Lockpick

Lockpick
Rarity	Common
Type	Key
Value	750
Stackable	Yes
Campaign	Core
Uses	Reusable until broken

A Lockpick is a generic key that can open any chest (except special chests in missions and Zaishen Chest, which require special keys). They are optional in normal mode in most areas, but required to open any Locked Chest, i.e. all chests in Eye of the North and all chests found in hard mode.

Use

Lockpicks can be used until they break (as opposed to keys, which can only be used once). Once broken, the lockpick is destroyed and disappears from the inventory. Successfully retaining a lockpick earns 250 points towards the Lucky title while breaking one adds 2.5 points for every 1% retention rate towards the Unlucky title.

Acquisition

Core

• Random drop in hard mode
• Chest of Woe and Underworld Chest (hard mode only; always drops)
• Merchant (cost: 1  500 ) except in pre-Searing Ascalon
• Pokhe (cost: 2 and 50 )
• Zaishen Chest

Factions

• Faction merchant (cost: 1  200 )

Eye of the North

• Chest of Burrows
• Hidden Treasures
• Random drop in normal mode
• As a quest reward from Mano a Norn-o, Plan A, Shadows in the Night, and Single Ugly Grawl Seeks Same for Mindless Destruction in Ascalon.

Beyond

• Royal Gift drop (1-5 lockpicks)
• As a quest reward from Warning the Angchu, Free Birds, Honorable Combat, A Treaty's a Treaty, and their corresponding hard mode version quest.
• Imperial Guard Lockbox drop (10 lockpicks)

Retention

The retention rate (RR) for determining if a lockpick breaks after opening a chest depends on the character's level and their ranks in two account-wide titles, specifically:

RR = ( 0.5 * Level + 3 * Treasure Hunter rank + 2 * Lucky rank ) / 100

In addition, there is a retention bonus based on the price of the key associated with the chest. The bonuses for all potential combinations are listed in the tables below, assuming a character level of 20.

• For example, without any bonuses from titles, you have a 40% retention rate for normal mode chests in Eye of the North (i.e. 10% inherent + 30% bonus because EotN chests count as 600 chests).
• If your retention rate is RR, one lockpick will be able to open an average of 1/(1-RR) chests. For example, with rank 2 in both Lucky & Treasure Hunter, four lockpicks are expected to open 5 locked chests, = 4*1/(1-0.2) = 4*1/0.8 = 4*1.25 .

Inherent Lockpick Retention Treasure Hunter Lucky 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 10% 13% 16% 19% 22% 25% 28% 31% 1 12% 15% 18% 21% 24% 27% 30% 33% 2 14% 17% 20% 23% 26% 29% 32% 35% 3 16% 19% 22% 25% 28% 31% 34% 37% 4 18% 21% 24% 27% 30% 33% 36% 39% 5 20% 23% 26% 29% 32% 35% 38% 41% 6 22% 25% 28% 31% 34% 37% 40% 43%	Chest-specific Retention Bonus Key Cost Chest Bonus 50 55% 80 54% 200 50% 300 45% 450 35% 600 (EotN NM) 30% 750 25% 1  250 10% 1  500 (Hard mode) 0%
	NM EotN chests in normal mode offer a 30% bonus. HM There is no bonus for opening locked chests in hard mode.

Dialogue

The following messages appear for the user when they attempt to open a chest with a lockpick:

Opening a chest in Normal mode while you have both a key and a lockpick in your inventory

Would you like to use a(n) [key name] or a lockpick to unlock the [chest name]? You have a X% chance to retain the lockpick.

Opening a chest in Any mode while you only have a lockpick in your inventory

Would you like to use a lockpick to unlock the [chest name]? You have a X% chance to retain the lockpick.

Opening a chest in Hard mode without a lockpick

This chest is locked. You must use a lockpick to open it.

Notes

• Merchants in alliance held towns offer lockpicks at a discounted price of 1200 , people with access to these will often resell in towns for a small margin, but overall still lower the price compared to the regular merchants.
• Eye of the North Chests in Normal Mode have a "virtual key cost" of 600 meaning a retention rate bonus of 30%

Lockpicks vs Keys

For characters without any ranks in Lucky or Treasure Hunter, it is almost always more cost-effective to use keys instead of lockpicks to open chests. After advancing those title tracks, the lockpick retention rate will increase to the point where it is more cost-effective to use a lockpick, as shown in the following tables. The first table shows the break-even point for lockpicks bought from a merchant at 1  500 ; the second table uses the common player trade price of 1  250 .

Based on 1 500 lockpicks (Merchant price.) Key cost Base Rate 50 42% 80 41% 200 37% 300 35% 450 35% 600 30% 750 25% 1 250 7%

Based on 1 250 lockpicks. (Typical price for buying them from players in-game.) Key cost Base Rate 50 41% 80 40% 200 34% 300 31% 450 29% 600 22% 750 15% 1 250 0%

• Base Rate is the Inherent Lockpick Retention rate (see Retention, above) necessary for lockpicks to be as cost-effective as keys.
• The values represent the point at which a single lockpick is expected to open as many chests as 1  500 or 1  250 worth of the corresponding keys.
• For each given type of key:
  • If your inherent retention rate is less than the Base Rate, using keys will be cheaper.
  • If your inherent retention rate is equal to the Base Rate, using keys or lockpicks will cost you as much.
  • If your inherent retention rate is more than the Base Rate, using lockpicks will be cheaper.