I don't want to frame Brand-Shei :(

[HighEarth]

It's not in-character for the way I've played the game. So far I've done my best to help all the local people, including Brand-Shei. Plus, I heard he stays in jail forever after he gets caught despite what Brynjolf says. Is there any way I can avoid framing him and still move forward with the game?

 

[UnfaithfulServant]

Fail the quest on purpose. :3

 

[DdraigGwyn]

It's not in-character for the way I've played the game. So far I've done my best to help all the local people, including Brand-Shei. Plus, I heard he stays in jail forever after he gets caught despite what Brynjolf says. Is there any way I can avoid framing him and still move forward with the game?

Even if you fail in the pickpocketting Brynjolf will still invite you to join the Thieves Guild.

 

[Remington721]

Yeah I fail that one on purpose , I like him , and he's a good vendor. 750 G .

 

[HighEarth]

Thanks, guys. I basically just went inside a shop and the mission automatically failed. Brynjolf came back to tell me he couldn't distract forever but still has faith in me.

 

[LotusEater]

That's one of the least greezy things you will do as a member of the Thieve's Guild. Why join if you are against what they do? Just wondering because you won't be able to work around the other greezy stuff you will need to do in order to advance the quest line.

 

[HappyFaceClown]

I can't bring myself to do it either so i always fail on purpose, the one i hate even more is when u gotta set up the guy in whiterun, and u get no choice in it, he goes to jail for life no matter what. If it weren't for the unbreakable skeleton key i'd never touch the thieves guild quests. btw this might be off topic but i've always wondered, is there a way to break someone out of jail?

 

[Dagmar]

As others have said, it's impossible to fail the quest. You can fail in the objectives and you'll still be able to progress to the next quest.

To put it bluntly though, if you're a role player and that's why it bothers you so much to set up Brand-Shei you really aren't cut out for the Thieves Guild. It's not a care bear faction and it's not like the Thieves Guild of Cyrodiil from ES IV: Oblivion.

...is there a way to break someone out of jail?

No, because the NPC is scripted to stay there even if you pick the lock. Lots of players have picked the lock to Brand-Shei's jail cell door and he just stays there anyway. The only way you can get them to leave is to use console commands.

 

[HighEarth]

That's one of the least greezy things you will do as a member of the Thieve's Guild. Why join if you are against what they do? Just wondering because you won't be able to work around the other greezy stuff you will need to do in order to advance the quest line.

In answer to this question, quite simply because I don't actually want to join the Thieves Guild...but the way the game made it seem is that I couldn't search for Esbern unless I spoke to Brynjolf. No?

 

[LotusEater]

That's one of the least greezy things you will do as a member of the Thieve's Guild. Why join if you are against what they do? Just wondering because you won't be able to work around the other greezy stuff you will need to do in order to advance the quest line.

In answer to this question, quite simply because I don't actually want to join the Thieves Guild...but the way the game made it seem is that I couldn't search for Esbern unless I spoke to Brynjolf. No?

Oh yea... that sounds right. That's annoying.

 

[Enchanted Ruffles]

When I was playing the main quest to find Esbern, I had to do this one too. On a personal level, I didn't agree with it, but I play a bit of a ruthless, the end justifies the means kind of mage who didn't have a problem with it. ;P I'm just glad it didn't somehow force me to join the Thieves Guild. That wouldn't have fit my mage at all.

 

[Rimfaxe96]

Every time that quest shows up I just enter the Bee and Barb and then go to Brynjolf again. He's a bit pissed off but other than that, the quest will continue normally, so even despite your failure he'll introduce you as the next super-thief to the guild members.

 

[Dagmar]

In answer to this question, quite simply because I don't actually want to join the Thieves Guild...but the way the game made it seem is that I couldn't search for Esbern unless I spoke to Brynjolf. No?

No. There are two ways to proceed without joining the Thieves Guild. If you have 75 Speech skill or higher you can simply persuade Brynjolf to tell you where Esbern is without doing A Chance Arrangement. You can also just skip speaking to Brynjolf and head straight for the Ragged Flagon through the Ratway and then enter the Ratway Vaults on the other side of the Ragged Flagon and on to the Ratway Warrens where Esbern is hiding.

 

[Thorn]

Is it true that if you talk to Keerava about the Ratways, she will direct you there without having to do Brynjolf's dirty work?

 

[Leseras]

Actually, you can say "Screw you Brynjolf! Imma find him myself!". What you can actually do is to just run straight to the rataway vaults (you know where that is by now) and find him yourself. The quest will auto update. I do that on all my non-thief guild play-throughs.

 

[Ivory]

You could also punch the hell out of the bartender in the ratway until he tells you. (Brawl)

 

[DrunkenMage]

You could also punch the hell out of the bartender in the ratway until he tells you. (Brawl)

BAR FIGHT!!

 

[HappyFaceClown]

Actually, you can say "Screw you Brynjolf! Imma find him myself!". What you can actually do is to just run straight to the rataway vaults (you know where that is by now) and find him yourself. The quest will auto update. I do that on all my non-thief guild play-throughs.

^^ This. My first time tracking down Esbern i didn't speak to brynjolf at all and just found him myself, he's not hard to track down.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

I usually use method 2 that Dagmar notes. It's not that hard to follow the arrow and it's not like Brynhoff actually tells you exactly where he's at.

 

[Dagmar]

You could also punch the hell out of the bartender in the ratway until he tells you. (Brawl)

Have fun fighting the entire Ragged Flagon for nothing!