Security in the world of Palladium Fantasy

[Thom001]

Hey everyone, I've not played PF to any real extent. I got to wondering, what is security or defenses like in this game. In Rifts or HU or BTS I can understand what devices or people might be employed to prevent someone from entering without permission because they are the same or more advanced versions of what we would use in real life. Would PF have locks on doors? Would they be similar to locks of today? Cameras and surveillance wouldn't be a thing, and neither would optics or scopes. I'm just out of my depth on this one. I maybe just overthinking it or have narrowed my vision of possibilities. Please help. Any light shone on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Stone Gargoyle]

I've always been a fan of setting traps to prevent entry. Locks are also definitely a thing. Some people might be able to set magical wards, but I don't see that as something being common.

[kiralon]

Depends on what level of magic is in your world.
Mundane items like locks, traps and guards certainly exist. Dwarves and Kobolds are excellent engineers so complex locks could easily exist, just not really mentioned.
But wards, circles, magic and magic items do exist to protect things, however there isn't much in the way of counter items.

[Thom001]

So staying at a tavern or inn how would the doors lock? Would it be a tumbler lock? I'm probably overthinking this, but I just can't picture it.

[Stone Gargoyle]

The earliest locks date back to 4000 years ago IRL. There is no reason why such technology would not be present in a medieval setting.

[Hotrod]

Hey everyone, I've not played PF to any real extent. I got to wondering, what is security or defenses like in this game. In Rifts or HU or BTS I can understand what devices or people might be employed to prevent someone from entering without permission because they are the same or more advanced versions of what we would use in real life. Would PF have locks on doors? Would they be similar to locks of today? Cameras and surveillance wouldn't be a thing, and neither would optics or scopes. I'm just out of my depth on this one. I maybe just overthinking it or have narrowed my vision of possibilities. Please help. Any light shone on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

There would be quite a bit going into security in Palladium Fantasy:

Concealment and deception would be important for securing both people and valuables. This would involve hiding away treasures and having secret ways in and out of buildings. It would also involve being careful about when and how one moves around.

Devices to aid in security in Palladium Fantasy would include locks, traps, and magical devices like wards, summoned creatures, and magic items.

For leaders who need to be visible and treasures that are in plain sight, security would come in the form of guards who are both highly observant and highly effective in combat.

[Library Ogre]

So staying at a tavern or inn how would the doors lock? Would it be a tumbler lock? I'm probably overthinking this, but I just can't picture it.

Depends on the price of the inn, I imagine.

Simplest would be a simple latch... a hooked piece of metal connecting the door to the jamb... you could even do this with a knotted rope. It won't keep out people who are dedicated, but it's a simple, cheap, method of being sure that the person inside at least has a chance to wake up.

More complicated or expensive would be some kind of door bar or doorstop. You could carry one with you (a simple wooden wedge placed under the door would make it hard to open), get more elaborate (a piece of wood that braces on the floor against the middle of the door), or built in (brackets in the wall into which a bar can be placed or slid; a levered bar that can be swung down).

Lastly, you might have mechanical locks, with keys. These would be most expensive, but have the advantage that they can be locked even when you're out of the room.

[Borast]

Hey everyone, I've not played PF to any real extent. I got to wondering, what is security or defenses like in this game. In Rifts or HU or BTS I can understand what devices or people might be employed to prevent someone from entering without permission because they are the same or more advanced versions of what we would use in real life. Would PF have locks on doors? Would they be similar to locks of today? Cameras and surveillance wouldn't be a thing, and neither would optics or scopes. I'm just out of my depth on this one. I maybe just overthinking it or have narrowed my vision of possibilities. Please help. Any light shone on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

So...home protection as opposed to personal protection.

Lets put it this way...when I was growing up, we rarely locked our doors until we moved into the big city.
The smaller the settlement, the less likely your residents are to have locks...possible barricades to keep out the wild, or brigands, but no locks. After all, a quick kick or a hit with a mattock, and the door is either open (and damaged) or destroyed anyway.

The most common "lock" will be a 4x4 bar of wood crossing the opening on the inside.
For windows, they would likely be narrow, and possibly barred...but given the cost of glass, rare. Any hole in the outside wall would be easily blocked...think about the little sliding or swinging peephole door you see on a castle door.

The larger the settlement, the more likely locks are present. The wealthier the owner, the more likely the locks are present, and the more likely they are effective. The bolt for will likely be a slider as opposed to a deadbolt. A simpler "lock" will be a hook and a loop or a rope tied between a peg on the door frame and one on the door. The rope and hook can both be defeated by a slim knife. Keys for locks will be larger than we see today. Think the appropriate sized keys for a medieval lock. The smallest keys would be palm-able, but only just, and thick as two or three of our keys.

Given the prevalence of magic in PF, at least one mystic defense could be expected once you reach upper middle class. The higher you go up the social scale, the more likely for those as well. Wards are a possibility. Enchanted doors, chests, Guardian Stones, trained animals/monsters etc. are also a strong possibility. Command phrases would be the most common ways of controlling them. And...poisons. Then there is the old bury it under the floor or hearth...you likely won't find many people using the mattress, since most are just bags full of straw that have to be replaced regularly.

Next, think about a combination between a Watch, and gangs for physical security.
After all, if you pay the Thieves' Guild for protection, their members leave you alone, and Freelancers are hunted down with your property (sometimes) returned.

For "optics" ... why not? Not including actual "spyglasses"...(which are in use on PF)
Eyes of the Eagle enchanted items.
A lens enchanted with Eyes of the Wolf.
A Gem of Reality.
Psi abilities of Nightvision, See Aura, & See Invisibility.

For solving crimes... Object Read, Clarivoyance, Empathy, Telepathy, Hypnotic Suggestion ("tell me everything you know about 'X'.")...
...Charm, Domination (primarily in Evil societies), Compulsion ("answer our questions truthfully."), See the Invisible, Words of Truth...

If we can do it with tech, and you can figure out a way to do it with Wards, spells, psi, or with the aid of an Alchemist; it's likely that it has been thought of in larger towns and cities and assorted guilds.

[Hotrod]

Don't forget dogs and horses. They make fantastic early warning systems against the supernatural, and dogs instinctively love to guard their people/turf.

Psychic Sensitives would be handy, too.

[Library Ogre]

Don't forget dogs and horses. They make fantastic early warning systems against the supernatural, and dogs instinctively love to guard their people/turf.

Psychic Sensitives would be handy, too.

Geese, too.

[Veknironth]

Well, the one thing I can add is on a higher level. Summoned creatures can be great guards. There are also magic items, namely guardian stones.

-Vek
"Did anyone metion traps?"