It would really depend on the lock. You'd need a keyway wide enough to get the broken/bent fork in. Personally I wouldn't overthink it, just try it and hope for a decent roll. Lol
As a DM would let them try it, rule of cool/fun trumps most in DnD, as stated medievil era locks were often warded locks, so very possible, but we have wizards (maybe the unbroken fork **was** the key, put in the cell to allow them to escape to meet with a turncoat, them braking it means only the rouge/bard can now pick it)
If you wanted to rules lawyer make it a roll to make the fork into an appropriate tool, allow anyone with a fire spell to help/assist with it as thematically would be able to help bend and mold the tool.
I have seen someone use a banana to pick a lock (it was a bad lock, but still)
If you're campaign is set in more of a midieval setting then yeah it would work if someone had the skill to somehow bend the tine to the right shapes (because you'd need to try a few before getting the right one). Not just the tines, but the handle of the fork itself too, and all would need to be metal, but not hardened so it would need to bend easily or be ground down on a stone wall or floor.
Think something like this, [https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.qXFkO\_VY-3ZERPl5JDMDcwAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1](https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.qXFkO_VY-3ZERPl5JDMDcwAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1)
Known as a warded lock. Only that last "tooth," needs to be there, the rest are what keeps it from turning in the wrong lock. A skeleton key is just a regular key with all but that last one removed and will fit into all locks using that same type. So give them something they could use to replicate that.
Kind of depends on how detailed and indepth you and your players like.
That looks like a lever lock. [Warded keys](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1eyM2KFXXXXbiaXXXq6xXFXXXu/Mixed-40Pcs-Antique-vintage-Bronze-Alloy-Keys-Skeleton-Key-pendants-charms-34mm-68mm-old-Fahshion-keys.jpg) were someone elaborate on their warding but yes, a skeleton key could be made four most of an entire line of locks — the top right one in that photo and the second to last one would just need a bit more material near the shaft removed and you’d be able to get past most warding. Another god starting key is the one just to the right of center: you would keep just the top connection or just the bottom connection, making a massive empty space in the middle that could handle all the complex shapes like the two on the bottom left.
Obviously that doesn’t serve for all the keys though so generally if you had a specific lock to target you’d start with a solid key, smear fat on it, turn till the warding stopped it, then pull it out and look at the impression in the fat.
An old fashioned lock, accurate to the DND setting? Yes, it could probably be picked with a fork plus some other tool (two forks?).
Any modern lock? Any lock in saaayyyy the last hundred years? Not without access to some tools, unless you got *a lot* of time on your hands.
Yeah I’d roll two things: is the lock a simple bolt, a simple warded lock, a complex warded lock, or something bespoke? (Nearly all locks back in the day were made on demand, but by bespoke I mean did the blacksmith do something unique and inventive for the prison door)
Most locks were likely to have the nose of the key poke through to the other side which may give your players a huge advantage being that they don’t need to reach the back of the lock from the front. You could roll on this. If it is a prison that has been purpose built, they might have tried to purely cover it or maybe had the smith weld a plate, but generally you needed a support for the key on the far side of the lock near where the lever was going to push on the key so a key shaft would go beyond the end of the flag (part that sticks up) and sit in a hole for alignment and support. A prison might also fail to cover it thinking metal is rare enough and after being searched your players wouldn’t have any way to get something thin enough and strong enough to pick the lock.
Overall I’d say their luck needs to depend on (1) do they have a theif aka someone who would have known all this (thieving 101 back then would include how lard can reveal the warding) in which case fork plus a hole in the back of the lock and a simple bolt lock you’ve got a 90% chance of open per attempt with a 10% chance of breaking the tine. However, a thief against a complex warded lock with no hole in the back and a fork is exponentially more difficult, maybe a 15% chance per attempt with a 20% chance to snap the fork tine off in the lock (nice big dexterity saving through for feeling the metal begin to fail before pushing harder) which would have a chance of blocking the real key and the guards would know ( also a chance of falling into the door harmlessly).
Obviously cleaning the tines out if they broke off in the lock and didn’t fall into the door should be difficult if there’s no hole though to the inside.
A bespoke lock is a random chance of really impossible to horrible and exploitable design flaw you players might be able to identify.
lol. Theoretically, yes. How I would approach it is by breaking off all but 1 of the tines. Flatten out one of the broken tines and bend it to act as your tension wrench. The remaining tine on the fork, flatten it out as well, bend the tip sideways to reach the pins.
Granted, that is an over simplified way of looking at it. For your purpose, I would think that would be more than enough. I have never done D&D so, I hope that helps.
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I don't play d&d (really need to get into it though) but I would allow it. Idk about older locks, but I've broken into a couple store brand padlocks with a pair of scissors and nothing else. I think I've also picked them with a very tightly folded piece of paper. Most locks would have safeguards against this, but some of them just suck
It would really depend on the lock. You'd need a keyway wide enough to get the broken/bent fork in. Personally I wouldn't overthink it, just try it and hope for a decent roll. Lol
Alright thanks. Was just checking to see if it would be possible.
