Soulsteel Lockpicks

From: Soulsteel

Lore: Soulsteel Lockpicks are rare and coveted tools among those skilled in the arts of thievery, espionage, and infiltration. The recipe for crafting these lockpicks is shrouded in secrecy and often passed down through clandestine organizations or master thieves. Legends speak of master locksmiths who discovered the unique properties of Soulsteel and learned to harness its power to overcome magically protected locks. It is said that these lockpicks possess a connection to the moon’s energy, enabling them to manipulate ethereal forces and open even the most intricate of locks.

Use: Soulsteel Lockpicks serve as indispensable tools for rogues, burglars, and adventurers seeking to bypass magical locks and gain access to secured areas. Here are the details regarding their level one stats, skills, preparation, cost, process, and tags:

Level One Stats and Skills:

• Stats:
  • Lockpicking Expertise: Provides a bonus to the character’s lockpicking skill, making it easier to unlock magical locks.
  • Ethereal Connection: Enables the lockpicks to interact with and manipulate ethereal energies, aiding in the bypassing of magical defenses.
• Skills:
  • Lockpicking: Novice to Intermediate level proficiency in picking locks, especially those protected by magical enchantments.
  • Moonlight Affinity: Basic understanding of harnessing the moon’s energy and its effects on enchanted objects.

Preparation, Cost, and Process:

• Preparation: Characters must acquire the necessary ingredients and possess the relevant skills to craft Soulsteel Lockpicks.
• Cost: The cost of creating Soulsteel Lockpicks can vary depending on the availability and rarity of Soulsteel, fine metal wire, enchanted lockpicks, and access to moonlight. The character may need to navigate the criminal underworld, trade with skilled artisans, or engage in quests to obtain these materials.
• Process:
  • Soulsteel Shaping: Melt the Soulsteel and carefully shape it into delicate lockpicks. The goal is to maintain their strength, precision, and slim profile, allowing them to fit into even the most complex lock mechanisms.
  • Enchantment with Moonlight: Expose the lockpicks to the soft glow of moonlight during a specific lunar phase. This enchantment imbues the lockpicks with the ability to resonate with ethereal energies and interact with magical locks.
  • Integration with Fine Metal Wire: Attach the Soulsteel lockpicks to a framework of fine metal wire, reinforcing their structure and providing additional support during intricate lockpicking maneuvers.

Tags:

• Lockpicking: Lockpicks are specifically designed for bypassing locks and disabling security measures.
• Soulsteel-Enhanced: The use of Soulsteel in the crafting process grants the lockpicks their unique properties and connection to ethereal energies.
• Ethereal Manipulation: The lockpicks can interact with and manipulate ethereal forces, enabling them to bypass magical defenses.
• Additional: Ethereal Resonance, Moonlight Forged, Magical Bypass, Precision Tools, Shadowcrafted, Unlawful Utility, Mystical Locksmithing, Silent Penetration, Arcane Intrusion, Soulsteel Adaptation

Soulsteel Lockpicks are highly sought after by thieves, spies, and adventurers who face magically protected doors, chests, or artifacts. These lockpicks enable characters to navigate intricate security systems, bypass magical wards, and access hidden treasures or sensitive information. However, the usage of these lockpicks can be risky, as their existence and capabilities may draw the attention of powerful mages, guardians of enchanted places, or rival thieves seeking to possess the same advantage. Characters must exercise caution and discretion when utilizing these lockpicks, employing them in environments where their unique abilities can provide an edge in obtaining valuable or secret items.

