What are you supposed to do if you get pickpocketed by a common street thief in D&D 5e?

It's probably got all the functionality of a regular greatsword with some magic pluses, and the DM just described it as huge because they thought it was cool.

>the game is only using that stat block for the sake of having a semi-competent sleight of hand check

Why does the game not just say "use a bandit or a commoner but give them Sleight of Hand proficiency"?

>huge weapons
>cool
Pick one. Also, you don't use greatsword as a regular sword.

Beats me, but that's certainly a valid thing you can do.

It's obviously not a level appropriate encounter, for money parties. Scale it accordingly.

Oh fuck, it's this autist again.

I'd just go a step further and make the entry give the actual number for the sleight of hand. Something like, "A pickpocket attempts to steal from them with a +5 sleight of hand check. Use the commoner/whatever stat block for other information." Pointless downtime shit should generally at least attempt to not require another book, and it really doesn't matter if this encounter follows proficiency/hit dice guidelines

If you want sensible game design, why are you playing 5e?

People who walk around in showy, expensive clobber are the only sorts worth pickpocketing.

Such badass pickpockets are the only ones with the stones to filch from heavily-armed mercenaries.

A common pickpocket would have commoner stats, but dex 14 and sleight of hand proficiency.

(You)

Except that level 1 PCs are weakass dorks in 5e.

This. You think Grok, the half orc laborer, didn't beat the other ones to death for trying to steal his coin purse?

Why are all pickpockets master spies?

This. Even the spy only has +4 sleigh of hand. Means that if Grok has average perception,, he fails a pickpocket 1 out f 4.

Admittedly, they probably work in pairs with one distracting Grok and the other stealing (but the distracting one can also fail the skill roll so...).

>can handily carve through more than their number in common men
>weakass dorks

>What are you supposed to do if you get pickpocketed by a common street thief in D&D 5e?

Roll for Initiative.

What exactly are you complaining about?

That you made an encounter too hard for the players?

Maybe they used to be a spy, until...

Apparently the DMG dun goofed and made a random example of a pickpocketing thief like four times as strong as a fully armed and armored city guardsman.

Uh, that's not what the OP was talking about. Apparently the guards shreked the players too.

The pickpocket as prescribed by the Dungeon Master's Guide is far too competent, especially as a half-elf (which made sense in this context).

Even after a downgrade from my end, the chase rules had proven completely frustrating and nonsensical and served only to humiliate the two level 4 PCs who engaged in the chase. Even worse was the realization that if the full party had committed to the chase, the party would have been even worse-off, because the party would have simply gotten in each others' way by generating complications for one another.

why is nobody discussing the finer points of rape?

If the pickpocket is far too competent for your uses then just change him so he is less competent.

>Why are these street pickpockets so competent?
All the incompetent ones lost their hands already.

I had used the Dungeon Master's Guide's chase rules, with a downgraded thief.

Over the course of the 4-round-long chase, one PC had come across two overzealous guards and was critically hit by them for maximum damage each time, taking a total of 26 damage. That PC also got caught up in a street brawl, taking another 8 damage, for 34 damage all in all.

Another PC ran into a rough obstacle twice, taking 4 damage each time, and had failed to overcome a pack of dogs, taking another 4 damage. That PC took 12 damage all in all.

The thief suffered only two complications and successfully overcame both.

The PCs had to expend two 2nd-level spell slots on a Misty Step and an Enhance Ability to successfully grab the thief, and even then, the PCs won by exactly 1.

Over the course of 24 seconds in-universe, the two PCs had taken 34 and 12 damage respectively and had each lost a 2nd-level spell slot. Such was the price they paid just to catch a thief.

Also, due to the silly rules for using Stealth as part of a chase, the thief stood a terribly high chance of successfully shaking off the PCs. The thief had poor luck rolling Stealth, however; if they were any more fortunate, the thief would have gotten away as early as the first round.

I did, in fact, downgrade the pickpocket, as I had stated earlier.

He is right though.

