Yo, so here's my plan, I've finally gotten around to gathering 2 of the 3 Gauldur amulet fragments and I need to get into Saarthal.

So I've avoided the college like the plague for over a year and have no intention of going in legit, I intend to break in via the north cave and steal the key to Saarthal from Tolfdir without being detected by anybody.

Question 1... is it actually possible to pickpocket the Saarthal key from Tolfdir?
Question 2... is it possible to get in to the college, do some general thieving and get out without activating First Lessons if I go via the cave and remain undetected for the entire trip?

Or will First Lessons simply kick in as soon as I set foot on college grounds?


I did some searching to try to get all this info together, but the results were kinda vague, UESP wiki doesn't seem to consider that an enterprising thief may wish to dip into old Tolfs pockets but I could have missed something important.

Thanks for any info or advice.

There is no key to Saarthal.

You need Tolfdir's expertise to defeat the Gauldurson brother there, anyway, so just join the College if you insist on finishing the quest.

You see what I mean about the info out there being vague... all I knew was Tolfie opened the door when you met him there, ugh... I was hoping to cut out the middle man.
My fault for skirting around spoilerish material while trying to glean concrete info.

I'll think about it... probably could justify going undercover as a student to get that quest done, but maybe not.

Alright fair enough, but my second question still stands, even if I decide to abandon the Gauldur quest, is it possible to infiltrate the college via the north cave, go around filling my pockets and get out without getting collared for the mage questline?

Bearing in mind it will be no problem to remain undetected for my thief... I'm just wondering if the game will automatically nab me for the quest as soon as I walk on college turf.

Yes, I'm one of those players who hates unwanted stuff in my journal. :/

If you sprint into a follower or another NPC in front of the College's locked gate, they will stumble into it and unlock it for you. This will not start "First Lessons".

But you need to start and finish that quest to get into Saarthal. There will be no moment when you are without a major College quest in the journal until you complete the questline.

You'll just have to get over it, I'm afraid, or forgo the Gauldur Amulet.

Forgetting about Saarthal for a second, say I'm just interested in robbing the college/snooping around.

The wiki says I can enter the Midden via the cave north of the college and get in that way, will this work without activating First Lessons?

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense about this, just want to be sure.

Yes, it will not start "First Lessons"; no, the angle and height of the drop make it impossible to enter that way.

Oh man, they have me nailed from every possible side lol.

Ok fair enough... although the wiki says The cave exits near the shoreline underneath the college. It is possible to enter the Midden Dark through this cave with a combination of sprinting, jumping and persistence.

But that sounds pretty much like the same kind of tactic as brute forcing a follower via the main gate.
Guess I'll just have to svck it up, grab some robes and pretend I'm a student.

Thanks for your patience PrinceShroob, I appreciate it.