I have a question regarding lockpicking. So, currently, my security skill is quite low, 26 or something. However, I am opening quite a few locks just by spending a lot of time doing it manually. Locks that I definitely would not be able to pick by using the auto-attempt option because of my very low skill. So I would like to know how increasing security will help me.

Is there a point where auto-attempt will be more efficient than doing it manually (i.e. I won't waste a lot of lockpicks) - what would my security skill need to be in that case?
If I have higher security skill, will that play a role in my ability to open locks manually? I'm thinking something like, currently I wait until the tumbler goes up really slowly and is delayed coming down - then I can easily make it stay up. When it comes down fast my lockpick always breaks. If I had high security skill, would I be more able to secure a tumbler when it was coming down faster?

Thanks [img]smile.gif[/img]

Not sure what the answer to your question is, Aelia, but I have a tip re: lockpicking - when you pop the tumbler up, listen for the click. If it sounds like a double click (or more like a shadow double click) it means it's going to go down more slowly. Once you pay attention to it you can pick it (no pun intended!) pretty easily.

I think as your lockpick ability gets higher, less tumblers come down if you break a pick.

A high security skill benefits you by not snapping all the tumblers down when you make a mistake. I'm pretty sure that your chance of breaking a lockpick also decreases.

But yeah, I tend to think that Bethesda are rewarding the roleplayers who take the trouble to learn the skill and I'm not really planning to plow many skills into it.

For me, when the tumbler goes to the highest point, click the mouse button. It always works for me. Even with hard tumblers.

Well, when you reach Journeyman level, two tumblers will always stay up. Expert, 3 tumblers, and master, 4 tumblers.

But, with the skeleton key, you don't need a security skill... :D

How does one go about getting it, anyway?

I thought the Skeleton Key was only in Morrowind?

spoiler:
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
shrine of the nocturnal
do the quest given you there

need to know where the shrine is?
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
go east on the road out of leyawin
when you reach "county kvatch" you'll see a shrine... head on in. [img]smile.gif[/img]

V***V

And, it's a different kind of "Skeleton Key"

Well, it works differently, anyway.

Why, thank you V!
*runs off for the Skeleton Key*