99 Ways to Circumvent a Locked Door

So, you just failed your "unlock the door" check and you're desperate to see what's on the other side of the door. Could it be a cache of weapons? Could it be a cache of armor? Could it just be some cash? You may never know because the dice refuse to cooperate.

But the one thing about table top role playing games is that game masters LOVE creativity. And if you use your noodle to circumvent the locking mechanism in some unusual way, they'll probably make sure that whatever is on the other side of the door is equal in impressiveness to the solution you used to solve their problem.

Puzzle of the Day: Lockpicking Wheels

I personally find rolling to determine the success or failure of a lock picking event to be too impersonal and since picking locks in real life is a monotonous skill that requires hundreds of hours of staring at a metal face plate to fully appreciate, I would never consider handing a player the ripped-out lock from my front door and saying, "Here, have at it!"

Can we construct a physical puzzle that simulates the aligning of tumblers and the spinning of a combination lock in a way that makes a lock-picking event more fun and engaging? I think we can.