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Lockpicking is the ability to open locked doors, chests, junkboxes, and lockboxes. It can be performed in three ways:

  1. The rogue class has a trained ability, Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock], which allows them to open locked items. This can be learned at level 20 from any rogue trainer. Lockpicking skill is 5 times the rogue's level.
  2. Blacksmiths can craft skeleton keys which are able to open locks of different levels. Each recipe yields multiple keys which can only be used by blacksmiths with the appropriate blacksmithing skill. The keys are consumed after successfully lockpicking an object.
  3. Engineers can craft Seaforium Charges which provide a similar function to skeleton keys. Only engineers with the appropriate engineering skill can use the charges. The charges are consumed after successfully lockpicking an object.

Methods[]

Source Method Unlocks
Rogue Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 20 100
Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 40 200
Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 60 300
Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 80 400
Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 85 425
Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] @ level 90 450
Blacksmithing Inv misc key 03 [Silver Skeleton Key] 25
Inv misc key 13 [Golden Skeleton Key] 125
Inv misc key 11 [Truesilver Skeleton Key] 200
Inv misc key 08 [Arcanite Skeleton Key] 300
Inv misc key 07 [Cobalt Skeleton Key] 375
Inv misc key 11 [Titanium Skeleton Key] 400
Item pyriumkey [Obsidium Skeleton Key] 525
Engineering Inv misc urn 01 [Small Seaforium Charge] 150
Inv misc urn 01 [Large Seaforium Charge] 250
Spell shadow detectinvisibility [Powerful Seaforium Charge] 300
Spell shadow detectinvisibility [Elemental Seaforium Charge] 350
Inv misc bomb 07 [Volatile Seaforium Blastpack] 400
Inv misc bomb 07 [Locksmith's Powderkeg] 450
Jewelcrafting Inv jewelcrafting 70 jeweledlockpick [Jeweled Lockpick] 550

In the early closed beta, mages had a spell called Inv misc key 05 [Khadgar's Unlocking] which could unlock lockboxes and doors by consuming a reagent, but this spell was removed in Patch 0.9.

Pickable locks[]

Inventory chests[]

Lockboxes
Item Skill Source
Inv misc ornatebox [Ornate Bronze Lockbox] 1 Looted from level ~20-25 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Heavy Bronze Lockbox] 25 Looted from level ~25-30 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Iron Lockbox] 70 Looted from level ~30-35 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Strong Iron Lockbox] 125 Looted from level ~35-40 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Steel Lockbox] 175 Looted from level ~40-45 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Reinforced Steel Lockbox] 225 Looted from level ~45-50 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Mithril Lockbox] 225 Looted from level ~50-55 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Thorium Lockbox] 225 Looted from level ~55-60 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Eternium Lockbox] 225 Looted from level ~60-65 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Khorium Lockbox] 325 Looted from level ~65-70 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Froststeel Lockbox] 375 Looted from level ~70-75 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Titanium Lockbox] 400 Looted from level ~75-80 mobs
Inv misc enggizmos 17 [Tiny Titanium Lockbox] 400 Looted from Inv misc bag 07 blue [Bag of Fishing Treasures]
Inv misc ornatebox [Elementium Lockbox] 425 Looted from level ~80-85 mobs
Inv misc ornatebox [Ghost Iron Lockbox] 450 Looted from ~85-90 mobs
Inv misc lockboxghostiron [True Steel Lockbox] 500 Looted from Shattered Hand Lockbox
Inv misc lockboxghostiron [Leystone Lockbox] 550 Looted from ~98-110 mobs
Inv misc lockboxghostiron [Barnacled Lockbox] 600 Looted from mobs in Nazjatar
Junkboxes
Item Skill Source
Inv box 01 [Battered Junkbox] 1 Pickpocketed from level ~20-30 mobs
Inv box 01 [Worn Junkbox] 70 Pickpocketed from level ~30-40 mobs
Inv box 03 [Sturdy Junkbox] 175 Pickpocketed from level ~40-50 mobs
Inv box 03 [Heavy Junkbox] 250 Pickpocketed from level ~50-60 mobs
Inv box 02 [Strong Junkbox] 300 Pickpocketed from level ~60-70 mobs
Inv box 04 [Reinforced Junkbox] 350 Pickpocketed from level ~70-80 mobs
Inv box 04 [Flame-Scarred Junkbox] 400 Pickpocketed from level ~80-85 mobs
Inv box 03 [Vine-Cracked Junkbox] 450 Pickpocketed from level ~85-90 mobs
Inv box 03 [Iron-Bound Junkbox] 525?
Miscellanous
Item Skill Source
Inv box 01 [Practice Lock] 1 Crafted with Engineering (100)
Inv box 03 [Small Locked Chest] 1 Fished from Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, and Ashenvale
Inv box 01 [Sturdy Locked Chest] 70 Fished from Stranglethorn Vale, Dustwallow Marsh, and Swamp of Sorrows
Inv box 01 [Ironbound Locked Chest] 175 Fished from The Hinterlands, Azshara, Tanaris, and Feralas
Inv box 01 [Reinforced Locked Chest] 250 Fished from Azshara
Inv misc bag 17 [Thaurissan Family Jewels] 275 Looted from Emperor Dagran Thaurissan in Blackrock Depths

