

Finally, use this system whenever a character attempts to perform stage magic such as palming coins, shell games and whatnot. The difficulty is typically 2, but possibly higher for outlandish tricks. If observers gain a higher threshold than the prestidigitator, they see the trick for what it is.