D&D General Are lockpicking tools legal in your fantasy world?

[Li Shenron]

I've never thought about this until yesterday...

We broke a key inside a lock at home, and we were looking around for methods and tools to extract the broken key. I easily found lockpicking tools on sale online for just a few bucks on legit international websites such as the obvious Amazon, but when I looked on our local chain hardware stores websites, none was selling them. It turned out that there are some local legal restrictions for selling and owning them if you're not a professional locksmith.

So I immediately wondered if I should consider setting up some trouble to our party Rogue

Have you ever restricted lockpicking tools in your campaigns?

 

[Unwise]

Most of my cities and towns give the local sheriff way too much power to use discretion to arrest people. They can hold them for about two weeks before setting them before a magistrate. Having lockpicks gets you arrested "on suspicion of burglary". If you are not a registered locksmith, the metalworkers guild is then told that you were operating without a license. In any major city, the thieves guild is then told that you are likely working for a competitor organization, or freelancing and not paying your dues. The mayor can banish you from any town or city, regardless of criminal conviction.

So even though they might not get a conviction from a magistrate, they are in deep trouble if they get caught with them.

IRL I own three sets, but no thieves use lockpicks anymore. Last I heard it had been about four years since any burglary conviction involved lockpicks.

<edit> On the very rare occasion I got to play, my thief would volunteer to improve the locks, or add additional padlocks to the local churches or orphanages. That way they have a good character witness and lawful excuse if ever they were found with them. I would carry 4-5 locks with my kit, so it was more a locksmith set, than a burglars set. The locks and change actually came in super handy during adventures. I locked the guardroom doors closed on more than a few occasions. I even locked a witches flying cauldron to her front porch so she could not chase us.

Love this comedy bit that is relevant:

 

[R_J_K75]

Yes they're are illegal in certain areas. Cormyr in the Forgotten Realms immediately comes to mind as somewhere thieves tools and special equipment (i.e. anything required to forge documents) would be outlawed most likely. This is exception and not the norm in my campaign, the Sword Coast is pretty lawless so getting busted for lockpicks there is the least of someone's worries. In any case being adventurers most things can be explained away simply as tools of the trade.

Unless your party rogue is being extremely careless or flaunting his abilities I dont think its fair to single them out.

 

[TheSword]

I would simply ask the question, where do you keep your lock picks. Most players will come up with something creative at this point.

 

[R_J_K75]

I would simply ask the question, where do you keep your lock picks. Most players will come up with something creative at this point.

Further, better question might be would the average town guard even know what they've found?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Further, better question might be would the average town guard even know what they've found?

Those arn't lockpicks! They're, um, hobgoblin eating utensils! Because we're hosting a hobgoblin gathering next week!

 

[TheSword]

Further, better question might be would the average town guard even know what they've found?

I reckon so. They’re pretty distinctive, though they can also be easily concealed. Maybe a bumpkin militia may not know but I suspect town guards are pretty clued in... in most depictions I know town guards would have their own!

This is obviously a very extensive set but I suspect 3 or 4 (or less) would do for medieval locks.

 

[R_J_K75]

I reckon so. They’re pretty distinctive, though they can also be easily concealed. Maybe a bumpkin militia may not know but I suspect town guards are pretty clued in... in most depictions I know town guards would have their own!

This is obviously a very extensive set but I suspect 3 or 4 (or less) would do for medieval locks.

View attachment 134855

Those arent real. We all know a real medeival lockpick set is a coat hanger, Master Charge card and an M80.

 

[TheSword]

Those arent real. We all know a real medeival lockpick set is a coat hanger, Master Charge card and an M80.

Lol. I’ve been playing DayZ recently and apparently another word for lockpick is Splitting Axe.

 

[R_J_K75]

Lol. I’ve been playing DayZ recently and apparently another word for lockpick is Splitting Axe.

The Revised 2E AD&D PHB comes to mind.