D&D 5E Meaningful Consequences of Failure for Picking Locks

[Imaculata]

I think it's kind of pointless to have a locked door, if you are just going to endlessly allow your players to pick it. If a player fails to pick a lock in my campaign, that means they'll have to try a different approach. Whether they manage to make it inside, is not my problem. My campaign never hinges on the players picking a particular lock. If you fail, try something else. Try a knock spell, or try bashing it down.

Only if the players roll a critical failure (on a 1) do I let a complication occur. The tool could break, the lock could jam, or maybe they need the assistance of a party member to shed some light. With simple locks, players are allowed to take 10, or even take 20, if time is not an issue.

 

[76512390ag12]

If it doesn't matter how much the lock picking takes, don't roll.

Sent from my SM-G901F using Tapatalk

 

[Bitbrain]

Reply to Opening post.
Both DMs for my group do just this, each player can only try to unlock a door once, and if everyone fails . . . We then take a page from the military and just go through the wall next to the door.

 

[ClearlyTough69]

I like to have varying degrees of failure. The easy one is that it takes you longer, and taking longer has two very real consequences: possible random encounters, and Stealth check re-rolls. Here's the rule I use for picking locks, disarming traps, investigation and such like (tweaked for posting here).

Failed Thieves' tools checks
If you fail to pick a lock and you want to try again, there are consequences which depend on the difference between your Thieves' tools check result and the DC. Find the difference in this table and apply the results; you know the result immediately (for example if your Thieves' tools check fails by 2, you know that you haven't picked the lock, but that you might be able to manage it if you have another minute):

Difference Effect

1 next attempt takes 1 round

2 next attempt takes 1 minute

3 next attempt takes 10 minutes

4 next attempt takes 1 hour

5 tools or lock damaged (DM's choice): if tools, future Thieves' tools checks are made at disadvantage; if lock, DC to open increases by 5

6 automatic failure until you have completed a short rest, then roll a d6 and consult this table for another outcome (a second result of 6 requires you to complete another short rest).

7 tools or lock broken and useless (DM's choice)

8 automatic failure until you have completed a long rest, then roll a d8 and consult this table for another outcome (a second result of 8 requires you to complete another long rest).

9 fumble: you might have alerted other creatures to your presence: roll for random encounter to take place in 1d6-1 minutes; if you were hiding, you come out of hiding; roll d8 on this table for another effect.

10+ impossible until your Thieves' tools modifier or your Intelligence score increases permanently.


Picking a lock when you are hiding
When you fail at picking a lock, subtract the amount by which you failed from your Stealth check to determine if any creature notices you at that moment, then revert to your original Stealth check result.

 

[jayoungr]

Regarding retries, I'm a fan in general of the "let it ride" philosophy: once you've tried and failed, that represents your best attempt under these circumstances, and you can try again when the circumstances change in some way.

 

[SheWantstheD&D]

That's pretty cool.

One thing that I think folks don't take into account though is that we're not talking about tumbler locks etc. They were invented in 1778, well beyond the technology level of most D&D campaigns. Yes, we can consider things like gnomes being skilled in mechanical devices, etc. But in general, the next step from a basic lock would be to apply some sort of magical protection.

Of course, you can consider whatever sort of technology in your campaign. But personally I don't see the point. The design isn't really important, since the DC itself indicates the complexity of the lock. Since an average person is not proficient in thieves' tools/lock picking, a relatively simple lock will keep probably 80-90% of the population out. And of those that do break in, probably 90%+ of those will simply break in somehow. Whether it's kicking in a door, smashing a chest, or prying the lock itself off, it's only purpose is to be a deterrent to all but the most persistent.

If you want to get really semantic, then correct. The oldest example of a lock was from antiquity and used a bolt-pin system, sort of a similar system. But for the purpose of running an RPG you might consider the type of lock as increasing the DC check. As for keeping most of the population out, yes sort of. One good knock could override most antique style of locks. It's mostly the social construct around it that wards people off. Same with most aspects of physical security. Either way that's a semantics discussion, and probably not all that useful for game mechanics, aside from providing a different perspective.

