Probably Stolen starting perks: list and effects

Updated 2026-11-01

Probably Stolen starting perks are a set of 48 choices in the base game: 20 positive, 22 negative, and 6 neutral, according to the Probably Stolen wiki, a fan site. A run allows up to four perks, with a combined limit of three points. This page lists every entry from that wiki with its point cost and stated effect, and keeps the figures from other guides separate.

Illustration for a Probably Stolen guide: A row of small enamel badges laid out on a linen cloth; muted palette with one pale amber accent. — Illustration

How Probably Stolen starting perk rules work

Probably Stolen starting perks follow the same rules across the guides. The Probably Stolen wiki, a fan site gives the default limit as four perks and three points combined. IGN's Best Perks guide describes the same four-perk limit and three-point cap, and says some negative perks, such as Agoraphobia, grant an extra perk point.

Access differs by run. Wikily's starting perks page says the perks unlock from the second run. All Things How says the first run has no starting perks and that later runs start with three points and four slots. Both agree on the budget, so plan a later start around four slots and three points.

Some negative perks give back a point. The wiki lists them with a negative cost, so a perk such as Gambling Addiction is a choice with a benefit to your budget and a drawback in play. Read the stated effect before you pick a combination.

Probably Stolen starting perks: full list and stated effects

The table below lists all 48 Probably Stolen starting perks from the Probably Stolen wiki. Points follow the wiki's column: a positive number is spent from your budget, and a negative number gives points back. Effects are paraphrased from the wiki's wording.

Names differ between guides. The wiki calls the seven-slot perk Oddball, and IGN's Best Perks guide calls it Colorful Character, saying it lets you add three more perks. The wiki's Fearsome cuts recorded crime, which appears to match IGN's Intimidating, described as giving 33% less evidence. The table uses the wiki's names, so check the in-game name against this list.

