
B/X Pickpocketing
In the glorious Basic/Expert rules of Moldvay and Cook, pickpocketing relies on rolling under a target score on percentile dice. Thieves begin with a 20% chance (meaning they must roll a 20 or less on percentile dice) and gain +5% chance each time they level. Some additional caveats apply as the character advances in level and attempts more complex maneuvers; I advise you to reference page B8 in the Basic book and page X6 in the Expert book for more detail. The important part here is that we all understand how a basic pick pocket attempt works, so I can introduce my subsystem to add randomized flavor items to pickpocket attempts.
New Pickpocketing Subsystem:
If the success is 0-5% better than the requisite score (e.g. a 16 rolled for a 20% requisite), roll once on the general contents table, and once on a single applicable subtable.
If the success is 6-10% better than the requisite score, roll twice on the general table and twice on a single applicable subtable if necessary.
If the success is 11+% better than the requisite score, roll three times on the general table and three times on any applicable subtables.
Example:
A 3rd level thief must score better than a 30% on percentile dice to pick the pockets of a 1st level neophyte elven archer guarding a tree house. The thief rolls a 15, which is more than 11 better than the required roll of 30. The thief therefore has earned three rolls on the general table and three rolls on any applicable subtables. The DM rolls on the general table three times, the elven table once, and the warrior table twice. The thief successfully steals a handful of goods containing some lint, a wooden spoon, jerky, a harp string, a whetstone, and a leather lace for armor fixtures.
Alternatively, if the dice slow you down and/or you hate fun and random chance, just eyeball it and pick the appropriate number of items from each list according to the results.
General Contents
Found on common folk of most varieties, including tradesmen, craftsmen, merchants, travelers, adventurers and military personnel, brigands, and so on.
3d20 | General Pocket Contents |
3 | Lint |
4 | Small wooden spool of bone white thread |
5 | Small ring-lock pocket knife, dull |
6 | 1d4 wooden buttons |
7 | 1d4 horn buttons |
8 | Small fabric pouch of tobacco |
9 | Awl |
10 | Three fishing hooks knotted together |
11 | 1′ length of sinew cordage |
12 | Wooden spoon |
13 | Pewter spoon |
14 | Tin fork |
15 | Venison jerky |
16 | 1d4 simple bronze keys |
17 | 3′ jute twine |
18 | Unaddressed love letter written in shaky handwriting |
19 | Pair of six-sided dice carved from horn |
20 | Wooden nit comb |
21 | Folding pot metal sundial |
22 | Scrawled food recipe on stained paper |
23 | Cork from an excellent vintage wine |
24 | Small rock shaped vaguely like a duck |
25 | Dingy iron shears with spots of rust |
26 | Piece of hard, dark chocolate wrapped in cheesecloth |
27 | Tin earscoop |
28 | Copper tweezers |
29 | 1d6 small seashells |
30 | Curry comb with several russet horse hairs trapped in it |
31 | Poorly-drawn map showing the location of a nearby cottage |
32 | Short drinking horn with rudimentary etchings in geometric patterns |
33 | Lock of blonde hair tied with a tight bow |
34 | 1d4 copper nails |
35 | 1d4 discs of beeswax in a fabric pouch |
36 | Longstem clay pipe |
37 | Pair of knitting needles |
38 | Damaged iron bridle |
39 | 1d8 glass beads with eyes painted on them |
40 | Copper calipers |
41 | Chisel |
42 | Steel hoofpick |
43 | Lead plumb bob with 20’ of cord |
44 | Strange hook-shaped surgical knife |
45 | Lead pilgrim’s badge |
46 | Small earthenware pot of thick glue |
47 | Wooden box of salt |
48 | Small gourd filled with vinegar |
49 | 1d8 sachets of strong-smelling tea |
50 | Small burlap sack of beans |
51 | Bundle of hot peppers tied together at the stems |
52 | Thin tin flute |
53 | Bulb of purple garlic |
54 | 4’ long scroll of music and lyrics to a common song |
55 | Wooden weaving comb |
56 | 1d6 plums |
57 | Large knob of ginger root |
58 | Sour green apple |
59 | Small jar of honey |
60 | 12’ of snare wire |
Dwarven Contents
Found on dwarves and those who are in constant contact with dwarves, as well as many miners and smiths.