 

[Garresh]

I really hate the "your tool breaks" approach. It's immersion breaking for me, personally. Most lockpicks I've seen are made of high quality metal. To break them you'd need to up *really* badly. Like, so badly that anyone with training wouldn't be able to fail that hard. I mean what did they do jam the lockpicks in and hammer them like a nail?

If anything would break, make it one of the lock components got bent slightly and now the lock itself is broken, preventing it from working with the key and leaving signs of forced entry. I've seen that happen IRL actually, and I had to replace the lock. Anyways, make the failures realistic. Metal tools just snapping like twigs doesn't happen. Even rapiers don't break easily, and high quality tools or weapons that are designed for hard use or impact don't just shatter because someone was a bit careless with them.

Slightly amusing note though. I have actually seen a fencing foil snap, as it was a close bout and I went in pretty hard on a last ditch thrust with my whole body. The broken off blade, which is normally dull because its for fencing, was jagged and sharp and it kept going and hit the guy in the neck. Luckily the fencing protection stopped it, but there was damage to the throat guard on the mask. Moral of the story? Always wear protection. Also winning is more important than safety. I won that bout.

 

[Ilbranteloth]

I really hate the "your tool breaks" approach. It's immersion breaking for me, personally. Most lockpicks I've seen are made of high quality metal. To break them you'd need to up *really* badly. Like, so badly that anyone with training wouldn't be able to fail that hard. I mean what did they do jam the lockpicks in and hammer them like a nail?

If anything would break, make it one of the lock components got bent slightly and now the lock itself is broken, preventing it from working with the key and leaving signs of forced entry. I've seen that happen IRL actually, and I had to replace the lock. Anyways, make the failures realistic. Metal tools just snapping like twigs doesn't happen. Even rapiers don't break easily, and high quality tools or weapons that are designed for hard use or impact don't just shatter because someone was a bit careless with them.

Slightly amusing note though. I have actually seen a fencing foil snap, as it was a close bout and I went in pretty hard on a last ditch thrust with my whole body. The broken off blade, which is normally dull because its for fencing, was jagged and sharp and it kept going and hit the guy in the neck. Luckily the fencing protection stopped it, but there was damage to the throat guard on the mask. Moral of the story? Always wear protection. Also winning is more important than safety. I won that bout.

But what about medieval lock picking tools against a medieval lock. Were the tools always metal? Or hard metal for that matter? From what I've seen they are pretty chunky iron affairs, but for warded locks (a common type) a set of skeleton keys was common, and they could be brass, and potentially made of multiple parts that could bend or break.

But in general, I agree. I think you're more likely to break the lock - you might still pick through it but it might not work with the key anymore. Or getting the lock pick or skeleton key stuck in the lock, perhaps.

 

[Eltab]

- If you fail the lockpick check by enough, you jam the bolt in place; this keeps the door locked no matter what you do later. Now maybe the Fighter will have to pull the rods out of the hinges to move that door.
- Counter-intuitive possibility for failed roll: you successfully pick the lock but it falls to the floor with a resounding CLANG. Everybody on the other side of the door hears the noise.
- You successfully clear years of rust &c out of the lock (and there is a small pile of flakes on the floor which attests to your success)... but it won't open.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Never heard of it, but that doesn't make any sense. Isn't that the point of a lock in the first place?

Why would you design a lock that can be picked unless somebody fails at an attempt to pick it, after which it cannot be picked? If you could actually design a lock that can't be picked, why not make it so it can't be picked in the first place?

It was simply a missed word. I meant to say a special key, like a master key or magical key.

So a regular key is used so that everyone can go about their business regularly without hassle. But if the door is deadlocked then those people suddenly can't get in and have to go to a supervisor, or BBEG, who has the master/special key. This serves to alert the boss that someone tampered with the lock and prevents people from getting in but doesn't lock the boss and his underlings out from all their rooms.