D&D 5E How often can an object be manipulated?

[Werebat]

First session of Out of the Abyss, and the party escaped the drow slavers of Velkynvelve with relative ease in part because of some game mechanics silliness.

They got their hands on a shackle key, and each party member (and the NPCs they were locked up with) in turn used the key to unlock their shackles. All in the same round -- each one moved, manipulated an object to pick up the key, and used an action to unlock their shackles before dropping the key as a free action.

This is... a bit silly. There were seven PCs and about the same number of NPCs. Fourteen people should probably need more than a round to use the same set of keys to get all of their shackles unlocked and off.

In retrospect, I could have ruled that the key could only be manipulated once per round.

Would that have been unreasonable?

 

[Lanliss]

You could have ruled it impossible to unlock yourself from the shackles, though that wouldn't have changed much. Or that it takes two actions to unlock them, assuming a lock on each arm.

 

[Werebat]

You could have ruled it impossible to unlock yourself from the shackles, though that wouldn't have changed much. Or that it takes two actions to unlock them, assuming a lock on each arm.

As you point out, the former would have made no difference, and the latter would have simply delayed the fourteen prisoners by one round -- and been even sillier -- as they spent their rounds picking up the key, unlocking ONE wrist, then dropping the key for someone else to pick it up...

 

[Manbearcat]

Its unclear. But legend has it that excessive object manipulation leads to a saving throw versus blindness with disadvantage.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Its unclear. But legend has it that excessive object manipulation leads to a saving throw versus blindness with disadvantage.

I was going to say, "Twice. Any more than that, and you're playing with it."

I think your joke probably works better, though.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

To address the topic of the thread:

Why was the process of unlocking the shackles handled via turns at all? Such strict measurement of time should only be used if there are other things going on in the immediate sense that require timing to be more precise than "You take a minute or so and get everyone unlocked."

Now, if there were captors nearby that could be beating on the captives that are trying to make their escape, it would be relevant to put the action into turns because then you would have things happening that might interrupt or delay the process.

 

[Tony Vargas]

How often can an object be manipulated?

Depends on it's Insight, but it'd have to get suspicious, eventually...

They got their hands on a shackle key, and each party member (and the NPCs they were locked up with) in turn used the key to unlock their shackles. All in the same round -- each one moved, manipulated an object to pick up the key, and used an action to unlock their shackles before dropping the key as a free action.

Shades of the 3e peasant railgun, there.

5e is all about the DM making rulings and narrating success when there's nothing in question the norm. So after the first character has declared "I unlock myself and pass the key to the next person" you just say "after a few tense moments as you watch out for approaching guards, you're all free."

If you're actually running through rounds by the book, it doesn't sound too workable. Interacting with an object is something you get to do as part of an action. So using a key to open a lock that takes an action to open is fine. On your turn. But you act in initiative order. You can Ready to wait for the key, but you just have your action to do so, your move (if any) happened on your turn. So you might have several people moving to where the key is and Ready to grab it all trying for it once when the first guy drops it - or not, it'll get all confused.

Kind alike a crowd of people all wanting to get the key, really. ;P

This is... a bit silly. There were seven PCs and about the same number of NPCs. Fourteen people should probably need more than a round to use the same set of keys to get all of their shackles unlocked and off.

In retrospect, I could have ruled that the key could only be manipulated once per round.
Would that have been unreasonable?

So it'd've taken a minute or two to free everyone? Sounds reasonable, even still a little quick (6 second rounds and all).

But, it seems like it'd really only matter in combat. 1 round is obviously silly, 14 is not silly at all, but it might be problematic if you're trying to keep everyone involved in a combat while getting everyone free. Outside of combat it doesn't matter, exactly how long it takes, just whether they're interrupted before they're done. That's up to you, as the DM, anyway.

 

[Storyteller Hero]

The short answer: As many times as it takes before you go blind.

 

[Werebat]

To address the topic of the thread:

Why was the process of unlocking the shackles handled via turns at all? Such strict measurement of time should only be used if there are other things going on in the immediate sense that require timing to be more precise than "You take a minute or so and get everyone unlocked."

Now, if there were captors nearby that could be beating on the captives that are trying to make their escape, it would be relevant to put the action into turns because then you would have things happening that might interrupt or delay the process.

There were other things going on -- to be precise, there was a big combat going on between the drow captors and some demons. PCs busted out of their group cell, but were still in shackles, and managed to kill one of the guards (who had the key to their manacles). (Actually, IIRC it was a chasme demon that KILLED one of the guards near their cell, and they were able to reach through the bars to get their hands on his key ring and use it to unlock first the cell door and then their manacles).

So time was of the essence, as even early on SOME of the guards noticed what was going on and arrived to intervene.

 

[cmad1977]

I guess I would have limited how many manacles could be undone in a round. 2-3 maybe? That's just an arbitrary number though.


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