Kingdom Come: Deliverance Lockpicking Guide

Like most things in Kingdom Come, the game strives to be more realistic than many of its peers when it comes to lockpicking. This leads many to struggle when they first start the game. However, with time and a little bit of practice, lockpicking in KC:D can become as easy as stealing candy from a baby.

How to Pick a Lock

Step 1: Move Your Lock to the Weak Spot

To find the weak spot move your cursor to the place where the silver ball turns gold. The closer the sweet spot is to the beginning the easier the lock will be to pick. 

Step 2: Rotate the lock 

After your pick is all lined up you can rotate the locking mechanism counterclockwise. As you rotate the lock be sure to keep your pick in the sweet spot as its position shifts during the rotation. When you rotate the lock all the way around you will have opened the lock.

Lock Picking Levels

How easy a lock is to open is determined by which one of the four potential categories it falls into:

• Very Easy
  These locks have no prerequisite level for skill. As long as you understand the basic lock picking mechanic you should be able to open these fairly easily. 
• Easy
  Surprisingly there is no specific skill level required for easy locks as well. However, they do require a bit more user precision than their very easy counterparts. 
• Hard
  This is where the difficulty really starts to ramp up. Hard locks require skill 5 and decent command of the mechanic itself. A perk or two could go a long way for a successful pick. 
• Very Difficult
  These locks are the hardest in the game. You need skill 6 to be able to open them. You should make sure to have plenty of lockpicks to spare and that Henry is well equipped with lockpicking focused perks if you want to crack these locks. 

Tips for Lockpicking 

• If you can, save before attempting to pick a lock – just in case things go wrong. 
• If you feel your pick starting to break you can stop rotating the mechanism. While this resets your attempt, it will help you preserve picks. 
• Always scout the location for potential passerbys – no need to get caught stealing. 
• Do not move the locking mechanism until you have your pick in the sweet spot. Doing so will potentially break your pick and cause noise. 
• If you are still having difficulties lockpicking switching to the easier method of lockpicking available in the settings

How to Get Better at Picking Locks

Upping Your Skill

They say practice makes perfect, and practice is exactly what you will need to do if you want to be able to steal to your heart’s content in KC:D. Leveling up your skill not only gives you access to higher-level locks to attempt, but it also opens up the potential for you to capitalize on one of the many perks available to aspiring bulgars. 

If you don’t feel like grinding your lockpicking skill up you can always go to one of the lockpicking trainers to pay to have your skill trained by them.

Perks

In addition to simply leveling up your lockpicking skill, you can also spend some of your limited perk slots on one of eight lockpicking perks that will all help you tailor Henry’s ability to steal. 

KC:D’c lockpicking perks go far beyond simply providing a static boost to your lock picking success rate – they provide more nuanced and unique ways to make Henry’s lock picking more efficient, stealthy, and successful. 

Where to Get Lockpicks

In KC:D a failed lockpicking attempt results in a lost lockpick. Which often makes attempting to pick highlevel locks not worth your time until you have the needed skill level and perks (see below). While picks are not particularly expensive, they can be a pain to replace. 

Lockpicks can be found by obtained in one of three ways:

1. From one of the few merchants who sell them for the hefty price of 20 Grocthens. See our merchant guide here.
2. By finding one of the Millers who work as blackmarket fences. You can buy a pick from a Miller for X Currency. 
3. Inside of a chest. 

Don’t Get Caught

One of the biggest dangers of lockpicking is getting caught by a passerby, guard, or concerned citizen. You have to be careful not to be seen OR heard as every time your pick gets damaged it makes a noise that could alert nearby people. Scouting areas in advance, lockpicking at night, and knowing when to cut your losses on a failed attempt are all strategies that will help you spend more time picking locks and less time in jail.

Leveling up your stealth will be critical to successfully not getting caught while lockpicking.

Lockpicking in a Nutshell

At the end of the day, your ability to succeed as a bulgar in KC:D comes down to how much you want to invest in it. Perks are limited and can be used for many other things, but those willing to invest in lockpicking are sure to find countless rewards worth that investment. 

For information about the best loot that can be obtained from lockpicking check out our lockpicking reward guide here.