Fixed chests[]

Chests
Item Skill Location
Large Iron Bound Chest 25 Blackfathom Deeps, Gnomeregan, Razorfen Downs, Razorfen Kraul, Scarlet Monastery, Shadowfang Keep, and The Stockade
Large Mithril Bound Chest 175 Blackrock Spire, Dire Maul, Stratholme, and Uldaman
Large Mithril Bound Chest 250 Western Plaguelands, Blackrock Spire, Dire Maul, and Stratholme
Bound Fel Iron Chest 300 Hellfire Ramparts, Mana-Tombs, The Blood Furnace, The Slave Pens, and The Underbog
Bound Adamantite Chest 325 Auchenai Crypts, Hellfire Ramparts, Mana-Tombs, Sethekk Halls, Shadow Labyrinth, The Blood Furnace, The Botanica, The Mechanar, The Shattered Halls, The Slave Pens, The Steamvault and The Underbog.
Bound Adamantite Chest 350 Hellfire Ramparts, The Blood Furnace, The Botanica, The Mechanar, The Shattered Halls, The Slave Pens, The Steamvault and The Underbog.
Footlockers
Item Skill Location
Alliance Strongbox 1 The Barrens
Buccaneer's Strongbox 1 The Barrens
Venture Co. Strongbox 1 The Barrens
Practice Lockbox 1 Redridge Mountains
Ambermill Strongbox 1 Silverpine Forest (for H IconSmall Undead MaleIconSmall Undead Female Rogue [20] Tools of the Trade)
Burial Chest 1 Ghostlands (for H Rogue [18] Greed)
Primitive Chest 20 Ghostlands (for H Rogue [18] The Sad Truth)
The Jewel of the Southsea 25 The Barrens (for H Rogue [18] Plundering the Plunderers)
Lucius's Lockbox 25 Redridge Mountains (for A Rogue [20] Alther's Mill)
Alliance Strongbox 70 Alterac Mountains
Battered Footlocker 70 Stonetalon Mountains, Hillsbrad Foothills, Wetlands, and Badlands
Duskwood Chest 70 Westfall (for A Rogue [24] Klaven's Tower)
Gallywix's Lockbox 70 Westfall (for H Rogue [21] Mission: Possible But Not Probable)
Waterlogged Footlocker 70 Ashenvale and Redridge Mountains
Benedict's Chest 100 Durotar (for H [7] The Admiral's Orders)
Battered Footlocker 110 Wetlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, Stonetalon Mountains
Battered Footlocker 150 Badlands
Waterlogged Footlocker 150 Desolace
Cozzle's Footlocker 160 Stranglethorn Vale (for N [37] Goblin Sponsorship)
Dented Footlocker 175 Badlands, Nagrand, and Tanaris
Dented Footlocker 175 Badlands, Nagrand, and Tanaris
Mossy Footlocker 175 Swamp of Sorrows, Desolace, and Sunken Temple
Dented Footlocker 200 Searing Gorge
Dented Footlocker 225 Tanaris
Mossy Footlocker 225 Azshara
Scarlet Footlocker 250 Eastern Plaguelands
Wicker Chest 300 Zangarmarsh
Dented Footlocker 325 Nagrand
Scarlet Onslaught Trunk 385 Icecrown (for N [25-30 Daily] Intelligence Gathering)

Doors[]

