Okay, so don't yell at me if this has been asked and responded to many times... just deal with it.

What "resets" one's ability to pickpocket?

That is, if you're pickpocketing He'Li, for example, after a while she'll catch you every time. If you leave and do some stuff, etc., when you come back you can pickpocket from her again.

So what affects this? I tried camping for a while, that didn't seem to be it. I tried leaving, raising PP a few points, and trying again, and that didn't work. And I've tried going to a different area and coming back, and that didn't help either. but eventually, if I just go away and do other little quests, eventually I can steal from her.

So, what "resets" the ability to pickpocket? Thanks!

• RE: What "resets" ability to Pickpocket?,Nordoki (Guest), 05:21 AM, Mar-15-02
• RE: What "resets" ability to Pickpocket?,Jem, 05:37 AM, Mar-15-02

I found this approach to work rather successfully for me:

1. Save the game before talking to the NPC.
2. Attempt pickpocket.
3. If successful, save the game and try again.
4. If unsuccessful reload.
5. Repeat until you are continually caught or skill has advanced a point. Then start the process over with shoplifting. Shoplift until the skill advances a point, the switch back to pickpocket.

Of course all this was done with the older patch. The newest patch nerfs the pickpocket skill so badly it's not worth the time and trouble.

To the best of my knowledge you have to go up a level in order to successfully pickpocket again. I'm using the latest patch myself and consider it more of a challenge. The original was just a klepto-dream and actually was pretty boring because there was no real challenge. My bard is at 15th level in this go-thru and has a 64 pickpocket +30 from his Filcher's Bands so I can normally get between 5-10 successful attempts per NPC and it seems to work best after I've gone up the level.