What's in a thieves kit?

[devilish]

Hi all,

Rogue in the party just acquired a set of masterwork thieves tools
for lockpicking, etc. Would love to add some flavor text and detail
each one, besides "a set of picks for lockpicking...."

What's in a thieves kit? Talc? Awls? 3 twisty hooks, 2 thing-amabobs, yellow
stars and green clovers?

Anyone have this written up? What about real-life lockpickers -- what's
in your kit?

Thanks,
-D

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Hi all,

Rogue in the party just acquired a set of masterwork thieves tools
for lockpicking, etc. Would love to add some flavor text and detail
each one, besides "a set of picks for lockpicking...."

What's in a thieves kit? Talc? Awls? 3 twisty hooks, 2 thing-amabobs, yellow
stars and green clovers?

Anyone have this written up? What about real-life lockpickers -- what's
in your kit?

Thanks,
-D

Picks, of course. Small spring-loaded clamps and spreaders. Files. Wax. A fishhook on a wire for lifting bars. Magnifying glass. Strong magnet. Key blanks in various sizes.

I used to use a dental pick to open filing cabinets that people at work lost the keys to.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

1. Get Out of Jail Free card
2. clean underwear
3. Towel

 

[Draven]

picks, spare rope, blackgarb, weaponblack, grappling hook, magnifying glass,foot spikes, vials of various poisons for dispatching guards in a quiet mannor and i think that just about covers it. this should be found in something like the backpack of a fallen thief.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Picks and a tension wrench. Everything else is just fluff.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking5.htm

 

[Hand of Evil]

Depends on the thief.

Muggers - sap, stain remover, ties, gloves
Cats - rope, oil, glass cutter, hooks, picks
Paper Man - inks, paper, seals, sands
Con Man - IDs, legal papers

All have different needs and functions

 

[rounser]

stain remover

...they do the laundry on the job?

 

[Chaldfont]

There was a Dragon article waaaay back in the day that listed a bunch of cool things for a thief. One thing I remember from that was a coin with a filed-down sharp edge. It was used to cut purse strings during pocket picking.

I think they also recommended small vials of acid for those locks that are just too hard to pick.

How about grease paint to help with Hide checks?

 

[Sejs]

...they do the laundry on the job?

'Cause nothing says innocent like bloodstains.

 

[Hand of Evil]

...they do the laundry on the job?

The idea came from a old movie I saw, there was a thug, a brute that enjoyed the pain he caused, every time he walked away he pulled a flask and rag from his pocket and rubbed the stains from his sleeves, it was freaky in its visual.

But other item knock out drops.