...plus the perception checks of the King's elite guards and anyone else that has a chance to perceive the attempt, plus having to deal with all the various other protections a King is likely to have. And who's to say what you're stealing is the genuine article? If the King is in a postition to come into contact with the general populace, you can be sure he's wearing good-looking imitations of the crown jewels, not the real thing.DC 36 perception check.
Lets say a 20th level rogue (with a sleight of hand on +26) walks up to a king, and tries to pick pocket him, then he cant fail?
Yeah, really rich people go out in public with fake stuff all the time.
No, he'd be wearing real jewels worth lots of real money. It's the people who can't afford real things and want to look rich who wear fake things that are good imitations of real things.
They might still be valuable, but they wouldn't be generations-old one-of-a-kind relics. Or if they were, they'd have far more protections on them than just people keeping a close eye.
[Take 10 is] just there to make the game proceed faster so you don't have big damn heroes failing to accomplish inconsequential things.
And thus, we proved that high level rogues who are skilled in pickpocketing can pickpocket without all but the most perceptive onlookers noticing.
And thus, we proved that high level rogues who are skilled in pickpocketing can pickpocket without all but the most perceptive onlookers noticing.
Pretty sure that is explicitly how it is supposed to work.
a lvl 20 rogue will be able to flaunt ownership like nobodies business he developed that skill over time.
He will indeed -- as he should.
That's why, if you're king (of a powerful kingdom and have stuff worth stealing), you get a magical protection (alarm, glyph of warding triggering a spell that makes with the attention-getting, greater glyph of warding with slay living, etc) on your coinpurse.
Yeah, really rich people go out in public with fake stuff all the time.
Actually, they do. Heirlooms and extremely expensive jewelery are usually only worn on extremely special occasions, and sometimes not even then.
Of course, expensive is relative. A wealthy person may very well wear a Rolex everyday, but the diamond encrusted version that requires its own insurance policy will stay safely tucked away in a safety deposit box for years at a time. The faux version will see much more wear, but even then, only rarely.
Much of the "bling" that you think you've seen is actually well crafted fakes. Nobody risks the good stuff without a very good reason.
If it isn't an heirloom or otherwise of some personal value, and is insured to boot, why not wear it in public?
If it isn't an heirloom or otherwise of some personal value, and is insured to boot, why not wear it in public?
A bullet to the head?
On a less snarky note:
1. Insurance rates increase with increased risk (i.e. exposure).
2. Increased exposure leads to more robbery attempts.
3. Successful robbery attempts increase number of additional attempts.
4. Robberies often involve violence.
5. Extremely valuable items are often irreplaceable (i.e. unique or nearly so).
6. The more valuable the "bling," the more security expenses incurred.
7. The greater the value of the item, the less likely that it is stored in a residence (for the reasons above), thus creating problems of access.
8. Safety aside, the primary issue is the increased expense of appropriate security.
Let's say you have a million dollar necklace and another million dollars in matching accessories (ring, earrings, etc.). In order to wear them frequently, you'd have to keep them at home (since banks have, well, banker's hours). Since this is inherently less safe than keeping them in a SD box, your insurance rates increase. The insurance company will also still insist on a top of the line vault (read: expensive) not your typical safe, as well as extensive counter-intrusion systems (which are expensive and annoying), or they won't insure you at all. In addition, since you now have an enormous target on yourself and your home, you'll need additional human security (which is VERY expensive).
Compare that to having a well crafted faux version of the same items with the originals in a SD box. The faux items can be stored almost anywhere, no one will ever know the difference, and, most importantly, professional thieves will know better than to waste their time. Amateurs are still an issue, but minimum security measures (minimum for the extremely wealthy, anyway) will usually be an acceptable deterrent. Should you want to wear the real items in public, you can make arrangements for access and pay for increased security, but only for a day or two.
There are few advantages, and many risks, associated with actually wearing/displaying extremely expensive items (again, expensive is relative to socio-economic status), especially given the fact that faux items are indistinguishable from the real ones without detailed, and often professional, examination.
TL;DR: It costs too much.
If it isn't an heirloom or otherwise of some personal value, and is insured to boot, why not wear it in public?A bullet to the head?
On a less snarky note, from my training I can recall:
1. Insurance rates increase with increased risk (i.e. exposure).
2. Increased exposure leads to more robbery attempts.
3. Successful robbery attempts increase number of additional attempts.
4. Robberies often involve violence.
5. Extremely valuable items are often irreplaceable (i.e. unique or nearly so).
6. The more valuable the "bling," the more security expenses incurred.
7. The greater the value of the item, the less likely that it is stored in a residence (for the reasons above), thus creating problems of access.
8. Safety aside, the primary issue is the increased expense of appropriate security.
Let's say you have a million dollar necklace and another million dollars in matching accessories (ring, earrings, etc.). In order to wear them frequently, you'd have to keep them at home (since banks have, well, banker's hours). Since this is inherently less safe than keeping them in a SD box, your insurance rates increase. The insurance company will also still insist on a top of the line vault (read: expensive) not your typical safe, as well as extensive counter-intrusion systems (which are expensive and annoying), or they won't insure you at all. In addition, since you now have an enormous target on yourself and your home, you'll need additional human security (which is VERY expensive).
Compare that to having a well crafted faux version of the same items with the originals in a SD box. The faux items can be stored almost anywhere, no one will ever know the difference, and, most importantly, professional thieves will know better than to waste their time. Amateurs are still an issue, but minimum security measures (minimum for the extremely wealthy, anyway) will usually be an acceptable deterrent. Should you want to wear the real items in public, you can make...
You make many good points. However, some of them are invalidated by wearing fake items.
You can get shot for your fake jewelry just as easily as you can for the real thing.
You make many good points. However, some of them are invalidated by wearing fake items.
You can get shot for your fake jewelry just as easily as you can for the real thing.
Yes, which is why even the fake versions of high value items (again, relative) are only worn sparingly. Since "everyone knows" that most items worn in public are fake, professionals don't bother (unless they get a tip otherwise), and amateurs can usually be handled with "normal" security (i.e. bodyguard/driver).
Remember, we're not talking about Rolexes or other high-ish end jewelry, but rather very high end items. Your typical successful attorney or entrepreneur may very well wear 20K+ in jewelry, but can usually avoid robberies with some basic precautions. When you get into the range of million dollar items (or more), special precautions become the norm (as well as necessary). Expensive special precautions. It just isn't done. Primarily because there is little to gain and much to lose. It only takes one successful robbery to inspire many more, often of the same victim.
Edit: Considering the length of this threadjack, if you want to discuss it some more, we should probably start a thread somewhere else.