So basically:
>A pair of PC:s get mugged
>They give chase
>Suddenly the market square explode as a pair of guardsmen swing at the thief and accidentally hit the PC:s, one of the PC:s get smacked by a plank carried by a laborer TWICE (once by running into it and once when the laborer turns around to check what ran into his plank) and the other PC gets attacked by wild dogs

That's hilarious

>autist claims oversized weapon is ineffective
>stat sheet explicitly mentions that it trumps pretty much every small weapons once you meet the easily fulfilled requirements

see
If you didn't want this outcome to be a possibility then you should have just used goblin or basic orc stats.

And they got caught up in a street brawl too.

Maybe the problem isn't d&d. Maybe it's the fact that you're dming a game for the three stooges

You aren't supposed to add racial stat mods to npc statblocks unless you want to
The pcs shouldn't have 'died' to the guards because guards suddenly going for a killing blow unless the situation warrants it is retarded
The pcs getting several unlucky rolls is just that, they were unlucky, boo hoo
If you think an encounter's difficulty should be criticized because of luck then I guess every fight is too hard in case the pcs get critted 20 times in a row

fpbp

Fucking idiot.

At that point I would just assume I've been hit by a very carefully planned scheme set up by the pickpocket, which would have been quickly followed by me derailing the campaign by swearing vengeance on said master criminal.

How so?

>You aren't supposed to add racial stat mods to npc statblocks unless you want to

>I don't like a poorly designed thing!
OK? What's your point?

Fucking idiot.

Oh no, the trolls are awake again.

Why do a common pickpocket have 6 hit die?
That is more than veterans.
At least in 3.5/pf.

Because it's a veteran pickpocket?

>implying the encounter isn't poorly designed and doesn't have a mismatching CR
No, John, you are the trolls.
There is no denying that this encounter is poorly designed.

Isn't it the DM's fault then?

DM used the statblock provided by the book, and didn't adjust it, thinking that the CR of the encounter actually corresponded to its actual difficulty.
It clearly didn't.

Uh, the DM is the one who designed the encounter.

Why isn't everyone in DnD a pickpocket? Apparently, you instantly become several times more powerful than any guardsman.
>get in trouble
>oh shit, here comes the guard
>better steal some stuff real quick to get those 6 hit dice and juicy abilities
Thievery is like breaking the Super Saiyan barrier for urchins.

>random dice rolls screwed over the players
>THE ENCOUNTER IS UNBALANCED

>random dice rolls screwed over the
>Also, due to the silly rules for using Stealth as part of a chase, the thief stood a terribly high chance of successfully shaking off the PCs. The thief had poor luck rolling Stealth, however; if they were any more fortunate, the thief would have gotten away as early as the first round.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Where the flying fuck did you get that logic?

Why are you arguing with a troll.

I'm not sure if it works that way, but I'm sure it ought to.

...you roll dice in D&D...

The chance for dice to screw over the players is a real thing.

Oooo, you're a troll. Well thanks for showing your hand so early.

>As a half elf

You mentioned this, but did you also account for the fact that the default pickpocket would be human, thus have +1 to all stats, or at least a +1 to the two highest ones? If anything, a half-elf spy would be weaker

Unfortunately, this is not how pages 282-283 work.

All NPCs are assumed to be human by default, and making them any race other than human is a straight upgrade with no downsides. Half-elven NPCs receive the best deal in most cases.

For NPCs, being human is strictly a liability.

Or +1 to his Str and Con. He used to be a farm hand.

Well the DM controls the NPCs so I see 0 problem with NPCs having "optimal races." They are making a roleplaying game, not a wargame after all.

And page 343 gives conflicting advice by suggesting the statblock remain the same even if you're adding on racial traits.

Almost like you might need to use a brain instead of relying on tables.

Nowhere does it say that's a "common pickpocket". Someone who targets adventurers is going to be suited, booted, and armed to the teeth because they are among the most dangerous people in the region.

You just want to win forever, faggot.

>Level 10 Immortal Mystic
>Notice a pickpocket
>Bonus Action Brute Strike, Action- Bestial Claws, Reaction- Knock Back
>Backhand them 70 feet away through a wall, dealing 7d10+5+1d8+14d6 damage
>Never have anyone attempt to pickpocket me again
There's no kill like overkill.

Those are rules for building an npc from scratch, without a statblock. The OP is shitting on the dmg example of using a statblock. The rules you linked aren't relevant here so yes, it's exactly as I said. Youre not expected to add racial modifiers to the statblock.

