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These are the Perks available in the Lockpicking perks tree.

Perk Level Description
Novice Locks -- Novice locks are much easier to pick.
Apprentice Locks 25 Apprentice locks are much easier to pick.
Quick Hands 40 Able to pick locks without being noticed.
Wax Key 50 Automatically gives you a copy of a picked lock's key if it has one.
Adept Locks 50 Adept locks are much easier to pick.
Expert Locks 75 Expert locks are much easier to pick.
Locksmith 80 Pick starts close to the lock opening position.
Unbreakable 100 Lockpicks never break.
Master Locks 100 Master locks are much easier to pick.

The Art Of Picking Locks

Skyrim, being the game that it is, places major emphasis on pillaging and looting. A lot of the time, though, your indiscriminate looting-whoring can be thwarted by locks (on chests or on doors) that require a certain degree of lockpicking mastery to pry open. At first, you are thrown novice and apprentice level locks for you to practice on. As you progress in your adventure, you soon encounter more fortified locks that require a greater precision and understanding of this crafty art to get past.

In order to pick locks, you need to have one-time use (preferably large quantity of) lockpicks. Once you've committed to picking a lock, you enter a zoomed in view of what you're trying to do. That is, move the pick around and then using attempting to move the lock. Apply too much force too fast on the lock and the feeble pick will snap.

It's wise to wiggle the lock a bit to find the sweet spot and adjust the pick from that baseline. If the lock gives, be sure to turn the lock slowly because you might hit another pin that won't budge, at which point you need to adjust the pick just slightly to open the lock. It takes some practice, and obviously putting points in lockpicking will facilitate your efforts and even keep the picks from breaking.

Here is a demonstration on how to successfully pick a lock:

Want to level your lockpicking fast?

Once you have the key to the Dwemer Museum in Markarth, the main show room is basically a buffet of high level locks just begging to be cracked open -- more than a dozen Adept- and Expert-level display cases, enough to take your lockpicking skills up nearly ten levels (which is nearly a level-up in itself!). You'll want to bring lots of lockpicks, of course. It also helps to have the Quick Handsperk, since the room is patrolled by several guards at all times, though as long as you initiate your crack while your stealth indicator is at "hidden" you'll be fine.

Can a novice lockpicker crack Master-level locks?

Yes! Sort of...The level of your lockpicking most noticeably affects how quickly a lockpick will break if it's outside of the sweet-spot; this means that you'll get 1 or maybe 2 taps to see if you're in the right spot if your skill level is low. So, save before you try, and be methodical!

Start at one end of the lock and work your way towards the other direction. Just barely tap the lock when you test; if you do find the sweet-spot and manage to break the lock, you'll probably get 3-5 levels in lockpicking automatically for your trouble. If you hate sitting through load screens, breaking a pick isn't a total waste because you get minor skill experience for the attempt. It can take some practice to know when you've hit the right angle just by those quick taps, but if you keep trying and pay attention to the animations and sounds you'll get it eventually. Just don't be mad when the door reveals a chest containing a whopping 60 gold and a useless potion: it's the skill levels that count!

What Links Here

Skills | Stealth | Unbound | Bleak Falls Barrow | Skill Books | Mourning Never Comes | Hail Sithis! | Taking Care of Business | Loud and Clear

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