Pickpocket
Type: Combat
MP Cost: 0
When getting the jump on a monster due to Combat Initiative, Moxie class characters, players under the Form of...Bird!, and Pastamancers with a level 10 Bow Tie Bat have the option to try to steal an item. Picking pockets can only be attempted during the first round of combat.
Attempts to steal an item from the monster.
- Normal pickpocket success:
You deftly slip your fingers into your opponent's pocket and grab something.
- Normal pickpocket failure:
You fish around in your opponent's pocket, but you don't find anything.
- Attempting to steal something while conditions for pickpocketing aren't satisfied:
You can't steal anything right now.
You manage to wrest a shiny object from your opponent's grasp.
- Failure under Form of...Bird!:
You're unable to find any shiny objects. How sad! |
Your savage beatdown seems to have knocked loose some treasure. Sweet!
Your savage beatdown fails to knock loose any treasure. Lame!
The Logic of Pickpocketing
- If the monster has a pickpocket-only drop, roll for that item first.
- For each pickpocket-able item (in random order):
- Roll a random number between 0 and 99. (Items with fractional base drop rates are Conditional Drops)
- If the rolled number is below the item's base drop rate, then that item is stolen, and stop.
- If no items were stolen, then pickpocket fails.
The Math of Pickpocketing
If a monster can drop n different items with associated base drop rates p1, p2, ..., pn, then the probability that item #1 will be obtained from a single pickpocket is given by the formula
- The probabilities of pickpocketing the other items can be found by permuting the variables.
- Another, possibly easier formula, where A is the base chance of the wanted item dropping, B is the base chance of another dropping, and C is the chance of a third item dropping, is:
- If the monster can drop 2 items, Pickpocketing Chance = A(1-B)+AB/2
- If the monster can drop 3 items, Pickpocketing Chance = A(1-B)(1-C)+(AB)(1-C)/2+(AC)(1-B)/2+ABC/3
- The total chance of getting an item from a monster if you Pickpocket it and kill it is:
- Base Chance (1+ Item Drop Modifiers)(1- Pickpocketing Chance) + Pickpocketing Chance
Special Pockets For Picking
The following areas/monsters have items that can only be gained through Pickpocketing:
List of Monsters this skill doesn't work on
Methods
Only one item can be stolen per combat.
These are the normal Pickpocket skills. They can grab Pickpocket-only items.
These steals can't grab Pickpocket-only items.
- The V for Vivala mask, on critical hit, may steal an item with 100%, chosen at random with equal probability.
- Divine crackers are a pickpocket-like combat item which act with a +60% bonus.
- The level 10 Bow Tie Bat Pasta Guardian tries to pickpocket three times after summoning.
- Rave Steal chooses one item at random (with equal probability) and force it to drop.
- Peppermint crooks are another pickpocket-like combat item, which are not consumed until an item is stolen successfully.
- Smash & Graaagh seems to act like Rave Steal and V for Vivala mask.
These act independently from the other pickpockets and can succeed in the same combat:
- The Slimeling familiar, at the end of combat, will randomly choose one of the monster's equipment pieces which didn't drop and try to disgorge it. This mechanic is somewhat similar to pickpocket, but is implemented differently. See the Disgorging section on the Slimeling's page for more details. This is independent from all of the above, meaning that it can happen in conjunction with one of the above succeeding.
Bonus Pickpocket Chance
These act as item drop modifiers, but for pickpocket attempts: +100% pickpocket chance would double the base drop rate for each item. This is different from doubling each item's total chance of being pickpocketed. These effects only affect the regular "Pick Pocket" command (as granted by Moxie classes, Birdform, and the tiny black hole) and not similar effects like the peppermint crook or divine cracker.
From Equipment
From Effects
Notes
- If you successfully pickpocket something, you won't get it as a normal drop after killing the monster. However, if the monster can drop more than one of a certain item (for example, monsters in The Hole in the Sky that can drop multiple stars or lines), the other instances of that item can still drop normally.
- Except for pickpocket-only items, conditional drops can not be pickpocketed, even if you meet the conditions for them to drop normally. For example, a bunch of square grapes is a conditional drop because it will only drop if you are level 11 or higher. Shirts drop conditionally based on whether you have Torso Awaregness and also cannot be pickpocketed.
- At least in the Knob revamp, this restriction seems to have been removed, as conditionals such as shirts are yoinkable.
- Even if a monster has no item drops, you may still pick its pocket if you get initiative.
- Item drop modifiers do not affect pickpocketing probability.
- If you click on a different link or log out of KoL when you get the initiative to get to the "You twiddle your thumbs" message, when you click on the Pick its Pocket button, you are still able to pickpocket.
- It is possible to pickpocket an item, and then successfully run away from the monster.
- See this forum thread for more information.
History
- This ability was added to the game as a Tuesday update on January 9, 2007.
See Also