Perception of Activation: Soulsteel Lockpicks

• User’s Perspective
  • Sight: The lockpicks emit a faint, silvery-blue glow, with subtle runes along their surface lighting up like threads of moonlight. The glow intensifies as they near a magical lock.
  • Sound: A soft, melodic hum resonates faintly, shifting pitch as the lockpicks interact with magical mechanisms. It feels like the echo of distant chimes in a quiet night.
  • Touch: The lockpicks grow cool to the touch, and a slight vibration runs through them, as if guiding the user’s hand toward the lock’s weaknesses.
  • Smell: A faint, metallic tang lingers, mixed with a subtle aroma reminiscent of dew-drenched grass under moonlight.
  • Taste: The air near the lockpicks is cool and carries a trace of energy that feels invigorating yet slightly bitter when breathed in.
  • Extra-Sensory:
    • Ethereal Awareness: The user perceives faint trails of magical energy flowing through the lock, as if threads of light are revealing its inner structure.
    • Intuition: A sense of confidence and precision accompanies their actions, as though the lockpicks themselves are aiding their every move.
  • Positives:
    • Enhanced focus and clarity, making even intricate mechanisms feel simpler to manipulate.
    • The lockpicks provide intuitive feedback, reducing the chance of mistakes.
  • Negatives:
    • Prolonged use causes a faint headache as the magical resonance interacts with the user’s mind.
    • A slight feeling of unease, as if unseen forces are observing the act.
• Observer’s Perspective
  • Sight: The lockpicks glow faintly, casting a soft silver-blue light on the lock and the user’s hands. The glow pulses slightly, synchronizing with the user’s movements.
  • Sound: A quiet, ethereal hum can be heard, akin to the distant echo of wind chimes, growing louder when the lock is closer to disengagement.
  • Extra-Sensory:
    • Magical Sensitivity: Observers attuned to magic may feel a faint pull toward the lockpicks, as if they emit a beacon-like presence in the arcane spectrum.
    • Aura Recognition: Magical observers perceive the lockpicks as surrounded by a delicate, moonlit aura, shimmering in harmony with nearby magical defenses.
  • Positives: Observers sense the precision and harmony of the lockpicks’ interaction with magic, inspiring awe at their craftsmanship.
  • Negatives: Sensitive observers may feel a faint discomfort or unease, as if the lockpicks are bending natural laws or drawing energy from an unknown source.

The activation of Soulsteel Lockpicks is an otherworldly experience, blending beauty and mystery. While they enhance the user’s capabilities and radiate elegance, their subtle reminders of supernatural forces introduce an ever-present unease, making them both a marvel and a risk to wield.

The recipe for Soulsteel Lockpicks is not openly sold in conventional markets or reputable establishments due to their association with criminal activities and the potential for misuse. Instead, they are usually obtained through secretive channels and specialized underground networks. Here’s more information on where and how the recipe for Soulsteel Lockpicks can be acquired, as well as their usage and the environments in which they are employed:

• Thieves’ Guilds and Underground Networks:
  Thieves’ guilds and underground networks are the primary sources for acquiring the recipe for Soulsteel Lockpicks. These organizations specialize in illicit activities and possess extensive knowledge of criminal techniques and tools. Characters may need to gain the trust of the guild leaders, prove their skills in thievery or espionage, or complete tasks on behalf of the organization to obtain access to the recipe. These environments can include hidden meeting places, secret safehouses, or the shadowy underbelly of cities.
• Black Markets and Fence Shops:
  Black markets and fence shops, notorious for trading in stolen goods and illegal items, may occasionally have the recipe for Soulsteel Lockpicks available for purchase. These establishments operate discreetly in hidden locations, often requiring secret passwords or connections to gain entry. Characters may need to navigate the criminal underworld, establish contacts with fences, or engage in risky negotiations to acquire the recipe. These environments can include hidden backrooms, illicit marketplaces, or the dwellings of shady characters.

Usage of Soulsteel Lockpicks:
Once characters possess Soulsteel Lockpicks, they can be used in various ways:

• Lockpicking and Bypassing Magical Locks: Soulsteel Lockpicks excel in picking locks, especially those protected by magical enchantments. Their unique properties and ethereal resonance allow them to interact with and manipulate magical energies, making them highly effective in bypassing magical locks and security systems.
• Stealthy Infiltration: Thieves and spies use Soulsteel Lockpicks to gain unauthorized access to secured locations while minimizing the risk of triggering alarms or leaving evidence of their presence. The lockpicks’ precision and ability to manipulate magical locks quietly make them invaluable tools for stealthy infiltration.
• Artifact Retrieval and Heists: Characters employ Soulsteel Lockpicks when undertaking daring heists or attempting to recover valuable artifacts protected by intricate security measures. Their capacity to bypass magical defenses grants the characters an advantage in acquiring coveted treasures or sensitive information.

The usage of Soulsteel Lockpicks typically occurs in environments where security is tight, and the presence of magical locks is prevalent. These can include noble estates, ancient tombs, wizard towers, or secret vaults hidden beneath fortified structures. Characters who possess these lockpicks must exercise caution, as their utilization may attract the attention of vigilant guardians, magical sentinels, or rival thieves seeking to outwit or eliminate the competition.

