What's Worth Pickpocketing? Options

[bibliophile20]

Building a street kid pickpocket NPC at the moment and realized midway through: what's worth pickpocketing on people in the 6th World? As pointed out in the Cash vs. Credit thread, most people don't carry physical currency on them anymore, and I think stealing a commlink from someone is more trouble than it's worth--there's little chance they won't instantly notice when their Crack-berry, TNG, goes for a walk when people are *that* linked in to the Matrix all the time.

Basically, aside from small personal electronics and drugs, I can't think of any high-value pocketable items that people might be carrying on them--at least not often enough, on a percent-of-population basis, to make pickpocketing worthwhile. Help?

(at this point, character design for the pickpocket is on hold, pending some explanation that doesn't require jumping through logical hoops)

[Christian Lafay]

I think pickpocketing would be better suited for reverse pickpocketing like in Fallout.

[Paul]

Sleight of hand and pick pocket stuff is, as Christian Lafay points out, a two way street. Obviously in the wired world it's a lot harder to snatch some ones cell phone or commlink if they're somehow jacked into it, or have it hardwired or what not. (RFID tags, etc...) But planting can be as much fun, and of great use.

That said I'd definitely say it depends on your locale, and how your table approaches the cash vs. credit situation. Credsticks can be snagged, and maybe even used or copied before someone becomes aware of what's going on. Commlinks can be cloned, etc... if it can be done today I am certain the sixth world isn't that much shinier and happier.

[Squinky]

You could nab a persons sidearm, and hit it with a tag eraser.

[3278]

As the utility of physical goods diminishes in comparison to virtual goods, there will likely be a trend toward the possession of physical goods which have no inherent utility, simply for the cachet of the ownership of something useless. Certainly precedent can be found today in the form of expensive watches and other jewelry. I anticipate in Shadowrun an argument could be made that a similar sociological effect would occur in that setting, and that thus items of purely decorative worth would be relatively common, and would possess value. [People don't wear diamond-and-gold four-finger rings today because they're helpful.]

[CanRay]

Datachips in a "Blind Drop" walk-by is a good way to pick/pack someone's pocket with.

Jewelry is always something to nab, and unless it weighs a lot, might not be noticeable.

Personally, I think pack-pocketing a Streetline Special or another kind of holdout onto someone when they're going through airport security might be a good way to distract everyone while you're trying to sneak the Street Sami through the loading gates with having to ship him/her in, piece-by-piece. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Christian Lafay]

Obligatory video.

[Ryu]

Building a street kid pickpocket NPC at the moment and realized midway through: what's worth pickpocketing on people in the 6th World? As pointed out in the Cash vs. Credit thread, most people don't carry physical currency on them anymore, and I think stealing a commlink from someone is more trouble than it's worth--there's little chance they won't instantly notice when their Crack-berry, TNG, goes for a walk when people are *that* linked in to the Matrix all the time.

Basically, aside from small personal electronics and drugs, I can't think of any high-value pocketable items that people might be carrying on them--at least not often enough, on a percent-of-population basis, to make pickpocketing worthwhile. Help?

(at this point, character design for the pickpocket is on hold, pending some explanation that doesn't require jumping through logical hoops)

People are gona miss their commlink/gear once they loose control. Especially in "thrill tourist" areas of town getting one block away might give you all the time for disassembling the link or at least removing power you need. Yep, they´ll now it was stolen then. Who cares? Just be quick.

[nightslasthero]

Most girls these days keep their cell phones in their back pocket. I would imagine most girls would still keep their commlinks in their back pocket as well. Bluetooth technology allows you to stay in conatact with a phone a good distance away from the phone itself. If a pickpocket would grab the commlink, it would take roughly a minute or longer to realize it is gone (Maybe longer in the 6th world) since you could still communicate with the headset until you walk out of distance. Also most people would probably assume it fell out of their pocket and start looking for it. A good pickpocket with the social skills to blend in could possibly swipe the commlink, continue to follow the person steal the data and return the commlink without the person being any wiser to the theft. With the commlink, perhaps the pickpocket could double back and still the guys car as well.

In addition to commlinks there are perhaps a variety of other items that could be useful to take. Watches for example, and other perhaps useless goods, but have a certain social status aspect to them. Perhaps that mage keeps a foci in an easy to get place. And since most of the six world carry guns, perhaps snagging that ares predator right out of its holster could work.

[nightslasthero]

Most girls these days keep their cell phones in their back pocket. I would imagine most girls would still keep their commlinks in their back pocket as well. Bluetooth technology allows you to stay in conatact with a phone a good distance away from the phone itself. If a pickpocket would grab the commlink, it would take roughly a minute or longer to realize it is gone (Maybe longer in the 6th world) since you could still communicate with the headset until you walk out of distance. Also most people would probably assume it fell out of their pocket and start looking for it. A good pickpocket with the social skills to blend in could possibly swipe the commlink, continue to follow the person steal the data and return the commlink without the person being any wiser to the theft. With the commlink, perhaps the pickpocket could double back and still the guys car as well.

