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Lock and Key - A Mini-Book for 5e, PF2, and Savage Worlds

Created by Matthew J. Hanson

A 5e, PF2, SW mini-supplement about stopping people from stealing your stuff. History, variant locks, monsters, magic items, and more!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Secret and Cypher Released!
over 2 years ago – Mon, Oct 11, 2021 at 06:34:32 AM

Hello Lock and Key Backers,

Secret and Cypher is live! Just a bit ago, you should have gotten one or more emails from DriveThruRPG with coupon codes for your copies of Secret and Cypher. (If not let me know!)

This means that if you are a PDF only backer, you should now have gotten all your rewards from the campaign.

For print backers, I'm going take a couple weeks to see if any last-minute typos pop up, then compile Lock and Key, Rope and Chain, and Secret and Cypher into a print collection. I'll order a print proof, which I should get at some point in November. If the print proof goes well, print books should arrive in December.

Though the proofing process normally goes well, there have been a couple of times when I've had issues, so there's a chance we might have to push that date back.

This and That Continues!

While Secret and Cypher is the final book funded by this Kickstarter, the This and That series will continue! I've already started doing some work for the next book in the series, Torch and Lantern, which I hope to have out in December.

Never miss a book in the series by joining the This and That Patreon. In addition to the books, Patreon help shape the future of the series by voting on which books release, and patron support ensure that the series will continue. If you want to see books filled with history, magic items, monsters, and more inspired by books, timepieces, gaming settings, make sure to join the Patreon.

Almost There!
over 2 years ago – Sun, Oct 03, 2021 at 07:24:47 PM

Hello Lock and Key Backers,

This is just a quick update to say that we are getting very close to sending out Secret and Cypher (formerly known as Code and Cypher). The last little detail is finishing up editing and layout on the Pathfinder version. I'm hoping that will be done by the end of the coming week, but I don't have an exact time.

Thanks for you patience.

-Matthew

September Update
over 2 years ago – Sat, Sep 11, 2021 at 11:09:50 AM

Hello Lock and Key Backers,

Things look good for releasing PDFs of Code and Cypher to you before the end of the month. The 5e version is written and being edited, and we're getting sketches in for the artwork. I've got the cover sketch below, along with an preview of my favorite magic item in the book.

Once the PDFs are all out, I'll put together the files for the printed book. Then I'll order proofs to make sure everything looks good, which might take another month, but physical books should be out to backers by November or December.

After that we'll work on more This and That books funded by our Patreon, starting with Torch and Lantern.

Good Little Children Never Grow Up

As we get close to wrapping up rewards for this Kickstarter, we're in the midst of funding another one. We're updating our classic adventure Good Little Children Never Grow Up to 5e, Pathfinder 2e, and SWADE. 

In this adventure, the heroes explore a haunted orphanage, uncover dark secrets of its past, and rescue children trapped inside.

The PDF of this spooky adventure should be out to backers in time for Halloween.

You can check the most recent update for preview of one of my favorite monster creations: the weapon binding zombie.

Good Little Children Never Grow Up has already funded and are now working on stretch goals to update more of our classic adventures.

The Manuscript

While you wait for Code and Cypher, here's a preview of one of the magic items within: the manuscript. It's inspired by the real-world Voynich manuscript, and includes one my RPG true loves, the random table.

The Manuscript

Legendary wondrous item

The illuminated manuscript is filled with pages written in script of unknown origin that appears in no other text. It's also filled with illuminated illustrations and diagrams, though many are hard to comprehend without reading the text. While scholars occasionally decipher parts of the book, it seems as though each page uses a different cipher. Stranger still the pages are not always in the same place. Pages move to different parts of the book, change their cipher, disappear completely, or appear out of nowhere. 

When you spend eight hours deciphering a page, you can make a DC 20 Intelligence (crytographer's tools) check to deduce the meaning of the page. When you succeed roll 1d12 on the table below to determine what information the page contains.

You can only gain the benefit of one page from the book at a time. If you attempt to decipher another page before using the benefit on the current one, the page changes and you loose whatever ability it granted. Similarly the you can only gain each benefit once before the page changes.


1. You find a randomly determined spell. If you have a spellbook, you can scribe it into your book as normal. If you do not, you may use the manuscript to cast it once. Either way, after you scribe it or cast it, the page turns and you cannot find it again.