Perk	Group	Points	Stated effect
Savings	Positive	1	Starts the run with an extra 150 credits.
Model Citizen	Positive	1	Starts with +30 Security reputation; bounties for reporting wanted-list customers rise 50%.
Silver Tongue	Positive	2	Adds +15 starting reputation with each faction already set up in the run.
Bootlicker	Positive	1	Starts with +15 Uptown reputation; Uptown reputation gains rise 25% and Uptown customer budgets rise 10%.
Vigilant	Positive	2	Skips theft checks in normal insurance processing. It does not make you immune to story theft, damage, or all item loss.
Sawyer's Hand	Positive	1	Lets you bring in the underground exchange on Day 1 and makes ordinary cleaning free. Vandalism still costs money, based on the day count.
Glib	Positive	2	Reputation from transactions rises 33%.
Fearsome	Positive	2	Multiplies recorded crime by 0.67 and rounds it, which lowers the risks tied to that amount. It is not a flat 33% cut to every evidence check.
Secret Admirer	Positive	1	Gifts can arrive when you open the shop. Galaxy Blend always arrives on Day 2, and the chance grows the longer no gift comes. It is guaranteed from Day 12 of waiting.
Welfare Recipient	Positive	1	Unlocks the ration station at the start. Food Stamps may be issued each Monday based on total assets.
Skilled Scavenger	Positive	1	Each junkyard visit allows up to 2 extra search actions.
Revolutionary Sympathizer	Positive	1	Starts with +25 Revolutionary reputation. Once commissions unlock and the introduction is passed, an extra Revolutionary request arrives every Monday.
Tape Enthusiast	Positive	1	Gives the seven ordinary music tapes in worn condition. It does not hand over the default four damaged tapes.
Wilde's Favorite	Positive	1	In Wilde's network, upgrade costs fall 10% and insurance costs fall 50%.
Lucky	Positive	1	Adds +5 base luck, on top of Gambler's Coin and Liquid Luck.
Handy	Positive	1	Gives a worn 4-slot Toolbox, plus worn Screwdriver, Wire Cutter, Crowbar, and Plasma Cutter. It is not a general crafting speed bonus.
Tinkerer	Positive	1	When designated item upgrades use materials, there is a 20% chance to keep them. It does not cover every production recipe.
Vending Machine	Positive	2	Starts with a vending machine outside the shop, so customers can buy items outside opening hours.
Short Sleeper	Positive	1	Removes the −1 modifier to the next day's ordinary customer quota that comes from going out at night.
Clear Pipes	Positive	2	Unlocks the ditch water and rust water faucet tiers right away.
High Rent	Negative	−1	Initial rent rises by 40 credits.
Criminal Record	Negative	−1	Starts with −30 Security reputation. Bounties for reporting wanted-list customers fall 25%.
Poor Negotiator	Negative	−3	Bans normal haggling and adds +5/−5 modifiers at the market buy and sell stage.
Public Enemy	Negative	−2	Gives −15 starting reputation with each faction already set up in the run.
Wrong Side of the Tracks	Negative	−1	Cuts the ordinary customer quota by 1. After other modifiers, the quota stays between 0 and 6.
Nicotine Addiction	Negative	−1	Starts with a count of 3. At 3 or more non-intake, buy prices get +8 and sell prices −8. The count clears naturally at 20.
Narcotics Addiction	Negative	−1	When the intake and relief counts are both at least 3, buy prices get +8 and sell prices −8. The intake count clears naturally at 20.
Alcohol Addiction	Negative	−1	Starts with a count of 3. At 3 or more non-intake, buy prices get +8 and sell prices −8. The count clears naturally at 20.
Extortion	Negative	−2	From Day 1, collects 40 plus the day count in credits every Monday. Refusing or arresting costs 30 base reputation with four factions and removes the trait.
Big Mouth	Negative	−2	Multiplies recorded crime by 1.33 and rounds it. Positive reputation gains from the Black Market and Revolutionaries are halved.
Minimalist	Negative	−2	Cuts main inventory from 24×10 to 20×10.
Ascetic	Negative	−4	Cuts main inventory from 24×10 to 16×10.
Sentinel Breakdown Syndrome	Negative	−3	Starts with 1 Immunonine. If you do not inject, the disease builds from Night 7 and ends the run at 20. Injecting resets the day count but not the built-up value.
Agoraphobia	Negative	−1	After visiting a nighttime location, you must rest in the shop for 2 nights before going out again.
Barred from the Ration Station	Negative	−1	The ration station is unavailable, and Food Stamp content never unlocks.
Missing Limb	Negative	−2	The junkyard is unavailable, so no scavenging.
Gambling Addiction	Negative	−1	Buys lottery tickets, scratch cards, or full stacks left on the counter, based on cash and each customer's success count. Snapus can remove it.
Wilde's Bane	Negative	−1	In Wilde's network, upgrade costs rise 10% and insurance costs rise 50%.
Jinxed	Negative	−1	Base luck −5. Other luck bonuses still add on top.
Illiterate	Negative	−1	You cannot read the guides and paper books under this restriction. Interface text still shows.
Degenerative Osteoarthritis	Negative	−1	Week 1 scavenging works as usual. Each later week cuts the daily scavenge limit by 1, and scavenging stops below 3. Starts with 2 Topical Medication Bandages.
Known Informant	Negative	−2	Revolutionary and Black Market reputation each start −10. It blocks the wanted list and random wanted customers, but not every crime-related character.
Oddball	Neutral	1	Raises the starting trait slot limit by 3.
Simple Reactor	Neutral	1	Disconnects the shop from the station grid, so blackouts do not affect it. Starts with an upgradeable Makeshift Micro Nuclear Reactor from Dr. Jackson, which needs regular maintenance.
Hoarder	Neutral	0	Starts with three fixed piles of clutter, cleared by cleaning in the shop, using three kinds of tools, or the night clutter service.
Cautious Scavenger	Neutral	0	Cuts search count per outing by 2 and sets the scavenging injury rate to zero. Missing Limb, osteoarthritis, and the remaining count still apply.
Cyborg Crisis	Neutral	1	Cyborgs appear from the start. Killing them correctly pays cash ×1.25. Assimilation reaching 100 can end the run on any difficulty.
Prime Location	Neutral	0	Adds +1 to the ordinary customer quota (cap 6) and adds 75 credits to the profession base rent.

