Insider Trader: Open, Sesame!
by Lisa Poisso 
Jul 13th 2007 at 8:30AM
Insider Trader is your weekly inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.
Open up in there! Rogues aren't the only ones who can open those tricksey chests and doors. This week, Insider Trader looks at two tools for those of us with no cred in roguely lockpicking. We'll also point you rogues toward some compelling reasons to level and use your lockpicking and pickpocketing skills.
You may not have to be a rogue in order to open a locked chest or door, but you do have to be handy with tools. Blacksmiths and engineers are the other locksmiths of Azeroth.
Skeleton keys
Blacksmiths can make skeleton keys that will pop a variety of locks. Only blacksmiths of appropriate skill levels can make and use these keys, which are consumed during use (I guess the flimsy little things snap off inside the lock?). The level of door/container on which skeleton keys work depends on the lockpicking level assigned to that lock. Here's a handy list of general skill ranges and box types.
Insider tip! You can stash skeleton keys in the "bottomless pit" of your keyring until you're ready to use them. Skill up by crafting skeleton keys, and then store them in your keyring to use whenever you come across a locked chest or door.
Silver Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (100)
Commonly used to open: Small Locked Chest, Sturdy Locked Chest, Reinforced Locked Chest, Heavy Bronze Lockbox, Ornate Bronze Lockbox, Ironbound Locked Chest and Battered Junkbox
Golden Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (150)
Truesilver Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (200)
Commonly used to open: Steel Lockbox, Sturdy Junkbox, Dire Maul doors, Scarlet Monastery doors
Arcanite Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (275)
Commonly used to open: Eternium Lockbox, Fel Iron Chests and lower
The strong-arm approach
Engineers manage locks a little less elegantly but no less effectively: they blast them open. Like skeleton keys, seaforium charges come in a variety of powers, open locks based on their assigned lockpicking level and are consumed on use. Seaforium is useable only by engineers. As of patch 2.1, it can be used to blast open locked chests, lockboxes and locked doors.
Small Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (100)
Commonly used on: Workshop door in Gnomeregan, Defias door in The Deadmines
Large Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (200)
Commonly used on: Shadowforge Gate, Scarlet Monastery doors
Powerful Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (275)
Commonly used on: Dire Maul doors, Stratholme door
Elemental Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (350)
Commonly used on: Outlands chests and doors that require 350 lockpicking skill
It's worth noting that there are a few locks throughout the world that can be opened only by a rogue (or of course, with the proper dedicated key):
Lockpicking and pickpocketing
While blacksmiths and engineers do bring some new tools to the table for opening stubborn chests and doors, our roguish friends definitely have the inside line on most secured loot. If you're a rogue, there are some darn good reasons to max your lockpicking skill -- and some pretty sweet reasons to pickpocket, too. If you're lagging behind in your roguely duties, Sprint over to some good lockpicking and pickpocketing resources, pronto!
Lisa Poisso is a freelance writer, when she's not moping and /sighing her way past all the locked chests she cannot open.
Open up in there! Rogues aren't the only ones who can open those tricksey chests and doors. This week, Insider Trader looks at two tools for those of us with no cred in roguely lockpicking. We'll also point you rogues toward some compelling reasons to level and use your lockpicking and pickpocketing skills.You may not have to be a rogue in order to open a locked chest or door, but you do have to be handy with tools. Blacksmiths and engineers are the other locksmiths of Azeroth.
Skeleton keys
Blacksmiths can make skeleton keys that will pop a variety of locks. Only blacksmiths of appropriate skill levels can make and use these keys, which are consumed during use (I guess the flimsy little things snap off inside the lock?). The level of door/container on which skeleton keys work depends on the lockpicking level assigned to that lock. Here's a handy list of general skill ranges and box types.
Insider tip! You can stash skeleton keys in the "bottomless pit" of your keyring until you're ready to use them. Skill up by crafting skeleton keys, and then store them in your keyring to use whenever you come across a locked chest or door.
