Tools of the trade: Lockpicking tools

Lockpicking tools of Aporue, including those used in Melza, both by law enforcement and by criminal users.

Various typical lockpicking tools and related lockpicking equipment available in my fantasy setting.

Completing these took quite a bit longer than I anticipated, but I can now say with a clear conscience that this gameplay art phase is concluded.

I took a vow not to post these two variants of the lockpicking tools overview sheet in this thread until I was confident enough that I've finished the work and the sheets would be worth posting. That day has finally come. Without further ado, I'm providing some closer notes on the individual types of lockpicking tools in the following paragraphs.

Upper row of lockpicks

Hooked lockpick - a metal lockpick with a more slender, hook-shaped tip
Crooked lockpick - a metal lockpick with a broader, more crooked-shaped tip
Half-diamond lockpick - a metal lockpick with a roughly half-diamond shaped tip. It can come in a steep angle variation and a shallow angle variation, as both can be useful for slightly different operations (even on the same lock).
Triangular lockpick - a metal lockpick with a triangularly shaped, tooth-like tip
Square lockpick - a metal lockpick with a squarely shaped, tooth-like tip
Skeleton key - part-key, part-lockpick ? Hard to say, but this simple device (also known popularly as a “passing key” or “passingkey”) can nevertheless come in very handy a lot of times. On a purely functional level, it's a key that can open any door. Well, that's a charitable assessment… Let's just say that, more accurately, it should be able to open most doors.

Lower row of lockpicks

Snake lockpick - a metal lockpick with a snakingly shaped tip
Snake rake lockpick - a metal lockpick with a more angularly snaking tip, in the manner of the real world letter “S”
Bolt rake lockpick - a metal lockpick with a lengthier shaft and a somewhat lightning bolt shaped tip, broader and more robust than either the snake lockpick or snake rake lockpick tips
Pointy lockpick - a metal lockpick with a simple, gradually tapering, needle-like tip
Flat lockpick - a metal lockpick with a flattened, somewhat screwdriver-like tip
Forked lockpick - a metal lockpick with a vaguely fork-shaped tip
Clover lockpick - a metal lockpick with a rounding tip, roughly in the outside shape of the real world number “8”

Bottom row of lockpicking accessories

Keyring - it might not seem like much, but a simple keyring can be a very helpful aid if you run into a situation where you need to carry several keys (including skeleton keys) and want to avoid losing them. Naturally, professional burglars tend to modify their keyrings by enveloping them in cushioned material, preventing the keys from potentially catastrophic jingling. Some thieves have a habit of carrying two keyrings while on heists - one for the keys they already brought along for the operation, and another for the keys they might temporarily acquire while exploring the establishment they've decided to rob clean. (Savvy types tend to return these keys to their place before they leave, in order to lengthen the amount of time until the guards or employees notice some suspicious changes to the environment.)

Lockpicking pouch - like the keyring, this is simply a little something to help carry lockpicks around. Picking locks requires a clockmaker's precision and patience, so they deserve an adequate little case of their own, right ? The better-made (and therefore usually more expensive) lockpick pouches tend to have separate little compartments, in order to avoid the lockpicks accidentally jingling and clicking against each other. You can blame thieves for many things, but you can't really blame them for not being paranoid enough…

Listening cup - it's one of the oldest tricks in the safecracking or eavesdropping book: Grab a tumbler or a cup, put it bottom next to a safe door and start turning the dial to figure out the combination (or if that fails and the safe is pickable, try it with a lockpick). Now, obviously, a tool like this can be any old cup. However, the maestros of burglary and heists tend to use prefabricated ones, purpose-built to enhance sound waves as best as possible. This particular model of listening cup is based on a popular design widespread among thieves all around Aporue. It is easy to carry and conceal, and also very easy to reproduce in even the humblest-equipped workshops. If you buy one with a basic set of cheap lockpicks, it can be a real bargain.

On a "behind the scenes" note

I'll note that this is all heavily inspired by the Thief series and other prominent uses of the pre-modern era utilisation of lockpicking tools in fiction. That said, I wanted to make all of these lockpicking tools and their accessories as plausible as I could, picking shapes and variations that provide a certain archetype and a fair bit of variation, but aren't too whimsical for their own sake.

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Other Thick as Thieves weapons and tools concept art
- Tools of the trade: Trick arrows and other projectiles
- Tools of the trade: Trick bombs and trick mines
- Law enforcement insignia in Melza (City Watch)
- Law enforcement insignia in Melza (Frontiersmen Corps)
- Law enforcement sword hilts in Melza


See also
- Gameplay: Lockpicking
- Gameplay: Stealth and sneaking skills
- Tools of the trade: Exploration, travel and work tools and equipment
- Tools of the trade: Clothing and footwear
- Tools of the trade: Melee weapons
- Tools of the trade: Ranged weapons
- Tools of the trade: Armour and protective clothing

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Copyright

(C) 2019 - 2024 P. Molnár
(C) 2019 - 2024 Knight-Errant Studios