Opposite perk pairs

The Probably Stolen wiki lists 10 pairs that work against each other. A run that takes one side can't combine it with the other, so the pairs below show which choices exclude each other.

One side	Other side
Welfare Recipient	Barred from the Ration Station
Wrong Side of the Tracks	Prime Location
Public Enemy	Silver Tongue
Criminal Record	Model Citizen
Jinxed	Lucky
Minimalist	Ascetic
Skilled Scavenger	Missing Limb
Wilde's Bane	Wilde's Favorite
Missing Limb	Cautious Scavenger
Missing Limb	Degenerative Osteoarthritis

Choosing Probably Stolen starting perks for a run

The safest first pick is one with a clear, stated benefit and a cost you can afford. Savings costs one point and adds 150 credits, while Vigilant costs two points and skips theft checks in normal insurance processing. The Wikily page states both figures, and the Probably Stolen wiki gives the full effect for Vigilant, including what it does not cover.

IGN's Beginner Tips and Tricks guide recommends perks by playstyle. It says a Chemist starts with a lab build-out, and suggests Model Citizen for Security reputation or Intimidating for less evidence when you work for the Cartel. IGN's Best Perks guide also lists Diplomatic, Sawyer's Crew, Short Sleeper, Vending Machine, and Working Pipes as strong choices. Those names do not all appear on the wiki's table, so match them to the wiki entry before you rely on them.

Avoid pairs from the list above. If you take Missing Limb, you give up scavenging, so Skilled Scavenger and Cautious Scavenger do not help you.

Why the counts differ between guides

The Probably Stolen wiki counts 48 selectable perks. All Things How gives 36 starting perks on the perk screen and notes that its list covers paid perks, free trade-offs, and drawbacks that grant points. The two totals measure different lists of Probably Stolen starting perks, so this page keeps each figure tied to its source instead of merging them.

Our take on starting perks

Start with the budget for your Probably Stolen starting perks: four slots and three points. Then choose one or two perks with a benefit you can use in the first days, such as Savings for cash or Model Citizen for Security reputation. Add a negative perk only when its drawback fits your plan. Check the in-game name against the table, since guides do not always agree on names.

Frequently asked questions

How many Probably Stolen starting perks are there?

The Probably Stolen wiki lists 48 selectable starting perks: 20 positive, 22 negative, and 6 neutral. All Things How gives a different total of 36 and counts a different mix of paid perks, trade-offs, and drawbacks.

How many Probably Stolen starting perks can I pick?

The default limit is four perks, and their combined point total cannot go above three. IGN and Wikily describe the same four-perk and three-point budget.

What does the Savings perk do in Probably Stolen starting perks?

Savings costs one point and starts the run with an extra 150 credits. Wikily states both figures, and the wiki's entry matches them.

What does Vigilant do among the Probably Stolen starting perks?

Vigilant costs two points and skips theft checks in normal insurance processing. The wiki says it does not make you immune to story theft, damage, or all item loss.

When can I choose Probably Stolen starting perks?

Wikily says the perks unlock from the second run, and All Things How says the first run has no starting perks. Later runs start with three perk points.

Which Probably Stolen starting perks does IGN recommend for a Chemist?

IGN's Beginner Tips and Tricks guide suggests Model Citizen for Security reputation and Intimidating for less evidence when you work for the Cartel as a Chemist. Its Best Perks guide also lists Diplomatic, Sawyer's Crew, Short Sleeper, Vending Machine, and Working Pipes.