Alright, let's talk Oblivion lockpicking. You're probably here because you just got frustrated trying to crack some Very Hard lock on a chest in some dank Ayleid ruin while skeletons clatter nearby, right? Yeah, been there. The minigame feels weird at first – totally different from Skyrim's simplistic approach. Frankly, Oblivion's system is deeper and way more satisfying once you get it, but man, it can be a pain initially. I remember spending like 20 lockpicks on one chest near Weynon Priory early on. Brutal.
So, this guide? It's not just repeating the basic "push pins up" stuff you find everywhere. We're digging into the *real* mechanics, the stuff the game doesn't tell you, where to actually find enough lockpicks without going broke, and how to stop raging every time you hear that dreaded *snap* sound. Whether you're a newbie thief or a veteran Agent looking to optimize, this covers everything you need about **oblivion how to lock pick**.
How the Lockpicking Minigame Actually Works (No Fluff)
Forget fancy analogies. You've got a lock with 5 pins (tumblers). Your goal is to set each pin at its peak position using the 'A' key (or mouse button). Hold it too short or too long? Pin falls. Get it just right? It clicks and stays up. Seems straightforward. The frustration comes from the pins moving at different speeds and the *brutal* randomness of Very Hard locks. Here's the gritty truth most guides miss:
- Speed is Deceptive: Faster pins aren't necessarily harder. It's the *rhythm* that kills you. A medium-speed pin with an irregular bounce pattern is often tougher than a fast, steady one.
- "Peak" Isn't Always Obvious: Especially on older hardware or certain graphics settings, visually spotting the absolute peak can be tricky. You develop a feel for the slight pause/sound cue more than relying purely on sight.
- Auto-Attempt Penalty is Harsh: Seriously, avoid this button like the Knahaten Flu unless you have a massive surplus of picks. The failure rate is artificially high. Doing it manually is almost always better.
My personal method? Focus on one pin at a time, ignore the others. Watch its bounce pattern for a full cycle or two *before* attempting. Listen for the subtle 'click' sound when it hits the peak – sometimes your ears catch it before your eyes.
Essential Lockpicking Items & Where to Scrounge Them
Lockpicks break. A lot. Especially when you're learning or tackling tough locks. Running out mid-dungeon sucks. Here's where to stockpile:
| Lockpick Type | Where to Find/Buy | Cost (Avg.) | Availability Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Lockpick | General Goods Merchants (Arvena Thelas in Chorrol is reliable), Dropped by Bandits/Guards, Random containers | 15-25 Gold | Most common, but merchants only stock 5-10 at a time. Restocks every 3 days. |
| Fine Lockpick | Fighters Guild Chests (Membership needed!), More skilled Bandits, Rare find in containers | 40-60 Gold | Harder to find, breaks less often. Worth buying if you see them. |
| Master Lockpick | Very rare loot (High-level dungeons, Boss chests), Shadowfoot Sanctum (Thieves Guild), Mythic Dawn Agents | Not typically sold | Extremely durable. Feels like cheating once you get one. Guard it! |
Pro Tip: Get your Mercantile skill up or use Charm spells. Arvena Thelas in Chorrol (Best Defense and Armorer) usually sells picks. Haggle! Saving 5 gold per pick adds up fast. Also, join the Thieves Guild ASAP – fence merchants often have picks, and guild chests sometimes spawn them.
Leveling Security Skill Efficiently (Without Going Mad)
Want to make **oblivion how to lock pick** less painful? Level your Security skill. Each point makes pins slower and gives you a slightly larger sweet spot. Here's how to grind it without wasting 100 hours:
- Practice on Easy Locks: Seriously. Find Novice or Apprentice locks (houses in cities are good). Picking them successfully gives XP proportional to the lock difficulty. Failed attempts give *tiny* amounts. Success is key. Re-lock them with spells or scrolls (like 'Sunder Lock' - find them on Mages) to practice again!
- Trainers: Hugely important early on.
- Morvayn (Chorrol, Northern Goods and Trade)
- S'kriiva (Leyawiin, The Dividing Line - Khajiit, needs persuasion sometimes)
- Dovesi Dran (Imperial City Market District, Copious Coinpurse)
- Limit 5 levels per character level. Use them!
