Thom001 wrote: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.