(Active) best of DEX and CHA [armour penalty]
  Possessed By: Some Humans, Bards, Rogues, Sentinels, Shadowdancers, Trickery priests.
  Effects:  Contrary to it's name, this skill encompasses a wide variety of feats of legerdemain and sleight of hand. It has the following uses:
   * Theft (Active): The primary use of the Pick Pockets skill is removing small items from other character. It can be used to steal gold from passing nobles, healing potions from foes in battle or even to slip a sword out of its sheath.
   There are two seperate DCs involved in a Pick Pockets attempt. The first is 15 + the victim's Reflex save modifier (and the setting of this DC counts as a saving throw on the victim's part, so bonuses like the Protection Domain granted power apply); whether this DC is beaten or not determines if the attempt to procure an item is successful. The second DC is 15 + the victim's Spot rating, and determines if the attempt is noticed or not. The DC decreases by 5 if the mark can't see the would-be thief. On a failed check, the victim becomes aware of the attempt and likely becomes hostile to the thief; in an urban setting, the guardsmen will become hostile as well. If a hostile creature notices a pick-pocket attempt, they get an Attack of Opportunity on the thief.
   The thief must be standing next to the character to be pickpocketed. A successful check adds one unattended Small item from the victim's possession to the skill user's inventory -- the thief can choose from any Small, unattended item in the victim's inventory.   Lifting larger items is possible, but increases the DC of the attempt by +3 per size category above Small. Removing items from a container (like a backpack) gives a +5 DC. If a victim is distracted, however (as per the Bluff skill), the Pick Pocket DC gains a -10 bonus. Only if the victim is distracted can the skill be used to remove worn or wielded items; if a rogue removes something their mark holds in their hands (i.e., a wielded weapon), or a worn cloak or full backpack, the victim will automatically become hostile -- but the thief still has the item. Stealing worn items has a -10 penalty, which effectively cancels the +10 bonus due to distraction.   A Pick Pockets attempt takes (40 - skill level) segments, to a minimum of 15. It is not possible to use the Pick Pockets skill to remove worn armour.
   * Apportation (Passive): The mage spell apportation has an effect similar to the Pick Pockets skill, save for being usable at range, and it function depends upon the Pick Pockets skill as explained in the spell description.
   * Defense from Theft (Passive): A central element of the Pick Pockets skill is understanding all of the tricks and techniques that can be used to mislead a mark and seperate him from his items. Once these methods are understood, they also become far easier to defend against -- characters with the Pick Pockets skill as a class skill have a a bonus to saving throws against theft equal to a third of their skill rating.
   * Conceal Item (Active, Unimplemented): The Pick Pockets skill can also be used to conceal a small-sized item on one's person. Such an item must be placed in a belt inventory slot; using the skill in this manner automatically marks the chose item as concealed. Such an item will not be removed from a character when they enter an area where some items (like weapons, holy symbols, spellbooks and other items capable of producing offensive effects) are not allowed -- such as taverns, which do not permit weapons and automatically remove them from a player character upon entry.
   With a Pick Pockets skill of 12 or greater, a character can even conceal items from magical detection, preventing them from being stripped from her upon passing through certain magical portals that normally remove most or all items.
   * Catch Thrown Weapons (Passive): In addition to larceny, this skill covers forms of sleight of hand used in service to entertainment, such as juggling. This kind of coordination can be put to a more practical use by snatching items out of the air when thrown at a character. When a character with a Pick Pockets rating of 15+ and Pick Pockets as a class skill is targeted with a thrown weapon, he may make a Pick Pockets check to catch the weapon, avoiding any damage to himself if successful. The DC of this check is 11 + 1/2 the total result of the thrower's attack roll.
   Only Small or smaller weapons can be caught in this manner. If the character has [???], he can immediately throw the caught weapon at any target of his choice as an attack of opportunity.