Probably Stolen Specializations: What Each Starts With and the Best Pick

Every run of Probably Stolen: Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim begins with one big choice. Before you see your store, the game asks you to pick a specialization, and that pick sets your starting money, your stock, your equipment and, for some, your rent and reputation.

Quick answer: For a first run, choose Apprentice. It carries the Recommended For New Players tag and gives you 550 credits with Mark Up, a Storage Bay, and Household Goods and Food ready for sale.

Specialization	Tag	Starting credits (Mark Up)	Starts with
Apprentice	Recommended For New Players	550	Increased starting Credit count; Additional equipment (Storage Bay); Start with a stock of Household Goods and Food
Water Merchant	No tag	400	Water Trading Manual; Water Testing and Purification Equipment; Additional storage (Water Containers)
Fence	No tag	450	Additional equipment (Smuggler’s Bay); Start with a stock of Contraband; Increased starting reputation (Black Market); Decreased starting reputation (Security); Immediate access to the Janitor Underground Exchange; Increased starting rent
Hydroponic Farmer	Advanced Start	450	Hydroponic Farming Manual; Additional equipment (Hydroponic Systems); Start with a stock of Farming Supplies and Seeds; Increased starting rent
Gunsmith	Advanced Start	150	Class I Weapon Permit; Start with a stock of Firearms and Gun Mods; Start with a stock of Ammunition
Chemist	Advanced Start	300	Chemistry Manual; Chemistry Lab Equipment
Rat Wrangler	Advanced Start	Not listed on screen	Animal Cage; Rats; Food
Aquafarmer	Advanced Start	150	Recirculating Aquaculture Systems; Start with a stock of Tilapia and Fish Food; Increased starting rent
Junker	Work In Progress	400	Scavenger’s Gear and Tools; Increased starting reputation (Scavengers); Additional equipment (Furnace)
Rock Bottom	Extreme Challenge Mode	0	None

The math behind those credit figures is simple. Every specialization works from a base of 600 credits, minus whatever its setup costs.

How to choose a specialization in Probably Stolen

Select New Game from the main menu. The first screen that appears is Specialization, shown as a row of 10 icons.

Select the icons one by one and inspect each. Every specialization presents its name, a brief backstory, and a START WITH list showing exactly what you’ll receive.

Confirm your pick to move on. The game then takes you to Starting Perks and, after that, Difficulty, where Mark Up is the Normal setting the credit figures above are based on.

Four specializations display an orange line reading “The introduction is not available for this specialization.”: Fence, Rock Bottom, Gunsmith and Chemist. Apprentice, Water Merchant, Hydroponic Farmer, Rat Wrangler, Aquafarmer and Junker don’t show it.

Best specialization for a first run

Apprentice

Apprentice is the only specialization the game labels Recommended For New Players. The backstory explains it plainly: instead of chasing a niche during training with The Mentor, you spent your time running the operation efficiently, so setting up the store cost less. In practice, that means 550 credits on Mark Up.

The starting stock is Peat and Puice, followed by Rolls of Toilet Paper and Tubes of Toothpaste. The setup also includes a Storage Bay and neon signs labeled Food and Household Item. You can sell right away without growing, building or brewing anything.

A run on Mark Up opens on Day 1 Monday with 550 credits and Rent in 6 days. The Mentor walks in as your first customer and leaves two notes on the counter, Mentor’s Note: Trading and Mentor’s Note: Food.

Specialization screen showing Apprentice tagged Recommended For New Players with its START WITH list — Apprentice on the Specialization screen.

Untagged specializations for a second run

Water Merchant and Fence carry no tag at all, which puts them between Apprentice and the Advanced Start group. Both are reasonable second picks once you know how the store works.

Water Merchant

Water Merchant bets on the station’s shortage of clean drinking water. You start with 400 credits and a full setup for the trade, so you’re bottling and selling rather than buying gear first.

The kit includes a Bottle Printer, a HydraTech Micro Water Purifier, water bottles in three sizes, a Jug of Water, a Water Pitcher, a Water Neon Sign and the Water Trading Manual.

Specialization screen showing Water Merchant with its START WITH list — Water Merchant on the Specialization screen.

Fence

Fence casts you as an established black marketeer with a hidden storage compartment in the store, built to keep station security from looking too closely. You start with 450 credits, better Black Market standing and immediate access to the Janitor Underground Exchange.

There is a clear trade-off: your Security reputation begins lower, and your rent is higher from the start. The physical loadout starts with a Smuggler’s Bay and 10mm Ammunition, followed by a Black Lamp. It also contains three Disposable Keycards, for Engineering, Medical and Security, and finally a Vial of “Dream Dust”.

Specialization screen showing Fence with its START WITH list — Fence on the Specialization screen.

Advanced Start specializations

Five specializations carry the Advanced Start tag. Each opens with a production line or a specialist stock instead of general goods. Gunsmith and Aquafarmer start with just 150 credits, and Hydroponic Farmer and Aquafarmer also raise your starting rent.

Hydroponic Farmer

Hydroponic Farmer grows crops in the station’s cramped space to feed the lower levels for profit. It starts with 450 credits and an Eco Module, Fillerweed and Nutrifruit seeds, water and the Hydroponic Farming Manual. Expect increased starting rent.

Gunsmith

Gunsmith is a licensed weapons modder who fills custom orders for station residents. You get only 150 credits, but a large kit: a Liberator 3D Printed Pistol, a Nestfire Compact, .22 SR ammunition in lethal and non-lethal types, magazines, sights, suppressors, Gun Parts, 3D Printing Filament, a Gunsmith Storage Bay and the Class I Weapon Permit.

Chemist

Chemist deals in controlled substances and can cook in the lab when supply runs short. It starts with 300 credits, a Chem Finisher, a Composition Spectrometer, a Heating Plate, a Blender, droppers and graduated cylinders, a Mini Smuggler’s Bay and the Chemistry Manual.

Rat Wrangler

Rat Wrangler, much to The Mentor’s annoyance, raises rats for meat. The START WITH list is short: an Animal Cage, Rats and Food.

Aquafarmer

Aquafarmer raises fish in tanks for meat, starting with a small recirculating system and a batch of starter Tilapia. It opens with 150 credits and higher starting rent. The supplies include Industrial Fish Feed and a Jug of Water; then a Kitchen Knife, Scrap Metal and Electronic Parts.

Junker and Rock Bottom

Junker

Junker carries the Work In Progress tag. The backstory describes a former scavenger who’s broke but well regarded and has adapted old gear for shopkeeping. You start with 400 credits, better Scavengers reputation and a Furnace. Your other items include a Flashlight and Scav Scanner, followed by a Small Satchel. The Scavenger’s Token comes next; also included are Topical Medication Bandage, the Metallurgy Manual and a Material Neon Sign.

Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom is labelled Extreme Challenge Mode, and it earns the name. The Mentor only negotiated your lease with the Landlord, so you start with the store, no kit and 0 credits. Save it for when the other nine feel too comfortable.