Lock Opening Power
 

I'm trying to create a power in which someone can wave their hand and a lock opens, like the Lockmaster spell. The only way I can to do it is to have TK with Accessibility (only to open locks). This would, however, not be automatic, with the person having to roll against their Lockpicking skill at -6 (-10 for having no equipment, plus the +4 for TK). Even if the TK counts as improvised equipment, that still gives them a -1, in addition penalties if they don't have the Lockpicking skill. Adding levels of reliable can help offset this, but the overall result still doesn't have the flavour I'm after. Does anyone have any other ideas on creating this power.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Allow him to take Control (Locks). It's a stretch, but it's basically a not-very-godlike Godlike control. I'd call it 20/level. (If you're really RAW-picky, make it Godlike as Control (Mechanisms) [30/lvl] and add an Accessibility limitation.) Add Ranged and Cosmic, No Die Roll Required and you're good.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

I hadn't thought of that and it does mimic the spell very well. The expense is the only problem, of course.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Expense will usually raise its head when creating abilities useful in a civilized security or social situation. The countermeasures against typical PC actions in such cases are often expensive in terms of cash value (high-quality locks, guards, and other security measures can be very costly) and frequently regarded as "impenetrable" without special tools that are easily screened for at an outer, less-secure area (e.g., it's hard to smuggle in a gun or lockpicks if there's a metal detector at the public entrance). Thus, abilities like Insubstantiality, Mind Control, and Warp, which let the user change the ground rules, are intentionally priced high for game-balance reasons. They typically cost much more than the nearest comparable skill because they're either an order of magnitude more subtle and undetectable (compare Fast-Talk and Stealth to Mind Control and Invisibility), or because they totally obviate the need for tools (compare the suggested lock-opening ability to lockpicks).

This is, I'll grant, often an eye-opener in GURPS, which assumes that it's relatively easy to find a way to hurt people and to run away from being hurt, and therefore prices combat capabilities (DR, Extra Attack, HP, Innate Attack, etc.) modestly. The really expensive characters -- in terms of superhuman capabilities -- are the masters of information-gathering, social manipulation, technology, and thievery, as their accomplishments are generally more strategic than tactical, and can far more readily trash an adventure or a plotline. For instance, a psi who can telepathically control minds and psychokinetically spring locks is a one-man wrecking squad as far as the GM's plots are concerned, while a combat monster with skin like a tank and an energy blast that can level office towers is easily neutralized. So if you're working on a game or article about empowered spies and thieves, be sure to take this into consideration!

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Of course, the power would give other abilities not offered by the spell, such as causing a lock to damage its internal works to become jammed; maybe changing the combination on a combination lock or changing the tumblers in a key lock to render a key unusable.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

So, what limitations would allow the spell just to open doors?

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

A hefty Accessibility, I imagine... maybe -40% or so.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

If all you want to do is open locks without tools, you could kludge together something like this:

Start with an Accessory perk that grants lockpicks. This is worth 1 point, and lets the owner pick locks the slow, sure way, using visible tools that happen to be attached to her.

Now layer a bunch of modifiers on it:

Cosmic, Irresistible attack, +300% to let the ability work regardless of barriers. Normally, you can't pick a lock that only has an opening on the far side of the door, or that's inside an armored box. Presumably, these things aren't a limit here.

Cosmic, No die roll required, +100% to eliminate the Lockpicking roll and just have the thing work (there's still a hidden Lockpicking roll, at IQ-5 for the untrained, and any modifiers that reduce it below 3 would negate the ability).

No Signature, +20% to eliminate the normally visible tool and activity.

Ranged, +40% to make it work from afar, but with Short-Range 1, -10% to give it the -1/yard penalties typical of spells (this would interact with the hidden roll I mentioned).

Reduced Time 3, +60% to take the 60 seconds for a Lockpicking skill attempt down to something closer to the 10 seconds to cast Lockmaster.

So you get this:

Accessory (Lockpicks; Cosmic, Irresistible attack, +300%; Cosmic, No die roll required, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Time 3, +60%; Short-Range 1, -10%) [7]

The effect is that the user can walk up to any lock and open it in about 8 seconds without the need to touch or manipulate it, as long as her IQ-5 or Lockpicking, at -1/yard and with security-level penalties, is 3 or higher.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

I love that power. :)

It's a pity that my GM doesn't allow us to use the Cosmic enhancement. :(

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

I'd have the argument, personally. Blanket prohibitions make sense for things that have a single, well-defined function. Cosmic, however, is user-defined -- just like Accessibility -- and begs determination on a case-by-case basis. If the GM forbids it outright, it'll be hard to do a lot of things "by the book" in that campaign. :(

(Sorry if that sounds critical! It's just that vast numbers of "GURPS sucks because it can't do X!" complaints stem from GMs forbidding the very game mechanics that allow the system to do X.)

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Cosmic does exist, but he's restricting it to gods and other 'cosmic' entities.

Your write up does give me a few ideas, though, and I can think of ways of adjusting the power so that it fits in with my GMs campaign.

You're right, though, it does suck. :(

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Sounds like somebody is taking the name of a trait way too seriously. Grr.

Oh, there are several!

Accessory (Lockpicks; Based on (Target's) HT, +20%; Based on (User's) IQ or Lockpicking, +20%; Malediction 1, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Ranged, +40%; Reduced Time 3, +60%; Reliable 10, +50%) [5]

The effect is that the user can walk up to any lock and open it in about 8 seconds without the need to touch or manipulate it by rolling a Quick Contest of Lockpicking (or IQ-5) at +10, but with -1/yard and security-level penalties, against the lock's HT.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Brilliant! Thank you. :)

And, yes, the GM is taking the name of the trait too seriously. Unfortunately, he's also rather stubborn and it's not worth fighting over this relatively minor matter.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Could either of your examples also apply in an ultra-tech campaign without further modification?

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

I didn't assume any TL at all, beyond "a TL advanced enough to have locks and tools for opening locks." Modifications are inevitable, though, given GM preferences. Some people will want power modifiers, others will insist that "electronic lockpicks" and "lockpicks" are two unrelated Accessories, etc.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

I apologize for the necromancy but I just saw this. Isn't Accessory a perk? And therefore can't be modified?
What exactly is the purpose behind that restriction anyway, it seems to prohibit a lot of useful abilities (like, AFAICT the one proposed by Kromm here)?

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Long as the thread was already ressurected I'll chime in.
I would be one of those picky DMs who would define electronic locks and physical locks as two separete accsories.
But at 10 or 14 points I would still consider it a bargain for that kinda power.

Re: Lock Opening Power
 

Lockmaster isn't automatic either.