Silver Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (100)
Commonly used to open: Small Locked Chest, Sturdy Locked Chest, Reinforced Locked Chest, Heavy Bronze Lockbox, Ornate Bronze Lockbox, Ironbound Locked Chest and Battered Junkbox
Golden Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (150)
Truesilver Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (200)
Commonly used to open: Steel Lockbox, Sturdy Junkbox, Dire Maul doors, Scarlet Monastery doors
Arcanite Skeleton Key
Requires Blacksmithing (275)
Commonly used to open: Eternium Lockbox, Fel Iron Chests and lower
The strong-arm approach
Engineers manage locks a little less elegantly but no less effectively: they blast them open. Like skeleton keys, seaforium charges come in a variety of powers, open locks based on their assigned lockpicking level and are consumed on use. Seaforium is useable only by engineers. As of patch 2.1, it can be used to blast open locked chests, lockboxes and locked doors.
Small Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (100)
Commonly used on: Workshop door in Gnomeregan, Defias door in The Deadmines
Large Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (200)
Commonly used on: Shadowforge Gate, Scarlet Monastery doors
Powerful Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (275)
Commonly used on: Dire Maul doors, Stratholme door
Elemental Seaforium Charge
Requires Engineering (350)
Commonly used on: Outlands chests and doors that require 350 lockpicking skill
It's worth noting that there are a few locks throughout the world that can be opened only by a rogue (or of course, with the proper dedicated key):
- Blackrock Depths door
- Scholomance door
Lockpicking and pickpocketing
While blacksmiths and engineers do bring some new tools to the table for opening stubborn chests and doors, our roguish friends definitely have the inside line on most secured loot. If you're a rogue, there are some darn good reasons to max your lockpicking skill -- and some pretty sweet reasons to pickpocket, too. If you're lagging behind in your roguely duties, Sprint over to some good lockpicking and pickpocketing resources, pronto!
Lisa Poisso is a freelance writer, when she's not moping and /sighing her way past all the locked chests she cannot open.
Filed under: Rogue, Blacksmithing, Engineering, Tips, Making money, Insider Trader (Professions)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dyermaker Jul 13th 2007 8:47AM
It is foolish to encourage Blacksmiths or Engineers opening of lockboxes. Most times the materials inside the box is worth significantly less than the materials used to create the key/charge that will open that box. Any Blacksmith or Engineer who decides to make keys and charges for opening boxes is just flushing gold away.
Noah Jul 13th 2007 9:18AM
There was also a nifty little addon written/revised by one of the guys in "It Came From the Blog" to tell anyone who mouses over one of these said boxes, which item from each profession (rogue, bs, and engi) you need to open said box. You can check it out and download it here:
http://www-en.curse-gaming.com/downloads/details/8165/
Skarloey Jul 13th 2007 10:29AM
I discovered this when I was lvling my smithing and i'm only likley to use the keys on my group (for chests or doors if there are no rogues with us) or my toons, but every now when it's a broze lock box or so being annouced and they've been asking for a while I'll help out the people i can. I do love the "But you're a mage" I get when I offer to open the lock boxes. Or even the "but you're a mage" when I tell them I'm in Blacksmithing (weapon based) and have keys to open things.
I almost do agree with #1 about being not worth the mats wasted on a key for some of the things, which is why I do not go out of my way to help everyone. But it's nice for me to use it just for the boxes I get.
Paw Jul 13th 2007 10:45AM
Since I took up engineering, I just like blowing stuff up, and there are so few things that you can really blow up...so locked boxes will have to do. Damn the cost! Heheheheh!
SirCasey Jul 13th 2007 11:32AM
Interestingly enough, I just opened 3 Steel and Strong Iron locked boxes on my Blacksmith.
I had 6 Truesilver keys when I started.
I had 6 Truesilver keys when I finished.
*scratches head*
(Hopes that 'feature' stays)
DLight Jul 13th 2007 1:11PM
I dunno if they changed this since the fire festival, but the Scholo door can, in fact, be opened by the Powerful Seaforium Charge.
V3T_TOO Jul 15th 2007 5:19PM
The doors in BRD are openable by powerful charges.
Krick Jul 13th 2007 10:40PM
Two of the best professions for rogues (at least from a PvP standpoint) are:
Blacksmithing for Dragonstrike...
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=28439
Engineering for Deathblow X11 Goggles...
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=32478
There really needs to be another profession with a lock picking ability. I vote for a new Jewelcrafting recipe to make a "Fragile Lockpicking Tools" trinket that works like the Engineering jumper cables, i.e. a high chance of failure and a long cooldown.