Factions and NPC Guide - Probably Stolen Guide - IGN

There are numerous factions and NPCs you'll encounter while playing Probably Stolen . If you play your cards right, many of these factions can be on your side and provide you with benefits. However, there's also the chance you could cross them, and then they become more trouble than you know what to do with in the future. The same goes for certain characters you might. Here's what you need to know about all factions and NPCs you can encounter while playing Probably Stolen.

These are the larger known factions you can find in Probably Stolen.

The Black Market has to do with the various thieves and criminals who approach your vendor. You might not notice them too often if you're not selling contraband or illegal items, but once you do, they start to show up more often. They'll try selling to you and buying any items that you have available. You'll want to have a Smuggler's Hold when dealing with this faction because many of the items are hot and will be seized if Security does an inspection.

You can lower your standing with this group if you attempt to sell a falsely labeled item, or you try to barter too much. Alternatively, buying low from them and offering them deals is a good way to increase your standing. As this goes up, the Black Market group will send more thieves to do deals with you, and provide notice of upcoming Black Market events.

The Lower Level factions are the most notable and frequent customers you're going to get in Probably Stolen. These characters range from addicts to scavengers, traders, or people trying to live their lives, making what they can. Because you'll be frequently dealing with them, expect your reputation with them to go up and down frequently.

You can increase your relationship with this faction by offering them deals, or buying their items and paying more. However, you can lose faction with them if you call out items they're selling as fake when they're real, or they find out you're selling them fake or mislabeled products. It is possible for your faction to go too low with this group, and if it does, they kill you, forcing you to start over.

The Revolution is starkly against the Security faction. The Revolution is trying to lay low, with many of their notable members on the Wanted list, such as Odin Haraldsson, Leroy, and Arthur Lafleur. They'll regularly appear in front of you looking for supplies to buy or trade. Although they are harmless to you (if you don't antagonize them), the Security is looking for these members and offers rewards for their capture.

Helping the Revolution can provide a negative relationship with Security, but it's not 1:1. You can work alongside these members if you're careful, and provide them aid. Alternatively, you can go against them, getting these high-level members caught by the Security. However, similar to Security, if you go too low with this faction, they do kill you and end the run.

The Security faction can be the tougher people to work alongside while playing Probably Stolen. This faction enforces the law, and if you're caught with contraband or found guilty of crimes on the Lower Levels, this lowers the faction's standing with Security. However, defeating Augs, trading and selling with the Security, or turning in any of the criminals on the Wanted list can increase your relationship with them.

By increasing your relationship with the Security officers, thieves are less likely to visit your store, the Merchant officers visit more often, and they'll perform inspections less frequently with more advanced notice about their arrival. However, if it becomes negative enough, the inspections increase, they don't respond to your alarms, and they'll eventually arrest you, ending your run.

The Upper Levels faction has to do with the richer people who live in a different part of the station. They've arrived at your store because they're stuck down in this part, or they wanted to visit it. It's easy to get by tricking these characters into buying certain items of lesser quality, as they might not be able to tell the difference.

Gaining reputation with the Upper Level characters means they have a higher chance of visiting your store, a representative can appear there every so often, or at least one customer a day will be someone from the Upper Level. However, if you cross them, they'll report your store to Security, meaning you lose reputation faster with them, and inspections take longer.

There are a handful of notable NPCs that you can encounter while playing. A handful of them are from the most Wanted list, and some are regular customers trying to make a living.

Georgio is a recurring character who you'll see regardless of what run you do. He's a quirky individual who offers to sell you odds and ends, along with the occasional piece of gold in his pile of junk. He's not a character who's out to get you, and is more there to provide support if you buy into his unique perspective on the ward.

He can be a little frustrating and a little too helpful. For example, he'll bring back the Radioactive Waste that you dispose of in the Dumping Grounds, but he's also willing to provide help for you there if you buy him, protecting you from harm for a few days. Overall, Georgio is a good character to work with and buy from if he has something worthwhile for sale.

Joe Wild is the NPC who is going to sell you passive upgrades and provide you connections throughout the Lower Levels. You can talk to him or give him a call whenever you want to buy a passive upgrade to help boost your sales, or get a new way to make money through a startup venture. Make sure to check in with Joe every few days to see what he has for sale, or he'll stop by and check in on you.

Eleanor is a stranded Upper Levels woman whose mom has been framed and is in jail. Rather than share her fate, she's found herself in the Lower Levels and is trying to survive. She seeks out your shop in hopes of one day hiring a Private Detective to help her clear her mom's name and figure out what happened. How you choose to help her is up to you, and there are several different ways her life can go based on what you do.

You'll receive a list of nine different NPCs who you want to look out for while you're working in the Lower Levels. These characters will appear in front of your vendor looking to buy or sell certain items. When they come across you, you'll have an option to turn them in to Security, or let them go and continue working with them. Having them arrested can put you at odds with certain factions, but it could be a better choice than being under scrutiny from Security.