[Basic] Skill of the week: Lockpicking

[Ultraviolet]

In my many years of GURPS if I rate the hours played of each genre I've mostly played Cliffhangers, followed by present day SpecOps/Mercenary and finally a bit of SF and fantasy.

Many of my characters have had Lockpicking (plus often the associated skills), many of the other players have as well, and it has been used a lot.

In the two different Cliffhangers campaigns played since 1994 we've had a good mix of mostly high adventure into areas less-traveled as well as urban adventures with espionage, horror and/or wierd science themes.
There are always locked doors or chests to be opened. And since we play in a group with one or another player missing due to interference with Real Life it's dangerous to rely on just one character to have Lockpicking so I think about half of us have that skill.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

That actually makes sense. Still, magnetized key/lock - I've been out of the game too long. So freaking cool.

Not that new. The new patio door locks I had fitted a few years ago now (the exploit that defeated the old type having become a little too commonplace in even the low-rent end of the burglary trade) use magnets in the keys.

[Leynok]

Lockpicking is one of those Skills that I almost never get a chance to use when I take it, and always run into a need for it when I don't.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

This kind of key, with 2 straight edges and the "teeth" in its surface, would seem to defeat photography.

Originally Posted by RogerBW

Not really. Two photos from slightly different angles (e.g. video frames) will give you the indentation depths even if you get one of the good ones where you can't read them directly off the radius of the hole, and most of them aren't double-sided (or if they are it's the same pattern on both sides). It's a very minor step in the arms race.

Sure, you could make a copy if you had clear, focussed, contrasty close-ups of the key. I'm just doubting you could get a clear enough photo by hiding in the bushes with a telephoto lens.

[Mithlas]

Even having read the FAQ, I'm still a little fuzzy about the difference between Electronics Operation (Security) and Lockpicking as both are described as being able to defeat locks of various sorts. It seems to me from the description that Lockpicking may have a focus on physical locks, and Electronics (Security) may have a focus on electronic locks, but they're both used for the other in the FAQ so it seems like redundant skills.

Is there supposed to be some other use or application that I'm missing?

[vicky_molokh]

They're not redundant, they partially intersect.

[Mathulhu]

Electronic Operations (Security) covers things that prevent entry using electronic elements like electronic locks and electronic traps/alarms.

Lockpicking covers things that keep things closed, such as electronic locks and mechanical locks and supertech psionic locks etc.

So the idea is if this skill can do it then it can be used for it, rather than one true skill method that other systems use.

[RogerBW]

Any current "electronic lock" ultimately has a mechanical actuator of some sort. As I see it, you can use either skill to get through it, but what you're actually doing varies depending on which skill you pick.

[simply Nathan]

No stories here, but I have illustrated my character picking a lock with his dagger and making a Per-based Traps roll.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

Not that new. The new patio door locks I had fitted a few years ago now (the exploit that defeated the old type having become a little too commonplace in even the low-rent end of the burglary trade) use magnets in the keys.

Last time I was seriously working with locks was almost 20 years ago. My cousin was trying to keep me from being bored (in my family it is a known fact that if Christopher is bored he will find something to do - it will not always be benign or funny). I had just started working with recoding keycards and wiring alarms when he had to move to the Outer Banks to ply his trade. I got into computers shortly after that.