- Type: Skill puzzle
- Location: A locked chest
- Difficulty: Medium
Background:
The party rogue is trying to break into a locked chest that contains a valuable item. The chest is secured with a complex lock that will require the use of lock picking skills to open.
The Puzzle:
The lock on the chest has four tumblers, each with a different number of pins. In order to open the lock, the rogue must determine the correct combination of pins for each tumbler. The rogue has a set of lock picks and a tension wrench, but no other tools.
Solution:
To solve the puzzle, the rogue will need to use their lock picking skills to manipulate the tumblers and find the correct combination.
First, the rogue should insert the tension wrench into the lock and apply slight pressure to keep the tumblers in place. Then, using their lock picks, the rogue should carefully probe each tumbler, feeling for the pins as they move up and down.
As the rogue manipulates each tumbler, they will need to pay attention to the resistance they feel and the sound the tumblers make. This will give the rogue clues as to which pins are set and which are not.
Once the rogue has determined the correct combination for each tumbler, they can use their lock picks to set the pins in the correct positions and open the lock. With practice and skill, the rogue should be able to unlock the chest and retrieve the valuable item inside.
You can have the rogue go through a series of skill checks and narrate each piece of how they are solving the lock puzzle. A failed skill checks sets them back one step. Too many failed checks sets of a trap. With every new try the DC moves up one step. This makes it more exciting than just having one check to open a lock and it challenges the PC instead of the player.