Probably Stolen Starting Scenarios
Every starting path in Probably Stolen, what each one sells, the specific kind of trouble each one buys you, and which source says so.
The Steam store description names six starting scenarios: Gunsmith, Chemist, Water Merchant, Fence, Farmer and Rock Bottom. The current Playtest build has a seventh, Rat Wrangler, which Playtest Patch 48.3.12 — The Rat Wrangler unhid on 2026-08-07. The store text has not been updated to include it, so both sources are correct about different things.
They are not character classes. The store description says every product line has its own profit curve and its own way of ruining you — but Rock Bottom is given no product line at all, and nothing has been published about what Rat Wrangler sells. As the developer puts it: “You’re not choosing a theme for your shop, you’re choosing which kind of trouble you’re willing to monetize.”
All 7 paths compared
| Path | Sells | Consequence | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsmith | Weapons | Weapons require permits and modifications, and bring inspections. | Steam store description |
| Chemist | Chemicals | Chemicals bring addiction. Profitable recipes are closely guarded. | Steam store description |
| Water Merchant | Water | Water brings liability, and must be tested and filtered. | Steam store description |
| Fence | Stolen goods | Contraband brings raids. Stolen goods must be hidden from the authorities. | Steam store description |
| Farmer | Produce | No consequence is stated for produce. | Steam store description |
| Rock Bottom | None | No product line is named. Hardcore mode: you start with nothing. | Steam store description and Playtest Patch 48.3.10, 2026-08-06 |
| Rat Wrangler | Not stated | Not stated. Only the existence of the scenario has been announced. | Playtest Patch 48.3.12, 2026-08-07 |
Each path in detail
Gunsmith
Deals in firearms and weapon modifications. Permits, modification work and inspections come with the line; who runs the inspections is not named.
The catch: Weapons require permits and modifications, and bring inspections.
Source: Steam store description
Chemist
Produces and sells chemical goods. Profitable recipes are closely guarded, and addiction is the consequence attached to the line.
The catch: Chemicals bring addiction. Profitable recipes are closely guarded.
Source: Steam store description
Water Merchant
Tests, filters and resells water. Liability is the failure mode, and when in a sale that liability lands is not stated.
The catch: Water brings liability, and must be tested and filtered.
Source: Steam store description
Fence
Buys and resells stolen merchandise at a discount. The work is hiding goods from Security and bribing your way out when caught.
The catch: Contraband brings raids. Stolen goods must be hidden from the authorities.
Source: Steam store description
Farmer
Grows and sells produce; hydroponic farming is also one of the additional jobs you can master. Unlike weapons, chemicals, water and contraband, this line carries no consequence of its own.
The catch: No consequence is stated for produce.
Source: Steam store description
Rock Bottom
Starting “from absolute rock bottom”, with no product line or risk named for it. Patch 48.3.10 brought it into the Playtest build as hardcore mode: you start with nothing.
The catch: No product line is named. Hardcore mode: you start with nothing.
Source: Steam store description and Playtest Patch 48.3.10, 2026-08-06
Rat Wrangler
Not among the six the store description lists. Previously secret, now visible alongside the other starting scenarios. No product line, starting conditions or consequence has been published for it.
The catch: Not stated. Only the existence of the scenario has been announced.
Source: Playtest Patch 48.3.12, 2026-08-07
The announcement is one line long, and it is the whole record: “The Rat Wrangler starting scenario (previously secret) is now visible alongside the other starting scenarios.” Read it in full in Playtest Patch 48.3.12 — The Rat Wrangler.
What is still unknown Unknown
- How Rat Wrangler is unlocked or selected.
- What a Rat Wrangler run starts with, sells, or risks.
- What rats do in a run, and whether they relate to the Livestock Feed Dispenser or to any trap item.
Our reading, not an official statement. The previous patch, Playtest Patch 48.3.10 — Rock Bottom & Water Upgrade, ended with the developer asking “Have you guys found the secret scenario yet? It’s there in the playtest build from the very beginning. Look closely at the starting professions selection screen.” The next day’s patch describes Rat Wrangler as “previously secret”. We read those two lines as pointing at the same scenario. The developer has not said so directly, so treat the link as our inference rather than a confirmed fact.
