Returning to Cyrodiil in Oblivion Remastered gives us a heavy dose of nostalgia, but behind all the rose-colored memories lies a hidden truth: opening locks is hard. While it's possible to open locks either manually or by magic, chances are you'll be using the lockpick method, at least during the early stages, before you level up your Alteration skill.
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Posts By Drew FergusonWe'll review the basics of lockpicking to help you master Oblivion Remastered's lockpicking minigame while also offering Alteration alternatives for Mage characters. Stock up on lockpicks and patience to learn the secret to easily picking locks in Oblivion Remastered.
How To Open Locks
There are two main ways to open locks in Oblivion Remastered:
- Use lockpicks to complete the lockpicking minigame
- Use Alteration to cast an 'Open Lock' spell and access the locked item
While using Alteration magic is technically easier, it requires much more setup, since you'll need to level up your Alteration magic's level to use a spell that matches the lock's difficulty.
So, if you want to use the 'Open Average Lock' spell, you must level up your Alteration to Journeyman level.
The more difficult, but far more accessible option is to use lockpicks to manipulate the tumblers and open locks. Since this method will likely be your main method of opening locks in Oblivion Remastered, let's dive into the details.
How To Complete The Lockpicking Minigame
Before you can get good at the Oblivion Remastered lockpicking minigame, first you need to know the basics:
- Use the left stick (LS) to change the tumbler slot
- Move the LS up to move the lockpick into a tumbler
- When the tumbler hits the top, hit A (Xbox) or X (PlayStation) the moment you hear the metallic noise
- When all tumblers are secured, the lock opens
- Hitting A/X when the tumbler begins falling results in breaking a lockpick
Your lockpicking success is governed by your Security skill, which determines how many tumblers remain in place after a broken pick.
Lock Difficulty
Tumblers That Remain In Place
Novice
Zero
Apprentice
One
Journeyman
Two
Expert
Three
Master
All
While this sounds straightforward, the crux of this minigame is learning when to lock a tumbler in place by studying how quickly the tumblers fall.
Generally, there are three tiers of tumbler falling speed:
- Fast (bad)
- Medium
- Slow (optimal)
Different difficulties of locks present slight variations in the tumbler falling speed, so beware of the lock's difficulty before using the method below.
First, test out the tumbler a few times to see the speeds to find the pattern. One of each speed always happens in rotations.
Thus, on an average lock with three distinct tumbler falling speeds, a fast, medium, and slow tumbler drop must always happen; however, they can transpire in random order.
If a tumbler drops at medium speed, and then fast speed, that means the third time you move the tumbler up, it will be a slow drop. This is the optimal time to lock your tumbler in place at the moment after you push up on your lock pick.
You'll notice in the video that trying to secure a tumbler on a fast drop usually results in a broken lockpick. Take your time.
The best, safest way to pick locks in Oblivion Remastered is by waiting for either a fast-medium-slow or medium-fast-slow cycle.
Doing so allows both likely failures to occur, allowing you to secure the tumbler on the slowest drop when it's easiest to set.
How To Use Alteration Magic To Open Locks
If you're sick of lockpicking in Oblivion Remastered and prefer the Alteration school of magic, then there's a magical alternative to painstakingly picking locks. Some spells will instantly open locks when cast, but they aren't easy to learn.
You'll need to focus on leveling up your Alteration skill by using Alteration spells.
You should aim for 50 Alteration at minimum before making this your main method of opening locks, as this unlocks the Journeyman tier, which allows you to open Average locks.
Here are the Alteration spells and the corresponding levelneeded to learn them:
Spell Name
Alteration Level Required
Open Very Easy Lock
Novice
Open Easy Lock
Apprentice
Open Average Lock
Journeyman
Open Hard Lock
Expert
Open Very Hard Lock
Master
If you want to buy these lock-opening spells, then the Mage's Guild vendors are the easiest places to find them.
Merchant Name
Merchant Location
Lock Spell Level
Alberic Little
Chorrol Mages Guild
Easy
Alves Uvenim
Leyawin Mages Guild
Easy
Delphine Jend
Bravil Mages Guild
Easy
Druja
Skingrad Mages Guild
Easy
Selena Orania
Bruma Mages Guild
Easy
Sulinus Vassinus
Skingrad Mages Guild
Easy
Thaurron
Anvil Mages Guild
Easy
Trayvond the Redguard
Cheydinhal Mages Guild
Very Easy & Easy
Orintur
Cheydinhal Mages Guild
Average & Hard
Volnaro
Bruma Mages Guild
Average
Gaspar Stegine
Praxographical Center – Arcane University, Imperial City
Hard
Raminus Polus
Arch-Mage's Lobby – Arcane University, Imperial City
Hard
The only way to open very hard locks using Alteration magic is by making the spell yourself, which requires Master-level Alteration and an undying commitment to grinding.
While mages who already specialize in Alteration will enjoy opening locks this way, the lockpicking minigame is still the best bet for opening locks fast in Oblivion Remastered.
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