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How to open locks

New ways of opening locks

Alteration Spells Knock, Knock II and Knock III can be used to unlock any item. Knock III empowered can open master chests. Knock also comes in scroll format.

You can “Bash” (attack) Novice, apprentice and Adept wooden locks if your current health and stamina reaches the requirements. (boss chests, Strongboxes and steel/jail doors can’t be bashed - if your weapon makes a metal on metal noise, it cant be bashed) To use simply target the lock, Hit it once, then move your cursor off and onto the chest.

Note: Weapon doesn’t matter, and it just needs a standard attack. Some chests require certain positioning so you hit the chest - not the clutter around it.

  • Novice Level Locks: If (HP * 2) + Stamina > 350 = Success.
  • Apprentice Level Locks: If (HP * 2) + Stamina > 450 = Success.
  • Adept Level Locks: If (HP * 2) + Stamina > 550 = Success.

Expertise and pick-able locks.

You need certain Expertise threshold for each level of locks in Requiem. Expertise is not the Lockpicking skill level, but a different value that is used to determine your capability to open each levels of locks. Lockpicking skill level is simply used to determine if you can learn the perks, it doesn’t affect your ability in opening the locks.

Pickable locks by Expertise:

  • Novice : challenging with 5 Expertise, moderate with 10 Expertise.
  • Apprentice : challenging with 10 Expertise, moderate with 20 Expertise.
  • Adept : challenging with 20 Expertise, moderate with 40 Expertise.
  • Expert : challenging with 40 Expertise, moderate with 65 Expertise.
  • Master : challenging with 65 Expertise, moderate with 120 Expertise.

You need at least ‘challenging’ level of Expertise to pick that level of lock. Meaning, to pick Adept lock, you need at least 20 Expertise. But it will be very difficult to open until you get up to 40 Expertise.

Activating locks that are either challenging or impossible will pop up a message box indicating the difficulty/impossibility to open the lock. Locks you can pick moderately will not pop any message box.

Gaining Expertise

Lockpicking Expertise is not gained by simply leveling Lockpicking skill level. As mentioned above, Expertise and Skill Level are two different values.

Lockpicking Expertise can be gained by several ways. Taking Perks in Lockpicking that give you Expertise, choosing Khajiit race starts with bonus 10 Expertise. Fortify Lockpicking potions and enchantments provide Lockpicking Expertise. Standing Stone bonus of The Thief and The Tower provides 20 and 40 Expertise respectively.

Lock Respawn

While the locks ‘respawn’ (unlocked locks being locked again) after reset time, they will not give you Lockpicking experience again. One object = One Lockpicking experience.