Crime ( Online ) Crime is a game mechanic in . It covers the numerous crimes the Vestige can commit and the consequences for doing so . Background . Crime in " The Elder Scrolls Online " introduces a new mechanic called Heat . Heat determines how guards react towards the Vestige and how quickly their bounty meter cools off . Heat has three levels : Disreputable , where the guards will only stop the Vestige if they are too close , Notorious where they will actively look for them and accost them on sight , and Fugitive where they will kill them on sight . The Vestige ' s heat level is determined by the severity of the crime they commit and will only cool off if they manage to hide from the guards or escape into an Outlaw Refuge . Types of Crime . Crimes are divided into two categories : Petty Crimes , such as thieving and pickpocketing , and Major Crimes , such as murder and assault . Major Crimes will give the Vestige a higher bounty and heat level while Petty Crimes will give them a lower bounty and heat level . Heat Infamy . If the Vestige is caught committing a crime , the heat meter increases . The meter reaches certain levels based on the crime . The higher the infamy , the more aggressive and severe the law will be . Upstanding . Upstanding is the default heat infamy level . At this level , no bounty is currently in place and the Vestige does not have any potential crimes being held against them . Disreputable . Disreputable is the level reached when a petty crime has been committed . Guards will only try to arrest the Vestige and use no violent force . Notorious . Notorious is the level reached when a major crime has been committed . Guards will be on high alert searching for the Vestige , and their social status is in an outcast position as some NPCs will refuse to exchange dialogue . Fugitive . Fugitive is the level reached when a major crime has been committed and the Vestige has resisted arrest or has a very high bounty . Guards will attempt to kill them on sight . Arrest . If the Vestige has a bounty on their head and guard catches them , they will place them under arrest and ask them to pay their bounty . They have the option of paying their bounty or resisting arrest and fleeing the guard , which will instantly mark them as kill - on - sight to the guards . If the Vestige does not manage to escape from the guard , they will kill them , take the respective amount of gold off their body and pay their bounty with it . If the Vestige ' s bounty is higher than their gold balance , all of their gold will be taken and they will be left with no gold at all . Outlaw Refuges , Fences and Smuggling . Each major city has an outlaw refuge with two entrances : one on the inside and one on the outside . Outlaw Refuges are also a way to enter and exit cities undetected , sell stolen goods , and unmark goods as stolen , allowing the Vestige to keep them and use them without consequence . The Vestige can also pay their bounty at a fence without the consequence of losing their stolen goods . This means the Vestige can sell their stolen goods and use them to pay their bounty . However , the Vestige can only sell a certain number of items to a fence per day . This amount can be increased through the Legerdemain skill line . Every Outlaw Refuge has at least one fence , guild store and a bank . There are also various NPCs which can be engaged with in conversation . The Refuges are also a place for other criminal players to socialize and plot heists and other such types of organized crime . All stolen goods have a set price based on their rarity : Legerdemain . A skill line dedicated to criminal activities has been introduced : Legerdemain . It contains skills beneficial to sneaking , smuggling and trespassing and is composed entirely of passives .