>Those are rules for building an npc from scratch, without a statblock.

Afraid not.

This is exactly what the Dungeon Master's Guide prescribes.

The DMG and MM were written by different people.

Any surprise?

FPBP

huge weapons are objectively better :)

Gurps

Here's a better topic: Should the PCs always win? It makes sense to me for an experienced thief to be able to slip away during a chase in the city he grew up on the streets of, a city where the PCs might not even know has a library or not. PCs can't do everything. If you want to play super heroes who always win, fine, but it's no fun if victory is assured 100% of the time.

>thief escapes the players, through combination of skill and luck
A few seconds later a sweaty dwarf runs up to players. It takes him some time to catch his breath, after which he shouts a series of expletives in the direction the thief ran off, and tells players that he's been robbed by the same person just days ago. Being a vengeful motherfucker and not expecting the guards to help, he set out to find the pickpocket's operating area and catch 'em himself. Unfortunately he's not much of a fighter - maybe you can help. Next day you stage an ambush, or you track down the thief to their homebase and steal back your shit.

There. That's like 1 out of 2 or 3 easiest possible solutions.

It's almost like the DMG is full of a bunch of poorly designed and untested rules

The other 2 options:

1. Thief dropped something that lets you track them down. Is there a Thief's guild in your setting? Could be related to them. Otherwise could be any given personal item.

2. Someone who is capable to rob trained adventurers probably got a name on the streets. Send your most charismatic/ least lawful-looking character to the local tavern of ill repute, see if you can find a clue about this master thief - or at least a fence of stolen goods.

Why is a rando, random encounter pickpocket always some master thief?

There's something called 'probability', faggot. You should learn math. Life might be easier for you. Here's a crash course.

BIGGER NUMBERS ON ONE SIDE MEANS THAT SIDE IS MORE LIKELY TO SUCCEED. Holy shit, I must have just blown your mind.

Of course, you're just a troll pretending to be retarded, so 7/10 I guess.

this

>>A pair of PC:s get mugged
>>They give chase
>>Suddenly the market square explode as a pair of guardsmen swing at the thief and accidentally hit the PC:s, one of the PC:s get smacked by a plank carried by a laborer TWICE (once by running into it and once when the laborer turns around to check what ran into his plank) and the other PC gets attacked by wild dogs
Is this a Jacky Chan film?

Who is this semen demon?

It sounds like a fun session at any rate

The rules sound fine. OP even mentioned that the players rolled like shit.

Uh, this is some deep troll here. So I'll go ahead and give you another (You). Feel free to post again trying to explain the garbage logic you put on display here.

Yeah, this session sounds like a big giggle. I'm not sure what all the people being pissed are about.

Imagine catching up to the thief in the next 1 or two sessions. Maybe you finally outsmart her, take back your possessions but spare her life. Several months later, at the final session, as your party fails to stop BBEG and he raises the artifact to shatter the world as we know it - yoink! A life-debt, paid off.

>What are you supposed to do if you get pickpocketed by a common street thief in D&D 5e?
Lose a few gold pieces I guess. Anything more than that is robbery, not a cutpurse.

>a chase that lasts 1 or 2 sessions

Dude, this game is the sickest thing. You don't need all the BBEG shit.

Maybe the players DIDN'T sign up to be bumbling oafs.

should have rolled better or made competent characters hth

>rolled better

Skill DCs in 5e are borked to hell. Your numbers are low, the d20 is swingy, and the DCs are too damn high.

DC 10 for "Easy" my ass.

Christ, this again.

1st level character can reasonably be expected to have a +5 modifier to a skill (+2 prof, +3 ability). Chance of rolling a 10 or better is 80%.

How is a 4 in 5 chance of success not "Easy"?

FPBP

Is this your life? Making the most inane defenseposts any time D&D is mentioned negatively just because you're that invested in a garbage system?

Here's a pity (you). Don't spend it all in the same place.

At level 1...
+2 proficiency; +1 to +3 ability; possibly other bonuses

At modest +3 total, have ~65% to beat DC10 at level 1. Basically guaranteed with a bard or advantage.