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Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: How to pick hard locks

"This lock is too difficult" explained!

The player attempts to pick a lock in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but text appears saying "This lock is too difficult".
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Deep Silver

Want to know how to pick hard locks in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2? Ah, my fellow thieving little gibbon, I know your frustration. When you go to attempt picking a lock in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, only to be presented with the message, "This lock is too difficult"! The pain is real.

If you see the "This lock is too difficult" message, it means that attempting to pick the lock will instantly break your lockpick 100% of the time, and you'll never be allowed admittance. But why? The answer is that your Thievery Skill is too low. In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to pick hard and very hard locks in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - and we'll also offer some options for artificially increasing your Thievery Skill so you can try your hand at the hardest locks earlier on in the game!

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How to pick hard locks in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Locks on doors and chests come in 5 difficulty levels: Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard. At the very beginning of the game, you'll likely only be able to pick Very Easy and Easy locks. This is because you need to reach a certain level in your Thievery skill before the game allows you to attempt more complex locks.

It's not an exact science, because some locks are more complex than others even within their difficulty category. But generally, here's the Thievery level you need for each type of lock:

  • Very Easy locks: Can always attempt
  • Easy locks: Can always attempt
  • Medium locks: Requires Thievery 7
  • Hard locks: Requires Thievery 14
  • Very Hard locks: Requires Thievery 19

As I said, some Hard locks are easier than other Hard locks (and ditto for every other difficulty category), so you may find that you can pick certain locks before you've quite reached the level indicated above. But this should serve as a good guideline for players to help understand the level of Thievery Skill required before you can attempt such lockpicking tasks.

The player screen in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 with the Mischief Artist perk highlighted.
The player screen in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 with the Locksmith perk highlighted.
These two Perks will dramatically improve your ability to pick locks. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Deep Silver

One of the Perks you can unlock under the Thievery Skill is the "Mischief Artist" Perk. With this Perk, you gain a +3 bonus to both Thievery and Stealth for 120 seconds after successfully picking a lock or pickpocketing someone.

You can also spend some time smithing with Blacksmith Radovan to build up your Craftsmanship Skill, and then unlock the "Locksmith" Perk, which gives you a flat +3 to Thievery at all times when it comes to picking locks.

The player's inventory in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 with a Strong Quickfinger Potion highlighted.
A Strong Quickfinger Potion temporarily increases your Thievery Skill by +6. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Deep Silver

You can also temporarily increase your Thievery Skill by downing a Quickfinger potion. A Weak potion will increase Thievery (and Craftsmanship) by 2 for 10 minutes; a Normal potion will increase them by 4 for 20 minutes; and a Strong Quickfinger will increase them by 6 for 40 minutes. To make it, follow these instructions at an Alchemy Bench:

  1. Prepare 2x Eyebright, 2x Valerian, and 1x Cobweb.
  2. Pour water into the cauldron.
  3. Add the Cobweb and Eyebright to the cauldron and boil for 3 turns.
  4. Grind the Valerian and add it to the cauldron.
  5. Boil for 1 turn.
  6. Finally, pour.

That's it for our guide on how to pick hard locks in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. For more help with Warhorse Studios' latest RPG, check out our guides on how to get a horse, how to get money fast and how to fast travel. If you're in the mood for a celebratory drink after picking an especially tricky lock, our guide on how to cure drunkenness and remove a hangover will come in handy too. We've also got a page on the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 best class if you need a hand building your character as well.

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