WoW Classic: Lockpicking and Pickpocketing - Rogue FAQ
In WoW Classic, many class-specific mechanics play a huge role. For example, a self-respecting rogue should increase his lock picking skills to the maximum and practice the art of pickpocketing. Check out our comprehensive FAQ guide for everything a rogue needs to know about their thieving skills.
By the way, you can only pick locks with a learned skill if you have a thief tool in your pocket. You can get the item for the quests Alther's Mill (Alliance) or Looting the Looters (Horde). Alternatively, you can visit various Poisons, Reagents and Herbs or Shady/Dubious merchants to buy the item.
What exactly can I do with lockpicking?
With lock picking, rogues are able to open locked doors, chests, and chests.
WoW Lockpicking FAQ: You can learn lockpicking from the rogue teacher starting at level 16.
What is the general process for learning the skill?
From level 16 onwards you can always skill up to a maximum skill of (Your own level * 5). If you are level 20, the maximum skill you can learn is 100, and if you level up, you can skill up to 105. Since you can reach a maximum of level 60 in WoW Classic, the highest skill level for lock picking is 300. The locks of chests, boxes and doors also have these levels. Depending on how far away you are from the skill level of the lock, it will be displayed in the familiar colors red to gray.
- Red = Cannot be picked with the current skill level
- Orange = Guaranteed a skill point
- Yellow = Good chance for a skill point
- Green = Low chances for a skill point
Grey = No chance for a skill point
Lockpicking skill: 1 - 100
WoW Lock Picking FAQ: On the Pirtate ship near Ratchet, there's a room full of crates waiting to be opened.
Source: buffed
A nice start for Alliance rogues is the aforementioned quest Alther's Mill, where you are supposed to break open a lockbox. Nearby are various practice chests with which you can increase your skill up to 100 quite well. The cassettes reappear quite quickly, so there are no too long waiting times. You can also open the practice chests outside of the quest, so you can always come back at a later time. For Horde rogues and the aforementioned quest The Looting of the Looters, the same is true: The quest takes you to a ship near Ratchet, where you can also find practice chests below deck.
Skill Lock Picking: 70+ alternative
With the practice chests from the quests I just mentioned, you'll get your lockpicking skill up to 85 or even higher pretty quickly. However, once the chests turn green, it can take a little while to level up. It's a good thing that you can find lockboxes in the open world, which can be opened at skill level 70 and promise faster advancements:
Skill lock picking: 101 - 150
All rogues have to solve a poison quest during their career. Alliance players master this quest in Westfall (starting with the quest Mathias and the Defias), Horde players have to go to the north of the Barrens for Mission: possible, but not very likely. You can open the chest for this quest with a lockpicking skill of 70. To do this, you must first select the lock picking skill and then click on the chest.
You should be at least level 110 thanks to the quest and the lockboxes mentioned above. After that, you can also get more skill points from the following chests:
Skill lockpicking from 150
WoW Lockpicking FAQ: Horde Rogues, the poison quest takes you to the Barrens to Grand Servant Puzik. The chest there can be included in the learning quest.
WoW Castle Picking FAQ: Horde Rogues leads the poison quest into the Barrens to Grand Servant Puzik. The chest there can be included in the learning.
Source: buffed
In the Wasteland, you can now find some chests in the Angor Fortress area: Rampaged Lockboxes and Dented Lockboxes. The former can be opened at skill 150, while the dented chests can only be opened at level 175. An alternative for both level areas is the Soaked Chests and Moss Covered Chests in Desolace, near Sar'theri's Beach. Or you can go to the Swamps of Misery, there are Moss Covered Lockboxes near the Sunken Temple. Skill 175 and above should also be able to open the doors in the Scarlet Monastery. These also give you skill points for lock picking. Rob some mobs in the instance with pickpocketing and then leave the instance again - the timer for the door should be reset so you can open it again. Starting at 225, the requirement for that door will turn green. Important: You should not already be in possession of the key for the door when you skill it, or alternatively park the key in the bank.
WoW Lockpicking FAQ: The gate in Searing Gulch provides points starting at skill 225.
Okay, now I have lock picking at 200 to 225, what's next?
Aspiring lockpicking masters can take the next steps with the following chests:
Dented Lockbox (200+): Searing Gulch, Cinder Pit in Cauldron.
Moss Covered Lockbox (225+): Azshara, Bay of Storms
Dented Lockbox (225+): Tanaris, in the Mast and Sheet Bay
Dented Lockbox (225+): Searing Gorge, Cinder Pit in the Cauldron
Also, do you have any advice on how I should continue to skill lockpicking from 250?
Of course. The best place to level up to 300 is in the Blackrock Depths. From the entrance of the instance, turn left and open the first gate, then the first gate on the right, then the first door on the left. Finally, use the large door opener inside the room and you'll have four skill points per instance reset - and that's without attacking an enemy! Once you've reset the instance five times, you'll have to wait a bit before you can enter the instance again. Alternatively, you can open the Scarlet Lockbox in Tyr's hand. Either way, you'll reach Skill 300 quite efficiently.
Can you only skill through the gates and chests you find in the various zones?
No, there are alternatives that we haven't gone into yet. In all zones, you should pickpocket as many humanoid enemies as possible before attacking them. It's important to make sure that you have the Auto-Loot feature enabled. By regularly looting enemies, you will not only receive many locked chests, but also additional income, various potions and all kinds of trinkets.
Alternatively, you can also offer your lock-picking skills in the capitals, as other players can also regularly receive locked chests as loot.