Fastest Thieving Guide OSRS – Level 1 to 99 in Record Time

Thieving in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a members-only skill that lets you pickpocket NPCs, steal from stalls, and unlock lucrative rewards. It’s a fast and profitable skill, taking roughly 60 hours to hit level 99 with the right methods. This guide outlines the fastest pathway to 99 Thieving, including quests, equipment, and strategies to maximize XP per hour. Whether you’re a skiller or chasing the Thieving cape, follow these steps to level up efficiently.

Thieving is essential for quest progression and offers some of the best skilling money-makers in the game. High levels unlock access to pickpocketing elves (up to 3M GP/hour) and other rewards like the Achievement Diary Cape (requires level 91). Plus, it’s one of the fastest 99s, making it a favorite for players looking to boost their account quickly.

Key Benefits of Thieving

• Quest Requirements: Quests like Legends Quest, Desert Treasure, and Monkey Madness 2 need Thieving levels.
• Money-Making: High-level methods like pickpocketing Vyres or Elves are highly profitable.
• Unlocks: Access to shortcuts, traps, and minigames like Pyramid Plunder.

Essential Thieving Equipment and Unlocks

Before diving into training, grab these items and unlocks to boost your XP rates and success chance. Most are easy to obtain and make a big difference.

Recommended Gear

• Dodgy Necklace: 25% chance to avoid stuns on failed pickpockets. Stack with Shadow Veil spell (Arceuus Spellbook, 15% stun avoidance) for 36.25% total dodge chance.
• Gloves of Silence: +5% pickpocket success rate (requires 54 Hunter). Doesn’t stack with Ardougne Diary.
• Rogue’s Outfit: Doubles pickpocket loot. Obtained from Rogue’s Den minigame (50 Thieving/Agility).
• Ardougne Cloak (Medium/Hard Diary): +10% pickpocket success in Ardougne (Medium) or globally (Hard).

Useful Unlocks

• Ardougne Diary: Medium Diary boosts pickpocketing in Ardougne; Hard extends it across Gielinor.
• RuneLite Plugins: Use Menu Entry Swapper to set left-click pickpocket for faster clicks.
• Shadow Veil Spell: Requires 47 Magic and Arceuus Spellbook access.

Fastest Thieving Training Pathway

This section covers the quickest methods to level Thieving from 1 to 99. Follow these steps for optimal XP rates. If you prefer less click-intensive options, check the alternative methods later.

Levels 1–20: Quests and Pickpocketing

Start with quests to skip the early grind. These three quests give enough XP to jump to level 20 with minimal effort:

Quest	Thieving XP	Requirements
Biohazard	1,250	Quest: Plague City
Hazeel Cult	1,500	None
Fight Arena	2,175	Low combat recommended

After quests, pickpocket men or women (e.g., in Lumbridge) to hit level 5. It takes 49 successful pickpockets (3 XP each) for about 10 minutes of work. Use RuneLite’s Menu Entry Swapper to set left-click pickpocket.

Levels 5–25: Bakery Stalls

Steal from the bakery stall in Ardougne Market (east side). Stand under the baker to avoid guards, yielding ~13K XP/hour. Cakes are great for healing during later pickpocketing. It takes about 30 minutes to reach level 25.

Tip: Drop or bank cakes to keep inventory space clear.

Levels 25–49: Fruit Stalls

Head to Hosidius (requires 15% Hosidius favor) and steal from fruit stalls in the easternmost house. Trap the guard dogs by luring them between the stall and post for a 100% success rate. You’ll get 28.5 XP per steal, hitting 34K–42K XP/hour. This takes ~2 hours to reach level 49.

Pro Tip: Bank pineapples for supercompost or cooking XP.

Levels 49–91: Stealing Artefacts

Stealing artefacts in Port Piscarilius (requires 75% Piscarilius favor) is the fastest method until level 91. Lure two guards to clear the bridges, then follow these steps:

1. Talk to Captain Khaled for a house assignment.
2. Teleport with Kharedst’s Memoirs (Book of the Dead) to Fisher’s Flute.
3. Steal the artefact (needs a lockpick).
4. Smuggle it back without getting caught.

With stamina potions and good lures, expect 270K–280K XP/hour at level 99, scaling lower at earlier levels. It’s less click-intensive than blackjacking and takes ~25–30 hours from 49 to 91.

Note: Recharge the Book of the Dead at the Old Memorial to restore run energy.

Levels 91–99: Pyramid Plunder

Pyramid Plunder in Sophanem is the fastest XP from level 91. Start Icthlarin’s Little Helper or use a Pharaoh’s Sceptre to access it. Focus on looting the golden chest and all urns in the final room, plus some in the second-to-last room if time allows. You’ll need high-healing food (e.g., Saradomin brews), stamina potions, and antipoison for traps.

XP rates scale with level:

• Level 91: ~200K XP/hour
• Level 99: ~250K–260K XP/hour

It takes ~15–20 hours from 91 to 99. Use a Pharaoh’s Sceptre for teleports to save time, and note artefacts to recharge it.

Warning: Banking gems lowers XP to ~240K/hour but can net 300K GP/hour.

Alternative Thieving Methods

If you want a break from the main grind or prefer less intense methods, try these alternatives. They’re slower but offer variety or profit.

Blackjacking (Levels 45–91)

Blackjacking in Pollnivneach (unlocked via The Feud, granting 15K XP to hit level 45) is click-intensive but effective. Lure bandits or Menaphite thugs into houses, knock them out, and pickpocket them. XP rates:

• Level 45 (Bandits): ~100K XP/hour
• Level 65 (Menaphite Thugs): ~200K–250K XP/hour

It’s faster than stalls but requires focus. Takes ~30 hours from 45 to 91.

Ardougne Knights (Levels 55–99)

Pickpocket Ardougne Knights in Ardougne Market. Trap them in a house or join a “Splashworlds” clan chat for worlds where knights are splashed (kept aggressive). With Dodgy Necklaces and Ardougne Cloak, expect ~120K XP/hour at level 99. It’s semi-AFK but slower than artefacts or Pyramid Plunder.

Rogues’ Castle Chests (Levels 84–99)

In deep Wilderness, Rogues’ Castle chests offer ~270K–290K XP/hour without banking. Bring a knife and cheap gear to minimize PKer risk. It’s high-risk but rivals Pyramid Plunder for speed.

Tips for Efficient Thieving

Maximize your grind with these strategies to save time and stay focused.

General Tips

• Spam Click: Pickpocket during NPC animations for extra attempts, boosting XP.
• Food Management: Use multi-heal foods like cakes or pizzas to reduce banking.
• Stamina Potions: Keep run energy up for methods like artefacts or Pyramid Plunder.

Profit Tips

• Rogue’s Outfit: Doubles loot, making pickpocketing Knights or Vyres more profitable.
• Gem Bag: Useful for Pyramid Plunder to bank gems without losing XP.
• Vyres (Level 82+): Pickpocket after Sins of the Father for ~2M GP/hour at high levels.

By following this guide, you’ll hit 99 Thieving in ~60 hours while unlocking profitable methods along the way. Start with quests, gear up with Dodgy Necklaces and Ardougne Cloak, and stick to artefacts and Pyramid Plunder for the fastest XP. Mix in alternatives like blackjacking or Knights for variety, and you’ll be rocking the Thieving cape in no time. Happy thieving!