Lockpicking in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a minigame where you find the right spot with your lockpick and then turn the lock, while pickpocketing is something specific characters teach you. This guide covers how the lockpicking minigame works, where to get your first lockpicks, where to practise, who teaches you to pickpocket, and which perks and potion make thievery easier. Information is current as of 19 October 2026.
How to pick locks
You need a lockpick in your inventory. Walk up to a locked chest or door and hold the interact button, which is E by default on PC. The lock minigame starts.
- Find the sweet spot. On PC you move the cursor with the mouse, on a controller with the right stick. When the cursor is in the right place, it turns gold or yellow.
- Turn the lock. Once you have found the spot, start turning the lock.
- Keep the cursor in place. While turning, keep the cursor on the same spot relative to the lock’s rotation.
Two things set the difficulty. The higher your Thievery skill, the bigger the cursor and the easier it is to hit the spot. The harder the lock, the more the cursor shakes. Leave the tougher locks for later, when your Thievery is higher.
Lockpicks: where to get them
Lockpicks break, and breaking one is loud. It can draw attention, so think twice about each attempt inside someone’s house or near guards. Keep restocking as you go.
- Bara in Troskowitz. Bara the beggar gives you your first lockpick right after the prologue. Ask her about armour or clothing.
- Bird nests. Lockpicks can turn up in bird nests. Knock the nest down with a stone.
- Traders and fences. You can buy lockpicks from traders and from fences who deal in stolen goods.
- Kreyzl’s barn. Lockpicks lie in the barn of Kreyzl the miller in Lower Semine (more below).
Bara is a good first stop after the prologue for other reasons too: she gives you information and a quest that leads to the combat trainer Tomcat. The order of your first steps is covered in our beginner’s guide.
Where to practise: Kreyzl and Materia Prima
The best place to learn thievery is the mill in Lower Semine. During the quest Materia Prima, Kreyzl the miller introduces you to stealing. In his barn you will find lockpicks and a chest with a “very easy” lock where you can practise in peace. The chest holds more lockpicks, so the practice pays for itself.
Kreyzl’s farmhand Hensel teaches you pickpocketing and the silent takedown.
Pickpocketing and the Thievery skill
Pickpocketing, lockpicking and stealing all raise your Thievery skill. The more you steal, the better you get, and that helps with locks as well: higher Thievery means a bigger cursor in the lock minigame.
Theft has a price. According to Warhorse’s developers, people react to your actions and crimes, and after crimes traders raise their prices and guards get stricter. Steal where nobody sees you, not in the shop where you plan to buy things later.
Thievery perks that help
As your Thievery level grows, you unlock perks. These four matter most for thieves:
| Perk | What it does |
|---|---|
| Nimble Fingers | while pickpocketing, your time builds up 10% faster |
| Rapid Flight | the victim does not notice a failed pickpocketing attempt |
| Tool Master | lockpicks last longer |
| Quickhand | people are less likely to notice you while lockpicking and pickpocketing |
If you pick a lot of locks, Tool Master saves lockpicks. For pickpockets, Rapid Flight and Quickhand are the most valuable because they lower the chance of getting caught. Do not forget to spend your perk points.
Quickfinger: the thief’s potion
The Quickfinger potion temporarily raises Thievery (and Craftsmanship). Drink it before a tough lock or a pickpocketing attempt where every extra level counts.
- Base: water
- Ingredients: 2× eyebright, 2× valerian, 1× cobweb
- Steps: boil cobweb and eyebright for 3 hourglass turns → grind and add valerian → boil for 1 turn → pour
How brewing works and more recipes are in our guide to alchemy recipes.
On PC, the console can make lockpicking easier
On PC you can simplify lockpicking with developer console commands: one stops the lockpick from shaking, the other makes it last longer. This only works on PC with the -devmode launch option, not on PS5 or Xbox. The exact commands and setup are in our console commands guide.
Join our Discord to swap tips on where you found the most lockpicks or which chest beat you: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
From Bara the beggar in Troskowitz right after the prologue, if you ask her about armour or clothing. You can also find lockpicks in bird nests, buy them from traders and fences, or take them from Kreyzl’s barn.
You search for the sweet spot with the right stick instead of the mouse. When the cursor turns gold, turn the lock and keep the cursor on the same spot relative to the rotation.
Hensel, the farmhand of Kreyzl the miller in Lower Semine, during the quest Materia Prima. He also teaches you the silent takedown.
Your Thievery is probably low, so the cursor is small, or the lock is too hard and the cursor shakes more. Practise on easy locks, drink Quickfinger and unlock the Tool Master perk.
By lockpicking, pickpocketing and stealing. The easy chest in Kreyzl’s barn is a good start, and Quickfinger gives a temporary boost.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. Find more guides in our KCD2 guides section.