LE Unlock Spell

[wirkoenntenaber]

Hi skyrimnexus mod community,

 

may I suggest a spell, which opens chests/doors/locks? I dislike that even a powerful magician has to bother with lockpicks to open an humble wooden chest. A spellbook which gives the power to magically unlock things (with balanced magicka cost depending of the locks difficulty) would make the dovakhiin archmage feeling just as powerful as he is... :whistling: If you google for "skyrim unlock spell" you get loads of forum questions if this already exists in vanilla, I don't understand why Bethesda would take it out the game, but it I think if a modder would make the effort he/she might get a flood of endorsements.

 

 

I'm not sure about the cost/efficiency of magicka in Skyrim but here's the unlock spell stats from Oblivion (pasted from Elder Scrolls- Oblivion Wiki):

 

 

 

• Open Very Easy Lock on Target (a.k.a. Open 7pts on Target)

  Cost 7
  

• Open Easy Lock on Target (a.k.a. Open 20pts on Target)

  Cost 29
  

• Open Average Lock on Target (a.k.a. Open 40pts on Target)

  Cost 72
  

• Open Hard Lock on Target (a.k.a. Open 80pts on Target)

  Cost 176
  

 

Feel free to discuss this. :hurr:

[mareboro]

yup, a pure mage should not rely on lock picking, I mean with the right amount of save load you can open anything but it brakes the immersion. A mage should be able to either magically unlock a chest or create air pressure within it to explode it open. Same for a barbarian... smash that lock.

Essentially 3 mini games rather than one. The already existing one for rouges, Smash Dat lock for barbs, and use them magics for a mage.

[vvk78]

Please don't forget that a door is actually a mechanism to connect one interior/exterior "cell" to another, in the game.

In case of chests, it is a separate container object like your inventory. In fact, every shopkeeper in Skyrim has a hidden chest/box that forms their shop inventory!

 

This means that even if you have a nuke-level destruction spell, it will not transport you beyond the door or open that chest's container.

 

So, we cannot amp-up existing destruction spells, we would need completely new spells to unlock doors/chests, similar to what wirkoenntenaber has suggested.

NORMAL SOLUTIONS:

• If you are roleplaying as a thief, and want to have an easier way to pick locks, then I suggest you visit the Tower Stone.

• The Tower Stone's ability allows you to unlock any Expert (or lower-level) lock, instead of picking it.
  (Perhaps someone can create a mod, to convert this inbuilt ability into a permanent toggleable spell/power, like the Khajiit Night-Eye?)

• You might also want to visit the Thief Stone (20% boosts to Thief Class attributes), Shadow Stone (invisibility) and Serpent Stone (paralyze),
  for special boosts for a thief/assassin.

• Note that you can have only one Guardian Stone's blessing/power at any given time, and you can invoke the power only once per day,
  so it is like the grand powers in Oblivion. "All abilities granted by these stones cost no magicka to cast and can only be used once
  every 24 in-game hours."
  Perhaps someone can make a mod to

• If you are frequently running out of lockpicks, you can complete the Thieves' Guild quests to get the unbreakable Skeleton Key.
  Or get the nice Lockpicksmith mod:
  http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=1107

• If you are just fed up of the lock-picking mini-game, then use the LockPick Pro mod (like I do :-):
  http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=219

CHEATS (warning: using console cheats may have adverse affects if you are using Steam):

 

 

 

• Or if you are on a PC, just use the console command to add a few lockpicks, when stuck in a deep dungeon:
  player.additem A 5

• You can also unlock some key-only doors/chests, using the unlock console command (does not work on some quest-related doors).

spoiler]

[mareboro]

from what vvk78 says it seems like making an open lock spell with probability of success depending on magic skill and player level etc. should be pretty easy once the CK comes out.

Regarding door, sure they link areas but while opening a door via lockpick gets you into another area.. it is only due to the mechanic applied in that scenario of events. In fact doors are sometimes bugged and are left ajar so going from one place requires you to close them and then enter... hence there should be no problem with unlocking something without having to go into next area yes ?

[wirkoenntenaber]

This means that even if you have a nuke-level destruction spell, it will not transport you beyond the door or open that chest's container.

 

So, we cannot amp-up existing destruction spells, we would need completely new spells to unlock doors/chests, similar to what wirkoenntenaber has suggested.

 

 

I also think you'd need a whole new spell, but it would rather be an alteration than a destruction spell.

 

I'm not sure about how the locks in skyrim work (just need to wait for the CK to look into it), but I think it should work just like the lock system in Oblivion. As far as I've understood: Every lock has a certain amount of "lock points" (depending on difficulty), which you need to lower, meaning the container is unlocked/open when the points reach zero. It should be possible to create a spell that achieves this effect, I think. :smile:

 

I have no idea about unlocking via damage, though I remember a Fallout 3 mod which allowed to bust open doors and containers (which was amazing). But I think it's far more complex to mod. I can't recall the name and haven't installed F3 anymore, but if someone knows the name it would be nice if you could post it.

 

@ Mareboro: There are 2 types of doors, cell changing doors (like vv78 mentioned) and simple doors that just divide two rooms. I think it's possible to unlock simple doors without opening them automatically, though I'm not 100% sure.

 

Btw: vvk78 knows much, tells some. :tongue:

Edited December 21, 2011 by wirkoenntenaber

[Illius]

We definitely need this, so i voted yes. :)

[nate1232]

Voted yes, mages shouldn't need stupid lockpicks. It'd probably an alteration spell just to make more sense if it were to unlock it, or destruction if you're just gonna blow up the chest with pressure :P