The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

75 Achievements

200+h

GOG
Log in or Register to track The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition achievements progress.
Thief

Thief

Pick 50 locks and 50 pockets

5.0%

How to unlock the Thief achievement in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - Definitive Guide

This achievement can be obtained early in the game. You just need to unlock 50 doors or chests and pick 50 pockets.

Make sure you're always hidden when attempting to lockpick/pickpocket.

You can always save the game behind a NPC (or next to a locked door/chest) before trying to steal something. If caught, reload the save and try again. (This does not work if the item has a 0% chance of being stolen)

A tip to speed up the process is waiting for the night then try to enter the house of the residents and save before each attempt to pickpocket.

If like me you have a thief build, be sure to spend some points in the thief tree. Points in the sneak tree are welcome too.

Select the thief standing stone for that extra help.

Remember that the more expensive the item to be stolen is, more XP you will earn. So always try to steal expensive items. If caught load your previous save.

Fenom007: "A very good way to do it while leveling up is to spend some gold at a trainer and instantly pickpocket it back."

You can track your progress in the general stats menu.

Be sure to read the comments for extra tips
Comment if you have any tips.
Goog Luck.
39
11

11 Nov 2016 16:30

5 Comments
I like stealing arrows, I've gotten about 15 pockets picked and no one has caught me.
0
0
By Syntr on 02 Oct 2017 03:32
A very good way to do it while leveling up is to spend some gold at a trainer and instantly pickpocket it back.
0
0
By Fenom007 on 30 Oct 2017 00:01
Added, thank you.
0
0
By Yage Hells sz on 02 Nov 2017 19:33
Can confirm UltraAmbiguous' method works, I gave one guy all the keys I had collected throughout the game in one go and it counted each key as a pocket and pinged instantly!
0
0
By RandomGaveUp on 29 Sep 2020 17:28
Instead of stealing, I put stuff into their inventory, such as, ingredients, potions, and food. I gave Jorf (sits on the dock outside Solitude) five potions at once and it counted as five separate pick pockets. When I attempted to give him jewelry, though, he instantly attacked me.

Any of the followers that hang out in the taverns are there most of the day (if not all day), in a corner which makes it easy to hide, and none of them reacted to my any of my attempts.
0
0
By UltraAmbiguous on 24 Feb 2018 14:56
View all 5 comments Show less comments
For the Pickpocketing part make sure you only take one item at a time, and Quicksave after each successful attempt. If you take everything the person has at the same time it only counts as one pocket, but if you back out, save and then go back in it'll count that as a new pocket picked. I got my 50 pockets with only three or four people, the best thing to do is fast travel to a town, wait till night and get them while they sleep.
38
0

17 Dec 2016 19:40

2 Comments
A very good way to do it while leveling up is to spend some gold at a trainer and instantly pickpocket it back.
0
0
By Fenom007 on 30 Oct 2017 00:00
Does the lockpicking and pickpocket need to be done on the same character? i know for a fact that i have one character with over 200 lockpicks and then i have another character with over 150 pickpockets.
0
0
By WerewolfsTruth on 07 Feb 2023 22:23
Pickpocket was the hardest one for me but I found an easy solution and that is to get arrested in riften break out kill the three guards in jail and collect your belongings and in the cell across from yours is a black-brier give him all your stuff except your gold because you will have a big chance to never get that back and just keep taking all your stuff back off him I got the achievement after doing this for about 2 minutes
12
1

19 Mar 2018 04:22

6 Comments
By far the best solution. To make it even easier you can pickpocket the key of one of the guards as they walk by your cell, then run straight to your gear to make the fight and cell escape much easier.
0
0
By Jaaaay Meeeee on 29 Aug 2020 15:27
Worked like a charm for me, thank you so much. I was struggling with this one
0
0
By Corymonster1 on 23 Apr 2021 15:17
How are you able to give him your things?
0
0
By thee masterDJ on 08 Jun 2021 23:40
Your solution is the best
0
0
By BIue Cam on 26 Jan 2022 05:54
A small edit for anyone who's a little farther in the game or doesn't want to do so much risking it. You can bribe/persuade your way in to the jail and then just do the pickpocketing as well. I had a method.
Place potion.
Steal potion back.
Quicksave.

If you are high enough level or have skill points in the tree, you could risk more but I had literally 1 pocket picked.

@thee masterDJ if you haven't figured out yet, you crouch into pickpocket mode and then you can see your items like when you sell items. Then what you select you can give to the person.
0
0
By UGotta Check It on 09 Mar 2022 06:50
Best solution so far! Thank you bro
0
0
By Sunoe on 26 Oct 2023 06:54
View all 6 comments Show less comments
This can be done easily in Riverwood as well, or literally any location.

Use the console to max out your skills:
 
  • advskill pickpocket 1000000
  • advskill lockpicking 1000000
Then be sure to purchase all the traits in the skill trees. Find any door or chest and mouse click on it so you see some numbers on screen, then use console command "lock" to lock it with the lowest skill requirement. Process to pick it (if you need lockpicks you can use "player.additem 0000000a 99"). Next, crouch and go behind someone and take everything from their inventory. If you get caught, just move on to someone else. Repeat until done!
0
0
To hack you need a hairpin, you can find them, buy them. We steal and break into light locks from the very beginning of the game. At the same time, the thief’s skill itself improves
2
0

29 Nov 2016 20:07

3 Comments
We steal one item and exit the pickpocket inventory. Then call again and so on until 50. In total, you will need several people in total
16
0
By Fallen3695 on 09 Dec 2016 10:55
To simplify the acquisition process, if the “Enchantment” skill has been pumped out, enchant the items but increase the “pickpocketing” skill
2
0
By IamJost on 16 Jan 2017 07:22
Join the Thieves Guild and steal from Guild members. Then there will be no penalty for failure and NPCs will not aggro. If a thief catches you stealing, just re-enter the location, then you can steal again.
1
0
By JamesHasNoGames on 30 Dec 2019 01:35
View all 3 comments Show less comments
In case of direct pickpocketing, the success percentage is written below (for those who did not know) I myself only noticed when I started knocking out this trophy ^-^
1
0

04 Jun 2019 13:54