D&D General How are locks so hard to open?

[Zardnaar]

I will not stand for this kobold slander.

Kobolds are the most technologically advanced of the so-called monstrous humanoids. They should be cranking out the high-difficulty locks and traps.

Maybe a goblin or orc dungeon should have DC 10 and 15 locks and trap bypass difficulties, but traps and locks are kobolds' thing. They should be creating the hard ones.

And as for the basic question, of whether this stuff should be so hard, a DC 10 lock is close to pointless. Even at level 1, characters will essentially walk straight through them. Lower than DC 10 shouldn't even be a skill check, since making people roll on things you intend for them to succeed on just sets the players up for slapstick and is a waste of everyone's time as a DM (IMO).

So the only place to go is up.

Maybe DC 15 locks should be the standard, but when you're up against the thieves guild or kobolds or -- worst of all -- kobold thieves guilds, DC 20 is appropriate, IMO.

That said, good DMing wouldn't make a lock a fail state for an adventure. There should always be alternatives, whether they're different routes through a dungeon, only putting helpful-but-not-required items in locked chests, scrolls of Knock or -- crazy thought here -- keys.

Even in AD&D orcs were stupid the typical kobold and goblin iirc was as smart as an average human.

 

[Voadam]

Even in AD&D orcs were stupid the typical kobold and goblin iirc was as smart as an average human.

1e Monster Manual listed Intelligence ratings:

Goblin: Average (Low)
Kobold: Average (Low)
Orc: Average (low)

INTELLIGENCE indicates the basic equivalent of human “IQ.” Certain monsters are instinctively, or otherwise, cunning, and such is accordingly noted in the body of the descriptive material. The ratings correspond roughly to the following character intelligence scores:
0 Non-intelligent or not ratable
1 Animal intelligence
2-4 Semi-intelligent
5-7 Low intelligence
8-10 Average (human) intelligence
11-12 Very intelligent
13-14 Highly intelligent
15-16 Exceptionally intelligent
17-18 Genius
19-20 Supra-genius
21+ Godlike intelligence

2e Monstrous Compendium 1 Intelligence listings:

Goblin: Low to average (5-10)
Kobold: Average (8-10)
Orc: Average (8-9)

 

[Zardnaar]

1e Monster Manual listed Intelligence ratings:

Goblin: Average (Low)
Kobold: Average (Low)
Orc: Average (low)

INTELLIGENCE indicates the basic equivalent of human “IQ.” Certain monsters are instinctively, or otherwise, cunning, and such is accordingly noted in the body of the descriptive material. The ratings correspond roughly to the following character intelligence scores:
0 Non-intelligent or not ratable
1 Animal intelligence
2-4 Semi-intelligent
5-7 Low intelligence
8-10 Average (human) intelligence
11-12 Very intelligent
13-14 Highly intelligent
15-16 Exceptionally intelligent
17-18 Genius
19-20 Supra-genius
21+ Godlike intelligence

2e Monstrous Compendium 1 Intelligence listings:

Goblin: Low to average (5-10)
Kobold: Average (8-10)
Orc: Average (8-9)

May have been Book of Humanoids. Iirc they didn't have a penalty to intelligence unlike Orcs.

Kind of implies Kobolds and Goblins are nurture vs nature.

I've never really seen those two as stupid anyway perhaps due to warcraft goblins and Kibilds always been clever with mechanics. I started 93 though ymmv.

 

[DarkCrisis]

It’s a game.

Or if that’s not a satisfactory answer then the old “A Wizard did it.”

 

[James Gasik]

It’s a game.

Or if that’s not a satisfactory answer then the old “A Wizard did it.”

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask a game to be somewhat logical about it's narrative.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask a game to be somewhat logical about it's narrative.

It has magic and elves and dragons etc. Logic went straight out the window the moment your Fae Warlock got stabbed with a sword and didn’t bleed out and die.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It has magic and elves and dragons etc. Logic went straight out the window the moment your Fae Warlock got stabbed with a sword and didn’t bleed out and die.

I don't accept that. Every world uses established real world physics for every situation that isn't handled explicitly in another way. Gravity still works, water is still wet, fire hot, etc.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't accept that. Every world uses established real world physics for every situation that isn't handled explicitly in another way. Gravity still works, water is still wet, fire hot, etc.

Well, that's just because everyone makes their yearly sacrifices to the Gravity Dragon. They stop doing that and watch out.

 

[LordEntrails]

Out of the fiction. Rogues have niche protection and the designers assume rogues will have a high DEX and pick expertise in stealth and thieves' tools.

5E rogues don't have lock picking. It's a background choice.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I don't accept that. Every world uses established real world physics for every situation that isn't handled explicitly in another way. Gravity still works, water is still wet, fire hot, etc.

Yet in some of those worlds certain established real world laws don’t function.

Like on Krynn, gunpowder doesn’t work. Certain metals don’t conduct electricity like the do in the real world. Which is why Gnomish machines are still steam powered monstrosities

And hey locks just work a bit better.