2024 Picking Locks and Disarming Traps

The way I logic through it:
1) You can’t pick a lock without thieves’ tools.  (Unless your DM allows you to try something else (like a hair pin), which may change the DC or require a roll at disadvantage)

2) If you have thieves’ tools, you can try to pick a lock.  Even if you are not proficient with them.  You make a Dexterity check with no proficiency bonus.

3) If you have the tools proficiency OR Sleight of hand proficiency and a set of tools, then you add in your proficiency bonus.

4) If you are proicient with both, then you roll with both the proficiency bonus and advantage

5) If you have expertise in Sleight of hand, then you are adding your proficiency bonus twice and also rolling with advantage.

That may not be entirely RAW, but it makes the most sense to me. 

Quote from The_Murgen >>

The way I logic through it:
1) You can’t pick a lock without thieves’ tools.  (Unless your DM allows you to try something else (like a hair pin), which may change the DC or require a roll at disadvantage)

2) If you have thieves’ tools, you can try to pick a lock.  Even if you are not proficient with them.  You make a Dexterity check with no proficiency bonus.

3) If you have the tools proficiency OR Sleight of hand proficiency and a set of tools, then you add in your proficiency bonus.

4) If you are proicient with both, then you roll with both the proficiency bonus and advantage

5) If you have expertise in Sleight of hand, then you are adding your proficiency bonus twice and also rolling with advantage.

 

That may not be entirely RAW, but it makes the most sense to me. 

That is exactly how it works under RAW.

Pick (pun intended) a random D&D god, and I swear by that god, I'm not looking for a big debate here as I've held the same opinion from the start about how this works. That said, it seems like for certain traps (or at least the next one), Thieves' Tools might not be necessary.

Poisoned Needle
Detect and Disarm. As a Search action, a creature can examine the trapped lock and make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, detecting the needle on a successful check. Once the trap is detected, a character can take an action to try to disarm the trap, doing so with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. On a failed check, the creature triggers the trap.

I think the idea that some traps might not need special tools to disable is very reasonable.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

I think the idea that some traps might not need special tools to disable is very reasonable.

 Me too, making them (sometimes) more like specific cases.

They don't outright say you use "sleight of hand", but provide clues.

Also, none of the tools provide corresponding skills associated with tool use, only the typical relevant ability score. So, no tool could be used with advantage, since they don't list appicable skills - which makes no sense. Therefore, it is likely somewhat left up to research/home rules.

A note from above - using the tools is a utilize action typically. So, the action portion of the 6 second round, unless something supercedes it. Now... a non-typical lock could take longer based upon DM descretion.

For example, the Rouge subclass Thief:

Level 3: Fast Hands

As a Bonus Action, you can do one of the following.

Sleight of Hand. Make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to pick a lock or disarm a trap with Thieves’ Tools or to pick a pocket.