Killing People In Public

[limorkil]

Is there a no-cheese way of killing people in town without acquiring huge bounties?

It doesn't seem to matter which faction I work for, I always get a quest that involves killing someone in a public place, usually a bar. With some of these quests the target will attack you when you talk to him, so there is no problem. But most of the quests I end up with the person saying something like "Please don't kill me" and then we just stand there looking at each other or I strike him down and instantly get pounced on by the guards/ordinators providing the guy's friends don't kill me first (I am only level 7, so mass slaughter of guards and bar patrons is not a viable action).

Of course, I could just pay the bounty, but there's something very annoying about getting a 500 septim reward after paying a 1000 septim bounty for killing the guy.

I tried to use Taunt, but it seems to be broken. I have 25 Speechcraft, but I often get a "Taunt Success". The guy says something like "Draw your sword" or "You'll die for that" but then he totally fails to make a move. I assumed that a success would mean he attacks you, especially given his response, but no.

The only tactic I can think of is to pickpocket the target. This gets him to attack and the bounty is a lot smaller than if I attacked first. But I consider this sorta-cheesy.

I suppose maybe I am meant to survive as an outlaw or seek a way to get the bounty reduced/removed. But that doesn't make any sense when the quest is from a more 'lawful' guild (and why is the Fighter's Guild giving me these Dark Brotherhood type quests anyway?)

Anyone come up with something?

[Odonatathrope]

Taunt works. However, you need more than one "taunt success" - usually 4 or 5 in the same conversation. After that, your only dialogue option becomes "Goodbye" and they attack a few seconds later. No bounty.

Note: I've found taunt works best around mid-level reputation (30-70). Above this, it normally fails with a pitiful "I thought we were friends!), and below this they think you're not worth it. Howevery, a few bribes easily bring them back up so you can taunt 'em again and finally get the fight you're itchin' for.

[Loredweller]

Taunt works, but

you usually should have speechcraft high enough (25 isn't). Then, again, keep trying if even "Taunt Fails". It doesn't cancel previous sucess, zero attitude and several successful taunts are what matters. So (SPOILERS)

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Redoran helm recovery quest in my experience wass esiest, 30 or so was quite enough. "Bad people" required 40, one was easy tauntable, one - less easy, but in the bar only one of the group was sensitive enough to be provocated. And, besides, Redoran quest requires taunting, you cannot do it otherway (don't know about stealing, though, but the bad boy is wearing the helmet altogether, so, i guess, there is no way to steal it)

[cjdevito]

Question: What about the spell frenzy humanoid? I believe it makes the target's attack percentage go up in the same manner as taunting. Just not sure if casting the spell on an NPC is, itself, an illegal ation.

[fable]

You can always pickpocket somebody with a very low Sneak skill, and they'll attack you. But let's face it, this is a cheesy hole in the game, since you're charged for the attempted theft, not the death that results. I'd expect it to be fixed with a patch.

[Sirius_Sam]

I have found that I can often kill with an arrow (or two) while I'm sneaking and not incur any penalty...it's like the guards don't actually SEE the body they're stepping over . It's realistic to assume that you could concievebly slay another from a distance, while sneaking, and stay undetected. The guards, however SHOULD at least notice that the victim is fountaining blood all over their nice, clean Imperial uniform

S_S