Runescape 3 Thieving Guide (2024)

Why Should You Train Thieving ?

Thieving is a skill that allows players to steal from various NPCs and stalls. It is a very good skill to train since you can AFK pickpocket at later levels which results in AFK money making. Also thieving is the best way to consistently get various levels of clue scrolls.

There are also a lot of quests that require a certain Thieving level to complete, those quests are as follows:

• Buyers and Cellars - Thieving level 5
• Perils of Ice Mountain - Thieving level 11
• The Lost Tribe - Thieving level 13
• The Giant Dwarf - Thieving Level 14
• Watchtower - Thieving level 15
• The Hand in the Sand - Thieving level 17
• Tribal Totem - Thieving level 21
• The Darkness of Hallowvale - Thieving level 22
• Death to Dorgeshuun - Thieving level 23
• From Tiny Acorns (miniquest) - Thieving level 24
• Creature of Fenkenstrain - Thieving level 25
• The Dig Site - Thieving level 25
• The Golem - Thieving level 25
• Dishonour Among Thieves - Thieving level 30
• The Feud - Thieving level 30
• The Slug Menace - Thieving level 30
• Carnillean Rising - Thieving level 33
• Land of the Goblins - Thieving level 36
• Spirits of the Elid - Thieving level 37
• Hunt for Red Raktuber - Thieving level 38
• Elemental Workshop 4 - Thieving level 39
• A Fairy Tale 2, Cure a Queen - Thieving level 40
• Lost Her Marbles (miniquest) - Thieving level 41
• Temple of Ikov - Thieving level 42
• Nadir (saga) - Thieving level 45
• The Chosen Commander - Thieving level 46
• Legends' Quest - Thieving level 50
• Mourning's End Part 1 - Thieving level 50
• A Fairy Tale 3, Battle at Ork's Rift - Thieving level 51
• Desert Treasure - Thieving level 53
• A Void Dance - Thieving level 54
• Vengeance (saga) - Thieving level 55
• The Path of Glouphrie - Thieving level 56
• Grim Tales - Thieving level 58
• Dealing with Scabaras - Thieving level 60
• Twilight of the Gods - Thieving level 60
• While Guthix Sleeps - Thieving level 60
• A Guild of Our Own (miniquest) - Thieving level 62
• Rocking Out - Thieving level 63
• The Prisoner of Glouphrie - Thieving level 64
• The Curse of Arrav - Thieving level 66
• Do No Evil - Thieving level 70
• Deadliest Catch - Thieving level 70
• A clockwork Syringe - Thieving level 74
• Pieces of Hate - Thieving level 85

If you are looking to get a quest cape you will need at least level 85 Thieving. Also If you are looking to complete all the aerial tasks in the game to get those rewards you will need to have at least level 95 Thieving.

RS3 Thieving Guide

Before we get into the actual ways of training this skill, there are a lot of buffs and items that you need to know about. If you already know about them or if you do not care, please skip to the title called "1-99 and Beyond Thieving Training".

Freedom

Freedom is a defensive ability which you can start using after level 34 Defence. It instantly breaks free of stuns so you can use this to decrease your stun timer when pickpocketing. However, you still need to wait until the stun's original timer to run out before being able to pickpocket again.

Enhanced Excalibur

This item can be obtained after completing the Hard Seers' Village achievements. It heals 20% of your total life points over 20 seconds and has a cooldown of 5 minutes. There is also an Elite Enhanced Excalibur version of this which can be obtained after completing the Elite Seers' Village achievements. Elite version heals 40% of your total hit points over 40 seconds. This is a great item to negate the damage you take during your training.

Ardougne Cloak

Ardougne cloak can be obtained after completing the Ardougne achievements. If you complete the hard or the elite version of these achievements, it will increase your chances of successfully pickpocketing NPCs and your chances of stealing from chests.

Featherfingered Necklace

This necklace is created by enchanting an opal necklace. It has 10 charges, while equipped it has a chance to negate stuns and damage while pickpocketing, which allows you to continuously pickpocket without stopping.

Soul in a Box

This item can be manufactured after level 24 Invention and completion of the quest "Nomad's Elegy". You can use this item to summon distracting souls. These souls will help you pickpocket and they last for 1 minute.

Gloves of Silence

Gloves of silence can be equipped after level 54 Hunter. They increase your pickpocket success rate by 5% while equipped. While using them they will slowly start to degrade, they fully degrade and disappear after 62 failed pickpocket attempts. You can repair them if you want to buy using 1 dark kebbit fur on them, this requires level 64 Crafting.

