Barbarian class - where's my Lock Picking Skill?

I thought I could avoid starting a new game without having a Rogue in my party because the Rogue can't join any guilds until Ishad N'Ha. So, I read the User Guide and saw the the Barbarian class has Lock Picking abilities - Great. I generated a warrior and distributed his points so he would meet the requirements to become a barbarian. Great, he cold join the Warrior Guild and could use Role Ascension to switch to a Barbarian immediately. No problem - kill 20 Wargurs. Go back to Guild, get Barbarian promotion - only one problem - no lock picking, wait a couple of level ups - still no lock picking. Where are they? Is this a misprint?

I guess you have to start with a Rogue and then change to Barbarian who will then retain the ability to pick locks. (This did work)

Other Character classes seem to work better. I just generate warrior class characters who qualify to become Paladins, Rangers, Ninjas etc. then switch classes right away to start building up the spell levels early. Save your gold to get Role Ascension which you don't intend to complete but allows you to join the other Guilds before completing the Ascension quests, then cancel the Role Ascension. It is expensive, but your characters get offered new traits faster by doing quests for all the guilds instead of just the one they begin with.

My entire party has "Sneak" and none of them has reached 10th level yet. My Paladin has Ancient Lore and 5th level Artifacts, which lets my Priest use her points on gaining new spell levels rather than having to use them up improving artifacts ability.

Any other useful tips that you have discovered with class rotation?

[Wyvern]

Tried looking up Barbarian in the TOme of limited value (also know as the strategy guide) and it says nothing more than that barbarians CAN learn lockpicking - not when, how or anything.
Seems to me that you've found an excellent way around it, though!

Wyv

Just curious . . . is there no Traps and Locks listed on your skill page? One note if you switch to a role such as paladin that cannot USE lock picks . . . yet I was still able to open chest by clicking on them and setting the gears in motion . . . anyone clarify this?

I have a barbarian with traps and locks skills; he started out as a warrior. I think that he only got offered those skills when he joined the Thieves Guild in Ishad N'Ha.

A few of my characters are now being offered first level training in Lock Picking at the thieves guild in Ishad N'ha. It would seem that it is not restricted to Rogues and Barbarians, because even Paladins and Rangers can learn it.

strange anomaly you got there thorny...I did the same as you, after restarting for the umpteenth time LOL...
2 fighters ---> convert to 2 barbarians immediately ( barbarians are the superset of fighter classes, and because I am not taking any thieves )
2 priests, 2 wizards ---> convert to 4 warlocks once they get all the high level spells

Since my stats were proper, I entered the guild and immediately began barbarian training...once I got the barbarian "class", during my first level up as barbarian, I got to put points into lockpicking

FYI, my fighters were at lvl 1 ( right before the XP cap to lvl 2 ) when they were converted to barbarians
Hope this helps you

[carg]

Thorny, I'm quite sure you do get "traps and locks", only you can't buy it at the warrior's guild. But when levelling up you can put points to it. I just started with a single fighter, who is now barbarian and he can pick locks now and use lockpicks.