Can anybody recommend a stealthy follower who can pick locks? I'm trying to go through the thieves guild on my "lawful good" character without ever committing a crime, but I will occasionally need a follower to commit those crimes for me. I was going to use Aela and it worked perfectly in the stealth department, but she refuses to commit any crimes. The follower I wanted to use was the dark elf mercenary in the Drunken Huntsman, but she is MIA. I don't believe she was ever killed, but she's not sitting in there like she is supposed to.

they all stink when it comes to lockpicking....

don't know that i've used a single one that could open anything higher than adept locks....

Why would a "lawful good" character ever join the thieves guild? And then extort someone else to commit the crimes for you? Doesn't sound very lawfully good to me hahahahaha
I never really asked my followers to do anything for me. They were mainly my tanks/meat shields/distractions. Have you tried Janessa in Whiterun? She can be found in the "Drunken Huntsman". She strikes me as a good shadow thief.

I could just go back and get the tower stone, but due to a glitch around them, it'll say I've discovered 14 stones. Then when I switch back to the one I have, it'll go up to 15.

I went ahead and got the tower stone, like I said. Not ideal, but really, I figure just about everybody has more than 13 listed in their stats, as most players would switch between stones routinely depending on the circumstances. It's not like I'll wake up on day, look at the stats and cry because I have more than 13, so screw it. It doesn't matter. I've already done several Thieves Guild quests without committing a crime so far. Hopefully I can do the rest. Upgrading the guild will be another matter altogether. Guess I'll do numbers jobs over and over.

it may be a glitch, but with Vorstag and Jenassa, both are able to open any level of chest lock including Master. Presumably they break it open so the lock level doesn't matter. However, they cannot open any door locks, even Novice level and refuse immediately.

Joining the Thieves Guild but not wanting to commit crimes? Maybe I am getting too old for this modern gaming, but that idea defeats me.

Yesterday, I realised that I had not done anything illegal for ages, too busy dungeoneering, so I put some time into burglary in Solitude and felt much better afterwards. The loot was rubbish though (the Thalmor HQ was particularly disappointing and none of the b*ggers were in residence so I couldn't even stab them while they slept to make up for my waste of time).

This. The TG is definitely not somewhere a lawful good character would feel comfortable. The very first thing Brynjolf has the player do is awful and it just stays bad. I mean, my thieving character was a little uncomfortable with the quests (Why am I bullying and setting people up? Shouldn't I be thieving here?), but she escalated to the DB so she clearly wasn't a good character by any stretch of the imagination. I can't see a good character thinking anything they want him/her to do being okay.

I don't use any companions to open locks. I do it myself even I had to break few lockpicks in the process, but it raise mine skills. It is also okay to spend some money on training lockpicks and pickpockets unless you enchant good items or make selfmade potions.

Cheers,
-Klevs

Sounds like a "complete everything with 1 char" type... Kinda ruins playing TES games right?

But on topic, if you can't/won't do it, don't have your companion do it. I'm not even sure If they can but the idea seems impractical.... In the end wouldn't thou want the skill going up for you? Oh I forgot your on the "right" side of the law...lol