- For other uses, see Thief.
The Thiefs are characters that appears alone during several random encounters.
Riften's thief (Stop, Thief!)
After starting the quest "A Chance Arrangement" and above level 5, while the Dragonborn is walking around Riften at night time (between 10pm and 4am), an unnamed Nord thief may attempt to steal items from one of the stalls or tries to pick the lock of a shop, leading to a fight with the guards, this usually ends in the demise of the thief. The Dragonborn may help the guards defeat the buggler, without incurring a bounty. It is also possible to loot the corpse of the thief, which carries assorted gems and a small amount of 
.
They usually wear an unobtainable set of Thieves Guild Armor.
They may also be encountered in Riverwood or inside a random house.
Skyrim's thief (Stick 'em up)
Another type of thief can be encountered anywhere along a road, at any time while exploring Skyrim. They will stop the Dragonborn and ask to hand over their valuables, while threatening the hero with a leveled dagger. One can choose to surrender their belongings, try to persuade or intimidate them, or enter combat. If the Dragonborn has become a member of the Thieves Guild, they also have the option of notifying the thief of this, who will then walk away.
These usually wear a leveled light armor and a Mage Hood or an unobtainable variant of the Thieves Guild Hood. They will also have a small amount of and two daggers and a few lockpicks.
This thief will appear as an Argonian, a Dunmer or a Khajiit.
Quotes
When encountered:
- "Alright, hand over your valuables, or I'll gut you like a fish!"
When the Dragonborn says they are also part of the Guild:
- "Of course! I remember seeing you at the Flagon, my mistake."
When the Dragonborn says they are also part of the Guild:
- "Of course! I remember seeing you at the Flagon, my mistake. Good luck out there!"
When persuasion fails:
- "Yes, you look like you're very lousy with gold."
When intimidation fails:
- "Nice try, but you don't scare me. I'm not going to ask again."
When the Dragonborn says "I don't have time for this" or if they quit the dialogue:
- "Don't you walk away from me!"
Nightingale's privileges
Once the Dragonborn has become a Nightingale member, these thieves will not attempt to rob the Dragonborn. Instead, they will give them a sum of gold, recognizing the Dragonborn as a Nightingale and will greet them.
- Note: This encounter only happens if a minimum of one piece of Nightingale Armor is worn.
Trivia
- Sometimes, if the Dragonborn walks into someone's house in Riften, a thief will be inside. If the thief sees the Dragonborn, he will start running around the house silently. Killing this thief will not result in a bounty.
- Items in a thief's inventory are never marked as stolen.
- If the Dragonborn is a Nightingale and a female thief engages conversation with them, she will say "This job has made me a very rich woman." However, the subtitles will still refer to the thief as a male: "This job has made me a very rich man."
Bugs
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This section contains bugs related to Thief (Character). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- 360 PS3 Multiple thieves may spawn in one location.
- 360 PS3 If one takes everything a thief has by selecting "take all," then the thief's clothes may be taken, but no clothes go into the Dragonborn's inventory.