Skip to content

Highest Open Locks skill needed in BGEE?

Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
Hi - in my current BGEE game I've decided *not* to dual Imoen (I have both a fighter/mage PC and Edwin anyway), I have her Find Traps at 95 (for Durlag's Tower, mainly) and Open Locks at 65 - does Open Locks need to be any higher for Durlag's Tower etc.? I'd prefer not to have to use the Knock spell, especially as I'm not dualing Imoen.

Once I've put enough points into these two skills, I'm thinking of investigating Set Traps for a change (probably in conjunction with having Invisibility cast on her). For backstabs I'll rely in Invisibility for Imoen, I also have Montaron who's almos entirely focused on stealth (moving now into pickpockets) for scouting and backstabs too,
«1

Comments

  • szbszb Member Posts: 220
    I don't have the exact number but I'm sure 65 open locks won't be enough, however you can always take potions with you(you'll also find some inside the tower itself) to boost your skill for those extra hard locks.
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    szb said:

    I don't have the exact number but I'm sure 65 open locks won't be enough, however you can always take potions with you(you'll also find some inside the tower itself) to boost your skill for those extra hard locks.

    Is 65 enough for most locks *outside* Durlag's Tower? Or 75, perhaps?

  • szbszb Member Posts: 220

    szb said:

    I don't have the exact number but I'm sure 65 open locks won't be enough, however you can always take potions with you(you'll also find some inside the tower itself) to boost your skill for those extra hard locks.

    Is 65 enough for most locks *outside* Durlag's Tower? Or 75, perhaps?

    Yes, 65 should be enough for most locks outside the tower, untill the endgame.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    @Oxford_Guy
    65 is not enough. I'd take 85.
  • EnterHaerDalisEnterHaerDalis Member Posts: 813
    bengoshi said:

    @Oxford_Guy
    65 is not enough. I'd take 85.

    Yeah I would agree here, although since gold seems easier to obtain in BG:EE you could just supplement it with potions of master thievery.


  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    bengoshi said:

    @Oxford_Guy
    65 is not enough. I'd take 85.

    For Durlag's or do you need more for that? Is 65 enough before Durlags?

  • IgnatiusIgnatius Member Posts: 624
    I am fairly sure 65 will not open every lock outside DT. Am thinking of those in the Candlekeep catacombs, for instance. I would target 75/80 and keep potions in case.
  • RoseveldRoseveld Member Posts: 11
    edited December 2012
    anyone can explain why you can go over 100 on open locks (or any other rogue skill for that matter)?
    Is there a max? Is it worth it to go over 100?
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Roseveld said:

    anyone can explain why you can go over 100 on open locks (or any other rogue skill for that matter)?
    Is there a max? Is it worth it to go over 100?

    It's worth it for hide in shadows/move silently because you get a large penalty when trying to hide in daylight. Not sure about the others, pick pockets might help going over 100 (in BG2 anyway)
  • hzfhzf Member Posts: 70
    As far as I recall, 85 is needed for the highest locks and traps outside of durlags.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    @Oxford_Guy
    My Montaron has 75 on open locks, and he still can't open many chests (even before ToSc).
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    @Roseveld
    In my opinion (and from my experience) you can have detect illusions, set traps, find traps, lockpicting all set at 100 (you don't need more than 100 for these abilities). More than 100 is needed for pickpocketing (to increase a chance), hide in shadows and move silently (both because of armor penalties).
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    bengoshi said:

    @Roseveld
    In my opinion (and from my experience) you can have detect illusions, set traps, find traps, lockpicting all set at 100 (you don't need more than 100 for these abilities). More than 100 is needed for pickpocketing (to increase a chance), hide in shadows and move silently (both because of armor penalties).

    Do any of these have a critical failure percentage (e.g. set traps)? If the critical failure for set traps is, say, 5%, then presumably there's no point in having 100 in it, only 95? Could someone clarify?
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    No, only 100 points in set traps and detect illusions guarantee success. I'm sure find traps and lockpicting work the same.
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    Roseveld said:

    anyone can explain why you can go over 100 on open locks (or any other rogue skill for that matter)?
    Is there a max? Is it worth it to go over 100?

    bengoshi said:

    No, only 100 points in set traps and detect illusions guarantee success. I'm sure find traps and lockpicting work the same.