Crystal Mask

This spell is unlocked after completion of the quest "The Light Within". Casting this spell requires level 90 Magic, 7 earth, 6 fire, 6 body and 7 soul runes. For 5 minutes after it is cast, Crystal Mask increases your chance of pickpocketing successfully by 15% and also gives a chance to not be stunned.

Light Form

Light form is a Seren prayer that gets unlocked after completion of the quest "The Light Within" and it requires level 80 prayer to use. It doubles the chance of any Seren-aligned spell effects occurring when using abilities. In this case it will increase your chances of pickpocketing successfully after using the Crystal Mask spell. To use this prayer effectively you will need prayer enhancing gear and prayer renewal potions.

Black Ibis Outfit

Black Ibis outfit is a rare drop that you can obtain while doing the Pyramid Plunder minigame. Each piece of the outfit increases your Thieving experience.

• Black ibis mask - 1% Thieving experience boost
• Black ibis body - 1% Thieving experience boost
• Black ibis legs - 1% Thieving experience boost
• Black ibis boots - 1% Thieving experience boost
• Set bonus - 1% Thieving experience boost

Trahaearn Exoskeleton Set

Trahaearn exoskeleton set is a reward for completing the quest "Plague's End". Wearing the full set provides the following effects:

• A 25% chance to avoid being bitten when looting urns in Pyramid Plunder.
• A 25% chance to avoid being stunned and damaged while pickpocketing or plucking the Desert phoenix.
• The same benefits as Black Ibis from Pyramid Plunder if the player has previously obtained it. The exoskeleton bracers also act as black ibis boots in the same manner.
• The bracers give the same benefits as gloves of silence, if the player has 75 Hunter and 75 Thieving.
• Every piece reduces your weight by 2kg.

Camouflage Outfits

These outfits are craftable outfits that can be created using Invention. To create these outfits you will need to have camouflage fragments which can be obtained passively by training your Thieving after level 70. There are 3 camouflage outfits in total which can be combined together to receive the master camouflage outfit. The 3 outfits are; desert camouflage outfit, Keldagrim camouflage outfit and Prifddinas camouflage outfit. Wearing any full set of these 3 outfits provides the following benefits:

• 5% chance of double pickpocketing.
• 5% chance to avoid being stunned when pickpocketing.
• If you own the Black Ibis outfit, you will receive its 5% increased base experience effect.
• If you own the Trahaearn exoskeleton set, you will receive all of its effects.

Master Camouflage Outfit

Created by combining the 3 different camouflage sets together. It has all the bonuses listed above and additionally has the following benefits:

• 7% chance of double pickpocketing.
• 7% chance to avoid being stunned when pickpocketing.
• Teleports to Lletya, the Thieves' Guild, Pollnivneach, the Consortium in Keldagrim, Pyramid plunder, and the Prifddinas clan districts.
• Increased chance of pickpocketing Seren's symbol pieces.

Five-Finger Discount Aura

These auras can be purchased from the loyalty shop for loyalty points. Activating one of these increases your chances of pickpocketing by a certain percent. They all last for 1 hour and they all have a cooldown of 3 hours. Here is the list of its' tiers:

• Five finger discount aura - 3% increased chance of successful thieving.
• Greater five finger discount aura - 5% increased chance of successful thieving.
• Master five finger discount aura - 7% increased chance of successful thieving.
• Supreme five finger discount aura - 10% increased chance of successful thieving.
• Legendary five finger discount aura - 15% increased chance of successful thieving.

Thieving Cape

You can buy a thieving cape for 99K after reaching level 99 Thieving. Wearing this cape notes all the items that you pickpocket.

Time Engram

Having this item while pickpocketing provides a chance of pickpockets yielding memory shards.

Relic Powers

Relic powers can be unlocked to gain passive effects, through Archaeology. Here are the useful relics that you can use:

• Ring of Fortune: You will always have the effect of tier 3 luck. Unlocks at level 58 Archaeology.
• Luck of the Dwarves: You will always have the effect of tier 4 luck. Unlocks at level 83 Archaeology.
• Sticky Fingers: You will always auto pickpocket and your pickpockets will be 50% faster. Requires level 84 Archeology.
• Inspire Love: You will gain 2% more experience when training Thieving. Requires level 116 Archeology.

Summoning Familiars

There are 2 summoning familiars which you can use to aid your Thieving training, those are:

• Magpie: This familiar requires level 47 Summoning and provides an invisible +3 Thieving level boost. Also you can use its scroll to temporary boost your Thieving by +2.
• Abyssal Lurker: This familiar requires level 62 Summoning to summon. It provides a temporary +4 Thieving boost when you use its scroll.