1d12 | Dwarven Pocket Contents |
1 | 1d8 fine iron nails |
2 | Small tin funnel |
3 | Flint and steel |
4 | Copper key |
5 | Metalsmith’s scriber |
6 | Jeweler’s steel stamp featuring a dwarven rune |
7 | Folding gimlet |
8 | Small tin flask |
9 | Recipe for homemade juniper spirits |
10 | Silver ring with an incomplete setting |
11 | Paper packet of dried cave moss for smoking |
12 | Leather band for tying beard |
Elven Contents
Found in the possession of elves, half-elves, and those who are in constant contact with elves.
1d12 | Elven Pocket Contents |
1 | Harp string |
2 | Sentimental bronzed leaf |
3 | Sparsely embroidered silk handkerchief |
4 | Green silk hair ribbon |
5 | Delicate sewing scissors in the shape of a crane |
6 | Folded paper with an expertly drawn erotic scene |
7 | Small card holding a dozen sewing needles |
8 | 1d12 different teeth hanging on a length of cord |
9 | Small vial of perfume, which smells like rosewater and honey |
10 | Ornamental brooch of enameled ceramic in the shape of a brilliant red beetle |
11 | Leather sling tooled with a floral motif |
12 | Lump of fine soap |
Halfling Contents
Found on halflings and those who are in constant contact with halflings. Would also be found on gnomes or other small, homebody sorts of creatures.
1d12 | Halfling Pocket Contents |
1 | Lute string |
2 | Wooden whistle |
3 | Tin measuring spoon |
4 | Tiny vial of seasonings |
5 | 1d8 delicious raspberries |
6 | Corncob pipe |
7 | Tin butter knife with smooth horn handle |
8 | Small earthenware flask filled with bacon grease |
9 | Ring of iron keys |
10 | 4d12 tiny seeds in a paper packet marked CARROT |
11 | Pair of wool socks made for broad feet |
12 | Flat wooden tray containing small amounts of paint pigments in red, blue, and yellow. |
Monster Contents
Found on mostly-humanoid monsters, such as goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, gnolls, and kobolds. Bipedal snakemen, lizardmen, or other weird hybrids of the animal kingdom might also have these items.
1d12 | Monstrous Humanoid Pocket Contents |
1 | Crude iron shiv |
2 | Meat skewer, still dirty with baked-on lizard remains |
3 | 1d6 small, round stones |
4 | Scrap of fur |
5 | Moldy domestic cat jerky |
6 | Damaged flint spearhead |
7 | 1d12 human teeth wrapped up in a leaf |
8 | Long leather laces for wrapping makeshift sandals or boots |
9 | 1d4 leeches in a small jar filled with water |
10 | Shriveled finger |
11 | Leather eyepatch |
12 | Small gourd filled with vile liquor |
Magic-User Contents
Found on magicians of all types arcane; suitable for all mages, witches, warlocks, illusionists, etc.
1d12 | Magic-User Pocket Contents |
1 | Large lizard hind leg |
2 | 1d4 seeds of unknown origin |
3 | Tattered, absent-minded notes about carrier pigeons |
4 | Rabbit’s foot |
5 | Small linen pouch full of ersatz pixie dust |
6 | 1d8 frog eyes |
7 | Half-finished scroll of an indecipherable spell |
8 | 1d6 iron rings |
9 | Charred purple feather |
10 | Small glass jar with unknown organ floating in alcohol |
11 | Circular copper token marked with strange symbols and ADMIT ONE |
12 | 1d4 mummified bird hatchlings |
Warrior Contents
Found on martial characters, such as fighters, rangers, guards, knights, cavaliers, most henchmen, archers, gladiators, and so on. Paladins can also be rolled on this table or the following table.
1d12 | Warrior Pocket Contents |
1 | 1d4 lead sling bullets |
2 | Whetstone |
3 | Bowstring |
4 | Leather lace for securing armor |
5 | Stubby piece of chalk |
6 | Flint and steel |
7 | 1d4 arrowheads |
8 | Birch kuksa |
9 | Rolled-up linen gauze bandage |
10 | Bronze challenge coin |
11 | Empty leather costrel |
12 | Serrated paring knife from an incomplete mess kit |
Holy Men Contents
Found on the persons of priests, clerics, paladins, mystics, and so on. Paladins may be rolled on this table or on the previous table.
