Lockpick Expansion — Craftable Steel Picks and Auto-Switching

This mod expands the game's lockpicking economy and behavior without changing core mechanics. You can now craft five iron lockpicks from a single iron ingot and five steel lockpicks from a single steel ingot. Steel lockpicks are automatically used before iron ones, and the Skeleton Key is preferred over steel lockpicks when available. Steel lockpicks offer a slightly wider success window to simulate improved durability. Leveled lists have been adjusted so enemies and vendors can drop or sell steel lockpicks, increasing their availability in play.

There are a few intentional limitations to preserve balance and reflect current engine constraints. The system forces consumption of all steel lockpicks before switching to iron, and when your steel lockpicks are exhausted the lockpicking menu will close rather than automatically swapping to iron picks. Because direct reduction of pick breakage wasn’t possible, the mod uses a marginally wider success window for steel picks to represent their greater effectiveness.