*Boxes, Bombs, Bashing, and Survival: The Secrets of Locksmithing by  Haxley Dormagic [#o9fd10c5]

**I. Introduction [#md0698a8]

Being a Locksmith in Elanthia is not as easy as it was years ago. When I first began, just as the Vvrael were making their last attempts at claiming this world for themselves, it was more a matter of available money than skill. If you could afford the twenty seven thousand silver for an alum lockpick, the best of the best, you could become a locksmith and open other people's boxes for them.

But, times change. Now, finally, it is no longer an issue of who has the silver, but who also has the skill. Lockpicks require a certain amount of skill to be able to use them correctly, as well as a rather large bank account to be able to afford them in the first place. If you still wish to become a locksmith, read on.

**II. Basics of Picking [#r0672326]

First things first. You need a locked box. It goes without saying, of course, that said boxes can be found on intelligent beasts the world over. I would personally advise a run of the mill kobold for this, as they are about as weak as creatures can get and they actually do carry boxes with them.

Once you have a box, you will want to disarm it (type: DISARM MY <box name>). If you see anything out of the ordinary, keep trying to disarm the box until you have taken care of the problem.

Now that the box has been either disarmed of traps or you have determined that there are no traps on it, it is time to work on the lock. Take out your lockpick of choice and get to work on that lock (type: PICK MY <box type> WITH MY LOCKPICK). There are three different outcomes. They are: you open the box, you don't open the box, or you break your lockpick (I will go into further detail regarding the degrees of success and failure later on in this document).

If you opened your box, congratulations! If you did not, for whatever reason (you broke your pick, you gave up, or you missed a trap) keep trying. Every locksmith goes through the same troubles, regardless of their age.
 
**III. Traps: How do you want to die today? [#uc0e91a3]

Traps are, depending on whom you ask, either wonderful because they add excitement to picking, or are an incredible annoyance due to their annoying propensity to cause a bad day. But, that said, they are a necessary part of the locksmith's life, so be sure that your disarm and perception are up to snuff before you begin working on boxes. Even if you would rather open boxes way other than a carefully applied lockpick (i.e. the Unlock spell, call lightning, bashing by warrior), this section will still be useful to you. If nothing else, you can learn what traps you can and cannot afford to set off in an effort to avoid their affects.

When you see a trap, do not panic. Ideally you can disarm it. However, most locksmiths are able to spot traps that they cannot yet disarm. If this is the case, then at least be thankful that you caught it before doing something that would result in what is known technically as a Bad Thing.

A quick note: when I speak of some trap types being "easier" than others, I refer to the fact that two traps of equal difficulties (i.e. the numbers are the same), may be easier or harder to disarm, depending on the type of the trap. It should also be understood that some traps can be "picked through". This means that, if you attempt to pick the lock on the box and succeed on your first attempt, the trap will not be sprung. After each description, there will be a note saying whether a trap can be picked through or not.

***A. Spring Trap [#q73bc297]

These can be most easily identified by the springs you will notice by the hinges of the box. Should you trip this particular trap, you will be left with minor wounds and scars all over your face and neck. If you are wearing a helmet of any variety, it will be dissolved by the acid instead. It can be picked through.

***B. Cloud Trap [#m6df23c7]

When you discover one of these, you will see a hammer and a vial filled with some manner of liquid. There are two things that could be potentially contained within that vial: either a gas cloud (exactly the same as the wizard spell Death Cloud, save it will strike adventurers) or a fire cloud (another wizard spell, I believe.-Very nasty-). Suffice to say, this is NOT something to set off in a public area. These traps can be picked through, although I would advise disarming the trap, as you can be killed by the cloud that is released, should you fail to open the box.

***C. Dark Crystal [#m0b9596e]

A relatively benign trap, in that if you trip it no harm will come to you or those around you. However, the box itself will disappear and be lost forever. Not a good trap to pick through, although this is another trap that allows it.

***D. Explosive Trap [#jf84041c]

Boom. Your standard, run-of-the-mill bomb. The box will be obliterated in the process, and you will be severely injured. This is, of course, assuming you survive. Despite what you may have heard, this trap will not disarm people in the same area as yourself. It should also be noted that you cannot pick through this variety of trap.

***E. Glyph Trap [#n54362f2]

An odd little trap indeed. Not deadly in and of itself. In fact, if you are a thief it might not be a bad idea to keep a box with this kind of trap on it with you at all times. When tripped, this trap will suck you into another world, forcing you to find your own way out. I have heard rumors that you can die in these voids, but have not experienced it myself. These traps cannot be picked through.

