Snooping is an essential skill for all pvp thieves and one particular pvm encounter, it allows for targeted, rather than random, stealing. With one exception it is an active, not passive skill. The skill is checked when you attempt to open a container belonging to someone other than yourself. The title attributed to the skill is ‘spy’.
The exception is when stealing from Exodus Zealots in Exodus Dungeon. Although the zealots have no back pack, so active snooping is not possible, characters who do not have snooping skill are unable to obtain the special items possible to characters who do have the skill.
Snooping is performed by opening the paperdoll of your target and then double click their backpack while standing within one tile of their location. A skill check is also made when attempting to open any sub-containers within the backpack.
If the attempt is successful you will remain hidden, however a failed snoop will display the message “You notice (name) peeking into your belongings!” to all players in the area and reveal you if you are hidden. Grand Master Spies will never fail to snoop successfully, and therefore will never be revealed by the act.
Although snooping is typically looked upon as a negative act, you cannot be Guard Wacked for it, nor will you be flagged as a criminal, however it will lower your karma and you can not perform it in Trammel, with one notable exception.
Training in Trammel
This training method will not lower karma
- Buy a pack animal (horse or llama)
- Buy a crook from an npc Blacksmith or Weaponsmith
- Release the pack animal
- You can no longer command the animal, as it is no longer a pet
- Use the crook (herding skill) to have the animal follow you (elves and gargoyles will need to gain one full point of skill to do this, human characters will use their Jack of all Trades ability)
- You can now begin training by opening the animal’s backpack.
Training in Felucca
Although the method above will also work in Felucca, your options are somewhat wider here.
You could simply wander around Feluccan towns snooping npcs – choose Escort npcs, who are static, other npcs tend to wander away leaving you to either follow them or receive a message that your target is too far away.
An alternative is to hire an npc, a few gp will gain you a loyal follower who will stand and allow you to snoop to your heart’s content. If you happen to have a residence on the facet, you can even take him home! Blue npc beggars, thieves, bards, fighters and peasants can be hired. Single click to get a context menu with a ‘hire’ option.