Unlocking tool

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An unlocking tool is a type of tool in NetHack that can be used by a hero or certain monsters to unlock doors, and can also be used by a hero to unlock a container.

Generation

All unlocking tools are generated uncursed, unless found on a bones level or in trap "bones".

Description

There are three different types of unlocking tools:

The skeleton key and the lock pick are additionally capable of locking doors and containers.

Two artifacts use unlocking tools as base items: The Platinum Yendorian Express Card is an artifact credit card, and The Master Key of Thievery is an artifact skeleton key.

Use

All unlocking tools are used by applying them in the direction of whatever the hero wants to lock or unlock:

  • To lock or unlock a door, the hero must select the appropriate cardinal direction while adjacent to the door, and the door must be closed.
  • To lock or unlock a container, the hero must select . or > while standing on its square, and the container must both be lockable and have an intact lock, i.e. it was not forced or kicked open.

Locking or unlocking a door or container is an occupation whose chance of success depends on the tool used, your dexterity, the type of lock, and whether or the hero is a Rogue - a cursed unlocking tool will have a halved chance of success after all other modifiers are applied.[1] While beatitude has an impact on unlocking speed, erosion does not.

The per-action probabilities of success for each unlocking tool are listed in the table below:

Tool For Rogues For non-Rogues
Door Box Door Box
skeleton key (70+Dex)%[2] (75+Dex)%[3] (70+Dex)% (75+Dex)%
lock pick (3*Dex + 30)%[4] (4*Dex + 25)%[5] (3*Dex)% (4*Dex)%
credit card (2*Dex + 20)%[6] (Dex + 20)%[7] (2*Dex)% (Dex)%

The hero will give up if they have not succeeded after around 50 actions, and attempts that are fully completed exercise dexterity whether or not they actually succeed.[8][9]

A hero applying an unlocking tool to a door in Minetown in view of a watch member has a 1⁄3 chance during each action of being interrupted and warned, causing the door to become trapped as well[10] - immediately attempting to lock or unlock that door again will anger the entire watch.[11]

A hero that applies an unlocking tool on a mimic disguised as a door will uncover the mimic, and the mimic will have a 1⁄2 chance of absorbing the tool and adding it to its inventory, which is reduced to 1⁄10 for artifacts.[12] Applying an unlocking tool on a visible monster in almost any other situation will produce a message with no effect.[13]

Monster use

Intelligent monsters with hands that pick up an unlocking tool will use it to unlock locked doors, and pets that can use keys will hold on to them for this purpose.[14] The Wizard of Yendor and the Riders can unlock doors without using an unlocking tool.[15]

Strategy

All unlocking tools weigh less than 5 aum, making it easy for any hero to carry at least one:

  • Credit cards are the lightest unlocking tools at 1 aum, but are also the slowest and cannot lock objects like the others.
  • Lock picks are the 'heaviest' at 4 aum and the most expensive, but for a Rogue with 18 dexterity they give a 97% chance of (un)locking a box in one turn In all other circumstances, skeleton keys are faster, cheaper and lighter. For Rogues, the lock pick has a higher (un)locking chance than the key for boxes at dexterity 17 or higher, and for doors at dexterity 21 or higher (usually achievable only with gauntlets of dexterity).
  • Skeleton keys have the same cost of 10 zm as the credit card, are lighter than lockpicks at 3 aum, and are faster than lock picks for non-Rogue heroes.

The disadvantages of kicking down doors and forcing locked containers open often make it prudent for a hero to pick up an unlocking tool of any kind as soon as possible if they did not start with one - a junk edged weapon that is commonplace, such as an orcish dagger, can suffice for containers in the interim. Once a hero can procure an unlocking tool, they can upgrade to the one best suited for their role as necessary - a backup tool or two is also a worthwhile idea in case the primary one is stolen, misplaced or permanently lost. If all else fails,

History

All the unlocking tools first appear in NetHack 3.0.0 - from this version to NetHack 3.0.10, including variants based on those versions, there are also special shaped keys that fit specific locks on chests and large boxes: a triangular key can only open a container with a triangular keyhole, while the other unlocking tools can be used for any keyhole, but lock and unlock slower in comparison.

Below is a list of keys in NetHack 3.0.10 and the locks that they fit in:

Key Lock
round round
square square
triangular triangular
oval oval
octagonal octagonal
hexagonal hexagonal
cylindrical wide
irregular notched
conical large round
wedge-shaped large square

In time, the shaped keys were believed to add nothing of value to the game, and in NetHack 3.1.0 they were removed.

Messages

I don't think <the monster> would appreciate that.
You attempted to apply an unlocking tool to a monster that is not a disguised mimic.
You hear a door unlock and open.
A monster used an unlocking tool and opened an unseen locked door.

Variants

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, unlocking tools that are not blessed or artifacts have a chance of breaking when applied:

Tool Breakage Chance
credit card 1/20[16]
1/30 (tourist picking a door lock)[17]
skeleton key 1/15[18][19]
lockpick 1/30[20][21]
1/40 (rogue)

Upgrading a credit card or lock pick will produce a skeleton key, and upgrading a skeleton key will produce a lock pick.

It is prudent for a hero in SLASH'EM to carry multiple unlocking tools on their person, which can be safely ditched once they can bless a couple or else obtain an artifact tool - few things are worse than locking a shop door from the inside, only to have the tool break upon trying to leave! The hero will also want to keep backup tools in case they have one stolen by a nymph.

SLASH'EM also adds the three alignment keys, which are intelligent artifact skeleton keys that correspond to each of the three alignments: at least two of the three are required to unlock the artifact doors on the top floor of Vlad's Tower under normal circumstances. Any hero that obtains the key of their alignment can reliably lock and unlock doors and containers without the key breaking, and keep the other keys in a bag of holding or in a stash.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, monsters can pick up and use unlocking tools on doors starting in version 5.1.

dNetHack

dNetHack, notdNetHack and notdNetHack add the universal key as an unlocking tool.

See also

References

  1. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 434: cursed unlocking tools
  2. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 510: skeleton keys and doors
  3. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 428: skeleton keys and containers
  4. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 507: lock picks and doors
  5. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 425: lock picks and containers
  6. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 504: credit cards and doors
  7. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 422: credit cards and containers
  8. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 104
  9. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 164
  10. ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 87: watch_on_duty function
  11. ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 92: angers watch if already warned
  12. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 465: unlocking tools and mimics imitating doors
  13. ↑ src/lock.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 462
  14. ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 47
  15. ↑ src/monmove.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 820
  16. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 393: SLASH'EM credit cards and containers
  17. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 495: SLASH'EM credit cards and doors
  18. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 412: SLASH'EM skeleton keys and containers
  19. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 515: SLASH'EM skeleton keys and doors
  20. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 403: SLASH'EM lock picks and containers
  21. ↑ lock.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 506: SLASH'EM lock picks and doors

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