Crime (Online)

Crime is a game mechanic in ''The Elder Scrolls Online. ''It covers the numerous crimes you can commit and the consequences for doing so.

Crime in introduces a new mechanic called Heat. Heat determines how guards react towards you and how quickly your bounty meter cools off. Heat has three levels: Disreputable, where the guards will only stop you if you are too close, Notorious where they will actively look for you and accost you on sight, and Fugitive where they will kill you on sight. Your heat level is determined by the severity of the crime you commit and will only cool off if you manage to hide from the guards or escape into an Outlaw Refuge.

Types of Crime
Crimes are divided into two categories: Petty Crimes, such as thieving and pickpocketing, and Major Crimes, such as murder and assault. Major Crimes will give you a higher bounty and heat level while Petty Crimes will give you a lower bounty and heat level.

Petty Crimes

 * Theft
 * Pickpocketing
 * Trespassing
 * Breaking and Entering
 * Killing Livestock
 * Smuggling Contraband

Major Crimes

 * Assault
 * Murder
 * Resisting Arrest

Arrest
If you have a bounty on your head and guard catches you, they will place you under arrest and ask you to pay your bounty. You have the option of paying your bounty or resisting arrest and fleeing the guard, which will instantly mark you as kill-on-sight to the guards.

If you don't manage to escape from the guard, they will kill you, take the respective amount of gold off your body and pay your bounty with it. If your bounty is higher than your gold balance, all of your gold will be taken and you will be left with no gold at all.

Outlaw Refuges, Fences and Smuggling
Each major city has an outlaw refuge with two entrances: one on the inside and one on the outside. Outlaw Refuges are also a way to enter and exit cities undetected, sell stolen goods, and unmark goods as stolen, allowing you to keep them and use them without consequence. You can also pay your bounty at a fence without the consequence of losing your stolen goods. This means you can sell your stolen goods and use them to pay your bounty. However, you can only sell a certain number of items to a fence per day. This amount can be increased through the Legerdemain skill line.

Every Outlaw Refuge has at least one fence, guild store and a bank. There are also various NPCs which can be engaged with in conversation. The Refuges are also a place for other criminal players to socialize and plot heists and other such types of organized crime.

All stolen goods have a set price based on their rarity:
 * Common (White) Items - 30 Gold
 * Fine (Green) Items - 100 Gold
 * Superior (Blue) Items - 250 Gold
 * Epic (Purple) Items - 500 Gold
 * Legendary (Orange) Items - 1000 Gold

Legerdemain
A skill line dedicated to criminal activities has been introduced: Legerdemain. It contains skills beneficial to sneaking, smuggling and trespassing and is composed entirely of passives.
 * Improved Hiding (I, II, III) - Reduces the Stamina cost of Sneaking by 10%, 20% and 30% per ability rank.
 * Light Fingers (I, II, III, IV) - Increases your chance of successfully pickpocketing by 10%, 20%, 35% and 50% per ability rank.
 * Trafficker (I, II, III, IV) - Increases the amount of Fence interactions you can use each day by 120%, 140%, 160% and 180% per ability rank.
 * Locksmith (I, II, III, IV) - Increases your chance of successfully picking a lock by 10%, 25%, 45% and 70% per ability rank.
 * Kickback (I, II, III, IV) - Reduces the amount of gold you willingly pay to guards and fences by 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% per ability rank.

Trivia

 * Crime originally was not a part of The Elder Scrolls Online, but after much fan outcry it was officially revealed at QuakeCon 2014 and implemented in the game's sixth update.
 * In a future update, players will be able to become guards and hunt down criminals.
 * Some guards, such as the Wayrest Guards, will say "Stop right there, criminal scum!", a famous guard quote from Oblivion.