Due to the secretive nature of the recipe and the potential illegality of their usage, characters must exercise discretion when utilizing Soulsteel Lockpicks. They may need to operate under the cover of darkness, employ diversionary tactics, or rely on their stealth and agility to avoid detection.

Whispering Keys of the Lunar Veil

In a time so distant that the moon itself had yet to lose its glow of silver fire, there lived a locksmith named Theryn, who was said to hear the songs of locks. It is told—though the telling is worn with age—that Theryn was no ordinary craftsman. Where others shaped metal with hammer and forge, Theryn shaped it with whispers and moonlight, his tools dancing as though moved by unseen hands.

One night, beneath a full moon heavy with its own light, a stranger cloaked in shadows approached Theryn’s door. The figure’s voice, soft as falling leaves, spoke of a challenge: a lock that no mortal hand could open, guarding secrets sealed since the beginning of all. The stranger offered a sliver of Soulsteel, a metal wrought from the anguish of the unseen, in exchange for Theryn’s craft. The metal sang to Theryn in tones both haunting and beautiful, and he accepted without hesitation.

The work began beneath the moon’s watchful gaze. Theryn melted the Soulsteel and shaped it into delicate picks, their forms impossibly slender, their edges sharper than light itself. He tempered them in dew gathered at midnight and etched runes upon their surface with tools of silver and bone. For nine nights, the moonlight itself seemed to linger longer, as though aiding Theryn in his task. On the tenth night, the Whispering Keys were born.

When the stranger returned, they led Theryn to the lock—a great door forged from starlight and shadow. The picks glowed faintly as Theryn worked, their hum rising and falling like a distant chant. With a final twist, the lock gave way, revealing a chamber filled with a radiant void. But as Theryn turned to marvel at his work, the stranger stepped through the door and vanished, leaving Theryn alone with the keys that whispered of what lay beyond.

It is said that Theryn was changed after that night. He spoke of hearing locks cry out in fear, and his hands moved as though drawn by forces unseen. Some claim he crafted more Whispering Keys, while others say the original picks vanished with him, leaving behind only tales of their power.

The Whispering Keys are now sought by those who dream of unlocking the forbidden, but their whispers carry warnings: “Not all doors should open, and not all secrets should be known.”

Moral of the Story: The pursuit of mastery can unlock both wonders and dangers, but one must tread carefully, for the doors we open may lead to paths we were never meant to walk.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Description: Lockpicks forged from Soulsteel, capable of bypassing even the most intricate magical locks.
• Item Type: Tool (Arcane)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Manipulation: Grants a +20% bonus to Locksmith rolls when dealing with magically protected locks.
  • Moonlit Resonance: Allows a single attempt to open locks sealed with arcane wards or glyphs, requiring an Occult roll (Hard difficulty).
  • Drawbacks: Prolonged use induces a sense of paranoia, resulting in a 1d4 Sanity loss after every three uses.
• Availability: Rare, found only in occult collections or through clandestine organizations.

Blades in the Dark

• Description: Rare and coveted tools crafted to bypass magical wards and complex locks.
• Item Type: Fine Tool Set
• Mechanics:
  • Fine Quality: Grants +1d to Tinker rolls when used to pick locks.
  • Arcane Bypass: Allows the wielder to bypass magical wards. Use of this ability requires an Attune roll (Risky position).
  • Drawbacks: The lockpicks hum faintly when used, increasing the risk of detection during Stealth rolls (GM discretion).
• Load: 1

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Wondrous Item, Rare
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Lockpicking: Grants advantage on Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) checks to pick locks protected by magical wards.
  • Moonlit Focus: Once per day, the lockpicks can cast Dispel Magic (level 3) targeting a lock or trap.
  • Drawbacks: After each use of the Dispel Magic effect, the user must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or gain disadvantage on Insight checks for 1 hour due to ethereal whispers clouding their mind.
• Cost: 750 gp

Knave

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Type: Tool (1 slot)
• Effects:
  • Enhanced Precision: Grants a +2 bonus to rolls for picking locks, including those protected by magical wards.
  • Arcane Resonance: On a successful roll to pick a magical lock, the lockpicks glow faintly, revealing nearby arcane traps or wards.
  • Drawbacks: Each failed attempt to pick a lock with magical protections has a 1-in-6 chance of inflicting 1 point of Wisdom loss as the lockpicks rebound ethereal energy into the user.
• Use in Game: Rare and highly sought after by rogues, found in thieves’ guilds or acquired through daring heists.

