Thief Skills | Skyrim Wiki


Thief Skills is one of the three skill groups in Skyrim. There are a total of 6 skills in thief skills, four skill trees for sneaking around, a defensive tree and a crafting tree. Thieves can practice and improve their Pickpocket, Sneak, Lockpicking and Speech skills to loot and steal without being detected and negotiate with merchants for great deals. The Light Armor skill is supported in the thief skills for players with a preference for lighter armor. Alchemy helps players with creating numerous potions and poisons with different effects.

 

Leveling Thief Skills in Skyrim

Thief skills are unique compared to the other trees in the way they are used and level up. While the basic concept is the same with the other groups, level and skill is gained through using the skill, some thief skills have specific circumstances that apply. Skill gain is still increased by bonuses such as the well-rested buff and standing stone abilities.

  • Lockpicking: Skill gain is also increased when lockpicks break
  • Pickpocket: Skill gain increased by the value of the items but difficulty is increased by the weight of the items
  • Sneak: Sneak attacks grant the most skill gain. Skill will only increase when avoiding detection within certain range from an entity that would be aware of your presence, or escaping from one that has detected you. Movement are not needed for increasing the skill but will increase the skill gain.
  • Speech: Skill gain is based on the base price of the item being traded. Selling or buying multiple of the same item at a time reduces skill gain. 

 

Tips for Players new to Skyrim

  • Focus on fewer skills to quickly level them up and unlock deeper into the perk trees for greater bonuses quickly
  • Items marked stolen can only be sold to merchants that are 'fences', unlock the fence perk or progress through the thieves guild questline to gain access
  • While picking locks will give skill gain for the lock picked, players can choose to break multiple lockpicks to level up quickly instead
  • Players can find boots with a muffle enchantment that will reduce the noise they make, helping greatly with sneaking

 

Skyrim All Thief Skills

 

 

Skyrim All Thief Perks

The Skill Level and Requirements for the following perks listed in the table are relevant to the Thief Skill, such as the following Lockpicking, Light Armor, Sneak, Pickpocket, Speech and Alchemy.

Quick Search of All Thief Skill Perks

  Click the header to sort the table. 

Perk Description
Novice Locks Novice locks are much easier to pick.
Apprentice Locks Apprentice locks are much easier to pick.
Quick Hands Able to pick locks without being noticed.
Wax Key Automatically gives you a copy of a picked lock's key if it has one.
Adept Locks Adept locks are much easier to pick.
Expert Locks Expert locks are much easier to pick.
Golden Touch Find more gold in chests.
Treasure Hunter 50% greater chance of finding special treasure.
Locksmith Pick starts close to the lock opening position.
Unbreakable Lockpicks never break.
Master Locks Master locks are much easier to pick.
Agile Defender (1) Increase armor rating for Light armor by 20%.
Agile Defender (2) Increase armor rating for Light armor by 40%.
Agile Defender (3) Increase armor rating for Light armor by 60%.
Agile Defender (4) Increase armor rating for Light armor by 80%.
Agile Defender (5) Increase armor rating for Light armor by 100%.
Custom Fit 25% Armor bonus if wearing all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
Matching Set Additional 25% Armor bonus if wearing a matched set of Light Armor.
Unhindered Light Armor weighs nothing and doesn't slow you down when worn.
Wind Walker Stamina regenerates 50% faster in all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
Deft Movement 10% chance of avoiding all damage from a melee attack while wearing all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
Stealth (1) You are 20% harder to detect when sneaking.
Stealth (2) You are 25% harder to detect when sneaking.
Stealth (3) You are 30% harder to detect when sneaking.
Stealth (4) You are 35% harder to detect when sneaking.
Stealth (5) You are 40% harder to detect when sneaking.
Backstab Sneak attacks with one-handed weapons now do six times damage.
Deadly Aim Sneak attacks with bows now do three times damage.
Assassin's Blade Sneak attacks with daggers now do a total of fifteen times normal damage.
Muffled Movement Wearing armor makes half as much noise when you move (see muffle).
Light Foot You won't trigger pressure plates.
Silent Roll Sprinting while sneaking executes a silent forward roll
Silence Walking and running does not affect detection.
Shadow Warrior Crouching stops combat for a moment and forces distant opponents to search for a target.
Light Fingers (1) Pickpocketing bonus of 20%. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.
Light Fingers (2) Pickpocketing bonus of 40%. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.
Light Fingers (3) Pickpocketing bonus of 60%. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.
Light Fingers (4) Pickpocketing bonus of 80%. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.
Light Fingers (5) Pickpocketing bonus of 100%. Item weight and value reduce pickpocketing odds.
Night Thief +25% chance to pickpocket if the target is asleep.
Poisoned Silently harm enemies by placing poisons in their pockets.
Extra Pockets Carrying capacity is increased by 100.
Cutpurse Pickpocketing gold is 50% easier.
Keymaster Pickpocketing keys almost always works.
Misdirection Can pickpocket equipped weapons.
Perfect Touch Can pickpocket equipped items and armor.
Haggling (1) Buying and selling prices are 10% better.
Haggling (2) Buying and selling prices are 15% better.
Haggling (3) Buying and selling prices are 20% better.
Haggling (4) Buying and selling prices are 25% better.
Haggling (5) Buying and selling prices are 30% better.
Bribery Can bribe guards to ignore crimes.
Persuasion Persuasion attempts are 30% easier.
Intimidation Intimidation is twice as likely to be successful.
Allure 10% better prices with the opposite sex.
Merchant Can sell any type of item to any kind of merchant.
Investor Can invest 500 gold with a shopkeeper to increase his available gold permanently.
Fence Can barter stolen goods with any merchant you have invested in.
Master Trader Every merchant in the world gains 1000 gold for bartering.
Alchemist (1) Potions and poisons you make are 20% stronger.
Alchemist (2) Potions and poisons you make are 40% stronger.
Alchemist (3) Potions and poisons you make are 60% stronger.
Alchemist (4) Potions and poisons you make are 80% stronger.
Alchemist (5) Potions and poisons you make are twice as strong.
Physician Potions you mix that restore Health, Magicka or Stamina are 25% more powerful.
Benefactor Potions you mix with beneficial effects have an additional 25% greater magnitude.
Experimenter (1) Eating an ingredient reveals first two effects.
Experimenter (2) Eating an ingredient reveals first three effects.
Experimenter (3) Eating an ingredient reveals all its effects.
Poisoner Poisons you mix are 25% more effective.
Concentrated Poison Poisons applied to weapons last for twice as many hits.
Green Thumb

Two ingredients are gathered from plants.
Snakeblood 50% resistance to all poisons.
Purity All negative effects are removed from created potions, and all positive effects are removed from created poisons.



Tired of anon posting? Register!
Load more
⇈ ⇈