Hint: Don't underestimate pickpocketing to make some fights easier

Skaffen

Just a hint: There are quite a few instances in the game where you just know (even on a first playthrough... ) that this is going to end in a fight sooner or later, e.g. in MaeVers guildhall, parts of Neera's questline, ... Judiciously applied pickpocketing will make those fights much easier. At least you can get those healing, invi, haste... potions to use yourself and in some cases you can even get the weapons!

(normally I don't bother and just loot the corpses but especially early on chapter 2 you are still relatively weak and the potion stock is not so high yet and having the enemy drink would be a waste)

Heindrich

Hmmm... this seems kinda cheesy to me. I don't see how you can reliably pick pocket on this scale without abusing save/load. And if u are willing to do that, why not just abuse save/load for traps, pull mobs 1 by 1, wait for enemy mage protections to time-out etc etc?

Skaffen

Not really - I think I had one reload in Neera's quest (using potion of power and potion of master thievery).

Zanian

I don't think it's cheesy, in contrast to the near endless cheese that exists in the BG series. Plus, from a role-playing point of view, it makes total sense. If a thief can see that this particular situation is going to end in bloodshed, why not make precautions first.
Besides, I'm almost 100% sure you can't pickpocket equipped weapons and gear, so you'll only take away their potions, which rarely does more than prolong the battle anyway, not make it tougher.

booinyoureyes

I...never even thought of using pickpocket this way. I basically wrote it off as a useless ability, especially if you are role-playing good and don't like robbing kindhearted npcs of their hard earned goods.
Thanks so much for showing me the error of my ways! Definitely will try this from now on.

Real

Interesting idea. Although likely, most of what you pickpocket would be the potions though. While this may not make the fight considerably easier, at least you get FREE POTS. Which I must say, I can never have enough. As for roleplaying good character, you can still be chaotic good or even neutral good to steal from evil npcs, thieves, corrupt officials/merchants etc.