The thief stuck her tongue out between her teeth in concentration, fiddling with the numerous locks in front of her. The rest of her party stood on the uneasy lookout, quietly urging her to hurry up and nervously glancing around to see if the coast was clear. The thief ignored them, working at her own pace.
Snap!
The thief groaned as one of her lockpicks snapped in the last and most complicated lock. The group became antsy as she took a deep breath and tried again, moving slowly but surely. There! The lock clicked, and the door creaked open as the thief exhaled. They were in, but she made a mental note to look into another set of Thieves’ Tools later.
What Thieves’ Tools Are
Thieves’ Tools cost 25 gold pieces and only weigh 1lb. The tool set includes a set of lock picks, narrow-bladed scissors, a small file, a pair of pliers, and a small mirror mounted on a metal handle. This set is included in the Basic Rules.
What Thieves’ Tools Can Do
Thieves’ Tools are used to disarm traps and open locks. If your character has proficiency with them, you can add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make with them. Typically, Thieves’ Tools are used in Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks, so if you plan to use them frequently, you should improve your Dexterity score.
How To Get Thieves’ Tools
Thieves’ Tools may be sold at shady places or thieves’ dens, although they can be somewhat challenging to acquire openly. Shopkeepers might give your character a strange look if you march in and demand to see their finest Thieves’ Tools.
All classes have starting equipment separate from a character’s background. Artificers, for example, automatically provide a set of Thieves’ Tools as part of their starting equipment. Rogues also begin with Thieves’ Tools. Anyone can buy (or steal) Thieves’ Tools, but they are much more reliable if you have proficiency with them.
Gaining proficiency with Thieves’ Tools can happen if you take a level in Rogue or Artificer or if you take the Criminal/Spy (Player’s Handbook), Urchin (Player’s Handbook), House Agent [Kundarak, Medani, or Tharashk] (Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron), Investigator (Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft), Urban Bounty Hunter (Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide), or Grinner (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount) background.
Additionally, if you follow the optional downtime rules in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, spend 50 gold per week on training for a number of weeks equal to 10 – your Intelligence modifier. Always check with your DM first before you commit to optional rules.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Thieves’ Tools 5e, why not check out DnD Currency or Hit Dice 5e.
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