Stealing without hostility

GyozaDog

I'm incapable of leaving a locked chest behind. I'm too curious.

But I hate losing rep and turning NPCs hostile.

I thought I'd figured out the solution. Using a cleric with sanctuary to loot chests. But the Flaming Fist Enforcers at the Friendly Arms Inn saw right through the spell! Can they see through all concealing spells?

Are there any alternatives? I considered charm, sleep etc. but they all turn the NPC hostile. And no stealth method seemed superior to Sanctuary.

Can anyone advise me on the best alternative?

Gallowglass

The enforcers will accost any member of the party who is visible, but cost you no rep until they speak to you.

Split your party, sending everyone except your Thief downstairs to the bar, and loot upstairs with your Thief alone. When the enforcers appear, then either run for the stairs (if you can get there before the enforcers catch up and speak to you) or run for a dark corner (out of line-of-sight from the enforcers) and go into Stealth mode (which allows you to stroll right past the enforcers and escape downstairs).

After you've slept (or gone elsewhere on your travels), the enforcers will have given up and gone away, so you can send your Thief back upstairs and loot the next chest.

GyozaDog

So the guards can see through magical stealth but not normal stealth?

Also, won't stealing and running sometimes turn the NPC who spotted you permanently hostile?

kjdbaldurs

In the case of sanctuary if you open a chest you dispel the invisibility.

GyozaDog

I don't think opening a chest dispels sanctuary. The visual effect certainly didn't disappear. And back in Candlekeep I could walk right through a crowd of summoned guards after looting the entire barracks while under sanctuary.

Gallowglass

GyozaDog said:

Also, won't stealing and running sometimes turn the NPC who spotted you permanently hostile?

It can be permanent if you fail when stealing from a store's inventory or when picking a pocket, but not when you're looting a container. For looting a container, hostility is only temporary - if you don't go back until the following day, then the enforcers will have left and the NPC who spotted you will no longer be hostile.

demented

That sounds like a 1950's information video.

Stealing Without Hostility: The Gentlemanly guide to becoming a thief.