User:DAID/Sandbox

Welcome to my playground!

Right now, I am working on a draft of a page on magically opening boxes. Although most of the information already exists, it is scattered around, and most guides elsewhere on opening boxes focus primarily on manually disarming traps and picking locks. If I can present enough consolidated information here, it might be worthy of a page.

Magically Opening Treasure Boxes

Accessing treasure inside boxes is possible by purely magical means without any skill in Picking Locks or Disarming Traps. One may wish to do this for profit, entertainment, and/or small amounts of experience, and if done properly it can be perfectly safe. When Unlock (407) is employed, this activity is colloquially known as popping boxes.

As the basic prerequisite for this work is only knowing spells in either the Minor Spiritual Circle and/or Minor Elemental Circle, at least one of which is accessible by every profession (pending the release of Savants), it may be accomplished by anyone so inclined. Pures will tend to learn the relevant spells incidentally as part of their normal training path, and as such this activity tends to be more of a hobby than something to which characters are dedicated. Basic point: most of the requirements here are things magical casters will be able to do with little or no additional training. We should fairly contrast with dedicated box opening, which not only provides more information (difficulty of traps/locks), can be more profitable (selling scarabs, decreased value of some items by 125), can open all types of boxes (see Exclusion List), and with at least 30 ranks of Picking Locks, can gain a lot more experience compared to doing it magically (citation on 30 ranks...?).

Exclusion List

Boxes that are enruned, mithril, or with a glyph trap will be impervious to this approach. While the former two will be readily apparent, the latter will require more consideration.

Glyph Traps

This probably warrants explicit discussion. Phase can tell us if a box has a glyph trap. Using DETECT can also work. Piercing Gaze will set off the trap. Hard to know at what place in the guide to list this information, but being relevant to all cases, somewhere near the top is a good idea. It may also result in some repetition with the Phase section....hmmmm

Relevant Spells

The primary spells:

• Call Lightning (125): Vaporize boxes -- trap, lock, box and all.
• Unlock (407): Pop the box open
• Disarm (408): Disarm traps
• Piercing Gaze (416): Check for traps
• Phase (704): Directly remove the contents from a closed box or indirectly detect glyph traps

Subsidiary spells:

• Presence (402): Helps with Piercing Gaze (?) -- need to check with a trapped box and many casts for statistics w/ and w/o 402
• Lock Pick Enhancement (403): Helps with Unlock
• Disarm Enhancement (404): Helps with Piercing Gaze and Disarm
• Rapid Fire (515): Do everything faster
• Self Control (613): Helps with detecting traps

Some of these help with detecting traps I've heard...not sure (also must consider scope of article...do they help with traps we'd care about magically?!)

• Light (205)
• Darkness (206)
• Song of Luck (1006)

Relevant Skills

We presume here explicitly not to use Picking Locks or Disarming Traps (maybe we should include Disarming Traps for detection?)

• Perception: Helps with Piercing Gaze and DETECTing traps
• Arcane Symbols: Helps to spotting magical traps (scarabs, glyphs) with DETECT
• Spiritual Lore, Summoning: Decrease the build up time for Call Lightning and allow the possibility to cast indoors

MnE ranks should be listed?

Vaporizing Boxes with Call Lightning

If the box is not impervious to magic, casting Call Lightning at it will, after the build up time, vaporize the box, spilling its contents. This is perfectly safe as long as the box does not resist magic and is on the ground; otherwise it may be fatal. NEED TO TEST THE RESULTS OF THE FOLLOWING: To ensure the safety of other curious by-standers, the caster may wish to place an object on top of the box to hinder anyone attempting to pick it up. The rose illusion is particularly effective for this purpose, as it can be covered to be turned invisible, making it entirely impossible for anyone else to remove.

None of the items inside the box will be harmed, except for any scrolls, which will be 'burned' (making them worthless in the eyes of pawnbrokers and unable to be infused), and silver coins, which will be melted into 'a rough slab of silver' which can be sold, for roughly half the value of the original silver coins, at any gemshop. The silver slab's value can be increased using the first tier of Holy Receptacle (325), Silver to Gold. However, it should be noted that because the box, and later its former contents, are on the ground, they are potentially subject to removal by the janitor.

Justice status? I guess I have to go try in town to see if I get arrested....

Phasing Boxes

The best use of Phase (704) is to attempt to phase a box for weightlessness. Regardless of the box's weight and the caster's lore training, if the box 'resists the magic' then the caster knows the box cannot be opened magically. For anyone with access to the spell, this is typically the easiest and safest way to find glyph traps.

