Navigating Skyrim’s Underworld: Can the Thieves Guild Pay Off Your Bounty?
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Yes, absolutely! If you’re a member of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, and you’ve successfully completed the quest that solidifies their presence in the current hold, you gain a valuable perk: the ability to pay off your bounty at half the usual price. This is a lifesaver for any budding (or established) criminal navigating the often unforgiving world of Skyrim. Let’s dive deeper into how this works, and explore the other nuances of Skyrim’s bounty system.
Understanding the Thieves Guild Discount
The Thieves Guild, based in the Ragged Flagon of Riften, offers more than just shadowy quests and sticky-fingered opportunities. They provide a tangible benefit to their members: a discount on clearing your criminal record. This perk becomes available after you’ve advanced the Guild’s influence within a specific hold. The exact quest to unlock this varies from hold to hold, but generally involves completing a series of “radiant” quests for Vex and Delvin Mallory until they announce the Guild’s increased power.
Once the Guild is established, you can approach a guard and, if you’re quick enough with your words (and have the necessary gold), a dialogue option will appear allowing you to bribe them to overlook your crimes. The bribe will be half the value of your bounty. This is a fantastic way to avoid jail time and keep your stolen goods.
How it Works in Practice
Imagine you’ve accidentally (or deliberately) acquired a 500 gold bounty in Whiterun. Normally, paying this off would cost you the full 500 gold and confiscate any stolen items you might be carrying. However, if the Thieves Guild has a strong presence in Whiterun (you’ve completed the relevant quests for Vex and Delvin), you can bribe a guard for only 250 gold to make the problem go away.
This is particularly useful for players who favor a sneaky play style, as accumulating small bounties can be an almost unavoidable consequence of lockpicking and pickpocketing. This discount allows you to maintain a low profile and avoid extended periods in jail, which can result in skill loss.
Alternatives to Paying Your Bounty
While the Thieves Guild discount is incredibly useful, it’s not the only way to deal with a bounty. Here are some other options:
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Pay the Full Bounty: The most straightforward approach. Simply talk to a guard and choose to pay your fine. Be aware that all stolen items in your inventory will be confiscated.
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Serve Jail Time: If you’re short on gold or don’t mind losing some skill progress, you can choose to go to jail. The length of your sentence depends on the size of your bounty. During your time in jail, you will lose skill experience (although not skill levels).
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Escape From Jail: A riskier option, but one that can be rewarding. Escaping jail will add a small bounty to your existing one (usually 100 gold), but it allows you to keep your stolen items and avoid skill loss, provided you can evade capture.
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Console Commands (PC Only): For PC players, using console commands is a quick way to remove a bounty. The command
player.setcrimegold 0will set your bounty in the current hold to zero. However, using console commands can disable achievements, so use with caution!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about bounties and the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, providing a comprehensive understanding of the game’s criminal justice system:
1. How do I join the Thieves Guild?
To join the Thieves Guild, travel to Riften and seek out Brynjolf in the marketplace. He’ll present you with a task; completing it successfully will initiate your recruitment into the Guild.
2. What happens if I refuse to pay my bounty or go to jail?
If you refuse to pay or go to jail, guards will attempt to arrest you. If your bounty is high enough, they may simply attack you on sight.
3. Does having a high bounty affect my interactions with NPCs?
Yes. NPCs who recognize you may react negatively, alerting guards or refusing to interact with you.
4. Can I pay off a bounty anonymously?
No, you must be caught by a guard to be presented with the option to pay your bounty.
5. Does changing my appearance at the **Face Sculptor** remove my bounty?
No. Changing your appearance does not affect your bounty. The guards will still recognize you.
6. If I am a Thane, can I avoid paying my bounty?
Being a Thane does offer some leniency. You will usually be given a warning for minor offenses (petty theft). However, for serious crimes like murder, you will still need to pay your bounty or go to jail.
7. How do I know which hold has a bounty on me?
Guards in each hold will recognize you if you have a bounty there. Also, the game UI may tell you something like that a guard “knows about your crimes in Eastmarch Hold” after you commit a crime.
8. What are the consequences of escaping jail in Skyrim?
Escaping jail adds a small bounty to your existing one (usually 100 gold) for the crime of escape.
9. Can my companions get bounties?
No, your companions cannot accrue bounties. However, their actions can lead to you getting a bounty if they commit a crime while following you.
10. Does being a werewolf or vampire affect bounty accumulation?
Transforming into a werewolf or vampire in public is a crime and will result in a significant bounty.
11. Can I bribe guards outside of the Thieves Guild perk?
No, the option to bribe guards is exclusive to Thieves Guild members who have expanded the Guild’s influence in the hold.
12. What happens to my stolen items if I escape from jail?
You keep your stolen items if you successfully escape from jail before serving your sentence.
13. Is it possible to have a bounty in every hold at the same time?
Yes. Committing crimes in each of the nine holds will result in a bounty in each. This is also an achievement.
14. Does killing a chicken result in a bounty?
Yes, killing a chicken is a crime in most holds. Animals count as citizens in the realm.
15. How does skill loss work when serving jail time?
When you serve jail time, you lose progress towards your next skill level. The higher your bounty, the longer your sentence, and the more skill progress you’ll lose.
Bounties Beyond Skyrim: Gol D. Roger’s Astronomical Bounty
While Skyrim’s bounty system adds a layer of consequence to your actions in Tamriel, let’s venture outside of Skyrim for a moment to look at an example bounty from a different fictional world:
It’s fascinating to consider how bounties are used in different narrative contexts. From Skyrim’s relatively modest fines to the astronomical sums placed on pirates in One Piece, bounties serve as a powerful storytelling tool. Games Learning Society explores the power of game mechanics and how they create engaging user experiences. Check them out at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Conclusion: Playing the Long Game in Skyrim
Understanding how the Thieves Guild discount works, and the ins and outs of the Skyrim bounty system is crucial for any player seeking to master the game. Whether you choose to pay your dues, serve your time, or risk a daring escape, knowing your options allows you to navigate the world of Skyrim with confidence and cunning. So, embrace the shadows, hone your skills, and remember that even in a world of dragons and magic, a little bit of gold can go a long way.