Lockpicks

What to do if a door or chest is locked and there is no way to find the key, if it even exists at all? This is for what Lockpicks are for. These not-totally legal little things are extremely useful to overcome locks which refuse to open. However, if the lock is too complicated even a Lockpick won't help to open it, so the key is needed after all. Also, if the user is too clumsy, instead of jimmying the lock open he/she will break the lockpick, rendering it useless.

Still, lockpicks should always be in a pack for emergencies.

From Ultima I-V, Lockpicks were simply known as "keys". These were quite hard to find and could be only brought at special shops (although that wasn't a problem anymore by Ultima V, where monsters left them often).

From Ultima VI-VII/2, they were know known under their current name but worked still the same. Also, it was now much easier to obtain them, every tool shop sold them by then.

Strangely enough, Lockpicks vanished by Ultima IX.

Trivia

 * In the earliest Ultimas, only guards had keys, meaning the player had to kill them to get keys.


 * Strange enough, people don't care when you jimmy a lock (exception in Ultima Underworld II).


 * In Serpent Isle, Shamino tells the Avatar that the Lockpicks should only be used for virtuous reasons, because the Avatar is no common thief... Well, he and the other companions still don't complain when you steal (makes you wonder, how serious Shamino takes this at all ;))