Harbour Watch
Pailhaven has a town watch. If you are feeling light-fingered you can pick pockets and raid stashes around town, but witnesses talk, guards give chase, and the Hulk in the bay is waiting for anyone who gets caught.
None of this touches real players. It is all between you and the town’s NPCs. You can ignore it entirely and never be bothered.
Who can commit crimes
Section titled “Who can commit crimes”You need 3 hours of playtime before crime is possible. Until then, sneaking up on folk just starts a normal chat and stashes are “locked tight”.
Crimes and bounties
Section titled “Crimes and bounties”Crimes add bounty points in Pailhaven. Your bounty sets your fine and your jail time.
| Crime | Bounty |
|---|---|
| Pickpocketing, if caught | 40 |
| Stash theft, if seen | 20, plus the stolen item’s own bounty |
| Hitting a townsperson | 30 |
| Hitting a guard | 60 |
| Resisting arrest | +100 |
- Pickpocketing: sneak up and click a townsperson. Coming from behind, in the dark, with few people watching gives better odds. Each person can only be tried once every 20 minutes.
- Stashes: eight valuable stashes are hidden around the quay, such as the Harbourmaster’s strongbox and the Tally Hold cargo barrel. Each refills every 30 minutes.
- Witnesses within 16 blocks who can see you report what they saw. Shadows and sneaking help.
- Your bounty expires 72 hours after your last crime, and tops out at 5,000.
/lawshows your record.
Getting caught
Section titled “Getting caught”When a guard catches up, he stops you and you choose:
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Pay | A fine of $1,000 per bounty point. Stolen goods on you are taken. |
| Jail | You go to the prison hulk, Penance. Stolen goods are taken. |
| Resist | +100 bounty and the guard fights you. |
Not answering within 30 seconds, or walking off, counts as resisting.
Jail time is 3 seconds per bounty point, at least 2 minutes and usually at most 10. Very large bounties can stretch it to 30 minutes. It only counts down while you are online. Pick oakum at the piles on the cell deck to work it off faster.
Want to come clean? Use /law surrender near a guard, or see Hobb Crane, the Sergeant of the Watch, at the Watch House.
Wanted
Section titled “Wanted”| Bounty | Status |
|---|---|
| 200+ | Wanted: a guard hunts you anywhere in town |
| 1,000+ | Most Wanted: two guards and the Watch Captain come for you |
Guards are tough. They draw a flintlock and shout a warning before firing (“Stop, or I fire!”), so keep moving sideways. With a shield up, they need five fully charged hits before they kneel and yield. Beat the Watch Captain in his duel and he lets you go for two minutes.
Sanctuary
Section titled “Sanctuary”Guards will not follow you into the Harbor Market stalls, the Salt Cellar, the castaway landing or Blackrock Cove. They wait at the edge for 30 seconds, then go back to their posts.
The fence
Section titled “The fence”Stolen trinkets (pocket watches, purses, spyglasses, sealed letters) are worth money to Silas Mott, a dealer in curiosities who keeps to the Salt Cellar. He only deals with people known on the docks, and buys up to $150,000 a day.