I'm playing undead and have shape shifted to lizard. The salamander in ryker house won't give me password to the chest. Is this a bug - is there a work around (I already used the body in the graveyard as part of another quest).

why don't you just talk to the chest and persuade it to unlock itself (ofc as a lizard)
if you'll need points in persuasion you can always use the mirror

Well I would like to know if this is a bug and if it is a bug perhaps they will fix it?
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The chest is also pick-able.

do you have a pet pal talent to understand what lizard say?

Yes the problem isn't that he doens't talk iti s that he won't give me the password.

Workaround : Shapeshift as lizard, respect by putting everything you can in wits, go talk to the chest, open it, see that you did pretty much all of this for shitty loot.

Enjoy.