What does that mean -cannot be stolen?

For example "pickpocket ring at large" says that (unless you roll succesfully) you must give up your most valuable item or all money.

If your most valuable item cannot be stolen unless you allow it, does that mean that instead of it you can give second most valuable item?

If you don't have money, can you give 0 money instead of items and vice versa or do you allways have to give something?

And does "cannot be stolen item" count with total items when you discard half items because you got your stamina or sanity to 0?

If yes I don't see the use for that item ability.

You cannot lose that item at all unless you choose to. Sometimes this is advantageous. Say you have a shotgun, and a gate box you cannot lose (you play Luke the dreamer). You have an encounter that instructs you to lose 4 dollars or an item. You have no money, so you must give up the gun or the box. You need the gun to face the gug on your space, but not the box, as you do not plan on using it before game ends. So instead, you drop the box.

In the cases you cited, Id say you dont get away with giving up zero money. You have no money to give up, and therefore cannot choose this option. Some might argue, but they are cheesy And if you cannot give up the item unless you choose to, you must choose something else if you want to keep it.

You must still count such items as items for purposes of discarding when insane or KOd. But if you have only that item, you cannot lose it, or anything else.

dj2.0 said:

And why is this "cannot lose" of any importance?

Either way you would give up box or shotgun and you would choose even without "cannot lose" option.

In the case where it is your only valid item, you can hold onto it. Let us say you must lose one unique item, but it is one you cannot lose. Nothing happens.

dj2.0 said:

So basically this means that this ability is useful ONLY if I have that ONE item WITHOUT ANY OTHERS?! Lame item ability.

If I'm insane or KO'd that ability doesn't count because item that are removed are half rounded down. So 1/2 of 1 item rounded down is 0, with or without "cannot be stolen".

If the card read "cannot be lost or stolen" in the case above with the shotgun youd have no choice but to lose the gun. The "choose to allow it" part is there for those times.

You could also have 2 such items i.e 2 derringers. neither could be lost if you were KOd and they were your only stuff ("But...thats a compact laser deluxe... where were you hiding it?!")

I agree its only a minor advantage but its an important distinction.