Alternatively, one may attempt to phase through a box in order to retrieve its contents directly, by channeling Phase (704). No more than one item can be removed on each successful attempt, and typically a diminishing number of coins are pulled on each attempt.

You channel at a dented iron box.
Suddenly you notice the box's form dim slightly as it becomes less substantial. You quickly stick your hand inside it and fish around for something to grab.
You grab hold of something and pull it out!
You found some neat thrak hide shoes!
Roundtime: 5 sec.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
Roundtime: 3 sec.

However, phasing into boxes has a good chance of setting off any traps, and extreme failures can sever the caster's hand, leaving it inside the box.

Popping Boxes

Given that between one fifth and a quarter of the Minor Elemental Circle spells are related to getting inside treasure boxes, it's a good idea for anyone with serious training in the spell circle to familiarize themselves with the application and interaction of these spells. A character with 1x Perception and reasonable knowledge of the Minor Elemental Circle should be able to open their own boxes from hunting.

Minimal remarks are made concerning glyph traps in this section, and the reader should refer to that topic above.

Looking for traps with Piercing Gaze

Successful casts of Unlock (407) typically do not set off traps. Furthermore, although Disarm (408) can find traps, using that spell a caster has no way of differentiating between failing to find a trap and a box not being trapped. However, both Unlock and Disarm can set off some traps (clarify: both depending on if it was a good attempt, and depending what kind of trap). For these reasons it is best to begin investigating the box with Piercing Gaze which, when successful, almost always shows any trap (proper training, like-level and below), and only sets off glyph traps (which doesn't harm the caster or box).

Both Presence and Disarm Enhancement aid the power of Piercing Gaze, and it is recommended for the caster to use these first; unlike with Disarm and Unlock, the Enhancement spell will not drop automatically after casting Piercing Gaze. Piercing Gaze should then be cast at the box until the caster has one (or more) successes.

If a trap is seen, the caster should decide their course of action based on the type of trap. Below is a comprehensive table of traps, the messaging from Piercing Gaze to uniquely identify each, and triggering information with regard to Disarm and Unlock. (Question: The messaging for 416 and 408 are identical?)

Trap	Piercing Gaze Message	408	407
Scarab	Peering closely into the lock, you spy a <type> scarab wedged into the lock mechanism. The scarab's surface is etched with tiny runes that seem to writhe as the light strikes them.	Sometimes	Sometimes
Poison Needle	You notice what appears to be a sharp sliver of metal nestled in a hole next to the lock plate.	No	No
Jaws	You notice a discolored oval ring around the outside of the <box-type> which makes you suspicious. Your suspicions are confirmed when you look inside the keyhole and notice the spring-loaded jaws pressed flush against the chest walls.	?	?
Sphere	You see a tiny sphere imbedded in the lock mechanism.	No	Yes
Dark Crystal	You can see a small crystal imbedded in the locking mechanism.	No	Yes
Scales	You see a cord stretched between the lid and case.	Sometimes	Always
Sulfur	Peering through the tanik box, you notice that the lock casing is coated with a rough, grainy substance, and a small bladder is wedged between the tumblers of the lock.	Always*	Always
Gas Cloud	Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a small vial of liquid and a tiny hammer device which seems poised to shatter it if the lock is tampered with.	No	No
Acid Vial	You notice what appears to be a tiny vial placed just past the tumblers of the lock mechanism. It appears that any tampering with the lock mechanism will cause the tumblers to crush the vial.	No	Yes
Springs	Peering through the maoral coffer, you notice that the hinges have some springs incorporated into the design in an unusual fashion.	No	No
Fire Vial	Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a small vial of fire-red liquid and a tiny hammer device which seems poised to shatter it if the lock is tampered with.	No	Yes
Spores	You see a thin tube extending from the lock mechanism down into the strongbox. The tube appears to be filled with a greenish powder.	No	Yes
Plate	There appears to be a plate over the lock, sealing it and preventing any access to the tumblers.	N/A ?	No
Glyph	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rods	Near the lock mechanism, you notice a pair of small metal rods a hair's width from rubbing together.	Sometimes	Yes
Boomer	The inside chamber is lined with some unidentifiable substance.	No	Yes

(*Note: Sulfur traps are always set off once detected, but not set off by Disarm probing...)

