In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Lockpicks are an essential item for opening locks. As part of quests you will often find locked doors and chests which require lockpicks to open.
Tip: When encountering a difficult lock, make a quicksave before interacting with it. If too many lockpicks break, reload the save to get back all lockpicks and try again. You can also use the “Auto-attempt” option to automatically solve the lock, but the success rate depends on your lockpicking skill. The more locks you pick, the more the skill will increase.
The most reliable method to get lockpicks is to buy them from Shady Sam. He’s available immediately after the prologue and sells 30 lockpicks which restock every 72 hours in-game time.
Buying Lockpicks from Shady Sam
Shady Sam is found along the wall outside Imperial City (the main city in the middle of the map). He wears a black robe and leans against the city wall, but you must approach from the wilderness outside the city (not from within the city). Easiest way is to fast travel to the “Chestnut Handy Stables” icon at the west gate of Imperial City. Then follow the wall north for just a few meters, after the stable building keep going for another 30 meters and look at the wall to see him standing in a corner of it. Talk to him and select “Bartering” below his dialogue box.
Shady Sam Location:
He wants 6 gold per Lockpick (180 Gold for all 30 of his lockpicks). His inventory refreshes every 72 hours. You can stand in front of him and skip time right there until he has more lockpicks in stock. You can make money quickly by winning Arena fights in the Imperial City Arena, available from the start of the game.
Other Ways to Get Lockpicks
- Sometimes found as loot in chests or from the bodies of defeated enemies.
- Bought from some fences that are unlocked as part of the Thieves Guild questline. For example, Armand Christophe temporarily sells them for 5 Gold a piece as part of the Thieves Guild recruitment quest (see
Pickpocket, Thieves Guild).
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