Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-25-2010, 10:56 PM   #41
Ze'Manel Cunha
 
Ze'Manel Cunha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Isn't a Slim Jim more like forced entry?
The distinction between lockpicking vs jimmying/forced entry is pretty vague and seems covered under the same single skill until you actually step back and kick in the door.

There are plenty of situations where actually picking the lock is impossible or ridiculously time consuming, but bypassing that lock and opening the latch can be easily done
Ze'Manel Cunha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2010, 11:30 PM   #42
MagiMaster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Your imagination
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

I'm pretty sure both lockpicking and forced entry should be applied to the whole setup, rather than considering the lock and the latch as seperate things. If I were running a game, I'd use lockpicking for any time you want to be quite or be able to close the door again, and forced entry for fast/don't care.
MagiMaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-25-2010, 11:40 PM   #43
Crakkerjakk
"Gimme 18 minutes . . ."
 
Crakkerjakk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha View Post
That was jimmying.

It's generally the difference between making the tumblers move to the unlock position in a lock and using a credit card to push back the latch, or other brute force method to pry open a lock...
I used to be able to pick a lock (it's been years since I stopped practicing), but anytime I actually needed one open I just used a sledgehammer or mallet.

Often you can spring a cheap padlock open with no harm to the door/latch/etc by just whacking the lock a couple times.
__________________
My bare bones web page

Semper Fi
Crakkerjakk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 11:27 AM   #44
Not another shrubbery
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk
I used to be able to pick a lock (it's been years since I stopped practicing), but anytime I actually needed one open I just used a sledgehammer or mallet.

Often you can spring a cheap padlock open with no harm to the door/latch/etc by just whacking the lock a couple times.
*blink*
An unusual hobby, neh?
Not another shrubbery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 11:30 AM   #45
Ulzgoroth
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery View Post
*blink*
An unusual hobby, neh?
How unusual depends on your circles. I've seen a room-full of people sitting around picking various locks...
__________________
I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident.
Ulzgoroth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 11:36 AM   #46
Nymdok
 
Nymdok's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery View Post
*blink*
An unusual hobby, neh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth View Post
How unusual depends on your circles. I've seen a room-full of people sitting around picking various locks...

I imagine it has much the same appeal as a Rubiks Cube or other puzzle. Some people love puzzles. I am those people. Although I dont do it, I can see how it could be fun.

As to the Lockpick/Jimmy/Smash vs Forced Entry/Lockpicking, I think the rules are pretty clear about when to use which one. If your doing damage to the lock or housing, use either a melee skill, forced entry or other suitable skill. If your attempting to open the lock while leaving the structure and lock in tact and undamaged, thats lockpicking.

Nymdok
Nymdok is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 02:10 PM   #47
Ze'Manel Cunha
 
Ze'Manel Cunha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk View Post
I used to be able to pick a lock (it's been years since I stopped practicing), but anytime I actually needed one open I just used a sledgehammer or mallet.

Often you can spring a cheap padlock open with no harm to the door/latch/etc by just whacking the lock a couple times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nymdok View Post
As to the Lockpick/Jimmy/Smash vs Forced Entry/Lockpicking, I think the rules are pretty clear about when to use which one. If your doing damage to the lock or housing, use either a melee skill, forced entry or other suitable skill. If your attempting to open the lock while leaving the structure and lock in tact and undamaged, thats lockpicking
Like Crakkerjakk said, it's not really a clear cut issue of force automatically causing damage. A slim jim might disconnect the lock in your car door if the lock is built that way, but otherwise it simply unlocks it.

A knife or credit card slipped into a latch will often simply allow the door to open, no lock picked, no damage done.

I have no lockpicking skills, but I've opened locks with picks, bypassed locks with knife blades, jimmyed them with bars and other tools, all without damage, vs the times I did damage to the locks when I cut off the shackles, or kicked doors in and watched the whole lock assembly fly across the room as the door slammed open, etc., (all in the line of duty of course.)

It's all situational, what matters is the availability of time, tools and fire support, but there is no such thing as unopenable, even if sometimes we'll go in through the walls because it's faster.
Ze'Manel Cunha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 03:00 PM   #48
Edges
 
Edges's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: GMT-5
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

I feel like Basic is pretty clear on the difference between Forced Entry and Lockpicking. If it's subtle, it's Lockpicking. If it could benefit from a damage bonus, it's Forced Entry.

I'd call both slim-jimming and credit-carding Lockpicking. Usually, either situation offers such a high bonus that someone with a Dabbler perk or even default can do it. If you're really good at slim-jimming or credit-carding and not good at picking locks, you've bought up a Technique.
Edges is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 06:28 PM   #49
MagiMaster
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Your imagination
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Agreed. Using a credit card is not Forced Entry. It's just a combination of a poor quality lock system (better ones have a plate to prevent just that, or a deadbolt) and someone with extra time/dabbler/high default and possibly other situational mods to make the roll fairly easily. Having tried to use a credit card like this before, I can tell you it's not an automatic success, and someone doing it for the first time will probably have to take a few tries to get it right.
MagiMaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-26-2010, 06:52 PM   #50
roguebfl
Dog of Lysdexics
 
roguebfl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
Default Re: REALLY Difficult Locks

Quote:
Originally Posted by MagiMaster View Post
Agreed. Using a credit card is not Forced Entry. It's just a combination of a poor quality lock system (better ones have a plate to prevent just that, or a deadbolt) and someone with extra time/dabbler/high default and possibly other situational mods to make the roll fairly easily. Having tried to use a credit card like this before, I can tell you it's not an automatic success, and someone doing it for the first time will probably have to take a few tries to get it right.
Agreed. I had practice with it at Boarding School, to get into the TV rooms. (they were locked during school hours and the housemasters did not always remember to unlock them after school).

Do it wrong you can break your card rather than free the catch.
__________________
Rogue the Bronze Firelizard
Gerald Grenier, Jr. Hail Eris!
Rogue's Weyr
roguebfl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
difficulty, locks, modifiers

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:45 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.