Armor Check Penalty
This skill is linked to Dexterity.
You have picked up thieving abilities and can perform tasks that require nerves of steel and a steady hand: disabling traps, opening locks, picking pockets, and sleight of hand. The DM might decide that some uses of this skill are so specialized that you are required to be trained in it to have a chance of succeeding.
Disable Trap[]
Make a Thievery check to prevent a trap from triggering. You need to be aware of a trap to try to disable it. Make a Perception check to find a hidden trap.
- Disable Trap: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. Unless otherwise noted, a creature must be adjacent to a trap to disable it.
- DC: Per the trap, or the Hard DC of the trap's level if unspecified. You get a +2 bonus to the check if you use thieves’ tools.
- Delay Trap: You get a +5 bonus to the check if you try to delay a trap, rather than disable it.[PH:188] (This feature was removed in the Rules Compendium.)
- Success: You disable or delay the trap. Disabling a trap makes it harmless until it resets. Delaying a trap makes the trapped area safe for passage until the end of your next turn. Note that some traps require multiple checks to properly disarm.
- Fail by 4 or Less: Nothing happens (unless specified otherwise). You can try again as a new action.
- Fail by 5 or More: You trigger the trap.
Open Lock[]
Make a Thievery check to pick a lock.
- Open Lock: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. Unless otherwise noted, the creature must be adjacent to a lock to pick it.
- DC: If unspecified, it uses Hard DC for most locks, and Moderate DC for low-quality locks. You get a +2 bonus to the check if you use thieves’ tools.
- Success: You pick the lock. Note that some complicated locks (e.g. the skill challenge) may require multiple checks to be opened.[RC:155]
- Failure: You can try again as a new action.
Pick Pocket[]
Make a Thievery check to lift a small object (such as a purse or an amulet) from a creature without that creature being aware of the theft. It must be an object that the creature isn’t holding.
- Pick Pocket: Standard action. Unless otherwise noted, the creature must be adjacent to the target, and the target must not be holding the object.
- DC: Hard DC of target's level.
- Success: You lift a small object from the target without the target noticing.
- Fail by 4 or Less: You don’t get the object, but the target didn’t notice. You can try again as a new action.
- Fail by 5 or More: You don’t get the object, and the target notices your failed attempt.
Sleight of Hand[]
Make a Thievery check to palm an unattended object small enough to fit into your hand (such as a coin or a ring) or to perform an act of legerdemain.
- Sleight of Hand: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge. Unless otherwise noted, the creature performing the check must be adjacent to the object.
- DC: Against passive perception of each creature present.
- Success: You palm an unattended, small object or perform an act of legerdemain.
- Failure: You can still pick up the object, but onlookers see you pick it up, or they see through your act of legerdemain.
Thievery utility powers[]
Characters trained in Thievery may select a utility power in place of their class power (but not from a paragon path or epic destiny)
- Fast Hands - Level 2[PH3:176]
- Lock Tap - Level 2[PH3:176]
- Quick Palm - Level 2[PH3:176]
- Hasty Retreat - Level 6[PH3:176]
- Quick Switch - Level 6[PH3:176]
- Stolen Defense - Level 6[PH3:176]
- Disruptive Stunt - Level 10[PH3:176]
Updates[]
The Rules compendium made various changes to the DCs of skills. The following DCs were used previously:
-
Trap Disarm DCs [PH:189] Trap Thievery DC Heroic tier 20 Paragon tier 30 Epic tier 35 -
Open lock DCs [PH:189] Lock Thievery DC Heroic tier 20 Paragon tier 30 Epic tier 35 - Pick pocket DC: 20 + your target’s level. If in combat, you take a −10 penalty to your check.
- Sleight of Hand: Used a Base DC of 15.
Additionally, the rules compendium removed a section on delaying the trap.