- Thieves Guild Quests: Many quests directly reward Security increases or force you to pick locks.
- Fortify Security Gear/Spells: A ring or spell giving +10 Security is like gaining 10 levels instantly for the duration. Makes learning much smoother. Look for enchanted gear in loot or create your own.
Don't bother grinding on Very Hard locks early. The failure rate is too high, the XP per broken pick is negligible, and you'll just burn through your stash. Focus on consistent success on lower tiers.
Absolute Game-Changer: The Skeleton Key (But Is It Worth It?)
Yeah, the Skeleton Key. Daedric Artifact from Nocturnal. Unbreakable lockpick. Sounds perfect for mastering **oblivion how to lock pick**, right? Well... maybe. Getting it requires finishing the Thieves Guild questline (a significant time investment).
Pros: Never breaks! Saves you thousands of gold on picks. Massive confidence booster.
Cons: Honestly? It can make you lazy. You stop learning the nuances of the minigame because failure has no consequence. Your Security skill also levels *much* slower since picks don't break (no failures = less grind, but also less passive skill gain).
My Take: Get it if you hate the minigame or just want convenience. But if you genuinely want to master the skill and feel that satisfaction, stick to regular picks until you're comfortable. Using it feels awesome initially, but kind of... hollow later? Just my opinion.
Advanced Tactics & Exploits (Use Responsibly!)
Okay, you know the basics. Time for the juicy stuff veterans use. Some feel cheaty, others are just smart play.
Saving is Your Best Friend (And Worst Enemy)
This is the most basic "exploit" ever. Quicksave (F5) before attempting a lock, especially a Very Hard one. Break all your picks? Quickload (F9). Try again. Simple. BUT. Relying on this heavily breaks immersion and slows you down. Use it sparingly, mainly for critical locks (quest-related, unique loot) or when you're down to your last few picks. Constantly reloading sucks the fun out.
The "Feel" Method vs. Visual Timing
Most guides say watch closely. That works. But try this: Close your eyes. Seriously. Focus *only* on the sound of the pin bouncing and the subtle controller vibration (if you use one). Sometimes, removing the visual clutter lets your reflexes sync better with the rhythm. It sounds weird, but it works surprisingly well on erratic pins. Try it on a Novice lock first!
Fortify Skill Stacking Shenanigans
Alchemy and Enchanting are godsends. You can create potions or enchant gear that massively boosts your Security skill temporarily.
| Effect Source | Magnitude Potential | Duration | How to Get/Craft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortify Security Potion | +10 to +25 (Alchemy skill dependent) | 30-60 secs | Mix ingredients like Troll Fat, Spiddal Stick, or Vampire Dust. |
| Fortify Security Enchant (Ring/Amulet) | +5 to +15 (Soul Gem size/Enchant skill) | Constant while worn | Enchant using a filled Soul Gem (Petty/Common for low bonuses, Grand for max) at an Altar. |
| Spell: Fortify Security | Custom (+1 to +100, Magicka cost scales) | Custom (Seconds) | Create at a Spellmaking Altar (Mages Guild recommendation needed). |
A +20 Security boost turns a Very Hard lock into feeling like an Apprentice one. It's borderline cheating, but hey, it's in the game! Combine a potion *and* an enchanted ring for insane ease. Feels dirty, but effective.
One BIG Caveat: The Level Scaling Trap
Remember, Oblivion levels with you. As your character level increases, *more containers spawn locked, and they spawn at higher difficulty levels*. So even if your Security is 50, you'll still face tons of Very Hard locks at high levels. Leveling Security isn't optional if you want to keep looting everything! Don't neglect it.
Lockpicking vs. Open Spells: What's Actually Better?
