Retry on open locks?

[Davelozzi]

The subject says it all. For some reason, there's no retry section under the Open Locks skill? I don't see anything in the errata. Do you guys allow retries? Or only when the character raises a level? What about taking 20?

 

[Magus_Jerel]

I would say you could take 20 - and that you could thus retry as many times as you like.

Now - there is the possibility that the lock is just beyond you (a first level character trying to hit DC 40) in which case you would have to get better tools or improve your ranks in the skill.

However, you COULD set off a trap connected to the lock if you messed with it long enough...

IMC most thieves take their time to make sure the thing isn't trapped before they try and open the lock. It also has a tendency to restrain "knock spell happy" wizards.

 

[AGGEMAM]

One could also see it like this:

If you miss your Open Lock check, you have ruined the lock and thus, the lock can never be unlocked even with the key.

 

[dr_nukem]

Failed OL = broken...no way.

Take 20 on a OL roll...sure thing. It will simply take you the 2 minutes to open that lock instead of the 6 seconds for a natural 20 roll.

Failure means you don't succeed at opening the lock. It *may* mean you trigger a trap...not necesarrily that you DO trigger it.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Failure means you don't succeed at opening the lock. It *may* mean you trigger a trap...not necesarrily that you DO trigger it.

So how excately do you trigger a trap?

 

[RogueJK]

So how excately do you trigger a trap?

If you spend two minutes screwing around with a lock that it connected to a trap, or that has a trap built in, there's a pretty good chance that you'll set the trap off.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

fouling the lock if you fail is illogical -

What happens If I WANT to jam the lock - to stop the guards from pursuing us?

That is a Disable Device check- not an open locks check.

 

[AGGEMAM]

There is unfortunately nothing in the book I have that say anything about retrys on Open Lock checks.

That mean there isn't published anything about it (from WotC). I have seached The PHB, DMG, SRD, SnF, SnS, all the playtesting material of the same books, the D&D FAQ, and all the errata.

Go figure! *shrug*

 

[AGGEMAM]

But if you allow a Rogue to Take 20 and retry freely on Open Lock checks, you are actually telling the Rogue that there are no traps.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

Nah - He just finds out that He failed His search check when he pops the lock... the hard way.