Stolen items in NPC houses?

[Octopuss]

Very often I open chests in NPC houses, and some of the items inside have stolen flag. This makes no sense. Does anyone know if this is a common bug or glitch or something? I don't see any logical reason why chests in Dragonsreach should have stolen stuff in them (for example).

[chanchan05]

Because if you take them the guards will recognize you have stolen them?

[Octopuss]

I don't understand your reply at all.

It's not even what I asked :rolleyes:

[IsharaMeradin]

I will try to explain it so it makes sense.

 

Items can be owned by NPC and/or factions. When items are marked as owned and the player is not part of the faction those items will be marked to indicate that taking them will be considered stealing. In the stock game these items had text that is red in color when in the owner's containers and white when in the player inventory. But with SkyUI these items are marked with the same icon whether it is in the owner's container or in the player's inventory. The word 'stolen' in either case appears on the item card when in the player inventory.

 

For the stock game, one needs to look at it as follows:

Items in red can cause hostile NPCs and the guards to be called if caught taking them.

 

What one has to do when using SkyUI is read the icons as follows:

Marked items in owner's container are ones that can be stolen and can cause hostile NPCs and the guards to be called if caught taking them.

Marked items in the player's inventory are ones that have already been stolen.

 

So the 'stolen flag' isn't strictly a "I've taken this" marker but a means of identifying what can be stolen as well as what has been stolen.

 

In no way are the items you find in containers or lying about stolen by those NPCs but rather indicating the risk to you should you choose to take them.

[Octopuss]

Oh... I always thought the purplish-red hand icon next to an item meant it was stolen.

It's especially confusing when you open a chest that has "steal from" text over it, and none of the items inside have this icon.

 

...and SkyUI's documentation of the various item icons suck in general.

 

Thanks!

[Octopuss]

Hm, it's still a bit weird.

I've just started a new game, and made my way to Riverwood. After the initial talk in Alvor's house, most of the items inside are free to be taken. I've just opened a chest that was previously marked as "steal from...", and there were items with the red flag inside. Everyone was inside, but noone minded when I took the stuff. What's the deal here?

[notmyhome]

Probably you tagged along Hadvar this time.

[Octopuss]

I don't understand what are you trying to say.

[Jokerine]

Did you follow Hadvar after Helgen this playthrough? That makes some items in Alvor's home free to take.

[Deepblue321]

Basically when you follow Hadvar or Ralof at the start and meet them in Riverwood, they'll become friends with you.

When you become friends with someone, usually by completing some quests for them, they may allow you to take things. So those items will have the 'owned' property removed.

It also lets you sleep in the beds in their homes where normally they'd be marked with "bed (owned)" instead of just "bed"

Edited May 4, 2014 by Deepblue321