Pick Locks

This skill comes in handy when you would rather not force a door or break through a wall. Complex or rusty locks can incur heavy penalties, while using appropriate lock-picks instead of simple hairpins grants a bonus. Mechanical traps can also be defeated with this skill, but if you fail such a check, the trap is sprung. The application Bit Locks covers all locks that use a standard key with a bit, while Combination Locks covers safes and the like.

Check: INT/DEX/DEX
New Application: Disarm Traps (see page 214)
Applications: Bit Locks, Combination Locks
Encumbrance: yes
Tools: lock-picks, hairpin, hook
Quality: open the lock faster.
Failed Check: the lock doesn’t open.
Critical Success: open the lock in record time, taking only about half as long as expected.
Botch: the lock-pick breaks, the trap is sprung, or the lock jams.
Improvement Cost: C

• Pick a simple lock — 1 second, 10 checks
• Pick a complicated lock — 5 second, 5 checks
• Open a door with several security measures — 15 seconds 4 checks
• Disarm a complicated step-activated trap in a lizardman’s tomb — 5 minutes, 3 checks
• Open a dwarven safe with a combination lock — 10 minutes, 2 checks