SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
The PCs discover a key.
What does it open?
What does it do?
Where can it be used?
1. A music box
2. A jewelry box
3. A clockwork toy
4. A treasure chest
5. A secret door
6. A pair of magical manacles
7. A locked gauntlet
8. A mechanism that disables a trap
9. A secret drawer in an intricate cabinet or desk
10. It activates the helm of an airship
DominusMegadeus |
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11. If there is anything I have learned in my travels across the internet, it is that a key can do many things. I’ve seen a key move cities, make men stave off death, and turn an evil hag's heart half-circle. This entire forum has been constructed from a key. A key damned a woman, whose heart clung to the hope that another loved her when he did not. Once, it made a man seek immortality and achieve it.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Craglansun |
28. It is the key to a map, with the grooves/fronds on the key matching up with a certain architectural/geological feature (think 'The Goonies' where the rocks match up with the holes)
29. It is used as part of a cipher, where its unusual shape selectively deletes words/letters from public documents, revealing an entirely different communicae.
Bandw2 |
30. the key is actually Jewelry and will only open something by extremely lucky happenstance.
31. >is actually an optical illusion created by a wizard<
32. Literally everything, walls, people, magical barriers, other planes, can open people's "metaphorical hearts", even your own mind to the possibilities.
Set |
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24. It is in fact a keystone - once placed in the right empty spot in a bridge, said bridge will lead... elsewhere
Ooh, I like that one!
39. Careful examination of the key itself, perhaps with eyes of minute seeing, reveals a tiny seam. A very fine edge can be wedged into that seam and the key itself splits in half, revealing a tiny hidden compartment, holding a tiny scrap of fine, fine paper, that swells and expands to twelve times it's current size and thickness when dropped onto a surface (permanent shrink item spell).
The answer to the question 'what's the key open' is 'the key itself opens.'
The new question is 'what's on the paper?'
A map to a (thought to be) mythical city or nation?
A spell or extract formula?
The true name of an outsider?
Instructions for how to destroy an evil artifact?
A cheat-sheet to the Test of the Starstone?
Son of the Veterinarian |
42. Inserting this key into a lock (the key sizes itself to fit) immediately casts Arcane Lock upon the door, chest, or portal as if cast by a 15th level wizard. The key cannot, however be used to reopen the lock or remove the spell, neither can the wielder of the key freely pass through key's effect.
The key has no effect on locks that do not require a key to open/lock.
lemeres |
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45. The key was never made to open anything important in particular. But the party discovers a locked chest that is unlocked by the key.
If they detect magic on the chest, they will notice it is a magic item (disable device could also show that the lock is just a decoration). Successful spellcraft checks will show that the chest is a special storage device that can open different storage spaces for different keys. Any key will work, and it will in turn create a new storage space corresponding to that key. Without the key that created the space, it is impossible to open up that particular storage space.
It is basically like a (evil) bank's safety deposit boxes rolled into one: if you can get to the boxes, but you can't open them without the box owner's keys.
The party thus has to go throughout town trying to find people associated with where the chest is located. Each one will have a key that opens up a storage space. One of the people hid a special [insert macguffin here] needed to [solve current quest objective].
You can thus have the party running around town doing various social and stealth tasks to get the key (...and the occasional combat, of course- it all depends on how well they do the other checks; also, traps later on when people notice their keys have been stolen).
Every time they will get a key to try, and they will be able to check the contents of that key's space. The party will be in for various surprises along the way (various treasures, horrible things like 'trophies' of serial killers, traps, and perhaps some undead placed in a space to attack people messing with the chest).
Note: if they miss the importance of the chest the first time around, have them bust their way through the area's criminal underworld. Let them intimidate the local goons into revealing how the chest works.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
How high of a level is the party and under what circumstances did they find the key?
1st level, 5th Edition (so really levels 1 through 3). Each member of the party got a letter with a date, a time, and address on it, along with an alchemically treated brass key. All six keys are needed to open the gate to the courtyard of an abandoned mansion, and each key opens something specific within the house.
A tiefling warlock scavenger, bound to a mysterious clockwork force.
A halfling cleric street urchin, dedicated the goddess of storms, passion, and romantic love. Runs an orphanage.
An eladrin brontomancer wizard sage.
A wild elf monk outlander.
A swashbuckling human sky pirate rogue.
A human cleric sage, dedicated to the Clock Queen, but destined to seek out the secrets of dark magic.
Lincoln Hills |
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46. The key will fit in any lock. However, the unlocked container or portal does not open onto its usual destination or contents. It opens onto the maindeck of the Lucky Lady, the favorite sailing ship of the wizard Blasterfaust. Unfortunately, Blasterfaust sank his ship years ago. Which is a fancy way of saying that as soon as the key is used to open anything, the surrounding area starts to flood with salt water unless and until somebody thinks to remove the key from its lock. (GMs: If the PCs don't think of this, this is an excellent opportunity to relocate an ocean that you feel is inconveniently placed.)
Craglansun |
47. The key has several uses for the same thing. Turn it clockwise it does one thing, counter-clockwise it does another thing. Turning the key around entirely and inserting 'the fat end' is the ultimate goal.
Maybe it accesses the past/present/future versions of the same room/chest etc, or 3 different planes. And maybe the incorrect, or indeed the correct choice impacts the rest of the keys.
Bandw2 |
47. The key has several uses for the same thing. Turn it clockwise it does one thing, counter-clockwise it does another thing. Turning the key around entirely and inserting 'the fat end' is the ultimate goal.
Maybe it accesses the past/present/future versions of the same room/chest etc, or 3 different planes. And maybe the incorrect, or indeed the correct choice impacts the rest of the keys.
better yet inserting the key perpendicular to the shaft with the nose pointing upward, and roatating it so that the nose moves away from you and the fat end moves toward you is the ultimate goal.
SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
Captain Kuro |
52.) The domain of The Locksmith, an Inevitable-like creature whose duty it is to create magic locks that seal away things that defy the laws of creation. When the party arrives they find his domain empty, and only his keys remain...
53.) World of the Tarrasques
54.) The vault of the Theifking, which is sadly empty except a peice of paper with I.O.U. on it.
The Sideromancer |
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55. a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads to a dungeon that has a key that opens a chest with a map that leads back to where they found the original key.
Garbage-Tier Waifu |
58. It opens a door back in time. The players come face to face with their 1st level selves, entering a dungeon for the first time.
59. The obelisk in the centre of the capital city has a strange hole in it. It is well-known and a grand mystery. This key and the obelisk are made of the same material. But who knows what might result in their reunion, or if the Cult of the Obelisk would allow anyone tampering with it knowingly.
60. This key appears in your hat. It doesn't seemingly open anything, but will constantly fall out of your hat once you first acquire it. Somehow. One day, it will save your life.
61. Ce n'est pas une clé.