What is the secret behind opening chests and stuff.. i've tried every option with every character and still those damn traps keep exploding in my face.. What skill should i increase to open chests safely without picklocks and so on.. Bashing it open doesn't seem like a good idea..

You just need a rouge (a rat rouge) with
lockpicking skill.
Then left click on the chest (select the
rouge first)
You only need to press the unlock symbol.
When the bar turns yellow or red press
STOP.
Retry until the chest opens