Rogue Lockpicking, the Basics

The World of Warcraft Rogue has a unique ability - picking locks. This allows the Rogue to open chests, footlockers, and doors that would be otherwise inaccessible short of using a seaforium charge. Rogue's can also pickpocket boxes off humanoid mobs.

Here's a link to a complete Rogue lockpicking guide, but you can get the basics below.

Horde (Blood Elves can do this one or their own in the Ghostlands) -

1. Head to Ratchet and talk to Wrentex the Wretched to get the lockpicking quest
   
2. Get your tools and an ECAC from the device next to him.
   
3. Head south along the coast to a ship parked up against the shore.
   
4. Run up the bow spike and go to the stern and enter.
   
5. Pick the locks there until your skill is at least 80.
6. Head downstairs, to the bottom, find the chest at the back.
   
7. open it, get the item, activate your ECAC
8. kill the level 18 parrot in the next room (it'll be level 50 if you don't use the ECAC)
9. Return to Wrentix and hand in.
   

Alliance

• Get to Lakeshore (in Redridge) and talk to Lucius.
• He'll give you your tools and send you to Alther's Mill, to the east.
• Once you hit the mill, pick the practice locks till your skill is at least 80 then open the main chest.
  
• Return to Lucius and complete the quest. You'll reeive your certificate of Thievery and get some snide remarks.
  

Congratulations.

Ask your Rogue trainer where you can go to level up your skills.

Also, pickpocket humanoid mobs for lockboxes. Open the boxes to level your skill and get Rogue poison materials. Every once in a great while these boxes will also contain more interesting items, but they're rare.