The easiest place to get lockpicks in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is Shady Sam, a merchant who stands outside the Imperial City walls day and night and sells them to anyone, no guild required. After that, the Thieves Guild doyens and fences and the Dark Brotherhood’s merchant keep you stocked, goblins and bandits drop them, and the Skeleton Key from Nocturnal’s quest makes the problem go away. This guide covers each source, the spells and powers that replace a pick, and what the patches changed, verified against official patch notes.
Why you keep running out
A lockpick weighs nothing and has a base value of only a few gold, but it breaks the moment you mistime a tumbler, and low Security ranks drop already-set tumblers when that happens. A Novice loses every tumbler on a break, an Apprentice keeps one, a Journeyman two, an Expert three and a Master never loses any. Until then a Very Hard lock can eat ten picks, so buying in bulk beats scavenging. Two remaster details help: per the UESP changes list, the minigame’s sounds were made more distinct, and Update 1.2 fixed rebinding the lockpicking keys on PC. Our guide on how to pick locks covers the minigame itself.
Shady Sam: lockpicks for anyone, any time
Shady Sam is a Breton trader who never eats or sleeps, so he is available 24 hours a day, just outside the Imperial City walls. Per UESP, leave the city through the Talos Plaza District door on the west side, turn north and follow the wall: he is tucked against it next to a bush, northeast of the Chestnut Handy Stables. He sells poisons, potions and lockpicks, carries 400 gold for buying your goods, and his stock restocks. UESP lists him as one of three merchants who cannot be persuaded, so a better price means bribes or Charm spells.
Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood sellers
Once you are a member, every Thieves Guild doyen and fence sells lockpicks. Armand Christophe offers them at 5 gold each during the initiation itself, and per UESP the fences each stock 100 at a time and restock every few days. The fences unlock in rank order: Ongar the World-Weary in Bruma first, then Dar Jee in Leyawiin, Luciana Galena in Bravil, Orrin in Anvil and Fathis Ules in the Imperial City. Our guide on how to join the Thieves Guild gets you through the door, and our guide on how to sell items explains the fence barter screen.
The Dark Brotherhood has its own source: M’raaj-Dar, the Khajiit merchant in the Cheydinhal sanctuary, sells lockpicks alongside his spells and unique items. See our guide on how to join the Dark Brotherhood.
Loot, drops and jail
Goblins and bandits are the reliable droppers, per UESP’s Security page, and locked chests sometimes hold a few. It is a top-up rather than a supply. Jail is where a spare pick matters most: to break out of a cell you need an ordinary lockpick in your inventory, and the Skeleton Key does not count, because the game removes it on arrest. Claims that the game hands you picks on release from jail could not be confirmed.
Spells and powers that replace a pick
Alteration covers what lockpicks do. The effect is called Open Lock in the remaster (renamed from Open), and spells and scrolls with it open locks up to their listed difficulty without the minigame. The Tower birthsign’s Tower Key opens an Average lock once a day. Our guide on how to use spells covers casting on each platform.
The Skeleton Key: an unbreakable lockpick
The Skeleton Key is a Daedric artifact that never breaks and adds 40 points to your Security skill while it is in your inventory. Because it cannot snap, you can press Auto Attempt repeatedly on any lock until it opens. Here is how to get it, per UESP and unchanged in the remaster’s patch notes:
- Reach character level 10. Nocturnal wants no offering.
- Go to Nocturnal’s Shrine, off the Yellow Road north of Leyawiin just past Blankenmarch; on the map it sits due west of the words “County Leyawiin”.
- Nocturnal asks you to recover the Eye of Nocturnal from two Argonian thieves in Leyawiin, Weebam-Na and Bejeen. Talk to the pair, then eavesdrop on them unseen until they name Tidewater Cave. The marker appears as soon as you speak to either thief, so you can also go straight there.
- Tidewater Cave is on the Topal Bay coast south-southeast of Leyawiin and is full of trolls. The Eye is underwater behind a chest at the end of a left-turning route.
- Return it to the shrine for the Skeleton Key and one point of Fame.
Two cautions. With the key in your pocket, Security levels far more slowly and your base skill stalls at 60, so store it when you want to train. And if you hand a Daedric artifact to Martin during the main quest, do not make it this one. Our guide on how to get every Daedric artifact has the full list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is Shady Sam? Outside the Imperial City walls, north of the Talos Plaza District door and northeast of the Chestnut Handy Stables, day and night.
Can I buy lockpicks without joining a guild? Yes. Shady Sam sells to anyone. Every other seller, the Thieves Guild doyens and fences and the Dark Brotherhood’s M’raaj-Dar, requires membership.
What level do I need for the Skeleton Key? Level 10. No offering is needed at Nocturnal’s Shrine, only the level.
Does the Skeleton Key work for breaking out of jail? No. It is removed when you are arrested, and the game does not treat it as a lockpick for the cell door. Keep at least one normal pick on you if you plan to escape.
Where are the rest of the Oblivion guides? Every guide we have for the game is collected on the Elder Scrolls hub.