The [Pick Lock] skill allows Rogues to use [Thieves' Tools] to open locked doors, chests, and lockboxes. It is like a gathering skill, such as Fishing or Mining; the rogue must have it at or above a certain level to open certain types of locks. This skill typically doesn't advance quickly enough with casual use; rogues must occasionally go out on runs to improve their lockpicking. Fortunately, your Rogue trainer can point you to areas which contain footlockers at your skill level. The basic formula for your maximum lockpicking skill at a particular level is (5 * level).
Strategy
Early on you might get some Practice Locks from an engineer to increase your lockpicking up to skill level 80. The quest to obtain Lockpicking will point you toward plenty of practice chests.
Most Alliance Rogues' best chance to get their skill up to snuff will be around level 15 in a place called Alther's Mill in the Redridge Mountains region where there is a quest to lockpick a series of chests to find a quest item. These chests respawn quickly and may be practiced upon from 1-80 skill. Horde Rogues can gain early levels from an equivalent quest on the ship off the Merchant Coast, south of Ratchet.
The Rogue Poison Quests for Horde and Alliance provide the next opportunity for solid skill gains at level 25(?). The item required to complete this quest is contained inside a locked chest that can be picked repeatedly from ??-170 skill.
After 170 a Rogue has practice Lockpicking the hard way.. Actually traveling out into the world to find opportunities for gain. Historically doors such as those in Gnomeregan and Scarlet Monastery could be picked repeatedly similar to the chests previously mentioned, however a timer now exists limiting skill gain to one point every so often. Luckily Locked Footlockers have been distributed in the world to compensate for this providing a fairly simple method for continued gains. For example, speaking to a Rogue trainer about where one might practice lockpicking at 170 skill refers the player to Angor Fortress in Badlands. Angor Fortress is populated by level 38-40(?) non-Elites and is loaded with respawning Footlockers. It's relatively painless for a suitably leveled Rogue to blaze through popping locks well into the 200s.
The "Footlocker" chart below describes the best locations for your skill.
Junkboxes may be obtained by pickpocketing humanoids.
Gear
Dark Leather Gloves, created through Leatherworking, increase lockpicking skill by 5. They may be useful to carry in case you find a lock just out of your range.
Pickable Locks
Locked Items
Lockboxes (Mob Drops) | |||||
ilvl | Item | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey |
20 | [Ornate Bronze Lockbox] | ? | ? | ? | ? |
25 | [Heavy Bronze Lockbox] | 25 | 50 | 75 | ? |
30 | [Iron Lockbox] | 70 | <99 | ? | 170 |
35 | [Strong Iron Lockbox] | 125 | 150 | ? | ? |
40 | [Steel Lockbox] | 175 | 205 | ? | ? |
45 | [Reinforced Steel Lockbox] | 225 | 250 | 280 | ? |
50 | [Mithril Lockbox] | 225 | 250 | 280 | ? |
55 | [Thorium Lockbox] | 225 | 250 | 280 | 325 |
60 | [Eternium Lockbox] | 225 | 265 | 320 | 325 |
Locked Chests (from Fishing) | |||||
ilvl | Item | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey |
20 | [Small Locked Chest] | ? | ? | ? | ? |
30 | [Sturdy Locked Chest] | ? | ? | ? | ? |
45 | [Ironbound Locked Chest] | 175 | ? | ? | ? |
55 | [Reinforced Locked Chest] | 250 | ? | ? | <300 |
Junkboxes (from Pickpocket) | |||||
ilvl | Item | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey |
20 | [Battered Junkbox] | ? | 30 | 75 | 110 |
30 | [Worn Junkbox] | ? | ? | 120 | 170 |
40 | [Sturdy Junkbox] | 175 | 200 | 225 | 275 |
50 | [Heavy Junkbox] | 250 | 275 | 300 | ? |
60 | [Strong Junkbox] | 300 | 325 | ? | ? |
Footlockers
Footlockers | ||||||
Location | Item | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey | Detail |
Ghostlands | Burial Chest | 1 | 30 | 55 | ? | Amani Catacombs |
Ghostlands | ??? | 1 | 30 | 55 | ? | Zeb'Nowa and Zeb'Tela |
Redridge Mountains | Waterlogged Footlocker | 75 | 95 | 120 | 150 | Lake Everstill |
Ashenvale Forest | Waterlogged Footlocker | 75 | 95 | 125 | ? | Zoram Strand |
The Barrens | Buccaneer's Strongbox | 1 | 30 | 55 | 105 | Ship on Merchant Coast |
The Barrens | Jewel of the Southsea | 25 | <82 | <82 | >82 | Ship on Merchant Coast |
The Barrens | Horde Poison Quest Chest | 100 | 125 | 150 | 170 | North Barrens, tower in Sludge Fen |
Westfall | Alliance Poison Quest Chest | 100 | 125 | 150 | 170 | Southeast Westfall in Klaven's Tower |
Hillsbrad Foothills | Battered Footlocker | ? | 95 | 120 | 170 | Durnholde Keep (Lower Level) |
Hillsbrad Foothills | Battered Footlocker | 110 | 135 | 150 | 200? | Durnholde Keep (Upper Level) |
Stonetalon Mountains | Battered Footlocker | <100 | <100 | 120 | >160 | Windshear Crag |
Stonetalon Mountains | Battered Footlocker | <115 | 135 | 160 | >190 | Windshear Mine |
Wetlands | Battered Footlocker | ? | 100 | 120 | ? | Inland Murloc Camps |
Wetlands | Battered Footlocker | 110 | 145 | 160 | 170 | Coastal Murloc Camps |
Desolace | Waterlogged Footlocker | 150 | 175 | 200 | >225 | Sar'theris Strand (Loc 34,25) |
Badlands | Battered Footlocker | 150 | 175 | 200 | 250 | Angor Fortress - Upstairs |
Badlands | Dented Footlocker | 175 | 200 | 225 | >250 | Angor Fortress - Downstairs |
Swamp of Sorrows | Mossy Footlocker | 175 | 200 | 225 | ? | Pool of Tears |
Searing Gorge | Dented Footlocker | 200 | 225 | 250 | >295 | The Slag Pit - Lower Quarry Area |
Searing Gorge | Dented Footlocker | 225 | 250 | 275 | >295 | The Slag Pit - Upper Barracks Area |
Tanaris Desert | Dented Footlocker | 225 | 250 | 275 | ? | Lost Rigger Cove |
Azshara | Mossy Footlocker | ? | <260 | ? | ? | Bay of Storms |
Eastern Plaguelands | Scarlet Footlocker | 250 | 275 | 306 | ? | Tyr's Hand |
Zangarmarsh | Wicker Chest | 305 | 325 | 350+ | N/A | Feralfen Village |
Nagrand | Dented Footlocker | 325-340 | Kil'sorrow Fortress |
Typically, unguarded lockers have a lower skill range than guarded ones. When lockpicking, nearby mobs may also become hostile when they are otherwise outside your aggro range.
