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Old 04-28-2017, 10:48 PM   #1
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Default Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

After a discussion on the gurps discord channel I was wondering what are some mundane protections locksmiths can put in place to counter the magic spell "lockmaster". Thieves after all invest considerable effort in the ability to get past a lock. Having mages being able to cast a spell to bypass a lock makes things a bit unfair on the thief.
Some of the ideas discussed where
- having parts of the lock made from meteor iron.
- Multiple "fake" locks, forcing the mage to spend more ER/FP
- locks that can only be opened by magic that contain a trap
- placing a simple self locking "drop bar" to protect the main lock

What other ideas does everyone have?
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Old 04-29-2017, 12:03 AM   #2
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

A few thoughts:
Comparison of Lockmaster vs. Lockpicking
Lockmaster
-> Always 10 seconds (rather than 60)
-> Cheaper for a mage
-> Can open Magelocks
-> No equipment

Lockpicking
-> Margin of success effects speed (5 seconds per point)
-> Takes equipment modifiers
-> Can make traps roll to circumvent trap
-> No mana/FP problems
-> No Magery 2 gating

Now, the main problem for the mage is that at an FP of 10 and skill 15, the mage can burn through 5 locks before needing to stop badly, and probably wants stop earlier to cast something else if needed. Now, if you want balance the scales closer (because skill 15 is easy to get for a Magery 2 mage), let thieves get a hold of good lockpicks, perhaps enchanted with Locksmith (+5 bonus!)
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Old 04-29-2017, 12:16 AM   #3
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

In Dungeon Fantasy, I apply the lock's quality modifier to Lockmaster. This means that for tough locks the wizard is often better off assisting the thief with Locksmith.
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Old 04-29-2017, 01:27 AM   #4
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

Quote:
Originally Posted by TGLS View Post
Now, the main problem for the mage is that at an FP of 10 and skill 15, the mage can burn through 5 locks before needing to stop badly, and probably wants stop earlier to cast something else if needed.
Put 5 locks on every door. They don't even have to be good locks, but only the thief would know which ones are good by looking at them.
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Old 04-29-2017, 02:43 AM   #5
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
Put 5 locks on every door. They don't even have to be good locks, but only the thief would know which ones are good by looking at them.
Put 10 cheap locks on a door, but in a way that makes it totally unclear whether the 'locked' position is clockwise or counterclockwise for the thief. Randomly lock about half of them; memorize the pattern.
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Old 04-29-2017, 06:27 AM   #6
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

I have a friend who picks locks in real life. Once he has done a particular kind of padlock with a particular key 3-4 times in a row, doing it again only takes about as long as someone with the key.

Translate to GURPS:
Perk: Lock memorizing. Cheap locks with identical keying, once successfully picked 3 times in a row, can be considered "familiar" and picked in 1 second. This effect wears off after 1 hour of not picking any of that particular lock. Only one lock may be memorized at a time.

For those with the keys, I could see a contraption made to unlock 3, 5, or even 10 locks at a time. If you don't have the contraption (a bar with 10 keys sticking out of it, turning at the same time) then they are individual locks. It's damn inconvenient to carry, but if you're worried about magi breaking in, you do inconvenient things.

Add on one "real" quality lock, and you have decent security. 10 cheap locks for the mage and one "good" lock for a thief, and nobody can get in.
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Old 04-29-2017, 08:09 AM   #7
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

One historic method was to conceal the keyhole. Have a fake keyhole that sets off a trap or alarm if it is successfully unlocked while the real keyhole is concealed behind a hidden panel.
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Old 04-29-2017, 08:45 AM   #8
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
In Dungeon Fantasy, I apply the lock's quality modifier to Lockmaster.
That's explicitly in the spell description, it takes the same modifiers as Lockpicking.

As far as I can tell the only sensible reason to learn Lockmaster is to counter Magelock. If you are using it to open locks you would have been better off buying the Lockpicking skill (which as IQ/Average you will be 1 better with than with the spell) and casting Locksmith to not need tools.
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Old 04-29-2017, 08:55 AM   #9
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd View Post
That's explicitly in the spell description, it takes the same modifiers as Lockpicking.
Sure, but realistic TL3 to TL4 locks don't generally have penalties to pick. Complicated mechanical locks are definitely a dungeon delving trope.
Quote:
As far as I can tell the only sensible reason to learn Lockmaster is to counter Magelock. If you are using it to open locks you would have been better off buying the Lockpicking skill (which as IQ/Average you will be 1 better with than with the spell) and casting Locksmith to not need tools.
There was an instance where the party decided to open a door from the wrong side in my game (which I did not expect). It took both the mentalist using TK and the wizard casting Lockmaster to open it. In that case regular Lockpicking wasn't even possible.

Last edited by sir_pudding; 04-29-2017 at 08:59 AM.
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Old 04-29-2017, 12:41 PM   #10
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Default Re: Role protection, Locksmiths vs Lockmaster

A trap I made for That Other Game might work here - it had an obvious lock on the front and a hidden one in the back, which used the same key. Unlocking the front lock activated a trap the shot a poisoned dart and relocked the trap. It had 5 poisoned darts, and once the magazine was spent it would jam the lock from inside. Unlocking the hidden lock would disengage the trap, allowing it to be unlocked from the front normally. A proper rogue-type could figure out the mechanism and unlock it properly; a mage would likely get poisoned. My PC's never figured out the hidden mechanism and just bashed it open after 2 darts (ruining some of the potions in the process).
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