2. You find a recipe for a potion, but no description of what that potion does. It takes 8 hours to brew that potion. If you follow all the directions precisely you gain three copies of the same random potion, but it cannot be identified by the identify spell, or any other means, save drinking it.

3. The book contains a particularly interesting bit of scientific lore. Roll d4 to determine the type. 1 - Arcana, 2 - History, 3 - Nature, 4 – Religion. The next time you make an Intelligence check with that skill, you can add 1d12 to the check. 

4. You find the answer to a question that you have long wondered.

5. A passage tells a true story about somebody you know, and in so doing reveals a secret they hold dear. Roll 1d6. 1-2, it is about you, 3-4 it is about another player character, 5-6 it is about a non-player character.

6. You discover a map, and using the notes can figure out what location it describes. It describes a “treasure” and a particular location, and you can use the map to find the treasure, but there is no indication about what the treasure may be.

7. You decipher what seems to be a letter written to you. The author of the letter offers you immense power in return for doing them a small favor described in the letter. There is no indication who the letter is from.

8. You decipher what seems to be a letter addressed to you from somebody long dead. They tell you something they always wanted to tell you, but never got the chance. 

9. The book contains an extremely thorough and easy to understand primary in a random language. If you spend a total of 40 hours studying the language, you gain proficiency in it.

10. The book tells how to use a random set of tools. If you spend 40 hours studying the text, you gain proficiency with those tools.

11. The book describes a detailed history of the location you are currently in.

12. The pages contain several recipes for an elaborate feast. If follow the recipes, the feast is delicious

Rope and Chain is Live!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Aug 12, 2021 at 09:56:29 PM

Hello Kickstarter Backers,

I'm excited to say that we just released Rope and Chain! If your pledge included Rope and Chain, you should have gotten one or more emails with coupon codes from DriveThruRPG for the books. As always let me know if there are any issues.

If you're pledge did not include Rope and Chain, you can get it with a 10% discount for 5e, Pathfinder 2e, or Savage Worlds.

I hope you enjoy Rope and Chain. If you do please consider leaving it a rating or review on DriveThruRPG.

Torch and Lantern

Thanks to everybody who voted in the Patreon poll. Torch and Lantern narrowly beat out Book and Shelf to become the forth book in the This and That series. It will be the first book that is not supported by the Kickstarter campaign, so you can join our Patreon to make sure you do not miss out.

Halloween Horror

Finally, we are just 12 days from launching our next Kickstarter campaign: Good Little Children Never Grow Up.

Who is that spooky ghost girl on the stairs? Is she friend or foe? Find out by backing the Kickstarter, delivered in time for Halloween.

Sign up now for a launch reminder

August Update - Status, Voting, and a Spooky Adventure
over 2 years ago – Sun, Aug 01, 2021 at 09:41:59 PM

Meanwhile I've written over a third of Code and Cipher, and still am aiming to have that out by the end of September. FYI, I'm considering renaming it, because it also talks about other ways to pass secret information like invisibility ink, though I don't know what I'd call it if I do.

Voting for Book 4: Books, Games, or Lights

I like to know where I'm going at least one book ahead of schedule, so I've started voting for book four  in this This and That series over on the Patreon page. Book four will be the first book funded by Patreon rather than the Kickstarter.

Instead of the massive list of every idea, this time I'm focusing on three topics that I'm excited about and that were popular in the previous poll: books, games, and light sources. If you want to see any of these come to life Lock and Key style, join our Patreon and vote now.

Voting ends on August 7th at 2 pm CDT, so don't miss out!

Good Little Children Never Grow Up

While all that is going on we've started working on our next Kickstarter campaign: Good Little Children Never Grow Up.

Four children have disappeared into a haunted orphanage. Only the heroes can rescue them. As they search the orphanage for signs of the children, they uncover the dark secrets of orphanage's past.

Good Little Children Never Grow Up is a short low-level adventure for 5e, Pathfinder 2e, and Savage Worlds. We plan to launch in late August and will have the PDF out to backers in time for Halloween. You can sign up for launch alerts on the Kickstarter preview page.

That's all for now. I hope to send you another update soon when Rope and Chain is complete. I'll leave you with the cover.

Thanks,

Matthew