Your starting path is not a class
This is the most useful thing to understand before your first run. The starting scenario sets where you begin, not where you have to stay. The store feature list names additional jobs you can master during a run:
- Water merchant
- Hydroponic farmer
- Organ dealer
On top of that, advanced licenses unlock access to the underground market, and faction connections open exclusive deals. So a Farmer start does not mean a farming-only run — it means farming is what you can do on day one.
How to choose
Since the developer ranks none of them, the useful question is not “which is best” but “which enforcement pressure do I want to play against”:
- Inspections (Gunsmith) — recurring, procedural, and tied to permits and modifications.
- Addiction (Chemist) — a consequence attached to your customers rather than to you.
- Liability (Water Merchant) — you are answerable for product quality, so testing and filtering are mandatory steps.
- Raids (Fence) — the highest-variance option, dependent on hiding goods and bribing your way out.
- Slow build (Farmer) — the only line the store description attaches no consequence to.
- No safety net (Rock Bottom) — Patch 48.3.10 calls it hardcore mode and says you start with nothing.
- Unknown (Rat Wrangler) — no product line, consequence or starting conditions have been published for it.
Exact starting money, inventory and unlock costs for each path are not published by the developer. Those are being recorded from the current Playtest build, and a full numbers table goes here once they are.
Starting scenario FAQ
How many starting scenarios does Probably Stolen have?
The Steam store description names six: Gunsmith, Chemist, Water Merchant, Fence, Farmer and Rock Bottom. The current Playtest build has a seventh, Rat Wrangler, which Playtest Patch 48.3.12 made visible on 2026-08-07.
What is the best starting scenario in Probably Stolen?
The developer does not rank them. The store description says every product line has its own way of ruining you, but it names the consequence for only four: weapons bring inspections, chemicals bring addiction, water brings liability, contraband brings raids. Produce is named with no consequence attached to it, Rock Bottom is given no product line at all, and nothing of this kind has been published for Rat Wrangler. The right pick is the kind of trouble you would rather manage.
What is Rock Bottom in Probably Stolen?
Rock Bottom is the starting option with no product specialisation. The Steam store description lists it only as starting from absolute rock bottom. Playtest Patch 48.3.10, published on 2026-08-06, is more specific: it introduced Rock Bottom into the Playtest build as a hardcore mode in which, in the developer’s words, you start with nothing.
Can you change your starting path later in Probably Stolen?
Your starting path is not a permanent class. The store feature list describes mastering additional jobs during a run, including water merchant, hydroponic farmer and organ dealer, so your opening trade is a starting position rather than a locked specialisation.
What is the easiest starting scenario for beginners?
No difficulty rating is published for any path. What is established is that each product line has both its own profit curve and its own way of ruining you, so no path is risk-free.
What is the Rat Wrangler scenario in Probably Stolen?
Rat Wrangler is a seventh starting scenario that the Steam store description does not list. Playtest Patch 48.3.12, published on 2026-08-07, states that the Rat Wrangler starting scenario, previously secret, is now visible alongside the other starting scenarios. Nothing else about it is confirmed: no starting conditions, no product line and no unlock requirement.
Related pages
- Radioactive Waste disposal— what players report doing with hazardous stock that will not leave your inventory, and which parts of it are still unverified.
- All Probably Stolen guides— rent pressure, appraisal, customer traps and contraband risk: the four systems every starting path runs into.
- The October 28, 2026 release date and the free Demo— the announced date, and how to download the Demo, which its Steam page says includes 3 starting scenarios plus hardcore mode.
Sources
- Probably Stolen on Steam — official store description — the six starting paths it lists, additional jobs, per-line consequences
- Playtest Patch 48.3.12 — The Rat Wrangler — official announcement, 2026-08-07 — the sole source for Rat Wrangler existing and being unhidden as a seventh starting scenario
- Playtest Patch 48.3.10 — Rock Bottom & Water Upgrade — official announcement, 2026-08-06 — the source for Rock Bottom being hardcore mode where you start with nothing, and for the secret scenario hidden on the professions selection screen
- Probably Stolen Steam Discussions — player reports on path progression