Skyrim Lockpicking perks
Opening locks without the key. Lockpicking is a thief skill with 11 perks and 11 perk ranks.
- Perks
- 11 perks, 11 perk points to complete
- Skill type
- Thief (Stealth)
- Race bonus
- Argonian +10; Wood Elf, Khajiit +5
- XP 15 → 100
- 91,601 skill XP
- Training 15 → 90
- 120,450 gold (75 sessions)
Lockpicking perk tree
| Perk | Rank | Skill | Requires | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novice Locks | — | 0 | — | Novice locks are much easier to pick |
| Apprentice Locks | — | 25 | Novice Locks | Apprentice locks are much easier to pick |
| Quick Hands | — | 40 | Apprentice Locks | Pick locks without being noticed |
| Adept Locks | — | 50 | Apprentice Locks | Adept locks are much easier to pick |
| Wax Key | — | 50 | Quick Hands | Get a copy of the key for any lock you pick that has one |
| Golden Touch | — | 60 | Adept Locks | Find more gold in chests |
| Treasure Hunter | — | 70 | Golden Touch | 50% better chance of finding special treasure |
| Expert Locks | — | 75 | Adept Locks | Expert locks are much easier to pick |
| Locksmith | — | 80 | Expert Locks | Lockpicks start close to the right position |
| Master Locks | — | 100 | Expert Locks | Master locks are much easier to pick |
| Unbreakable | — | 100 | Locksmith | Lockpicks never break |
When a perk lists two prerequisites, you need only one of them.
Planning your Lockpicking perks
Completing the whole Lockpicking tree costs 11 of the roughly 80 perk points you get by level 81, so most builds take only the perks they will really use. Start with the perks at the bottom of the tree, then follow the branch that suits your play style up to its top perk.
The highest perks in the tree need a skill of 90 or 100: Master Locks (100), Unbreakable (100).
How to level Lockpicking
Every time Lockpicking goes up, your character earns experience equal to the new skill level, so a high Lockpicking skill also helps you level up quickly. Raising it from 15 to 100 takes about 91,601 skill experience in total. Trainers can take it to 90 for about 120,450 gold, five sessions per character level. Use the skill XP calculator for exact numbers between any two levels.