It can be seen that trap properties vary widely, clearly motivating the use of Piercing Gaze. Traps range from the least threatening ones that are not triggered via Unlock and may be safely ignored (e.g. Plated) to the most dangerous traps which are always triggered by either Disarm and/or Unlock (e.g. Sulfur). Keep in mind that boxes with traps easily set off by Disarm and/or Unlock are safe targets for Call Lightning. The most judgement is required for traps which are only sometimes set off by Disarm. For instance, sky-blue and sea-green glaes scarabs inflict powerful disease and poison, respectively, and if the caster or a companion has access to Undisease (113) or Unpoison (114) one might disregard the risk of triggering the trap with Disarm or even directly Unlocking it. However, as scarabs are deactivated by Disarm do not fall to the ground and cannot be sold, one may wish to have the box manually disarmed.

Messaging

Failure (does not necessarily mean there is a trap):

You gesture at a badly damaged iron trunk.
You gaze at the trunk but your vision is obscured.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Success with no evident trap:

You gesture at an engraved wooden strongbox.
You gaze at the strongbox and see. . .

An engraved wooden strongbox which contains:
   A pink-banded coquina shell (in)
   A snake-etched ora crown (in)
   A large pink pearl (in)
   An uncut star-of-Tamzyrr diamond (in)
   Some silver coins (in)


Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Success with an evident (and very dangerous) trap:

You gesture at an acid-pitted steel trunk.
You gaze at the trunk and see. . .

An acid-pitted steel trunk which contains:
   A green malachite stone (in)
   Some ambrominas leaf (in)
   Some silver coins (in)


Peering through the steel trunk, you notice that the lock casing is coated with a rough, grainy substance, and a small bladder is wedged between the tumblers of the lock.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Magically Disarming a trap

After a trap is found via Piercing Gaze, the caster will retain the trap in mind for (up to how long) and may directly attempt to Disarm it. If Piercing Gaze is not used, or there is a lapse of time between viewing the trap and attempting to Disarm it, initial casts of Disarm will first probe for traps (can they immediately disarm them, too?).

Disarm Enhancement assists for magically Disarming traps, but regardless of the outcome, the the enhancement spell will drop immediately after each Disarm attempt. Thus for the best chances of success, a caster should cast 404 and 408 sequentially until the trap is disabled, meaning each attempt requires six seconds and twelve mana. The process can be sped up by omitting the use of Disarm Enhancement and instead using Rapid Fire (515).

Messaging

Unsuccessful attempt to detect a trap, including use of Disarm Enhancement (Piercing Gaze not used, or the duration has lapsed):

You gesture at a badly damaged steel chest.
You begin to probe the chest for unusual mechanisms...The chest vibrates slightly but nothing else happens.
The focused look leaves you.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Unsuccessful attempt after the trap has been detected, including use of Disarm Enhancement:

You gesture at a simple thanot strongbox.
Now to isolate the offending mechanism and disable it...The strongbox vibrates slightly but nothing else happens.
The focused look leaves you.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Successful attempt, including use of Disarm Enhancement:

You gesture at a simple thanot strongbox.
Now to isolate the offending mechanism and disable it...The strongbox pulses once with a deep crimson light!
The focused look leaves you.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Viewing most traps after they are successfully disarmed will involve messaging including a 'crimson glow' (but we should list the exceptions), which may be relevant if a caster Disarms but does not Unlock a box and forgets about its status, or Disarms a trap but experiences difficulty Unlocking the box and has the box manually picked.

Magically opening the box

If a caster has determined via Piercing Gaze and/or Disarm that it is safe enough, Unlock should be cast at the box until it is opened and the treasure can be removed from within.

As the case with Disarm Enhancement and Disarm, Lock Pick Enhancement assists for magically Unlocking boxes, and regardless of the outcome, the enhancement spell will drop after each Unlock attempt. Thus for the best chances of success, a caster should cast 403 and 407 sequentially until the box's lid flies open, meaning each attempt requires six seconds and ten mana. The process can be sped up by omitting the use of Lock Pick Enhancement and instead using Rapid Fire (515).

Messaging

Unsuccessful attempt including use of Lock Pick Enhancement:

You gesture at a battered iron box.
The box vibrates slightly but nothing else happens.
The scintillating light fades from your hands.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Successful attempt including use of Lock Pick Enhancement:

You gesture at a battered iron box.
You hear a soft click from the box and it suddenly flies open.
The scintillating light fades from your hands.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Additional Information

• http://www.jerrec.com/traps.htm
• Traps