Why is an item after TakePartyItem() not pickpocketable?

[jastey]

For original BGII, I need MISC4T.itm (Letter of Transfer from Renal to Mae'Var) to be stealable after Gorch ("bartender" in AR0302.are) took it to let the PC into the hiddenquarters of Mae'Var.

 

In Gorch.dlg, state 4, the action to remove it from the PC's inventory is TakePartyItem("MISC4T"). If Gorch is killed, it drops to the ground. But while Gorch is alive, the pass cannot be pick pocketed.

 

Why, and how can I change this?

[CamDawg]

My prime suspect would be the 'critical item' flag (bit 0 in the item flags at 0x18).

[Roxanne]

My prime suspect would be the 'critical item' flag (bit 0 in the item flags at 0x18).

Misc4T has flags *critical item* and *droppable*, at least in EE and EET versions, which would match exactly to that behavior.

The *critical item* flag (first in 0x18) also appears as *unsellable* depends on which tool you use.

 

PS - in classic games some plot items were missing that flag and you could steal them instead of doing some quest. Those have changed in the EE, however my memory is too weak to remember if Misc4T was among them (I probably never tried to steal it anyway).

Edited March 1, 2018 by Roxanne

[jastey]

Thank you both! I can't believe I wasn't aware that critical means not pickpockable.