Fate Core

• Description: Mystical lockpicks imbued with ethereal power, designed to bypass even magical barriers.
• Item Type: Arcane Tool
• Mechanics:
  • Aspect: “Keys to the Ethereal”
  • Grants +2 to Burglary rolls when picking locks, especially those protected by magical or supernatural means.
  • Stunt: Once per session, the user can bypass a magically warded lock without needing to roll, provided they can spend a Fate Point.
  • Drawbacks: The lockpicks occasionally hum with faint whispers, potentially invoking GM compels for heightened risk of detection.
• Availability: Rare, often found in the possession of thieves’ guild leaders or arcane burglars.

Numenera & Cypher System

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Artifact
• Level: 6
• Effects:
  • Enhanced Lockpicking: Reduces the difficulty of all tasks involving lockpicking by 2 steps.
  • Bypass Wards: Once per day, the lockpicks can disable a magical ward or trap with an Intellect roll (difficulty 6).
  • Depletion: Roll 1d20 after each use. On a roll of 1–2, the lockpicks lose their magical properties permanently.
• Source: Typically discovered in ancient ruins, thieves’ caches, or as rewards from shadowy benefactors.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Tools (Magic), Rare
• Usage: Held in one hand.
• Effects:
  • Lockpicking Expertise: Grants a +2 item bonus to Thievery checks to pick locks.
  • Arcane Bypass: Allows the wielder to attempt to pick magically sealed locks. Success requires a DC 20 Thievery check with an additional +2 bonus from the lockpicks.
  • Moonlit Resonance: Once per day, the lockpicks can cast Dispel Magic targeting a warded lock or trap.
• Price: 500 gp

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Magical Tools
• Mechanics:
  • Enhanced Precision: Grants +2 to Thievery rolls when picking locks.
  • Magical Override: Allows a single use of the Dispel power (Lockpicks serve as a magical focus). This costs 2 Power Points and requires a Spirit roll at -2.
  • Drawbacks: On a critical failure when using the Dispel effect, the user gains a level of Fatigue due to the lockpicks’ magical backlash.
• Weight: Negligible
• Cost: 300 gold

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Magical Equipment
• Effects:
  • Enhanced Lockpicking: Provides +2 dice to Locksmith rolls when interacting with standard or magically protected locks.
  • Arcane Bypass: Allows the user to disable magically warded locks with a Magic + Logic test (Threshold 3).
  • Drawbacks: Each use against a magically warded lock causes 1 Stun damage as the lockpicks channel magical energy.
• Availability: 10F
• Cost: 5,000¥

Starfinder

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Tool (Magic), Level 7
• Activation: Standard action (to attempt bypassing a magical lock)
• Effects:
  • Lockpicking Bonus: Grants a +4 bonus to Engineering checks to pick standard locks or bypass mechanical traps.
  • Arcane Override: Allows the user to attempt to bypass a magical lock or trap by succeeding at a Mysticism check (DC 18).
  • Drawbacks: After successfully bypassing a magical lock, the user must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or take 1d4 temporary Stamina damage due to magical backlash.
• Bulk: L
• Price: 3,800 credits

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Exotic Tool
• Effects:
  • Lockpicking Bonus: Provides DM+2 to Mechanic or Electronics rolls when picking locks, including advanced electronic or magical locks.
  • Ethereal Bypass: Once per day, allows the user to bypass a magically sealed lock by succeeding at an Intelligence check (8+). Failure causes the lockpicks to temporarily deactivate for 1d6 hours.
  • Drawbacks: Repeated use (more than twice per day) imposes DM-1 to all further lockpicking attempts until the user rests.
• Availability: Rare, often found in black markets or from high-tech artisans.
• Price: 10,000 credits

Warhammer (4th Edition)

Soulsteel Lockpicks

• Item Type: Magical Tool, Rare
• Effects:
  • Enhanced Precision: Provides +10 to Pick Lock tests against mundane locks.
  • Magical Override: Allows the user to attempt to pick magically warded locks with a Challenging (+0) Language (Magick) test.
  • Curse: On a failed Magical Override attempt, the user gains 1 Corruption Point due to the ethereal energies rebounding onto them.
• Encumbrance: 0
• Cost: 25 gold crowns