Doors
Door Skill Location Note
Ironclad Cove Gate WoW Icon update 1 The Deadmines Can also be opened with Inv misc ammo gunpowder 01 [Defias Gunpowder]
Gnomeregan Workshop Door WoW Icon update 150 Gnomeregan Can also be opened with Inv misc key 06 [Workshop Key]
Scarlet Monastery Armory Door WoW Icon update 175 Scarlet Monastery Can also be opened with Inv misc key 01 [The Scarlet Key]
Scarlet Monastery Cathedral Door WoW Icon update 175 Scarlet Monastery Can also be opened with Inv misc key 01 [The Scarlet Key]
Searing Gorge Gate WoW Icon update 225 Loch Modan/Searing Gorge Can also be opened with Inv misc key 14 [Key to Searing Gorge]
East Garrison Door WoW Icon update 280 Blackrock Depths Can also be opened with Inv misc key 08 [Shadowforge Key]
Prison Cells WoW Icon update 280 Blackrock Depths Can also be opened with Inv misc key 10 [Prison Cell Key]
Shadowforge Gate WoW Icon update 250 Blackrock Depths Can also be opened with Inv misc key 08 [Shadowforge Key]
Shadowforge Lock WoW Icon update 250 Blackrock Depths Can also be opened with Inv misc key 08 [Shadowforge Key]
Scholomance Door WoW Icon update 280 Scholomance Can also be opened with Inv misc key 11 [Skeleton Key]
Scarlet Bastion Door WoW Icon update 300 Stratholme Can also be opened with Inv misc key 01 [The Scarlet Key]
Stratholme Gate WoW Icon update 300 Stratholme Can also be opened with Inv misc key 13 [Key to the City]
Crescent Door WoW Icon update 300 Dire Maul Can also be opened with Inv misc key 10 [Crescent Key]
Shattered Halls Door Bc icon 350 Shattered Halls Can also be opened with Inv misc key 02 [Shattered Halls Key]
Shadow Labyrinth Gate Bc icon 350 Shadow Labyrinth Can also be opened with Inv misc key 02 [Shadow Labyrinth Key]
Arcatraz Door Bc icon 350 The Arcatraz Can also be opened with Inv datacrystal03 [Key to the Arcatraz]
Karazhan Gatehouse Portcullis Bc icon 350 Karazhan Can also be opened with Inv misc key 07 [The Master's Key]
Karazhan Side Entrance Bc icon 350 Karazhan Can also be opened with Inv misc key 07 [The Master's Key]
Violet Hold Door Wrath-Logo-Small 365 Dalaran Can also be opened with Inv misc key 02 [The Violet Hold Key]

Training[]

Rogue trainers offered additional gossip:

Gossip Where can I go to improve my lockpicking?
The Scarlet Crusade of Tyr's Hand in the Eastern Plaguelands have many lockboxes that will challenge your skill.

Etiquette[]

If you can't unlock an item yourself, you will need to rely upon the lockpicking services of a rogue, blacksmith, or engineer to do it for you. When approaching a lockpicker, keep the following in mind:

  • You should only open a trade window with a lockpicker if they are publicly advertising their lockpicking services or you have already asked them in a whisper. It is not acceptable to simply open a trade with someone in the hope they will open your item, as they may be busy with auctions or mail, and your trade request could disrupt them.
  • Even if a lockpicker offers their services for "free," they may still expect a tip. There are no set guidelines for what constitutes an acceptable tip. Tips may vary depending on the type of lockbox, the number of boxes needing to be unlocked, the value of the items found inside the lockbox, cost of materials (for blacksmiths and engineers), the wealth of the tipper, or other factors. Most lockpickers would probably consider a tip between 1g and 5g per box acceptable—but again, it varies.
  • If you have only one or two lockboxes, put them in the "Will not be traded" slot of the trade window. Otherwise, you can trade your boxes to the lockpicker in bulk and they can unlock them from their inventory, then trade them back to you.
  • Try asking friends and guildmates before asking strangers. You are more likely to get it opened and more likely to get it done for free. You can mail the boxes to them, and they can send them back unlocked (if you do, list the boxes in the message, so they have a note to respond to, and as a reminder of who sent what).

Patch changes[]

  • Cataclysm Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Lockpicking now skills up as you level, you no longer need to practice. Hovering over your Spell nature moonkey [Pick Lock] icon will show the current level of box you can open.
  • WoW Icon update Patch 1.1.0 (2004-11-07): No longer auto-ranks. It must be used to improve.

External links[]

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