To lockpick in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (including Oblivion Remastered), follow these key steps and tips:
- You need at least one lockpick in your inventory to attempt lockpicking
- When you start lockpicking, you will see several tumblers (pins) that need to be set to the top position of their springs. The number of tumblers depends on the lock's difficulty
- The core technique is to push a tumbler up by moving the lockpick under it and pressing the "up" key (Spacebar on PC, A button on Xbox)
- Crucially, only attempt to set the tumbler when it moves up slowly. If it moves too fast, trying to set it will break your lockpick
- You can tap the tumbler repeatedly to find the slow-moving moment. Sometimes the tumbler alternates between fast and slow rises, so be patient and wait for the slow rise before locking it in place
- You can keep tapping the tumbler to keep it bouncing slowly near the top, giving you more time to press the button at the right moment
- If you fail to set a tumbler correctly, the lockpick breaks and some or all tumblers may reset depending on your Security skill level
- Use the mouse or keys (A and D) to move between pins and W or mouse movement to push the pin up
- Listening carefully helps: when pushing a tumbler, a distinct high-pitched "click-cleek" sound indicates the right time to set the tumbler
- Increasing your Security skill or using spells that boost Security can make lockpicking easier by increasing the margin for error
- If you want a quick way, you can use the "auto attempt" feature (usually R key) which tries to pick the lock automatically but may break picks if your skill is too low
Summary: The key to lockpicking in Oblivion is patience-wait for the tumbler to rise slowly, then press the button to set it before it falls. Repeat for all tumblers until the lock opens
. This method works reliably and becomes easier as your Security skill improves.
