Retry on open locks?

[Vaeron]

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*

Well, even with all that exhaustive research you must have somehow overlooked this information on skill retries, which was sneakily hidden away in the PHB Skills chapter under the Retries heading.

"For example, if Lidda the rogue misses an Open Lock check, she can try again and keep trying. If, however, a trap in the lock goes off if she misses an Open Lock check by 5 or more, then failing has its own penalties."

So the answer is, as someone already stated, open lock checks can be attempted to the hearts content, at the risk of setting off a trap.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Well, even with all that exhaustive research you must have somehow overlooked this information on skill retries, which was sneakily hidden away in the PHB Skills chapter under the Retries heading.

"For example, if Lidda the rogue misses an Open Lock check, she can try again and keep trying. If, however, a trap in the lock goes off if she misses an Open Lock check by 5 or more, then failing has its own penalties."

So the answer is, as someone already stated, open lock checks can be attempted to the hearts content, at the risk of setting off a trap.

*Slaps forehead*

But since there is a risk involved, you can't Take 20.

 

[Omegium]

I think you should just allow to take 20 always, but if they do, you let the trap go somewhere in the proces. It was their own risk.
If you sometimes allow 20 to be taken, and sometimes not, you are already telling what is happening

 

[EOL]

*Slaps forehead*

But since there is a risk involved, you can't Take 20.

There is no inherent risk to opening the lock, there may be an associated risk because of the trap, but all that means is that you can't take 20 on disable devise. Taking 20 on an open lock check that has an undetected trap, IMO, just means you set of the trap.

 

[Davelozzi]

Thanks, Vaeron, I was looking in the Open Locks write-up but I didn't think to check to general info on retries.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

If you look at the dcs for tasks I think you can tell which tasks you can take 20 on and which you can't. The dcs for traps are 15-25 if nonmagical and if magical they can get all the way up to 34, but will likely be around 28-29. Open locks the dcs start at 20 and relatively quickly and inexpensively get up to dc 40. Basically I think they artificially boost the dcs of any tasks where take 20 is possible.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

yep - they DID hide that retry text on open locks.

the bottom line is that if the door is trapped - opening it WILL set off the trap connected to the door. You have to disarm the trap and then unlock the door.

 

[Taloras]

I think that if you searched and found a trap(and disarm it), you can take 20 and retry all you want. If you dont find a trap, you cant take 20. I think you should be able to retry as much as you want, just no taking 20 unless youve found a trap and disarmed it. in our game, the DM rolls for search, so we dont know if the reason we didnt find a trap is cuz we rolled low or because there is none. Therefore, there is always that risk involved if you dont find a trap. It might just be hidden too well to find easily.

 

[hong]

I think that if you searched and found a trap(and disarm it), you can take 20 and retry all you want. If you dont find a trap, you cant take 20. I think you should be able to retry as much as you want, just no taking 20 unless youve found a trap and disarmed it.

Taking 20 is, for all practical purposes, the same as "retrying all you want". It's just a heckuva lot more convenient than rolling the dice over and over again.

 

[Number47]

The interpretation of traps that I have been going with is that if you fail your search check, then any action that might set off the trap does. So setting off the trap has nothing to do with your open locks check. Simply trying the lock sets off the trap because you think it isn't trapped (assuming the trap is in the lock itself). In fact, I would think that if there is a spring-needle inside the lock, that the lock cannot be opened by open lock or key until the trap is disarmed.