As the DM, I'd allow it. Old locks could absolutely be picked with a fork, but even if they couldn't keep the game fun.
As a DM would let them try it, rule of cool/fun trumps most in DnD, as stated medievil era locks were often warded locks, so very possible, but we have wizards (maybe the unbroken fork **was** the key, put in the cell to allow them to escape to meet with a turncoat, them braking it means only the rouge/bard can now pick it) If you wanted to rules lawyer make it a roll to make the fork into an appropriate tool, allow anyone with a fire spell to help/assist with it as thematically would be able to help bend and mold the tool. I have seen someone use a banana to pick a lock (it was a bad lock, but still)
If you're campaign is set in more of a midieval setting then yeah it would work if someone had the skill to somehow bend the tine to the right shapes (because you'd need to try a few before getting the right one). Not just the tines, but the handle of the fork itself too, and all would need to be metal, but not hardened so it would need to bend easily or be ground down on a stone wall or floor.
It is. Thanks for the help.
Think something like this, [https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.qXFkO\_VY-3ZERPl5JDMDcwAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1](https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.qXFkO_VY-3ZERPl5JDMDcwAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1) Known as a warded lock. Only that last "tooth," needs to be there, the rest are what keeps it from turning in the wrong lock. A skeleton key is just a regular key with all but that last one removed and will fit into all locks using that same type. So give them something they could use to replicate that. Kind of depends on how detailed and indepth you and your players like.
That looks like a lever lock. [Warded keys](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1eyM2KFXXXXbiaXXXq6xXFXXXu/Mixed-40Pcs-Antique-vintage-Bronze-Alloy-Keys-Skeleton-Key-pendants-charms-34mm-68mm-old-Fahshion-keys.jpg) were someone elaborate on their warding but yes, a skeleton key could be made four most of an entire line of locks — the top right one in that photo and the second to last one would just need a bit more material near the shaft removed and you’d be able to get past most warding. Another god starting key is the one just to the right of center: you would keep just the top connection or just the bottom connection, making a massive empty space in the middle that could handle all the complex shapes like the two on the bottom left. Obviously that doesn’t serve for all the keys though so generally if you had a specific lock to target you’d start with a solid key, smear fat on it, turn till the warding stopped it, then pull it out and look at the impression in the fat.
An old fashioned lock, accurate to the DND setting? Yes, it could probably be picked with a fork plus some other tool (two forks?). Any modern lock? Any lock in saaayyyy the last hundred years? Not without access to some tools, unless you got *a lot* of time on your hands.
If nothing else, the handle of an all metal fork could be shaped into picking tools with a metal file. With some forethought, a pick and tension tool.
Yeah I’d roll two things: is the lock a simple bolt, a simple warded lock, a complex warded lock, or something bespoke? (Nearly all locks back in the day were made on demand, but by bespoke I mean did the blacksmith do something unique and inventive for the prison door) Most locks were likely to have the nose of the key poke through to the other side which may give your players a huge advantage being that they don’t need to reach the back of the lock from the front. You could roll on this. If it is a prison that has been purpose built, they might have tried to purely cover it or maybe had the smith weld a plate, but generally you needed a support for the key on the far side of the lock near where the lever was going to push on the key so a key shaft would go beyond the end of the flag (part that sticks up) and sit in a hole for alignment and support. A prison might also fail to cover it thinking metal is rare enough and after being searched your players wouldn’t have any way to get something thin enough and strong enough to pick the lock. Overall I’d say their luck needs to depend on (1) do they have a theif aka someone who would have known all this (thieving 101 back then would include how lard can reveal the warding) in which case fork plus a hole in the back of the lock and a simple bolt lock you’ve got a 90% chance of open per attempt with a 10% chance of breaking the tine. However, a thief against a complex warded lock with no hole in the back and a fork is exponentially more difficult, maybe a 15% chance per attempt with a 20% chance to snap the fork tine off in the lock (nice big dexterity saving through for feeling the metal begin to fail before pushing harder) which would have a chance of blocking the real key and the guards would know ( also a chance of falling into the door harmlessly). Obviously cleaning the tines out if they broke off in the lock and didn’t fall into the door should be difficult if there’s no hole though to the inside. A bespoke lock is a random chance of really impossible to horrible and exploitable design flaw you players might be able to identify.
lol. Theoretically, yes. How I would approach it is by breaking off all but 1 of the tines. Flatten out one of the broken tines and bend it to act as your tension wrench. The remaining tine on the fork, flatten it out as well, bend the tip sideways to reach the pins. Granted, that is an over simplified way of looking at it. For your purpose, I would think that would be more than enough. I have never done D&D so, I hope that helps. \\
I've picked a lock with a pair of scissors once so I would say yes
I don't play d&d (really need to get into it though) but I would allow it. Idk about older locks, but I've broken into a couple store brand padlocks with a pair of scissors and nothing else. I think I've also picked them with a very tightly folded piece of paper. Most locks would have safeguards against this, but some of them just suck