One of the most cliche of all GM problems is dealing with a thief PC that steals from the party. It ranks right up there with "the Thief and the Paladin" problem. Most GMs will come across this problem sooner or later. In this article I give some tips for dealing with the problem from an experienced (30+ years) GM. Our goal in finding a solution to this problem is to find a way to both make the game more interesting and to deal with the problem in game without generating a player vs player conflict that can disrupt your gaming group.
The first stage in setting up to deal with this problem is to establish your position early to your group of how you will deal with it. My preferred position is that it will be discouraged, but always dealt with in game. I usually also add that I will not allow player versus player combat, excepting perhaps nonlethal actions. This gives the players some options without leading to the gaming group-killing scenario of one PC killing another.
When the thief starts trying to steal things, make sure you first use the perception vs sleight of hand mechanic (or whatever it is in your system) to ensure everyone gets a reasonable chance to see what is going on. If the thief is smart, he'll do it when folks are distracted or asleep, or perhaps use a high-dex build to overpower this check. Don't forget that larger items are almost impossible to hide, so giving magic weapons as loot often eliminates part of the problem before it starts.
Unfortunately, even the smartest thief doesn't always think ahead enough to remember they may have trouble carrying their loot. Make sure you make them track how much they are carrying when they start stealing, and make sure you tell them all the trouble they have when they start carrying too much with a minimized strength score.
The next mechanic I would add is a daily check for each target who was stolen from. Everyday when going through their stuff, a PC has a chance of noticing a missing object. I let them use the higher of wisdom (it looks like something is missing from my pack) or intelligence (I know I had exactly 12 potions yesterday). I set the DC to 10 for obvious or larger items and 20 as a max DC for items. Once one PC in the party in the group succeeds at this check, give all other PCs a recheck at +10, because now they are actively searching for something missing. Give everyone one check per item daily FOREVER. This is somewhat realistic and will ensure that the thief will get caught. At this point the party knows someone is stealing.
The thief may get smart and try to claim they have something missing too to throw blame. Don't forget this is a lie, so a bluff check vs sense motive is required and can get the thief caught.
The other option is to allow an in game plot point to show who is stealing. Force the party through a border crossing where they have to pay tax on the items they have with them. When the thief has ten guards haphazardly searching through his stuff, the rest of the party will finally find the missing items.
Once the thief is caught, it is time to remind the party of their alignments. Lawful players automatically get reminded that thieves get dealt with in these lands by "insert punishment here". Stockade, imprisonment, and having hands chopped off are reasonable punishments in most fantasy lands. The party can also choose to banish the thief. In this case, I would tell the thief player that it is time to roll a new character. The party may also choose the add new rules to the thief's continued mode of operation with the party. For example, require the thief to be handcuffed to the paladin while not in a fight.
If there is a physical engagement, the party may choose nonlethal options to disable and perhaps restrain the thief. Allows this to happen. Allow the party to even have a surprise round if appropriate.
Worst case, you might end up with a thief who is excommunicated from the party and tries to follow. Consider this condition banishment, and have the player roll a new character. If that is going to be a group-ending scenario, have a large ambush happen, and let the thief get caught with multiple attackers by himself. The thief player needs to understand that surviving in game requires team work, and undermining that is going to result in his character's death.
In the longer game, there are alternatives to getting rid of a problematic thief that evades normal measures to curb stealing. As a GM, you can always make the thief a monster magnet, since he will likely have the best equipment. This not only gives the thief another part of the game to focus on, but it also makes the thief wish his party members had better equipment to protect him with. The thief can also become the target of thieves. Forcefully indoctrinating a thief into the thieves guild, and then making him pay almost everything he steals will also curb his appetite for stealing from the party and leave him looking for a way out.
In the end, a combination of plot points and game mechanics will wear the thief down until he stops stealing from the party. Along the way there will be some cool storylines, cool interactions, and a learning experience for the whole group.
The first stage in setting up to deal with this problem is to establish your position early to your group of how you will deal with it. My preferred position is that it will be discouraged, but always dealt with in game. I usually also add that I will not allow player versus player combat, excepting perhaps nonlethal actions. This gives the players some options without leading to the gaming group-killing scenario of one PC killing another.
When the thief starts trying to steal things, make sure you first use the perception vs sleight of hand mechanic (or whatever it is in your system) to ensure everyone gets a reasonable chance to see what is going on. If the thief is smart, he'll do it when folks are distracted or asleep, or perhaps use a high-dex build to overpower this check. Don't forget that larger items are almost impossible to hide, so giving magic weapons as loot often eliminates part of the problem before it starts.
Unfortunately, even the smartest thief doesn't always think ahead enough to remember they may have trouble carrying their loot. Make sure you make them track how much they are carrying when they start stealing, and make sure you tell them all the trouble they have when they start carrying too much with a minimized strength score.
The next mechanic I would add is a daily check for each target who was stolen from. Everyday when going through their stuff, a PC has a chance of noticing a missing object. I let them use the higher of wisdom (it looks like something is missing from my pack) or intelligence (I know I had exactly 12 potions yesterday). I set the DC to 10 for obvious or larger items and 20 as a max DC for items. Once one PC in the party in the group succeeds at this check, give all other PCs a recheck at +10, because now they are actively searching for something missing. Give everyone one check per item daily FOREVER. This is somewhat realistic and will ensure that the thief will get caught. At this point the party knows someone is stealing.
The thief may get smart and try to claim they have something missing too to throw blame. Don't forget this is a lie, so a bluff check vs sense motive is required and can get the thief caught.
The other option is to allow an in game plot point to show who is stealing. Force the party through a border crossing where they have to pay tax on the items they have with them. When the thief has ten guards haphazardly searching through his stuff, the rest of the party will finally find the missing items.
Once the thief is caught, it is time to remind the party of their alignments. Lawful players automatically get reminded that thieves get dealt with in these lands by "insert punishment here". Stockade, imprisonment, and having hands chopped off are reasonable punishments in most fantasy lands. The party can also choose to banish the thief. In this case, I would tell the thief player that it is time to roll a new character. The party may also choose the add new rules to the thief's continued mode of operation with the party. For example, require the thief to be handcuffed to the paladin while not in a fight.
If there is a physical engagement, the party may choose nonlethal options to disable and perhaps restrain the thief. Allows this to happen. Allow the party to even have a surprise round if appropriate.
Worst case, you might end up with a thief who is excommunicated from the party and tries to follow. Consider this condition banishment, and have the player roll a new character. If that is going to be a group-ending scenario, have a large ambush happen, and let the thief get caught with multiple attackers by himself. The thief player needs to understand that surviving in game requires team work, and undermining that is going to result in his character's death.
In the longer game, there are alternatives to getting rid of a problematic thief that evades normal measures to curb stealing. As a GM, you can always make the thief a monster magnet, since he will likely have the best equipment. This not only gives the thief another part of the game to focus on, but it also makes the thief wish his party members had better equipment to protect him with. The thief can also become the target of thieves. Forcefully indoctrinating a thief into the thieves guild, and then making him pay almost everything he steals will also curb his appetite for stealing from the party and leave him looking for a way out.
In the end, a combination of plot points and game mechanics will wear the thief down until he stops stealing from the party. Along the way there will be some cool storylines, cool interactions, and a learning experience for the whole group.
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