Torstol Incense Stick

Consuming each one of these sticks will provide an additional increase to your base Thieving experience. It is recommended to overload with these to get the maximum experience increase instantly, which is 2%.

Loot Bags

They are items used for safe cracking. They can be upgraded to hold more items.

Master Thief's Lockpick

This is a lockpick that can be purchased from Dodgy Derek's Dirty Deals for 2,500 pilfer points. It can be added to your tool belt and acts as an unbreakable lockpick.

Master Thief's Stethoscope

This item can be purchased from Dodgy Derek's Dirty Deals for 2,500 pilfer points. It is functionally identical to the regular stethoscope, the only difference being that you can add this item to your tool belt.

Thieving Skill Training Dummy

These dummies can be earned through Treasure Hunter. They can be deployed to gain AFK Thieving experience. The experience these dummies gives scales with one's Thieving level.

1-99 and Beyond Thieving Training

Levels 1-5 Pompous Merchants: Your Thieving journey begins by pickpocketing pompous merchants near Taverley lodestone. Getting to level 5 Thieving will only take around 4 minutes with this method.

EXP/H: 6K

Levels 5-15 Bakery Stalls: From level 5 to 15 you will be stealing from bakery stalls. While doing this method make sure that you are standing on the opposite side of any market guards. If you are then all of your attempts will be a definite success. If you are caught by a guard you can simply kill them to continue or run away to de-aggro them. Getting to level 15 should take around 11 minutes.

EXP/H: 11K

Levels 15-62 Thieves' Guild Doors: From level 15 to 62 you will be opening guild doors in the Thieves' Guild. To access that area you must first complete the quest "Buyers and Cellars". At level 15 Thieving you will only be able to open the 3 doors on the northern side of the corridor. Once opened the doors remain that way for 5.5 minutes so after opening all the doors simply hop worlds to continue. At level 35 Thieving you will be able to open the 3 doors on the southern side of the corridor. A lock pick is required for this side.

Level 15 EXP/H: 61K - Levels 35+ EXP/H: 83K-150K

Levels 62-76 Safecracking in Misthalin: Before you begin safecracking, first you must speak to the safe-cracking trainer in the Thieves' Guild. Once a safe has been cracked it cannot be cracked again for 5 minutes. Once your loot bag is full, you can turn it in to Chief Thief Robin for additional experience. Also if you are attentive and click on the safes when they flash blue you can increase your experience rates by an additional 100K per hour. Hop between the following locations to maximise your experience rates:

• Edgeville: There is 1 safe, upstairs in the general store.
• Wizard Tower: There are two safes, on the 2nd floor of the tower. One in the northeast room and the other in the southwest room.
• Lumbridge: There are two safes in Lumbridge. First one, upstairs in the house south of the tree patch. The second one, upstairs in the Bob's Brilliant Axes.
• Draynor: There are 3 safes in total. Two of them are on the ground floor, in Draynor manor. The other one upstairs in the Wise Old Man's house.
• Varrock: There are 3 safes in total in Varrock. They are all located in the palace rooftop treasury. Requires level 65 Thieving and a lockpick to get into.
• Al Kharid: There are two safes in total. First one is on the 1st floor of Zeke's scimitar shop. The second one is in the house directly north of the lodestone. Both require level 69 Thieving.
• Pollnivneach: There are two safes here, both in the Hakeem the Mayor's house. Requires level 69 Thieving.

EXP/H: 300K

Levels 76-83 Safecracking in Asgarnia: From level 76 to 83 you will be safecracking in Asgarnia. You don't have to travel all around this time. The most efficient safes to loot are the two in the Black Knights' Fortress (assuming you own the skull of remembrance for teleportation.), then the two safes on the roof of Burthorpe Castle and finally the two in Port Sarim above the jewellery store and forge. Don't forget that, if you are attentive and click on the safes when they flash blue you can increase your experience rates by an additional 100K per hour.

EXP/H: 400K

Levels 83-99+ Safecracking in Kandarin: First route to go 99+ Thieving is by safecracking in Kandarin. Here is the optimal route you should take to maximise your experience rates:

1. Teleport to Camelot via using a spell and loot both safes on the ground floor of Camelot Castle.
2. Teleport to Ardougne via using a spell and loot both upper floor building safes surrounding Ardougne market. Do not go for Ardougne castle safes.
3. Teleport to Yanille via using the lodestone and loot the ground floor safe south of lodestone, and the upper floor safe in the pub.
4. Repeat this cycle.

