The Skyrim thieves guild lies in the underbelly of Riften, a group of sneaky folks looking to take from others for their own benefit. Sure, that doesn’t sound very nice, at all, but there’s no central government giving out benefits here, buddy. Some people need to take in order to survive.
So, if you too need to take to live, head to the Skyrim thieves guild to get in with your fellow criminals and do some mean things for them. Maybe give a beggar a coin or some mead on your way, just to clear your conscience. For less seedy things to do in Bethesda’s massive RPG, check out our Skyrim marriage, Skyrim enchanting, and Skyrim followers guides to stay up to speed.
Here we go, everything you need to get started in Skyrim’s thieves guild.
How do I join the Skyrim thieves guild?
To join the Skyrim thieves guild, head to Riften (you can use a stagecoach to do this super quickly for a small fee) and follow these steps:
- Find Brynjolf (in the market during the day, The Bee and Barb at night)
- Listen to his instructions to steal Madesi’s ring
- Tell him you’re ready to go (during the day only)
- Head over to the jewellery stall and open it, then the lockbox, to grab the ring
- Plant the ring on Brand-Shei
- Head to Ragged Flagon in the Ratway to chat Brynjolf again
Easy peasy. Just be sure to have a good handful of lockpicks before you begin his request if you want to succeed. Success isn’t essential, however. Even if you fail, you can still join, which is a bit silly really, isn’t it?
Should I join the Skyrim thieves guild?
Uhh, I dunno. I’m not your mother. But there are benefits you can gain by following the questline if you want to make up your own mind. From the Chillrend sword to various armour sets, there’s lots of stuff up for grabs, especially just lying around the guild.
You can also avoid thieves on the road, not lose stolen items when arrested, and gain various other benefits along the way. Not of all of these are instant, nor are they across-the-board true, but in general there’s quite a lot to gain.
Skyrim thieves guild armour
Here are the different armour sets you can get throughout Skyrim’s thieves guild questline:
- Thieves Guild armour
Fortify lockpicking, pickpocket, and carrying capacity
- Guild Master’s armour
Fortify lockpicking, pickpocket, prices, and carrying capacity
- Nightingale armour
Fortify stamina, illusion, lockpicking, and muffle footsteps
- Linwe’s armour
Fortify stamina, sneaking, one-handed, and bows
- Blackguard’s armour
Fortify lockpicking, pickpocket, prices, and carrying capacity
That’s all we’ve got on the Skyrim thieves guild for now. For more, check out our Skyrim maps, Skyrim Serana, Skyrim Lydia, and Skyrim cure vampirism.
