You can get lockpicks in Oblivion from several sources:
- Buy from Shady Sam: He is a merchant found outside the Imperial City walls, near the Elven Gardens district, along the northwestern edge of the city walls. Shady Sam sells up to 30 lockpicks daily, and his stock refreshes, making him a reliable early-game source
- Join the Thieves Guild: Once you join the Thieves Guild and complete the initial quest "May the Best Thief Win," you gain access to fences who sell lockpicks. These fences have a large, regularly restocked supply (usually 100 lockpicks) for sale at prices ranging from 5 to 10 gold each depending on your disposition and haggling
- Loot from enemies and dungeons: Lockpicks can be found by looting goblin caves, bandit hideouts, and other dungeons. Bandits and goblins often carry lockpicks on their bodies, and chests in these locations frequently contain them as well
- Quest reward - Skeleton Key: By completing the Nocturnal Daedric Shrine quest (available after reaching level 10), you receive the Skeleton Key, an unbreakable lockpick that also boosts your Security skill by 40, effectively eliminating the need to carry many lockpicks
In summary, the easiest ways to get lockpicks are buying from Shady Sam early on, joining the Thieves Guild to access fences with large stocks, or looting them from bandits and goblins in caves and dungeons. For a permanent solution, completing the Nocturnal quest to get the Skeleton Key is recommended.
