So, you come to a locked door... - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

So, you come to a locked door...

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ultimate_cap
Jul 01, 2011 0:07:12 What are locks made of in Dark Sun? With metal being so rare, it's not like your coming accross a lot of iron padlocks or metal strongboxes. What are they made of?
#2
Raddu76
Jul 01, 2011 0:23:16 We mostly use barred doors or magic and psionics.

Complicated knots made of psionically strengthened giant hair?

Psionically hardened materials?

Intricate stonework?

Thats all I got.
#3
Kamelion
Jul 01, 2011 2:29:15 In the real world, early locks were made of wood (a quick google will find you lots of examples, from the simple to the elegantly complex) so you could have viable locks on Athas crafted from agafari - they'd be hard enough to withstand casual interference. Cheaper locks could be made from cheaper wood, kiln-fired ceramic or the ubiquitous giant-hair knots. In the case of knots, the "key" is actually knowing how to untie the knot properly. A skilled bard might know the secret to dozens of different knots. Metal locks might indeed be an option for the rich, but metal is so valuable that a thief might decide to just steal the lock and to hell with what it's protecting, lol.
#4
Sysane
Jul 01, 2011 10:21:41 I like the Flintstone methodology of using a living creatures. A beetle padlock that only releases its mandibles after a specific tune is whistled or a centipede like insect that remains coiled around a door knob preventing anyone from safely turning.
#5
ultimate_cap
Jul 01, 2011 11:37:18 Thanks for the replies guys, some good stuff there. I did the Google search Kamelion. Nice results! I suppose in a fantasy setting you could have obsidian or stonework locks crafted by dwarves (or whomever). In fact, it makes sense that solution could evolve in a metal deprived world.

I've always has a small problem with Psionics affecting physical things, at least long term. That always seemed more "magic" to me. But, that's just me. I deal with it. I love the setting and the novels (at least the old novels).

Any more ideas, please share!
#6
antioch
Jul 02, 2011 1:03:34 I'm all for wood locks, though having locks with crystalline parts (think skill shards or 3rd Edition psionic items) that can be triggered through specific thought commands would also be pretty cool.
#7
tentagil
Jul 02, 2011 21:44:11 Most of the locked doors my party has encountered were made of stone and used complicated puzzle locks or magical/psionic traps or triggers to open them.
#8
monastyrski
Jul 05, 2011 3:50:03 In my DS campaigns timber is not too cheap as well, so most doorways have curtains, not doors. The existing doors usually have wooden bars to lock them.
#9
Flankster
Jul 12, 2011 13:51:03 Depending on the value of the locked goods, and the wealth of the owner, I have been placing guards on doors and boxes. The human guarding the door determines the difficulty (slave to Templar). PCs can bluff the password or attack the guard, but there is usually another [guard] within earshot.
#10
phoenix_m
Jul 13, 2011 3:04:57
In my DS campaigns timber is not too cheap as well, so most doorways have curtains, not doors. The existing doors usually have wooden bars to lock them.

A good substute for wood is bone, with all those huge critters running around.
#11
Duskweaver
Jul 13, 2011 11:38:15 You can carve some pretty intricate mechanisms out of ivory.
#12
phoenix_m
Jul 13, 2011 15:06:58
Duskweaver, that is gorgeous!

As for non-metal locks, I had forgotten about the old discussion on this topic - someone had posted a link to an ancient egyptian lock made of wood.

Here's a link to an example: www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventi...
#13
ian.thomson
Jul 14, 2011 11:07:10
I was just typing up a beetle idea when I saw Sysane's idea. Further developing that idea:

Lock beetles have exoskeletons tough as metal, and viciously attack anything that threatens their young. When exposed to an easy-to-make compound made from a couple of common shrubs, its metabolism and sense of time slows down to almost nothing. This compound has no effect on most other species, but is sometimes used to give food a flavor with hints of body odor, soy sauce, and soured licorice (a nice alternative to "sand covered and rotten.") The larvae exposed to this compound straighten out and stiffen, have their growth halted, and enter a coma. Both mother and children can remain in this state for a few years before dying off. The practical upshot of this, giving the bug its name, is that the mother can have one of her jaws placed in a couple of loops, have its young scraped off, and its jaws will clasp shut. When the lock beetle needs to be removed, one of its young (not just any young) is rubbed on its mother's underside. Lock beetles have anywhere between two to a couple dozen larvae at any given time, and additional larvae "keys" may be hidden or destroyed.
#14
Gallard
Jul 14, 2011 21:46:35 interesting beetle idea; very flintstones-esque, but i like it.
#15
rollawaythestone
Jul 14, 2011 21:48:35 Giant stone slabs that can only be moved with a Strength or Athletics check. Half-Giant doormen manage the entrance.

Wood and bone doors most likely only have simply latching mechanisms, but no locks. Most entrances are probably curtained.

