Just curious can anyone here unlock chests using alteration?

I have easy unlock and very easy unlock and can't seem to be able to unlock anything yet even though my alteration skill is almost 70 and its a major skill.

I'm not sure if it's the spell and I need to update the game or what so any advice would be awesome.

if you got very easy it only works on very easy locks if you got very hard it works on very hard, hard, normal, easy and very easy

Also it depends on the "Lock Points" the chest has. I think its 20 points for Very Easy, 40 for Easy, 60 for Normal, 80 for Hard and 100 for Very Hard.

Also you can't unlock things that are underwater :blink:

i think 100 when it's 100 you need a key to unlock

I've found that with an on-target unlock spell, it is sometimes very hard to unlock anything. Even when you are 1 foot away. So I made my own unlock target spell, and instead of unlock on target, I made it be unlock on target in 3 feet. Now it works every time. Move around a little, once you've found that sweet spot on where to aim, remember that for all chests.

Oooh that pisses Buffy of so much! :flame:

She hates lock picks and opens everything with spells. She was furious to discover that you cannot make an unlock spell 'on touch' - only 'on target' (ranged). Ranged spells don't work underwater of course. . . . She refuses to even use the skellie key that one of the Daedra Lords gave her, so she makes poor Acadian use the command console to 'unlock' those rare locked chests she finds underwater.

The other spell quirk that angers her is that she paid good money to learn a bound bow spell. Boy, was she angry that it doesn't come with arrows. How dumb is that?!? :banghead: (easy to fix of course, but dumb, nevertheless)

I could look this up but id thought id ask since I'm new how do I make spells?

thanks got it to work now

Spellmaking Altars. A. Do the Mages Guild Recommendation and gain access to AU or B. buy the Magetallow Candles if you have the Frostcrage Spire DLC

haha that's to dumb

That's what I've done too, and once in a blue pair of moons it'll even work on those stupid gates that are so impossibly hard to hit just right.

Also, as mentioned, you have to use the right spell for the right lock. If the lock is Easy, you won't be able to open it with the Open Very Easy spell, you'll need Open Easy or better.

However, the highest grade you can buy is Open Hard, so you'll have to make the Very Hard version yourself. That'll open nearly everything. IIRC it'll require Expert level (75) to cast.

As far as making spells, you'll only need to buy the cheapest version of a spell in order to gain access to the effect. You start off with Restore Health and Fire Damage already, so once you start making spells, there's no reason to buy more spells like those two. Likewise, Open Very Easy will give you access to the effect, so you can later make the Very Hard version for yourself.

You'll need Lockpicks anyway, I've always found, as you'll get Average and Hard chests from very low levels. My Mage (whose a Master in Alteration) picked up the Skeleton Key simply for gates.

Then Buffy should go to the Chorrol Mages Guild hall and http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=33828

Or she could http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5564 in Cheydinhal.

Neat mods, Vyper. Thanks! Buffy actually likes to make Acadian earn his keep though.

I take it you're talking about iron gates like the ones in the IC Sewers. I usually aim for the bulkiest part or even the door frame. Believe it or not but if you cast open and hit the brickwork archway of the gate, it will unlock. As for penned in areas in dungeons (like the rat pen in the tutorial dungeon), I usually aim for the double stick posts (the hinges) on the gate.


AFAIK, you cannot use an open spell to open locks that require a key. At least not without mods.

Your welcome. I made the one in the first link after reading this thread. I tried to upload it, only to find that the other one was already using my intended title, so I had to change the name slightly. :blush: Guess I should have searched for one like that before making my own version. :laugh:

Nope. Key Locks are scripted and set to -1 I think.

using the extra bit of area effect is a great tip, thanks. 'those stupid gates' have to be the gold/brass thin metal ones like you find in fathis aren's tower. open hard locks on target just don't work on these no matter where you carefully aim it - so adding the 'in three feet' effect may be just the answere.

If not, try aiming for the archway or door frames.

According to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Open, a "Needs A Key" lock level is 100.

Yeah, I meant those iron gates.

Good luck with getting the AoE Open to work, because I sure couldn't, no matter where I aimed <_< I think it's more about how I was doing it though, since schmoe and others have been able to get it to work.

Odd. I use Lock 100 to put the lock at Very Hard