Monster's ability to pick up items

[Cactus]

What exactly are the mechanics behind monsters picking up items?

I see monsters pick up and equip items frequently. For example dragons in a vault like to equip armor parts and wield shields and weapons.

Now I wanted to exploit that by marrying a berserker emperor on the SIL level and have him carry up the sceptre for me. Since he didn't pick up the sceptre I put down some non-artifact stuff as well (armor, shield, gauntlets), but he wouldn't pick up anything. I also made him hostile again, still no success though.

[mjkittredge]

I think it's a random chance and not all monsters do it. Berserkers, it kind of fits with their theme, they are in a constant state of berserk and wouldn't bother with items on the floor.

[Blasphemous]

Actually they do pick up items - a well known "exploit", if it can even be called that, is about dropping some armor items in front of a berserker emp for him to pick up and THEN taming him.
I'm not sure though that in the process of fixing bugs and implementing a number of RFE's in one of the numerous prereleases, something wasn't changed.

[JellySlayer]

I believe that monsters now ignore artifacts on the ground entirely.

[Blasphemous]

They definitely pick up artifacts in a greater vaults, especially after they have spotted the PC.
Thrown artifact projectiles are also picked up, though monsters seem to not always do that.

[anon123]

One quirk: companions never pick up items, as the only way for you to get them would then be slaughtering your friend (that's official).

[Cactus]

Ok, then maybe I screwed up by taming him first. I'll definitely test that behaviour on the way up, on berserkers and other mobs.

[Cactus]

One quirk: companions never pick up items, as the only way for you to get them would then be slaughtering your friend (that's official).

I can confirm that now. Additionally, the berserker companion was still treated as such after making him hostile (in my case with confusion blast). I noticed that because the respective message was displayed after killing him. So maybe that's why he wouldn't pick up items despite being hostile.

Later on, hostile monsters would pick up the sceptre and other items without difficulty and eventually another berserker emperor which then could be tamed.