Guards, guard animals, contact poisons, and other traps probably take the place of simple locks. This isn't necessarily the case for the wealthy, or in an ancient green age tomb.
#16
ian.thomson
Jul 21, 2011 15:51:38 The poison idea is a good one: perhaps pegs hold the door in place and have to be pushed out, and false pegs hide poison covered bone pins.

Maybe a combination of the ideas here: the Dark Sun equivilant of a cheap bank safe would have a door covered in pegs with knots in them that have drugged beetles on the end of them, the real latches only partially open the door to let you (or rather the half-giant or psion guard) shift the quartz slab barring the door on the other side.

A possible "aww... really?" moment to pull on the players, the latches (let's say on the left side of the door) may act as alternate hinges, and all this can be bypassed by unlocking a metal lock that removes the regular hinges (on the right side). The quartz bar would prevent the door from swinging out on the left side, but could only be short enough to accomplish that.

EDIT: And the idea "why not just burn down the door" gave me another idea, a sorcerer king switching to a parchement based money (parchment is made from animal hide, so they could have it) as a security measure ("try robbing a bank now, punk.")
#17
ultimate_cap
Jul 22, 2011 8:22:09
The poison idea is a good one: perhaps pegs hold the door in place and have to be pushed out, and false pegs hide poison covered bone pins.

Maybe a combination of the ideas here: the Dark Sun equivilant of a cheap bank safe would have a door covered in pegs with knots in them that have drugged beetles on the end of them, the real latches only partially open the door to let you (or rather the half-giant or psion guard) shift the quartz slab barring the door on the other side.

A possible "aww... really?" moment to pull on the players, the latches (let's say on the left side of the door) may act as alternate hinges, and all this can be bypassed by unlocking a metal lock that removes the regular hinges (on the right side). The quartz bar would prevent the door from swinging out on the left side, but could only be short enough to accomplish that.

EDIT: And the idea "why not just burn down the door" gave me another idea, a sorcerer king switching to a parchement based money (parchment is made from animal hide, so they could have it) as a security measure ("try robbing a bank now, punk.")

Any burning the door down carries other difficulties to. Some wood is a lot denser or thicker then others and when treated with the proper chemicals, may not be flamable at all (at least not easily). Also, maybe the chemicals release are actually a poision themselves?

