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I'm just wondering, what skill would one roll for pick-pocketing? I was thinking either Mobility or Recon, but neither fits the bill one hundred percent. Also, there is no specialty, which is odd for a role-playing game. We love to play roguish characters, don't we?

Hm

Pick-pocket is like a sneak attack but instead of attacking you steal something, so I would treat as such. The wannabe-thief is the active part in a Recon vs. Recon opposed roll. The active part will of course get a penalty of -2 for being very near the target.

Now we technically are in a combat rounds (that doesn't necessary means we have to do combat, just that we doing things in rounds) and hopefully the poor target haven't detected the attempt and the wannabe-thief gets init #1.

The wannabe-thief now tries to steal the object from the target. This is a slow action and will involve a Recon vs. Recon (or perhaps Mobility vs. Recon). Since this isn't actually a sneak attack, our wannabe-thief will not get +3 to this, but instead a modifier assessed by the Referee depending on object. If he succeeds, he has the object and is so far undetected (and that will most likely end the rounds), if he fails, he is detected and well, we are already in combat rounds so the wannabe-thief have a fast action left before the target (and everyone else) can do something about it.

... or something like that.

Successfully pickpocketing someone usually relies on distractions, crowding, or both. The successful pickpocket takes advantage of these conditions--perhaps even increases them--then executes. The commonplace roleplaying scenario of sneaking up behind a bored guard and taking his keys without him being aware of your presence at all isn't all that likely to succeed or even be attempted. What you would actually do is observe the guard to be sure of the keys' location, perhaps have someone else actively distract him, bump into him, take the keys during that contact, and then escape with the keys. He knows someone bumped into him but not exactly who, and he doesn't realize the keys are missing in time to stop the unknown thief.

I would suggest this is more of a Mobility application. It should also probably require a Specialty. It should be highly modified by circumstances.

Given that most thieves seem to work in a posse of some sort, I'd rather mix Recon and Persuasion, with Mobility coming into play once you need to run, because you've been made out. I'd welcome a Recon specialty caööed "Sleight of Hand", allowing a +1 on pick-pocketing and similar acts of legerdemain. It could be used to distract the observer, grab items unnoticed etc. Useful for pick-pocketing, card tricks etc. A successful Persuasion check in fast-talking or distracting would be beneficial. Verbal distraction could use a specialty, too eponymously called "Fast-Talker", but wouldn't be limited to supporting thievery, but also to "machine-gun talk" people into stuff or just get rid off them, because they decide to take a hike instead of being part of a discussion like that.

Maybe Urban Operations or Black Madonna could deliver such rules modifications? What is FL's policy on new mechanics like these in other game systems of theirs.

Yeah - that would make sense to me. That’s how I would handle it, use Recon. I think there’s value making a few more specialities where it makes sense and they don’t break the game at all.

If you were feeling creative maybe Recon + another attribute (agility or empathy) depending on the situation.

In one aborted attempt I made at house ruling skills I split recon in half / the other half moving to Agility. Maybe one day I’ll go back and have a look (but for now it’s easier to make tech specialities).

It was:
Infiltration - agl
1. Prowler (replaces Infiltrator from Recon)
2. Locksmith (moved from Tech)
3. Cutpurse (also sleight of hand / picking pockets)
4. Forger (forging documents, could put under Tech but I think it fits better here)

Recon - int
1. Forward Observer
2. Tracker (?? Bonus for following others?)
3. Intelligence
4. Investigator
5. Scout

In the interest of simplicity, I think I'd do Recon, but with Agility as the base attribute.

In the interest of simplicity, I think I'd do Recon, but with Agility as the base attribute.

That is a good way to go. Easy to forget that we can swap attribute in a skill roll if it fits the situation.

Yeah, it's one of my favorite quick tricks, and a great way to work with players who want to try something weird (or against players who are min-maxers and deserve punishment)

If you were feeling creative maybe Recon + another attribute (agility or empathy) depending on the situation.

Yeah, Recon + Empathy would make a lot of sense, I think. Agility is fine, too, obviously. Maybe depends on the situation, e. g. Empathy would be the way to go, if you're trying to go unnoticed. Could also see Mobility + Empathy in that case.

Ultimately: Ask the player, how his character approaches the situation, then decide on skill, attribute and modifiers.

Exactly. Whenever a player says "I want to roll Persuasion," I'm telling them-- "okay, we'll see, but instead first why don't you tell me what your character is actually doing!"