Pickaxe, chisel, lockpicks and portals

A blocked route can need a specific tool rather than a stronger combat party. Keep the Pickaxe, Shovel, Golden Chisel, Lockpick Tools and Mortar and Pestle available for their separate interactions.

Match the obstacle

Tool	Interaction
Pickaxe	Clear ordinary collapsed rocks; some stone needs Reinforced Pickaxe
Shovel	Dig graves for loot, spending shared food
Golden Chisel	Work gold veins in rock walls
Lockpick Tools	Open compatible locked chests
Mortar and Pestle	Mix alchemy and food recipes

Mark a stronger rock or an unopened chest on the map if the matching tool is missing. A Pickaxe does not replace the Golden Chisel, and Lockpick Tools do not establish that a quest door accepts them instead of its named key.

The Hollowgrave Silver Key route is a concrete example: the Chieftain’s drop opens his private chest, while the separate Silver Key inside opens the northwest door. Clearing cave-ins with a pickaxe does not bypass that key chain.

Check the exploration view

Use R to interact with what is directly in front of the party, including doors, levers, chests and alcoves. Inspect hollow trees and rubbish piles for hidden stashes. Objects placed in alcoves or near tombstones may serve an interaction rather than being ordinary discarded loot.

Fragile scenery can sometimes be attacked. A pressure plate across a pit needs an object thrown onto it, which is a different gesture from dropping the item at the party’s feet. Trial of Dexterity explains the throw condition.

Activate return routes

Interact with each portal stone to activate it. Once activated, it participates in travel between discovered portals. Opening the map alone does not activate a stone you have only walked past.

The map legend distinguishes pits, rocks, statues, shrines, teleports and passages. Use those categories when noting a return visit: “rock requiring stronger pickaxe” is more useful than assuming every unfinished marker is the next story objective.

Shared food pays for rest and grave digging. Keep a reserve for recovery rather than spending the whole supply on optional graves immediately before a difficult region.