1d12 | Holy Man Pocket Contents |
1 | 1d4 cubes of incense |
2 | Wooden figurine of saint, spirit, or demigod |
3 | Prayer beads |
4 | Empty alms pouch |
5 | Parchment square with seal of church/order/school stamped prominently |
6 | Bundle of small papers featuring handwritten prayers |
7 | Cheap wooden holy symbol |
8 | Wooden spoon inscribed with a truncated devotion of appreciation for food |
9 | Small ceramic flask of holy water |
10 | Scribe’s pen |
11 | 1d4 half-burned candles |
12 | Inkpot |
Thief Contents
Found on thieves, assassins, brigands, highwaymen, and assorted other criminals.
1d12 | Thief Pocket Contents |
1 | Bent lockpick |
2 | Marked cards in leather sleeve |
3 | 1d4 loaded dice |
4 | Wax mould of a key |
5 | Poorly-drawn map of the layout of the grounds of a nearby manor home |
6 | 1d12 steel balls |
7 | Slim metal bottle filled with cheap booze |
8 | Small vial of oil |
9 | 1d8 assorted keys |
10 | Broken stick of chalk |
11 | List of names on a rolled piece of vellum in fine penmanship |
12 | Small wedge-shaped prybar |
Druid Contents
Found on druids, primitive relicts, frontier humans where the old ways still reign, and feral tribes of elves or halflings.
1d12 | Druid Pocket Contents |
1 | 1d8 nuts |
2 | Pear |
3 | Squirrel pelt |
4 | Antler |
5 | 1d12 knuckle bones |
6 | Expertly-knapped flint knife |
7 | Sinew bowstring |
8 | Crude wooden figurine of an elk |
9 | 1d8 rat skulls |
10 | Rich, red soil wrapped up in broad leaves |
11 | Ogham staves |
12 | Fox jawbone |
Determining Cash
In addition to flavor items, you probably were pickpocketing for a specific item – a key on a guard, maybe – or to inflate your own wealth. In the case of the former, if the attempt is successful, you automatically also steal the item in question. In the case of the latter, there’s a little more granularity.
First, the DM determines how wealthy the target is, and then a d10 is rolled. The result is the value of coins stolen – perhaps a pouch is lifted right off a belt, or a purse is cut and its contents are caught in the thief’s outstretched hand. These assume a gold-centric economy, as in TSR D&D; for in the case of silver standards like in LOTFP, please decrement all coin types by one (e.g. listed value of 5 gold coins becomes 5 silver coins, listed value of 4 silver coins becomes 4 copper coins). A roll of 10 naturally requires you to explode the roll, because that’s just fun.
These values are separate from treasure found on corpses, and should not count against treasure discovered on corpses. If a goblin in your system should have 10 silver pieces on its body when it dies, and it is pickpocketed earlier for 1 silver piece, it should still have 10 silver pieces on its body when it dies.
Impoverished
Most monstrous humanoids and rural or disenfranchised commoners, including paupers and those who have taken vows of poverty.
1d10 CP, explode the roll.
Getting By
Many commoners and tradesmen, other adventurers, most clergy, some bandits.
1d10 SP, explode the roll.
Comfortable
Specialized tradesmen, landowners, successful merchants, ranking clergy members of organized religions, renowned adventurers, infamous bandits.
1d10 EP, explode the roll.
Prosperous
Lesser and intermediate levels of nobility, greedy or corrupt clergy, very successful merchants, bandit kings.
1d10 GP, explode the roll.
Wealthy
Kings and queens, heads of state or religions, invincible overlords, and other tremendously powerful folk.
1d10 PP, explode the roll.
Hopefully this ruleset helps you make pickpocketing a little more interesting in your games when it comes up. Thieves need their chance to shine too! As an aside, these can also be used as “what is on the body” tables for littering corpses with trivial items. You should feel free to chop the tables up as you see fit. Replace items, expand them to larger dice, etc.
If you like this take on pickpocketing, or you hate it and it feels slow at your table, or you just want to take my lunch money like it’s middle school again, hit me up in the comments or over on Twitter @dungeonspossums!
I like these charts, although if I used them I think I'd rearrange the 3d20 table so the more specific results were less likely and the more generic items came up on the most common rolls around 32 and 33. Or maybe roll on it with d6x10+d10.
Great stuff Possum!