Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity Original Sin - Beta Lockpicking

Sorry if I have already missed a discussion on this somewhere else, but I am wondering what others think about lockpicking in its current state. I find it a little harsh that a lockpick gets consumed on use. While I haven't played the beta to the end to see how many are available throughout the course of the game, investing a talent point in it doesn't seem all that worthwhile at this point unless lockpicks become more abundant. Does it pay off in the long run?

I've found 5 lockpicks throughout the entire beta.
I'm not quite sure the using up of the lockpick is entirely intentional though... it might just be a buggy side-effect of the already buggy lockpicking of something.

I am playing a Rogue, and while Lockpicking is theoretically one of the skills I'm supposed to be using, I'm basically ignoring it. It's not just because Lockpicking is bugged in this version and is harder to use.

It's not just because there are essentially ZERO lockpicks in the game after the Tutorial dungeon. It's because it seems like everything in the world which is locked has a key somewhere, usually nearby.

When I come across a locked thing I can't open, my instinct is not "I should lockpick this", it's "The key must be nearby". Because of this, even if I do ever come across chests or doors that actually need to be lockpicked, I'll probably ignore trying to lockpick them, and keep on thinking that there's a key I must have missed. If Lockpicking is to have any value at all, there has to be enough stuff around that is locked and has no key to pick up.

I agree that there should be more lockpicks avail early on in the game and or add the ability to craft them.

But I think part of the design is to find that key to open said chest or door or lockpick it if you have the ability, part of the multiple solution design philosophy.

Which is fine by me. I hate getting stuck and having to look up a guide to tell me what I missed so one of my guys (or gals) will indeed have that skill maxed or near maxed.

Well, if that's all it's going to be, then I don't think it should require an entire talent point just to use something of such marginal and optional utility. I think lockpicks would be better if they were more like the identifying glass for identifying items with the loremaster ability. You can still manage their overuse with lock levels, chances for breaking, or number of uses, but I think one single use no matter what is rather prohibitive.

I don't mind multiple solution options, especially for quests, but even the locked random chests I find hidden away have keys nearby.

For me, multiple solutions to generic locked chests means "bash it open", "magic it open", or "lockpick it open", and in some cases - not ALL cases - "find the key to open it". If there is ALWAYS a key around, then you don't really have multiple solutions, you have ONE solution - "find the key to open it".


The problem is magic costs nothing to break open a chest. Bashing a chest open costs gold (to repair weapon). Lockpicking costs a lockpick AND ABILITY POINTS. If I'm going to spend precious, limited Ability points on something, then I need something worthwhile for the cost. If every locked chest and door has a key, then it's a waste of points I could use on other things. You may as well just scrap the Ability entirely and replace it with 5 qualities of lockpick item instead.

(I don't mind lockpicks being consumable as long as you can find the damn things somewhere.)

Regarding lockpicking I would like something like this:

A lockpick has durability which decreases with every use. The more points you put into lockpicking ability, the better you can look after your lockpicks, i.e, the durability decreases more slowly. Additionally, the more lockpicking ability points you have, the more difficult doors and chests you can lockpick (not sure whether this is already the case?). As Stabbey said, not every chest should have a key nearby and I also think that some chests or doorways should be made resistant to magic (otherwise why learn lockpick if you can just smash the chest open with a fireball or so?)

Points in Lockpicking already let you open higher level locks. That's why Lockpicking is an ability and requires multiple points into it.

I don't see a real need to change the mechanics like that, though. I don't even mind that lockpicks are consumed on use. All that really needs to happen is adding in many locked chests which do not have any keys associated with them (and/or removing some existing keys), and lockpicks need to appear in loot and on sale from vendors.

Doing something to make magical opening not the cost-free option it is now isn't a bad idea either.

I think it is silly and disappointing that lockpicks are one use items.

Maybe they could have durability (like weapons) and the higher quality (difficulty level) of the lock the more they decay the pick, but more levels in lockpicking makes that decay less. Also some indication of difficult level is sorely needed.

Also we should have some idea how difficult a lock is before we try. (Just like we have an idea how easy it is to hit a monster) Right now it is on a pass/fail sort of setup and both use your lockpicks

Here is a quick idea about how it might work
If Lock Picking skill is >= lock lvl then door is picked, with no decay to picks
If Lock Picking skill is < lock lvl then % chance of success is displayed, plus each attempt will decay your lock picks.

I also agree it would be cool if there were some treasures that only characters (or henchies) who practice lock picking could get.