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Black! - Having Fun With Lockpicking (v2)

The document introduces a new lockpicking mini-game for tabletop RPGs, inspired by Warhammer Quest, to enhance player engagement and simplify rules for new players. Players must pick up a card with dice on it without spilling them to successfully pick a lock, with various consequences for failure. The author emphasizes the importance of tension and skill in the game, suggesting adjustments to difficulty based on player tools and lock types.

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Elder Cunha
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16 views2 pages

Black! - Having Fun With Lockpicking (v2)

The document introduces a new lockpicking mini-game for tabletop RPGs, inspired by Warhammer Quest, to enhance player engagement and simplify rules for new players. Players must pick up a card with dice on it without spilling them to successfully pick a lock, with various consequences for failure. The author emphasizes the importance of tension and skill in the game, suggesting adjustments to difficulty based on player tools and lock types.

Uploaded by

Elder Cunha
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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T h u r s d a y, 2 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

Having fun with Lockpicking (v2)

A loong time ago I posted this which dealt with Lockping, it was fun and made for a nice change of
pace in the dungeon delving, but, it was far from perfect. I had to explain the rules, my old players
helped me playtest it so they got it - but new players? Head-scratching commence. Time for
something new.

This is based on a idea stolen from Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower box set. Its got some very
D&D'able ideas.

When someone attempts to pick a trapped lock - rather than resorting to boring skills checks - take
a playing card, (or if your a fancy pants like I am - draw a padlock on a bit of paper the same size.)
and make a tower from 2d6 on it.

The player must pick up the card from the table with one hand without spilling the dice
or touching them in order to spring the lock.
If they touch the dice, their lockpick is broken - the GM resets the challenge.
If they spill the dice, any trap on the lock is set off.
EDIT: If they have no thieves tools plus there's no trap .. go through the same process
and if they spill the dice the tumblers in the lock are jammed/frozen -- now the lock must
be forced open with a STR check or some other creative method.

Its very doable, but requires some patience .. and a bit of practice. Its a focus on very literal player
skill that old schooler's bang on about, AND explaining the rules to the players takes about 30
seconds, so you don't have to worry about muddying the waters with games-within-games.
#winning

Also! Make things easier/harder by stacking less/more dice. If players have fancy thieves tools -
less dice, maybe if the lock is magical and enchanted you swap the playing card for a bigger thing?
Have a play, you get the idea.

EDIT: In a conversation with the super talented +Karl Stjernberg its become clear that its the tension
of failure that makes this mini game interesting. So, Im going to rule that thieves with appropriate
tools can open any lock, given enough time. However i'll use this method if there's some time-
sensitive thing going on OR if the lock is trapped. I'll probably still use the method above if they have
no thieves tools too.

David

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1 comment:

Seabreeze 8 August 2023 at 19:25

Why do the players have character sheets if their stats don't matter?

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