Some people use the mage's swap places skill to move NPCs out of their shops or homes, to be able to loot freely. This doesn't work with the mage Kistandalius in Ars Magicana, but most NPCs can not catch you stealing if they can not see you.
Of limited value, this skill can also be used to bypass the guards in the dwarven halls who take your stuff before seeing the king, so you don't end up with a rearranged inventory when you get everything back (just getting rid of excess stuff before entering will limit the amount you may have to rearrange after leaving).
differences between classes (minor spoilers)
Early Starter Tips (NON-Spoiler Version) (contains much of the information in the above topic)
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