***F. Incinerator [#he2e87dd]

Also known as an immolator. Treat this trap with all the respect you would give to a sleeping troll king. Which is to say, kill it before it wakes up. Should you fail in your attempts to disarm this trap and set it off, you will be reduced to a pile of ash on the ground. As can be expected, you cannot pick through this trap, nor should you attempt to. The only good thing about these is that they are only good for one death, after which point it is safe to pick the box.

***G. Jaws Trap [#o388a3a4]

Chomp. Easy to find, easy to disarm, and not terribly deadly if it is tripped (although losing a hand might prove to be an incredible hassle). These can be picked through, but they are so easy to disarm it is really not worth the risk.

***H. Napalm Trap [#y675d95d]

Recognized by a hammer and a vial full of fiery-red liquid, this is a close relative of the incinerator trap; these will set you on fire and cause you to burn to death. The good news, however, is that there is a small window of opportunity where the flames can be put out: either by being rolled about on the ground by fellow adventurers, or having a cleric or wizard douse you with the appropriate spell (minor water or holy bolt). These can be picked through; although the outcome should you fail should be incentive to disarm them first.

***I. Poison Needle [#wa7e5ad0]

Another easy trap to find and disarm. Should you set one off, you will be poisoned for a short time, although I have no idea, as I have never set one of these traps off! Although they can be picked through, they are so easily disarmed that it is truly not worth the trouble.

***J. Rod Trap [#v2175b60]

Recognizable by two rods hidden in the lock mechanism, these traps have a great range of potential for injury. Should it be tripped, you will experience what it is like to be on the receiving end of a lightning bolt, as electricity courses through your body. Some people seem to never die from these, although it seems my skull has an annoying tendency to pop when electrocuted like this. Not only can they not be picked through, they will continue zapping people until they are totally disarmed.

***K. Scarabs [#f02a0110]

It's a trap and a gem all in one. Scarabs are perhaps some of the best-known traps. Coming in two varieties, sea green and sea blue, they cannot be picked through. Should you be bitten, you will be afflicted with a devastating disease or poison, depending on which color scarab bit you.

Scarabs, however, are unique in how they are handled. When you first disarm them, you nudge it out of the lock. The box is now safe. The scarab, however, is another issue entirely. As soon as you can, you should disarm the scarab (or have someone else do so for you, should you lack the necessary skill--your disarm skill and wisdom bonus combined will have to be at least 151 if you are a rogue, higher if you are not). You can now sell it at the gem shop for about four thousand silver.

There are ways of disarm scarabs besides the manual way (type: DISARM SCARAB to try it manually), however. The first is to have someone cast undisease (green scarabs) or unpoison (blue scarabs) on it. The others are the spells Elemental Dispel or Elemental Disarm. However, the scarab will be worth more if it is disarmed manually (and that value will decrease with each disarm attempt made).

**IV. Choosing your Weapon: Lockpicks [#m6ad0ba5]

The first thing you should do when you decide to buy new lockpicks is this: learn what your skill allows you to use to maximum effectiveness. Lockpicks are a bit like magic metals and enchanted items, in that you cannot make good use of the higher end ones before a certain point. You are able to pick up and use lockpicks that you are not trained for yet, although there is an increased chance of them breaking. Appendix B: Tables contains a listing of all basic lockpicks and their abilities.

Despite the size of the table and the amount of data in it, everything listed is an important factor when purchasing a new lockpick. However, if you must choose between a strong lockpick and a precise one, choose strength. It is less likely to break should you fail to open a lock, and since you effectively lower the difficulty of a lock every time you try to pick it, you will save money in the long run. I, personally, use Vaalin, as that is the replacement for the old alum lockpicks. It is quite expensive, however, and unless you can afford to replace it, do not buy one. Rather, use either invar or Kelyn.

If you should break your lockpick, there are two choices: repair it or replace it. With the current cost of lockpicks, I will generally repair my Vaalin two or three times before replacing it with a new one (unless I need deeds). The reason for replacement is simple: every time the lockpick is repaired (whether from actually breaking or from being damaged), the modifier and overall strength of the pick are reduced.
 
**V. The Actual Picking Attempt [#d8458278]

As mentioned earlier, there are three outcomes when you attempt to pick a lock: either the box opens, it doesn't, or you break your lockpick. The first situation is the ideal, the second less so, and the third can be disaster, depending upon how much you spent on that particular pick. There is little to say about what should be done should you successfully pick the lock. You open the box and take your treasure (or hand the box back to your customer).

Should you fail to pick the lock, there is a chance you will break your lockpick. The chances of this depend directly upon the strength of your pick and the difficulty of the lock. If it difficult enough relative to your lockpicking skill, you will most likely break your pick right then and there. There is also, however, a chance that you could damage your lockpick, which will have the effect of lowering its effectiveness permanently, even after it has been repaired (it goes without saying that it will also be easier to break until then).

