Bard locksmith?

[Homur]

Was thinking about rolling up a second character, and I was just curious how viable a locksmithing bard is? To be clear, I'd be interested only in picking my own like-level (maybe +5 uphunting) boxes. I wouldn't start until level 20, but by then I'm assuming:

2x Perception
1x Disarm (2x is just too pricey)
2x Picking
Lock/trap lore (though I wouldn't have extra MnE ranks for quite awhile)
Song of Luck
Dex Bonus of 12-15

Is this going to be viable, or am I gonna be banging my head on against the wall when I haven't blown it off with a trap?

Also, aren't there some lore-song tricks you can do with boxes? If so, does that constitute "modding down," or do bards have access to any sneaky tricks for smithing/disarming?

Thanks a lot for any input!
~Homur

[Tgo01]

I'm pretty sure you'll be setting off traps all of the time with just 1x disarm. If you can manage to squeeze 2x disarm in you should be able to spot traps with just 1x perception.

If you don't mind having to skip enruned/mithril boxes you could drop pick locks altogether and just disarm them and use 403/407 to pop the boxes.

As far as the loresong trick you mentioned I think loresinging to a box just gives the lock difficulty, it doesn't count as modding down.

[Velfi]

I've never tried to pick as a bard, but I would think if TP cost is an issue, you might want the safer route of 2x disarm/1x picking.. but that's just me.

[MrMortimur]

I picked as a bard until around level 50. After that, my skills really began to trail the difficulties of my own boxes. Biggest thing you'll need to do is write a quick script to display the worded lock difficulties in numerical form, since that is the info loresong will be giving you. At least, until you've loresung enough that you simply remember. I enjoy picking but my bard was also a pretty slow hunter due to terrible stats and just not being able to afford more combat skills.

[Thondalar]

Unless you 2x both skills you won't be able to pick your own boxes on a regular basis. Even with 2x in both you won't be able to pick your own after about 65 or so...at cap with self lore and a vaalin pick you'd be looking at around a -1100 lock and -400 trap...good enough for most boxes under cap, but you'll be able to get less than half out of Nelemar or Scatter.

The only "trick" bards have is they can loresing the box and get the lock range.

[Homur]

Well rats. I suppose I could fit in 2x disarming/Perc (would be going ranged anyway) and try the 407 route. From what KP says, it appears that MnE ranks have little bearing on the outcome (more ranks just boots your 403).

Is this a long-term solution, or will I eventually be taking my boxes to the NPC locksmith again?

I might just bite the bullet and try a rogue, but the thought of doing those guild reps makes me want to quit already.

Thanks again for the replies!

[Tgo01]

Well rats. I suppose I could fit in 2x disarming/Perc (would be going ranged anyway) and try the 407 route. From what KP says, it appears that MnE ranks have little bearing on the outcome (more ranks just boots your 403).

Is this a long-term solution, or will I eventually be taking my boxes to the NPC locksmith again?

Well if you go the disarm/407 route you will be taking your mithril and enruned boxes to the NPC locksmith/another player anyways.


I might just bite the bullet and try a rogue, but the thought of doing those guild reps makes me want to quit already.

Mastering the guild rogue/lmas is nice but it's not mandatory.

[Thondalar]

Well rats. I suppose I could fit in 2x disarming/Perc (would be going ranged anyway) and try the 407 route. From what KP says, it appears that MnE ranks have little bearing on the outcome (more ranks just boots your 403).

Is this a long-term solution, or will I eventually be taking my boxes to the NPC locksmith again?

It's level-based, and some people seem to get by fine with popping, but it's not a complete solution...there will still be mithril/enruned/glyphed you can't pop, and some boxes that'll just eat all your mana.


I might just bite the bullet and try a rogue, but the thought of doing those guild reps makes me want to quit already.

Thanks again for the replies!

Like Tg said, nothing is mandatory, but as a player with a locksmith character, I can say that Lmastery is worth the hassle, if for nothing else than wedging and RT reduction.

[Velfi]

Like Tg said, nothing is mandatory, but as a player with a locksmith character, I can say that Lmastery is worth the hassle, if for nothing else than wedging and RT reduction.

I agree with this as well. LM is a bitch to train, but worth it if you have a dedicated smith.


Biggest thing you'll need to do is write a quick script to display the worded lock difficulties in numerical form, since that is the info loresong will be giving you.

;calipers does this, although the lock size part requires measuring with real calipers. Put it on your favs and it runs in the background, displaying numerical lock info that is pretty reliably accurate until the far upper reaches (upper Nelemar/Scatter types, in my experience), as well as trap info when you disarm/detect a trapped box. Very cool script.

[MrMortimur]

;calipers does this, although the lock size part requires measuring with real calipers. Put it on your favs and it runs in the background, displaying numerical lock info that is pretty reliably accurate until the far upper reaches (upper Nelemar/Scatter types, in my experience), as well as trap info when you disarm/detect a trapped box. Very cool script.


Porcell has/had an old script for converting the loresong difficulty. A bard won't be using calipers, they dont' need to do so. But yes, I have ;calipers on my rogue and it is very worthwhile. useful for a bard locksmith even, especially one that isn't familiar with all the nastiness of traps yet.

[Vagabondbard]

Porcell has/had an old script for converting the loresong difficulty. A bard won't be using calipers, they dont' need to do so. But yes, I have ;calipers on my rogue and it is very worthwhile. useful for a bard locksmith even, especially one that isn't familiar with all the nastiness of traps yet.


Know the name of this script?

GBB

[Danical]

Know the name of this script?

GBB

If you're looking for loresong to difficulty conversion, I think this (http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/Lock_difficulty) has what you need.

EDIT: All of that is take from Tsoran's (http://www.cmnservicesgroup.com/tsoran/locks.html) and IIRC, the qualifiers in the loresong are the same.

[Vagabondbard]

Yeah thats what I use. Was thinking there might be a script that just automatically told ya.

GBB

[MrMortimur]

Whatever I used to use was fairly simply, it would basically echo that chart similiar to ;maxlock on the repo. I suppose something better would be to write a script that behaved like ;calipers so that any time you saw the word description in a loresong it would immediately pop up only the corresponding numerical lock size.