How can you tell when something is locked?

[GetToDeChoppa]

Am I missing something here?

How can you tell if a door or chest is locked before you open it? When I detect traps or trapped objects I get the disable device symbol and it says (trickery).

With locked chests and doors it does nothing, and when I click to loot or open the object it just says lockpick failed or lockpick succeeded.

[Invisible]

In Kingmaker you cannot, in Wrath there is a much improved interface. You should preemtivly make a quicksave before every chest / door.

[forkofspite]

Have your highest trickery skill character stand far away. Click the potentially locked object. If your trickery character starts moving towards it, consider it locked - you still have time to cancel the action and buff appropriately if you wish. On the other hand, if the closest character does the interaction, it wasn't locked (unless it's a story lock that can't be opened via trickery).

Alternatively, you can select a character that has no trickery ranks, and have that character try. However, it's easy to forget that you have a specific character selected, so when you click that arcana check interaction - whoops! (Can't retry with a different character.)

Best solution that doesn't involve quicksaves or careful character manipulation: have more than one character that's good in trickery.

[GetToDeChoppa]

Thanks for the info. I thought I was missing something, but it appears not.

I really like this game, but it seems for all the complex things it does well, there is also something really basic and simple it misses the mark on.

[The.Spaz.]

I only found this out in the final act of the game but ranged lockpicking has no restrictions and you can spam it as many times as you want till you unlock it. I am not sure but I think its related to the arcane trickster class so maybe only one of your companions can get this trick (Octavia).

Unfortunately in the early parts, you will have to rely on having two party members with high trickery skills to have more than one try. Having a bard boost your skills with performance will reduce the odds. Having at least one member with high perception skill is also advised otherwise you will have to revisit areas quite frequently after the fact to uncover hidden/trapped objects. I generally make a save before I attempt unlocking a chest, its tedious as hell but it works. Having buffs from resting (ice cream) will aid further although, resting is to be used sparingly in most cases. You can always bet that a trapped chest is also going to be locked so you can choose to leave those particular objects alone and return with a more capable party.

[Invisible]

Originally posted by The.Spaz.:

I only found this out in the final act of the game but ranged lockpicking has no restrictions and you can spam it as many times as you want till you unlock it. I am not sure but I think its related to the arcane trickster class so maybe only one of your companions can get this trick (Octavia).

This ability is only for the arcane trickster and should not give unlimited tries, but it does. For other characters than octavia it is too much effort and alternative costs to go for ranged legerdemain. Just get high enough trickery is enough. Skill focus, greater skill focus, skill mastery etc. This helps also in scripted interaction where trickery is an option.

[Duder]

I think I'm wearing out my hard drive for every time I quicksave before picking locks
Chests are often locked, some look like a small ornate box
Some weird things are locked too. I had a few locked crates just off the top of my head

That being said, as Fork and others said here, always have one character in your party with a high trickery. I have three or so characters with at least decent trickery, and most of my characters have some.
MOST of the locks DC are below what your "intended" level should be around depending on the area, to what your trickery is maxed or just below. So really after a while it doesn't become an issue. Though I still catch myself savescumming rarely.
There are some super hard perception checks. I just found one for 50 at rushlight tournament, a mace
Unfortunately there's no notification for missed perception checks,

[GetToDeChoppa]

I always play the skill check bardsong, and cast guidance on the characters that will attempt.
In 3rd the actual 3rd edition ruleset you would usually take 20 on a lockpick role if your character was not under any duress...

My issue is not even with the way the skill is used however, its just that on a one off skill check, there is not anything that tells you that the object is locked before you actually make the attempt. It just seems like a major oversight by Owlcat.

[Duder]

Originally posted by GetToDeChoppa:

I always play the skill check bardsong, and cast guidance on the characters that will attempt.
In 3rd the actual 3rd edition ruleset you would usually take 20 on a lockpick role if your character was not under any duress...

My issue is not even with the way the skill is used however, its just that on a one off skill check, there is not anything that tells you that the object is locked before you actually make the attempt. It just seems like a major oversight by Owlcat.

I thought maybe there might had been an icon when hovering over but no
DM would say "its locked"
Biggest oversight for me - no autopause notifications

[asame_akio]

I don’t think 3rd edition actually guaranteed taking 20 on lockpicking checks—usually taking 20 was something reserved for an action you could repeat again and again without consequence for failure, and that wouldn’t necessarily be the case with delicate or trapped locks.