    In fact, in vanilla BG, there are some chests that require more than 100 to be opened (ex: Ducal treasure amongst other).

    However, I have read something saying that they decided to remove the hight requirements from open locks.

    So now, I guess the hardest locks will only require 100 to be opened.

    In vanilla BG, I clearly remember drinking a potion of thieve mastery before trying to unlock the Duke's treaasure.
  • PugPugPugPug Member Posts: 560
    The manual says Open Locks gains no benefit beyond 100, if that helps.
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    PugPug said:

    The manual says Open Locks gains no benefit beyond 100, if that helps.

    for BG:EE that's right :-)
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729


    Contrary to the manual, armor does not effect the success of skills (other then the ones that disable skills completely), and Bards cannot pickpocket while wearing non-elven chainmail, even though it specifically says they can (with exception to Drizzts chain which does allow thief skills, but not magic, since while it's mithril, it's dwarven made rather then elven)

    When I CLUA-ed in the elven chain mail into BGEE it *did* affect some of my thief skills and this can be seen on the character sheet. Other armour doesn't seem to affect thief skills, though (apart from disabling them completely, if a fighter/thief dons plate mail, for example)

  • Blakes7Blakes7 Member Posts: 83
    edited December 2012
    If dorn is in your party you could probably just smash most locks and use the thief to disarm traps
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    In vanilla BG, the armor after the leather armor also lower your thief stats if I am right.
  • KirkorKirkor Member Posts: 700
    I have 75 lockpick, and there are some locks, that I can't open. Unless you take a potion.
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Kirkor said:

    I have 75 lockpick, and there are some locks, that I can't open. Unless you take a potion.

    Is this even before Durlag's Tower and Candlekeep Catacombs?

  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729

    In vanilla BG, the armor after the leather armor also lower your thief stats if I am right.

    Studded Leather doesn't affect thieving skills in vanilla BG, the only thief-wearable armour that does seems to be elven chain, though the effect is relatively minor
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Blakes7 said:

    If dorn is in your party you could probably just smash most locks and use the thief to disarm traps

    I think 19 Str only counts as 50 open locks, which isn't enough for the later game ones, and as I'm not dualing Imoen to a mage, I don't want to waste spell slots on Knock
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    bengoshi said:

    No, only 100 points in set traps and detect illusions guarantee success. I'm sure find traps and lockpicting work the same.

    So if you have 100 points in set traps is there *no* chance of failure?
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137

    bengoshi said:

    No, only 100 points in set traps and detect illusions guarantee success. I'm sure find traps and lockpicting work the same.

    So if you have 100 points in set traps is there *no* chance of failure?
    In a manner of speaking, yes. It can still "not find the trap straight away", even at 100, but it should mean you're able to find every trap given sufficient time. As noted, however, some traps theoretically require 110 in trapfinding to disarm, you may need a potion to take out everything.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    edited December 2012
    Be careful with trap finding, even with 100 skill. Find/Disarm Traps has a very short range, and it only activates once per round. If you're walking about too fast thinking that you're safe, you will walk into traps before the skill detects them. I always think that being a D&D thief must feel like being on a bomb squad.

    I find it helpful to back up my thief by having one of my divine casters keep a Find Traps spell active, especially in trap-heavy dungeons.
  • ElendarElendar Member Posts: 831
    Just dual Imoen anyways.
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Elendar said:

    Just dual Imoen anyways.

    I don't want to, dualing her means finding another thief with decent find traps to cover for her whilst levelling, which means dropping one of my other NPCs for the duration, which means they won't be gaining XP and I'm very happy with my current party setup as is - Fighter/Mage CHARNAME, Dorn, Monty (focussed on stealth and pickpockets), Viconia, Edwin, Imoen. Also I'd like to try out the Set Traps skill with her.
Sign In or Register to comment.