Don't forget that, if you are attentive and click on the safes when they flash blue you can increase your experience rates by an additional 100K per hour.

EXP/H: 500K

Levels 90-99+ Safecracking Hidden Safes: After level 90 you should incorporate hidden safes into your route, especially the ones in the Rogues' Castle in the Wilderness. If you have completed the Hard Wilderness achievements and the quest "Summer's End" for the upgraded Jennica's ring, this becomes a 950K experience per hour method. If you don't want to travel around you can pickpocket the rouge captains during safe cooldowns which yields 500K experience per hour. Here are the locations to all the hidden safes:

• Zemouregal's Fort: Completion of the quests "Curse of Arrav" and "Dishonour Among Thieves" is required to access the hidden safe room. Also completion of the quest "Ritual of the Mahjarrat" is highly recommended for complete access to the Glacor cave transportation. Players with the quest cape can teleport there using option 5. There are 4 safes on the southeastern room, ground floor.
• Rogues' Castle: Completion of the hard Wilderness achievements is recommended to be able to choose Wilderness Obelisk teleport destination. There are 3 safes in total on the 1st floor of the Rogues' Castle.
• Zanaris: Completion of the quest "Lost City" is required. Fairy rings or a slayer cape is recommended for fast teleporting. There are 2 safes in total here, in east Zanaris marketplace, in the northwestern and southwestern houses.

Here is the optimal route to get to these safes:

1. Use an obelisk shard or portable obelisk to teleport to level 50 Wilderness and crack the safes in the Rogues' Castle.
2. Run downstairs and behind the castle and operate Jennica's ring to enter the shadow realm to teleport out of the Wilderness.
3. Teleport to the Glacor cave via the quest cape or fairy ring D.K.Q. Exit the cave north and loot all the safes in the Zemouregal's Fortress.
4. Teleport to the Wilderness again and loot the safes in the Rogues' castle one more time.
5. Teleport to Zanaris and loot the safes in the market area.
6. Teleport to Camelot and loot both the safes on the ground floor of Camelot Castle.
7. Repeat this cycle.

This route provides a base 950K experience per hour. For faster trips, you can use double surge and dive or bladed dive.

Alternative Methods

Levels 42-83 Crux Eqal Druids: If you do not want to switch to safecracking you will want to start pickpocketing crux Eqal druids.

EXP/H: 200K

Levels 83-99+ Crux Eqal Knights:From level 83 to 99 and beyond you can pickpocket Eqal knights. Make sure to have all the boosts and equipment useful for pickpocketing.

EXP/H: 500K

Levels 96-99+ Elven Clan Workers: Alternatively if you do not use Crystal Mask, you can start pickpocketing elven workers after completion of the quest "Plague's End". This is a really AFK method, although you will need to bank once your inventory gets full. While pickpocketing, you can get caught which stops your auto-pickpocket, once you are caught 3 times you can't continue to pickpocket from that clan for 20 minutes. So once you are caught three times, rotate to the closest next clan and continue. You will never run out of clans to pickpocket, as before you come back to where you have started, the cooldown on your pickpocket ban would have been lifted.

Also in Prifddinas, the Voice of Seren will continuously rotate between clans. You should always prioritise pickpocketing from the clans that the Voice of Seren is currently on. This will yield 20% more experience per hour.

• Meilyr worker - Thieving level 98 - 170 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 204 with Voice of Seren
• Crwys worker - Thieving level 97 - 155 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 186 with Voice of Seren
• Hefin worker - Thieving level 96 - 150 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 180 with Voice of Seren
• Trahaearn worker - Thieving level 95 - 145 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 174 with Voice of Seren
• Amlodd worker - Thieving level 94 - 140 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 168 with Voice of Seren
• Cadarn worker - Thieving level 93 - 135 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 162 with Voice of Seren
• Ithell worker - Thieving level 92 - 130 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 156 with Voice of Seren
• Iorwerth worker - Thieving level 91 - 125 Thieving experience per pickpocket, 150 with Voice of Seren

Levels 99+ Bandits: This is the best method to AFK thieving past level 99. These bandits can be found in the Kharidian Desert Bandit Camp. Wearing the Thieving cape will prevent you from getting your inventory full, allowing your pickpocketing to continue. You must have the perk sticky fingers to do this method. If you have the Trahaearn exoskeleton set or the master camouflage outfit while meeting the requirements to use gloves of silence, you will have a 100% success rate of pickpocketing.

EXP/H: 350K