# Safe Cracking - how long should it take?
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125
**Category:** The Bunker
**Created:** [November 1, 2020, 11:14am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125 "2020-11-01T11:14:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@M1nks](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/M1nks)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 11:14am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/1 "2020-11-01T11:14:43Z")
Does anyone know what the chances actually are for cracking a safe now? I’ve been trying for about 20 hours.
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### Author:  [@PALU](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/PALU)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/2 "2020-11-01T11:47:40Z")
As far as I understand it’s skill dependent. I believe an attempt took longer when my character was at a lower skill level (memory indicates something like 2 hours), while I think the current time is about 40 minutes (mechanic 10, 0.E2 stable, in case requirements have changed).
I didn’t actually try cracking any safe until my character mechanic was decent, however: safes don’t go anywhere, and I didn’t have any access to the required equipment (hadn’t found any and couldn’t craft any).
It can also be noted that they’re typically not worth the effort anyway, as they tend to contain stuff you find anyway (with the exception of banks, where vaults can contain something that’s actually interesting). Who cares about a gun of the same type as 5 of the zombies you had to wade through to get there dropped, or some jewelry you can find beside beds?
On the other hand, safe cracking is supposed to increase your mechanic skill, so it might not be worse than spending your time dismantling vehicles (but probably worse than spending the time reading skill training books).
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### Author:  [@M1nks](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/M1nks)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/3 "2020-11-01T11:51:28Z")
My mechanic skill is 6 which isn’t too bad. I thought that it was probably going to be dependent on the device skill (which is only 1).
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### Author:  [@PALU](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/PALU)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/4 "2020-11-01T11:56:30Z")
Could very well be. The Device skill doesn’t exist in 0.E2 stable, but I think my mechanic was somewhere in the range 4-6 when I first attempted a safe. It would make sense for the skill used to have been shifted, though.
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### Author:  [@Zhilkin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zhilkin)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/5 "2020-11-01T18:35:55Z")
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### Author:  [@M1nks](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/M1nks)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/safe-cracking-how-long-should-it-take/25125/6 "2020-11-01T19:47:31Z")
So, according to that I should be developing a safe cracking skill. I haven’t noticed it but I have a few off them in progress now so it’s possible that I’ve missed it.
Thank you for the link.