Treasure Chests
Treasure Chests | |||||
Type | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey | Location(s) |
Large Iron Bound Chest | 25 | ? | ? | ? | |
Large Mithril Bound Chest | 175 | ? | ? | ? | |
Bound Fel Iron Chest | 300 | ? | ? | ? | Dungeons of Hellfire Peninsula |
Bound Adamantite Chest | 325 | ? | ? | ? | Dungeons of Terokkar Forest |
Bound Adamantite Chest | 350 | ? | ? | ? | At least Shattered Halls |
Doors
Doors | ||||||
Location | Door | Orange | Yellow | Green | Grey | Note |
The Deadmines | Gate | 1 | ? | ? | ? | Can also be opened with [Defias Gunpowder] |
Gnomeregan | Gnomeregan Backdoor | 150 | ? | 170 | ? | Can also be opened with [Workshop Key] |
Scarlet Monastery | Armory and Cathedral Doors | 175 | ? | 225 | ? | Can also be opened with Scarlet Key |
Searing Gorge | Searing Gorge Gate | 225 | 250 | 275 | ? | Can also be opened with [Key to Searing Gorge] |
Blackrock Depths | East Garrison Door | 250 | 275 | 300 | ? | Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key] |
Blackrock Depths | Prison Cells | ? | 250 | ? | ? | Can also be opened with [Prison Cell Key] |
Blackrock Depths | Shadowforge Gates | 250 | 275 | 300 | ? | Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key] |
Blackrock Depths | Shadowforge Mechanism | 250 | 275 | 300 | ? | Can also be opened with [Shadowforge Key] |
Scholomance | Scholomance Door | 280 | 323-336 | 341 | ? | Can also be opened with Skeleton Key |
Stratholme | Stratholme Gates | 300 | ? | ?-334 | ? | Can also be opened with [Key to the City] |
Dire Maul | Crescent Door | 300 | ? | ?-334 | ? | Can also be opened with [Crescent Key] |
Shattered Halls | Shattered Halls Door | 350 | ? | ? | ? | Can also be opened with [Shattered Halls Key] |
Skill gains on doors not inside an instance are on a timer. They cannot be picked repeatedly for skill. ??? must transpire before skill gains may be realized again.
Alternatives to Lockpicking
If a rogue is unavailable, there are several alternatives.
Locks can be opened by various Skeleton keys made by Blacksmiths. There are four types of skeleton key recipes, all of which can be learned from Blacksmithing trainers. Each recipe creates two keys, which are used up on a successful pick.
Engineers can use Seaforium Charges to open locked doors. The [Small Seaforium Charge], [Large Seaforium Charge], and [Powerful Seaforium Charge] open increasingly more difficult doors.
Template:Lockpicking
Lockpicking Etiquette
There is very little consensus on what standard policies for lockpicking are; Rogue expectations can vary wildly from server to server. Some expect a tip, and some gladly open locks for free. Common assumptions can be:
- It is never acceptable to open a trade with a rogue without first asking him/her if he can open a certain box. Among other things, it can disrupt a mail composition, an auction house scan, or a profession crafting, and can be very irritating. Many rogues will automatically ignore people who open trade windows unsolicited.
- If a rogue is yelling or sending messages to the general channel to open boxes, they are generally doing it for the skillup, and are not doing it to make money, unless otherwise specified.
- If a rogue expects a fee for lockpicking, he should negotiate it ahead of time. Otherwise, gracious players often tip anywhere between 10 and 2 to the opening rogue, based on the type of lockbox opened.
Addons
The addon EasyUnlock adds several utilities to the basic UI that greatly help a Rogue. First, the lockpicking requirement for different items is displayed in its Tooltip. Also, right clicking a box in your inventory will automatically lockpick, saving you from having to use your Spellbook. Finally, an "unlock" button is added to your trade window, and will automatically try to unlock any box in the "not-traded" slot.
Addon is now out of date and not compatible will current WoW version.