How much stealth?

[Stasis_Sword]

Presumably more stealth is better, but how much do you need? Or how much does additional points help?

 

The lone watcher only scripted check supposedly requires 4. For combat situations where sneaking is an option is 4 generally enough to close on your target? Is there some other golden number?

 

Also based on some limited testing it appears unlocking chest in town is legal but taking things from them is not and requires stealth (possibly slight of hand) is that right?

[Yonjuro]

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Also based on some limited testing it appears unlocking chest in town is legal but taking things from them is not and requires stealth (possibly slight of hand) is that right?

 

  Containers that have the usual pointer icon when you mouse over them doesn't count as theft and you can take from them in plain sight. The ones that count as theft have a different icon.

 

 When they have the other icon, You can disarm the trapped containers and unlock them and then you can steal using stealth - the character doing the stealing has to not have been discovered (that is, can't have a red circle with eye symbol in the middle under them). Sleight of hand is not necessary.

 

 I'm not sure about your other questions about stealth, but if you plan to steal everything, it's probably worth giving your thieving character as high stealth as you can. There may be an upper limit on stealth that you need to steal everything in the game, but I don't know what it is.

 

 For combat, the abilities that allow your melee characters to close the distance fast makes stealth less important (monks, fighters and barbarians can all take abilities to do this). So, you may want to factor that in.

[Stasis_Sword]

I knew about the stealing icon, but I was surprised I could pick locks in broad daylight and no one seemed to mind 

 

I know if I want to steal everything not nailed down I probably need a stealth / sleight of hand specialist. My question is for a melee unit say a certain bearded swash buckler how much stealth would I need for him to be able to reliable close and stealth attack?

[PugPug]

I knew about the stealing icon, but I was surprised I could pick locks in broad daylight and no one seemed to mind 

 

I know if I want to steal everything not nailed down I probably need a stealth / sleight of hand specialist. My question is for a melee unit say a certain bearded swash buckler how much stealth would I need for him to be able to reliable close and stealth attack?

 

Are you quite sure? No one cared in POE1 if you picked locks or disarmed trapped chests so long as you didn't take anything, but I picked a lock in POE2 and lost reputation.

[Stasis_Sword]

 

I knew about the stealing icon, but I was surprised I could pick locks in broad daylight and no one seemed to mind 

 

I know if I want to steal everything not nailed down I probably need a stealth / sleight of hand specialist. My question is for a melee unit say a certain bearded swash buckler how much stealth would I need for him to be able to reliable close and stealth attack?

 

Are you quite sure? No one cared in POE1 if you picked locks or disarmed trapped chests so long as you didn't take anything, but I picked a lock in POE2 and lost reputation.

 

 

PugPug no I'm not sure. I thought I picked one and didn't get in trouble, but that might have just been a buggy NPC/container or maybe field of vision plays into it. I'll try to test more tonight and see if I can reproduce.

[PugPug]

 

 

I knew about the stealing icon, but I was surprised I could pick locks in broad daylight and no one seemed to mind 

 

I know if I want to steal everything not nailed down I probably need a stealth / sleight of hand specialist. My question is for a melee unit say a certain bearded swash buckler how much stealth would I need for him to be able to reliable close and stealth attack?

 

Are you quite sure? No one cared in POE1 if you picked locks or disarmed trapped chests so long as you didn't take anything, but I picked a lock in POE2 and lost reputation.

 

 

PugPug no I'm not sure. I thought I picked one and didn't get in trouble, but that might have just been a buggy NPC/container or maybe field of vision plays into it. I'll try to test more tonight and see if I can reproduce.

 

 

It's subtle. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been keeping an eye on the dialogue/combat log window to check. It was the chest in the Port Maje mayor-type-guy's office.

[Purudaya]

To answer OP's question, you need about 9 stealth to be able to pickpocket/backstab higher level enemies. For dialogue checks I haven't seen one over 4-6.

[Stasis_Sword]

 

 

 

I knew about the stealing icon, but I was surprised I could pick locks in broad daylight and no one seemed to mind 

 

I know if I want to steal everything not nailed down I probably need a stealth / sleight of hand specialist. My question is for a melee unit say a certain bearded swash buckler how much stealth would I need for him to be able to reliable close and stealth attack?

 

Are you quite sure? No one cared in POE1 if you picked locks or disarmed trapped chests so long as you didn't take anything, but I picked a lock in POE2 and lost reputation.

 

 

PugPug no I'm not sure. I thought I picked one and didn't get in trouble, but that might have just been a buggy NPC/container or maybe field of vision plays into it. I'll try to test more tonight and see if I can reproduce.

 

 

It's subtle. I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't been keeping an eye on the dialogue/combat log window to check. It was the chest in the Port Maje mayor-type-guy's office.

 

 

I retested with that chest and you're right I get flagged for picking the lock. Also looking in the chest (without taking anything) resulted in a reputation loss. I wonder if certain chests not affiliated with a faction are different or if I had just seen those results on a buggy container.

[Lokithecat]

I noticed, if you're trying to steal a 'flagged' (Reddish background, Yellow mask) item, then yes, they don't like that.  Also, depending on if you're in stealth or not, the items themselves are marked with red backgrounds if you are in sight of someone.  If you're successfully hiding there's no red background.

 

And I did think early game, that lockpicking 'flagged' chests was free XP, but late game I did notice a Faction hit on picking a lock.

[Teacher]

I've had a stealth character who pickpocketed everyone I met and by the very end, you can get to pretty much everyone with around 20-22ish stealth (with like 3 guards observing you at that point in Vailian embassy upstairs for example).

 

About 8 (or 9...I think it was 8 ) sleight of hand is needed to steal everything but the things that need 8 are fine daggers and a gem or two here and there... Not worth the extra points. I've done fine with 4 throughout. In a pinch you can use consumables for it if you really need more.

 

If I remember right you won't see anything that require over 18 mechanics, and those are shortcut quest doors and such that you'll find a key for anyway. 15 mechanics is good enough for some of the best loot you can get (store chests and such).

 

Btw, you can make an assassin with low stealth. Just keep him out of notice range at first, then Escape in for backstab. Escape doesn't break stealth if you don't teleport on top of them and you can attack immediately after. It's like 1 guile costing ranged backstab.

 

Edit: Oh and for contextual stuff, stealth requirements are complicated. Some you can do solo but others need party check. You can have godly stealth but Eder will mess it up by being super loud anyway :'( 

 

Edit 2: Forgot to mention that people don't usually care if you just walk up and unlock their stuff. USUALLY. There are some who freak out. You can save scum to figure out who cares and who doesn't :D

Edited May 19, 2018 by Teacher

[Stasis_Sword]

I found an example of the chests you can pick in broad daylight...

 

I was in the Valera Estate in Queen's Bereth and I could pick all the chest with no stealth right in front of them. No one seemed to care. I could also look in the chest and no one cared. Stealing while being observed caused as fight (as expected). Either the code is buggy (always a possibility) or maybe containers/locations associated with factions are treated differently than independent ones?

[flamesium]

Most things you can unlock and look in in plain sight and nobody cares until you take something. Occasionally you get one where they flip out but I haven't noticed a specific reason why.

 

There's a chest in the Valian Trading Company Director's office where if they see you pick the lock they will turn hostile, Pallegina will turn hostile if present, and every remaining VTC quest will flash up on screen as failed one after another (and the quest titles are kinda spoilery). So you might wanna avoid that.