Magic exists. Why bother picking? The Alteration school has the 'Open' spells (Open Easy Lock, Open Lock, etc.).
| Factor | Lockpicking (Security Skill) | Open Spells (Alteration Magic) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lockpicks cost gold (but can be found). | Magicka cost per cast (scales with lock difficulty). Potions/Rest restore Magicka. |
| Availability | Requires picks (can run out). | Requires knowing the spell & enough Magicka. |
| Skill Dependency | Higher Security = Easier picks, slower pins. | Higher Alteration = Lower Magicka cost for same spell. |
| Risk | Picks break. No direct risk. | Spell can fail if Magicka too low or skill too low vs. lock difficulty. Wastes Magicka. |
| Noise/Detection | Quiet. Good for stealth. | Casting makes noise and light - can alert enemies or guards! |
| Speed | Fast once skilled. | Instantaneous cast. |
| My Preference | Early Game: Picking. Mid/Late: Skeleton Key. | Useful backup, especially for Mages. Loud for thieves. |
Verdict? Thieves/Stealth characters NEED Security. Pure Mages can rely on Open spells but need hefty Magicka reserves or cost-reduction gear. Hybrids can do both. Open spells are loud, so terrible for sneaking. **Oblivion how to lock pick** remains essential for the sneaky looters.
Frequently Asked Questions (Stuff You Actually Want to Know)
Does my Agility attribute affect lockpicking success?
Nope. Zero impact. It's purely based on your Security skill level and player skill in the minigame. Don't waste attribute points on Agility just for picking locks. Speed or Personality might be more useful for a thief character overall.
Is there a way to make lockpicks unbreakable besides the Skeleton Key?
Not legitimately. The Skeleton Key is the only unbreakable pick. Console commands on PC can do it (player.setav security 100 or similar), but that's cheating and kills the fun/skill progression. Embrace the breakage! It makes success sweeter.
Why do my lockpicks break instantly on some pins?
Usually means you're holding the 'tap' way too long. The pin shoots up fast, you hit 'A', but if you hold it even a fraction too long after it passes the peak, it snaps instantly. It's super punishing. Try ultra-short taps. Also, if your Security skill is *way* too low for the lock difficulty, the sweet spot is microscopic, making breaks very likely.
Where can I reliably find Master Lockpicks?
They are rare. Your best bets are:
- Shadowfoot Sanctum: Once you lead the Thieves Guild, check the chests here periodically. They sometimes respawn high-level loot, including Master picks.
- High-Level Boss Chests: End chests in Oblivion Gates (especially the big ones), Ayleid Ruins (Vilverin, Wendelbek), and Forts (Fort Linchal, Fort Sutch) held by powerful enemies.
- Mythic Dawn Agents: Higher-level agents (like those guarding Mythic Dawn Shrines) sometimes carry them.
Can I break into every house and shop?
Technically, yes. Almost every door and container *can* be picked. However:
- Owned Containers: Taking stuff is stealing, obviously. Guards will chase you.
- Shop Doors at Night: Often locked, but breaking in is trespassing and stealing.
- Essential Doors: Very few doors are truly unpickable (like certain quest-specific doors that require a key). Most others yield to sufficient skill/persistence.
Does improving Security via gear/potions count towards skill advancement?
No, and this is crucial. Temporary boosts (potions, enchanted gear, spells) make the minigame *easier* by simulating a higher skill level *while the effect lasts*. However, they do **not** grant actual Security skill XP towards leveling up the skill itself. You still need to successfully pick locks (using the boosted skill) to earn XP and permanently increase your base Security level. The boost just helps you succeed on harder locks, which in turn gives better XP.
Final Nuggets of Wisdom (From Someone Who Broke 1000 Picks)
Look, mastering **oblivion how to lock pick** takes practice. It's not Skyrim. It's harder, fiddlier, but honestly, more rewarding when you nail a Very Hard lock on the first try. Don't get discouraged by broken picks. It happens. To everyone.
- Start Small: Practice on Novice/Apprentice locks in cities. Re-lock them with magic if you can.
- Buy Picks Relentlessly: Visit merchants like Arvena (Chorrol) or Omayn (Imperial City Talos Plaza) every few days. Clean them out.
- Use Trainers: Spend that gold. 5 levels per character level adds up fast.
- Quicksave Before Big Locks: Save the frustration reloads for the truly important chests.
- Consider Fortify Security: A +10 ring or potion makes a world of difference early-mid game.
- The Skeleton Key is a Crutch (But a Nice One): Weigh the pros and cons for your playstyle.
- Listen and Feel: Sometimes, relying less on sight and more on sound/vibration works wonders.
Stick with it. That satisfying *clunk* of a lock popping open never gets old. Now go crack some chests! Just... maybe avoid the Imperial Legion armory until you're really confident.
Leave a Message