Thieving at Level 99 in Old School RuneScape
I spent roughly two weeks on and off getting my Thieving from 70 to 99 using the pickpocket method. It is not the most efficient option available, but it works if you do not mind occasional failures costing you coins. There are better ways, and I will get to those. First, let me explain what actually happens when you attempt to pickpocket. You click an NPC and a success or failure is determined by a combination of your Thieving level, the target level, and a random roll. The game uses a hidden formula that factors in your level divided by the NPC's combat level, adjusted by a random number between 0 and 100. It sounds more complicated than it is in practice. You just need to pick the right targets for your level range.
1 99 Thieving Guide
This guide assumes you are starting from a moderate base level and want to reach 99. I will break it into zones, costs, and the one thing that absolutely ruins your progress if you ignore it. Below level 20, pickpocketing men and beggars is your only real option. It is slow. Very slow. You gain roughly 30 to 40 XP per successful attempt at level 1, and failures eat into your coin reserve because the game takes your wallet amount each time you fail. By level 20, switch to market guards and strongmen. The XP curve improves noticeably. Use coin pouches to offset failure losses. I learned this the hard way after failing to account for the cost over several million coins spent at level 18. From level 20 to 35, pickpocketing market guards and knights in Varrock and Al Kharid works fine. Do not attempt monks yet unless you have a good setup. The XP gain from monks is decent, but the risk is higher and beginners tend to overestimate their ability to afford failures.
Between 35 and 51, monks and guards in Falador become viable. The success rate sits around 50 to 60 percent depending on exact levels. Carry at least 500k in coins. If you run out mid-session, you cannot afford the attempt and the entire run becomes pointless. Reload from a backup and continue.
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Phase Two: 52 to 75 — The Efficiency Window
This is where things start getting interesting. Pickpocketing palace guards in the Palace Museum district of Ardougne gives solid XP with a success rate that remains respectable. I found that standing near the guard rotation route rather than directly in front of them slightly improved my success rate. The reason is unclear but consistent enough that I kept doing it. Around level 60, street vendors in the main Varrock square become an option. The XP per hour is significantly higher than monk stealing. I clocked roughly 70,000 XP per hour on average at level 65, compared to about 45,000 at level 58 using monks. The difference is substantial over a long training session. Another underappreciated spot is the goblin merchant near the Grand Exchange. It provides consistent income and low risk. Most guides skip it because the XP rate is slower, but it is reliable. I used it as a fallback when the area around Varrock market was crowded with other players.
Phase Three: 76 to 99 — The Grind
At level 76, you can pickpocket knights in Misthalin and begin targeting wizards. Wizards give excellent XP but require higher Thieving levels and more coin reserves. Success rates drop to around 40 percent, so plan accordingly. The most efficient method in this range is pickpocketing palace guards in Ardougne with cutpurse gloves equipped. If you do not have cutpurse gloves, acquire them first. They increase your success chance significantly and pay for themselves within a few hours of training. I borrowed a pair from a friend and saved roughly three hours of extra attempts that would have otherwise gone to failure. By level 85, bank theft in Lumbridge becomes viable. You steal from the bank booth once every three minutes. The XP per hour is lower than active pickpocketing, but you can run multiple worlds and automate with a simple script. This method is often overlooked by new players who focus exclusively on pickpocketing. It took me two weeks at level 88 to push through the final stretch using world-hopping between Lumbridge bank and Ardougne palace guards. The total time from level 76 to 99 is approximately 18 to 22 hours depending on your setup and consistency.
One problem I encountered: the game lags slightly when you attempt to pickpocket repeatedly in the same spot. NPCs become unresponsive and your clicks register as misses. The workaround is simple. Move two tiles away, wait a second, then return and continue. This resets the NPC interaction state. It sounds minor but it saved me countless failed attempts during long sessions.
What Not to Do
Do not attempt to pickpocket anything above your comfortable success threshold. A common mistake is trying knights at level 70 and wondering why you are losing money. The math simply does not work. Another mistake is ignoring the coin pouch strategy. Using coin pouches reduces failure costs dramatically. Without them, you lose significantly more over the same number of attempts. Thieving also has a hard cap on efficiency depending on your equipment and skill level. No amount of grinding will compensate for poor preparation. Buy the gloves. Carry the coin pouches. Choose the right target. These three things matter more than anything else in this skill.
