WoW Rogue 101: Why do I need lockpicking?

For the Dungeons and Dragons (and probably Final Fantasy Tactics) fans, Rogues are synonymous with the following words: scalawag, bandit, pickpocket, thug, thief. However, if you happen to reside in World of Warcraft‘s boss-hunt-and-raid-intensive environment, the name takes on a more damage-intensive meaning as the party’s primary heavy hitter (alongside the mage).

But while rogues are taking a more aggressive stance in-game, Elizabeth Wachowski decided that the class needed a quick reminder of why they should be getting their much-neglected Lockpicking skill to 350. Here are some of the more practical (and humorous reasons):

1. You can be nice and open locked chests in instances. I open them for my groups with the reasonable “fee” of me being allowed to take anything that would really be an upgrade for me, which never ever happens. On the other hand, if you’re in some jerky pug with a priest that announces that all rogues are useless, a tank who can’t hold aggro for anything in the world, a mage who pyroblasts your saps, and a warlock who’s AFK half the time, feel free to announce that you can’t pick the chest. Wait for them all to hearth out and then sneak back and take it. Consider it a “jerk fee.”
2. You can get a largely endless supply of blinding powder by picking the junkboxes you get from pickpocketing humanoid mobs. You can also sometimes find some neat stuff in them, like gnome effigies.
3. It takes about fifteen minutes to level from 300. Just go to the broken camp in the south of Zangarmarsh, sneak around, and pick all the little chests. It’s as easy as pie!

We got sold on the “jerk fee” comment and the gnomish effigy. So, if you think your dual-weapon wielding back-stab wonder is in need of some serious polishing up, head over to Zangarmarsh for the said training.

For the Dungeons and Dragons (and probably Final Fantasy Tactics) fans, Rogues are synonymous with the following words: scalawag, bandit, pickpocket, thug, thief. However, if you happen to reside in World of Warcraft‘s boss-hunt-and-raid-intensive environment, the name takes on a more damage-intensive meaning as the party’s primary heavy hitter (alongside the mage).

But while rogues are taking a more aggressive stance in-game, Elizabeth Wachowski decided that the class needed a quick reminder of why they should be getting their much-neglected Lockpicking skill to 350. Here are some of the more practical (and humorous reasons):

1. You can be nice and open locked chests in instances. I open them for my groups with the reasonable “fee” of me being allowed to take anything that would really be an upgrade for me, which never ever happens. On the other hand, if you’re in some jerky pug with a priest that announces that all rogues are useless, a tank who can’t hold aggro for anything in the world, a mage who pyroblasts your saps, and a warlock who’s AFK half the time, feel free to announce that you can’t pick the chest. Wait for them all to hearth out and then sneak back and take it. Consider it a “jerk fee.”
2. You can get a largely endless supply of blinding powder by picking the junkboxes you get from pickpocketing humanoid mobs. You can also sometimes find some neat stuff in them, like gnome effigies.
3. It takes about fifteen minutes to level from 300. Just go to the broken camp in the south of Zangarmarsh, sneak around, and pick all the little chests. It’s as easy as pie!

We got sold on the “jerk fee” comment and the gnomish effigy. So, if you think your dual-weapon wielding back-stab wonder is in need of some serious polishing up, head over to Zangarmarsh for the said training.