Not to mention effects like setting off alarms and drawning attention. It may take way to long to burn the door down before guards arrive. Any attempt at destruction really negates any attempts at stealth.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ultimate_cap Jul 01, 2011 0:07:12	What are locks made of in Dark Sun? With metal being so rare, it's not like your coming accross a lot of iron padlocks or metal strongboxes. What are they made of?
#2 Raddu76 Jul 01, 2011 0:23:16	We mostly use barred doors or magic and psionics. Complicated knots made of psionically strengthened giant hair? Psionically hardened materials? Intricate stonework? Thats all I got.
#3 Kamelion Jul 01, 2011 2:29:15	In the real world, early locks were made of wood (a quick google will find you lots of examples, from the simple to the elegantly complex) so you could have viable locks on Athas crafted from agafari - they'd be hard enough to withstand casual interference. Cheaper locks could be made from cheaper wood, kiln-fired ceramic or the ubiquitous giant-hair knots. In the case of knots, the "key" is actually knowing how to untie the knot properly. A skilled bard might know the secret to dozens of different knots. Metal locks might indeed be an option for the rich, but metal is so valuable that a thief might decide to just steal the lock and to hell with what it's protecting, lol.
#4 Sysane Jul 01, 2011 10:21:41	I like the Flintstone methodology of using a living creatures. A beetle padlock that only releases its mandibles after a specific tune is whistled or a centipede like insect that remains coiled around a door knob preventing anyone from safely turning.
#5 ultimate_cap Jul 01, 2011 11:37:18	Thanks for the replies guys, some good stuff there. I did the Google search Kamelion. Nice results! I suppose in a fantasy setting you could have obsidian or stonework locks crafted by dwarves (or whomever). In fact, it makes sense that solution could evolve in a metal deprived world. I've always has a small problem with Psionics affecting physical things, at least long term. That always seemed more "magic" to me. But, that's just me. I deal with it. I love the setting and the novels (at least the old novels). Any more ideas, please share!
#6 antioch Jul 02, 2011 1:03:34	I'm all for wood locks, though having locks with crystalline parts (think skill shards or 3rd Edition psionic items) that can be triggered through specific thought commands would also be pretty cool.
#7 tentagil Jul 02, 2011 21:44:11	Most of the locked doors my party has encountered were made of stone and used complicated puzzle locks or magical/psionic traps or triggers to open them.
#8 monastyrski Jul 05, 2011 3:50:03	In my DS campaigns timber is not too cheap as well, so most doorways have curtains, not doors. The existing doors usually have wooden bars to lock them.
#9 Flankster Jul 12, 2011 13:51:03	Depending on the value of the locked goods, and the wealth of the owner, I have been placing guards on doors and boxes. The human guarding the door determines the difficulty (slave to Templar). PCs can bluff the password or attack the guard, but there is usually another [guard] within earshot.
#10 phoenix_m Jul 13, 2011 3:04:57	In my DS campaigns timber is not too cheap as well, so most doorways have curtains, not doors. The existing doors usually have wooden bars to lock them. A good substute for wood is bone, with all those huge critters running around.
#11 Duskweaver Jul 13, 2011 11:38:15	You can carve some pretty intricate mechanisms out of ivory.
#12 phoenix_m Jul 13, 2011 15:06:58	Duskweaver, that is gorgeous! As for non-metal locks, I had forgotten about the old discussion on this topic - someone had posted a link to an ancient egyptian lock made of wood. Here's a link to an example: www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventi...
#13 ian.thomson Jul 14, 2011 11:07:10	I was just typing up a beetle idea when I saw Sysane's idea. Further developing that idea: Lock beetles have exoskeletons tough as metal, and viciously attack anything that threatens their young. When exposed to an easy-to-make compound made from a couple of common shrubs, its metabolism and sense of time slows down to almost nothing. This compound has no effect on most other species, but is sometimes used to give food a flavor with hints of body odor, soy sauce, and soured licorice (a nice alternative to "sand covered and rotten.") The larvae exposed to this compound straighten out and stiffen, have their growth halted, and enter a coma. Both mother and children can remain in this state for a few years before dying off. The practical upshot of this, giving the bug its name, is that the mother can have one of her jaws placed in a couple of loops, have its young scraped off, and its jaws will clasp shut. When the lock beetle needs to be removed, one of its young (not just any young) is rubbed on its mother's underside. Lock beetles have anywhere between two to a couple dozen larvae at any given time, and additional larvae "keys" may be hidden or destroyed.
#14 Gallard Jul 14, 2011 21:46:35	interesting beetle idea; very flintstones-esque, but i like it.
#15 rollawaythestone Jul 14, 2011 21:48:35	Giant stone slabs that can only be moved with a Strength or Athletics check. Half-Giant doormen manage the entrance. Wood and bone doors most likely only have simply latching mechanisms, but no locks. Most entrances are probably curtained. Guards, guard animals, contact poisons, and other traps probably take the place of simple locks. This isn't necessarily the case for the wealthy, or in an ancient green age tomb.
#16 ian.thomson Jul 21, 2011 15:51:38	The poison idea is a good one: perhaps pegs hold the door in place and have to be pushed out, and false pegs hide poison covered bone pins. Maybe a combination of the ideas here: the Dark Sun equivilant of a cheap bank safe would have a door covered in pegs with knots in them that have drugged beetles on the end of them, the real latches only partially open the door to let you (or rather the half-giant or psion guard) shift the quartz slab barring the door on the other side. A possible "aww... really?" moment to pull on the players, the latches (let's say on the left side of the door) may act as alternate hinges, and all this can be bypassed by unlocking a metal lock that removes the regular hinges (on the right side). The quartz bar would prevent the door from swinging out on the left side, but could only be short enough to accomplish that. EDIT: And the idea "why not just burn down the door" gave me another idea, a sorcerer king switching to a parchement based money (parchment is made from animal hide, so they could have it) as a security measure ("try robbing a bank now, punk.")
#17 ultimate_cap Jul 22, 2011 8:22:09	The poison idea is a good one: perhaps pegs hold the door in place and have to be pushed out, and false pegs hide poison covered bone pins. Maybe a combination of the ideas here: the Dark Sun equivilant of a cheap bank safe would have a door covered in pegs with knots in them that have drugged beetles on the end of them, the real latches only partially open the door to let you (or rather the half-giant or psion guard) shift the quartz slab barring the door on the other side. A possible "aww... really?" moment to pull on the players, the latches (let's say on the left side of the door) may act as alternate hinges, and all this can be bypassed by unlocking a metal lock that removes the regular hinges (on the right side). The quartz bar would prevent the door from swinging out on the left side, but could only be short enough to accomplish that. EDIT: And the idea "why not just burn down the door" gave me another idea, a sorcerer king switching to a parchement based money (parchment is made from animal hide, so they could have it) as a security measure ("try robbing a bank now, punk.") Any burning the door down carries other difficulties to. Some wood is a lot denser or thicker then others and when treated with the proper chemicals, may not be flamable at all (at least not easily). Also, maybe the chemicals release are actually a poision themselves? Not to mention effects like setting off alarms and drawning attention. It may take way to long to burn the door down before guards arrive. Any attempt at destruction really negates any attempts at stealth.