If you wish to read about using magic to open boxes, see Appendix A: Miscellaneous Information.

**VI. Training a Locksmith [#p23a06d2]

There are no fewer than three training paths that can be used when one decides to learn the trade of Locksmithing. See Appendix B: Tables for a comparison of the maximum lock and trap difficulties each type of locksmith can deal with at various ages.

For ease of reference, I will refer to them as the Professional, Self-Employed, and Dabbler.

***A. The Professional [#n007732f]

A training plan available only to rogues, this path centers on being the best locksmith possible. Triple training in the Locksmithing skills (disarm traps, perception, and pick locks) is standard and, if points allow, some will train in the Minor Elemental circle in order to obtain the lock and trap lore spells, and perhaps Unlock (to open those boxes which have no locks). These types are able to open almost any box that they bring in from their hunting grounds, and may even be able to pick locks that would be beyond their abilities, had they only double trained.

***B. Self-Employed [#eb42d8f4]

While I will admit the name may be deceptive, this is perhaps the best way to describe those who only double train in the skills necessary for lockpicking. I use the term Self-Employed because I fit into this category and, for the most part, only open my own boxes and those of my friends. Some boxes from creatures in this locksmith's age range will be beyond his capabilities, and I have heard that this problem only gets worse with higher trainings. Many of those who double train in locksmithing skills will, if they are serious about being able to open as wide a range of locks as possible, learn the Lore spells as well. A double-trained locksmith who has learned Lore will be, in many instances, capable of opening more difficult boxes than a Professional who has not.

***C. The Dabbler [#s62ca53c]

The Dabbler is just that. They are most likely not interested in learning how to pick locks for their own benefit. Rather, they have picked up locksmithing as either an alternate source of learning (for those times when hunting can be near impossible) or to help younger adventurers. Whether singling every train, or perhaps doubling later in life in the hopes of eventually being the equivalent of single trained, these locksmiths are no less skillful than others with a similar number of ranks in the appropriate skills; they are simply older.


**VII. Conclusion [#k0bc7321]

Locksmithing, although difficult when one first begins, can be quite rewarding in the long run. Admittedly, it is not for everyone. But, for those who enjoy it, it can be a truly enjoyable skill. If, for no other reason, than you will be able to simply come in from a hunt and open your own boxes, rather than hunt down someone who has the ability to pick locks to open them for you. I hope that you have, at least, found this guide informative.

**Appendix A: Miscellaneous Information [#d803c040]

Every time you get a read (that is, you see the difficulty of the lock or trap, but do not open it) or "get a feeling that it is within your abilities", there is a cumulative modifier to all further attempts to open that box (i.e. the first time it is +5, the second time you get another +5 so you now have a total of +10).

There are three types of boxes that magical spells (call lightning, disarm, and unlock) will not work on: Enruned, Mithril, and those that have Glyph traps. In the case of Disarm or Unlock, the box simply will not open. With Call Lightning, the bolts will reflect off the box and strike someone in the room with you!

Disarm, Unlock, Piercing Gaze, Phase (I think) and Call Lightning will all set off an immolator trap, which will burn you to ashes where you stand (or sit). They also will trigger scarab traps, bombs, and incincerators.

The locksmithing locations in various towns are: the East Tower (Landing), the Well just south of the Thirsty Penguin Inn (Icemule), and North Market East (Solhaven). I am unsure as to whether River's Rest even has a dedicated locksmithing place, although the best rule to follow there is NOT to pick locks in the Sanctuary. Ta"Illistim, so far as I can tell, has not established a location, yet.

(ed. note: The Town Commons or in the tree there, are both acceptable places to pick in River's Rest.) 

The spells that help with locksmithing in some way are: Lock Lore, Trap Lore, Calm, Presence, and Mobility.

Having a crystal amulet working is rumored to hinder your locksmithing skills.

Wounds on the arms, heard, eyes, and nerves will all affect your ability to detect and disarm traps and pick locks. It is entirely possible you will miss a trap that, normally, you would easily find.

If necessary, have a piece of paper nearby to write down the names of whom you are working for at the moment, if you have a line of waiting customers.

One of the nice things about the new lockpicks is that you can have an alterer work on them. But lockpicks break and are replaced so often, why waste an alter on one?

The only place to find Vaalin lockpicks (whatever their appearance) is the shop inside the Rogue's Guild. If you want one, and you're not a member, you'll have to convince someone to buy one for you.

**Appendix B: Tables [#ef12810a]

Lockpicks and their Qualities:

Because I don't want to go through formatting tables at the moment, here's a link to these: http://web.archive.org/web/20110705224147/http://www.angelfire.com/rpg/beaconhall/boxes.htm

Back to [[Member Theses]]