In addition to commlinks there are perhaps a variety of other items that could be useful to take. Watches for example, and other perhaps useless goods, but have a certain social status aspect to them. Perhaps that mage keeps a foci in an easy to get place. And since most of the six world carry guns, perhaps snagging that ares predator right out of its holster could work.

[Paul]

My wife, and a lot of women I know keep their cell phones in their brassiere between their breasts and the fabric of the brassiere. However the same concept applies. I think 3278 nailed it in one: people consume all sorts of useless junk-some of it will have more value than others.

As a complete tangent how do most real life pick pockets operate? In teams or solo?

[Udoshi]

An implication that I think a lot of people are forgetting is that Pickpocketing can be used to plant things on people as well.

And the sixth world has a lot of things you would want to stick on people without getting caught.

[3278]

An implication that I think a lot of people are forgetting is that Pickpocketing can be used to plant things on people as well.

Christian Lafay, Paul, and CanRay all mentioned it. Including you, that's half the respondents to the thread. I think the rest of us felt it'd been done already. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[bibliophile20]

Christian Lafay, Paul, and CanRay all mentioned it. Including you, that's half the respondents to the thread. I think the rest of us felt it'd been done already. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Yup. But as the original question was "what's worth stealing from people?" not "what's worth planting on people?" it's not terribly helpful in relation to the original question. That being said, a lift-and-switch--planting something of relatively equal weight on someone so they won't notice the commlink missing until it reaches the edge of its broadcast range--would be a valid tactic.

However, I think the point about conspicuous display of wealth--jewelry, mechanical watches, etc--would be a prime target. Problem is, how does a SINless or low-income street kid get access to the neighborhoods where that's common--i.e. where you often have to broadcast your particulars, or at least be in a visible mode?

[Paul]

Crap. quoted the wrong poster. My apologies.

[Hida Tsuzua]

Christian Lafay, Paul, and CanRay all mentioned it. Including you, that's half the respondents to the thread. I think the rest of us felt it'd been done already. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think there's also the issue that the OP is looking at it from a young pickpocket. Sure there's tons of reasons for someone like a shadowrun to stick things into pockets, but how does our young pickpocket earn his daily soybread? Odd errands for shadowrunners?

As for commlinks since everything in the matrix auto-routes seamlessly, you can could actually just continue controlling your commlink though your simrig wirelessly even though it's on the other side of Seattle. The way the target will notice is when they get mobbed by whatever local cops for being in the zone without a commlink. That or when you finally turn the thing off.

[CanRay]

Credsticks, brushes/lipstick with hair/spittle on it for ritual magic, the keys to a vintage 2050 Eurocar Westwind 2000...

[3278]

However, I think the point about conspicuous display of wealth--jewelry, mechanical watches, etc--would be a prime target. Problem is, how does a SINless or low-income street kid get access to the neighborhoods where that's common--i.e. where you often have to broadcast your particulars, or at least be in a visible mode?

Interestingly, conspicuous displays of wealth are often more common in low-income areas than high-income ones. Certainly in middle class residential or commercial neighborhoods [where the dross can reasonably still walk], people wear stupid-expensive jewelry they can't afford so that the people next door will be impressed.

To operate in nicer neighborhoods, of course, you can lift someone else's commlink and wander around with that, or just invest in a reasonable fake somewhere along the line.

Or find a GM who doesn't buy into this "in nice neighborhoods, you have to have your commlink turned on or people will go insane with fear and wonder!" thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Paul]

Or find a GM who doesn't buy into this "in nice neighborhoods, you have to have your commlink turned on or people will go insane with fear and wonder!" thing. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

This notion of forced participation may be great to the people at Facebook-but in the real world people want some level of anonymity. Sure the Corporation can crack through all your code, but why would they? You're not some pedophile,or vampire or worse. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tanegar]

Datachips in a "Blind Drop" walk-by is a good way to pick/pack someone's pocket with.

That gives me an idea for a bit of runner fieldcraft: the walking dead-drop. You have a datachip with an RFID tag in it. You pack it in some random schlub's pocket in a prearranged area at a prearranged time. The RFID broadcasts its presence and location, but only the intended recipient knows to look for that broadcast; otherwise, it's just one more tag in a sea of tags. The recipient follows the broadcast to the witless schlub, picks it off of him, and goes about his business.

[CanRay]

Now that's a nice bit of planning!

[Christian Lafay]

That gives me an idea for a bit of runner fieldcraft: the walking dead-drop. You have a datachip with an RFID tag in it. You pack it in some random schlub's pocket in a prearranged area at a prearranged time. The RFID broadcasts its presence and location, but only the intended recipient knows to look for that broadcast; otherwise, it's just one more tag in a sea of tags. The recipient follows the broadcast to the witless schlub, picks it off of him, and goes about his business.

Score.

[3278]

I'm thinking now about Shapechange, and doing dead-drops and pickups [of appropriately gecko'd things] on birds. If you want subtle, Shadowrun can do subtle.

[CanRay]

I thought using a silencer and putting the firearm in Semi-Auto was Subtle? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[3278]

Hey, I thought mortars were subtle. I mean, like, I'm a long ways away, right?