[Adventurer's Guild, Lobby]
Complex layers of stacked stone, ranging in color from palest grey to nearly solid black, form the entire rear wall into one massive fireplace. The flames spread their welcome warmth throughout the greatroom, warding off the chill let in by the constant comings and goings of guild members. Enormous tusked and horned heads of the fierce beasts of the north are mounted along the east wall, gazing at the rest of the guild through glass eyes. You also see a basket of sticks and Guild Taskmaster Halline.
Obvious exits: west, out

>ask Halline about bounty

Halline says, "Hmm, I've got a task here from the town of Icemule Trace. It appears the town locksmith is inundated with orders and could use your particular skills. Go report to the merchant Blackfinger to find out more. Be sure to ASK about BOUNTIES."

[Blackfinger's Locks]
The walls of this small room are lined with small, gold-framed cases holding some of Blackfinger's finer wares. Ranging from diamond-encrusted lockpicks to the simplest pick, the cases glow in the warm candlelight. A low oak workstand lines one wall of the room, on which Blackfinger cheerfully works his talents. You also see a scarred and scratched oak barrel, a sturdy steel door, the merchant Blackfinger, a polished wooden counter with a brass bell on it and a small sign.
Obvious exits: none

>ask Blackfinger about bounty

Blackfinger says, "Ah, so you're from the Adventurer's Guild? Yes, I do have a task for you. Members of the local Adventurer's Guild have been a bit too successful of late! They're bringing in more locked treasure boxes than I can keep up with! I'd like you to help me by lessening the load! Open 10 boxes appropriate to your level of skill. Report back to me when you are done."

So, here's how I see this working. Locksmith bounties are only offered to players with between 2x-3x skill in picking locks. That means any profession could, with dedication, gain the ability to earn locksmith bounties. However, this is an incentive for players who sacrifice combat skills in favor of opening boxes (hopefully for other players as well as themselves!). Locksmith bounties would operate on a separate timer to normal bounties, the same way it works for group tasks. As an incentive to get players to seek out player locksmiths, each box that counts toward the completion of a locksmith bounty grants some experience and bounty points to the player who provided the box. We may need a new command to facilitate this exchange in the field, perhaps something like this...

Taverkin offers you an engraved mithril strongbox. Click ACCEPT to accept the offer or DECLINE to decline it. The offer will expire in 30 seconds. You are currently working toward the completion of an Adventurer's Guild locksmithing bounty. If this item contributes toward completion of your task, Taverkin will be awarded experience and bounty points.

Then, if I open the box while Taverkin is in my group and it applies toward completion of my task, Taverkin will be awarded 25 instant experience and a variable number of BPs based upon the difficulty of the lock provided.

This is a strong incentive for players to seek out player locksmiths. While 25 experience is not a great amount, it is instantly awarded so that, like turning in bounties, it has the potential to increase experience gain over what is possible based upon absorption alone in a given period of time. I expect this would have the effect of encouraging players to visit the NPC locksmith only as a last resort, despite the time saved in doing so. Experience requires time and this shifts the balance to favor finding player locksmiths rather than using the NPC.

Thoughts?

~Taverkin

I think locksmith bounties sound like a lot of fun, but they might be really easy from your description (though plenty of bounties are...). Additionally and in all fairness, since it would be through the adventurer's guild, it should be about getting the box opened, not just picking it. This would mean mages can pop, warriors can bash, and maybe even lightning bolts can be rained from the heavens.

<While I think your logic is sound, it kind of negates the design goal of adding benefit to the TPs of picking. Giving magickers one more reason NOT to use a PC picker would be counter to that eh?>

I don't disagree. I'm saying I don't think adding a bounty like this to the adventurer's guild that only rewards one method is fair. If made fair, I agree in that it wouldn't help get PC pickers back to work. Sadly, I'm saying the bounties don't seem like a good method to me.

I think the way to get PC pickers back is three fold. First, get rid of the experience penalties for any use of 403 or 404. Just base experience it on how difficult the disarm or unlock was in comparison to the attempt, much like in LM. Secondly, drastically decrease picking and disarming times. Third, add a significant wait time for the NPC locksmith while decreasing the cost. While it wouldn't be popular, that would bring back PC pickers. Basically just model it after healing. Empaths can take wounds in no time flat and the NPC healer takes forever.

Personally, I'd be happy with just getting rid of the experience penalties and accepting the fact that PC pickers will never have a full time job.

My rogue already untrained first aid to avoid skinning bounties, please don't make him untrain picking to have to avoid being a public locksmith too.