Make it so that a standard key cannot open chests and large boxes. Instead, any time either container is generated, a key should be generated that will open it somewhere else on the level or on a nearby level, possibly in a monster’s inventory.
Whenever you use a cursed key to unlock a container, there is a chance that another item in your inventory gets cursed.
In an effort to reduce the number of low-importance y/n confirmation prompts in the game, make applying a lock pick or key scan the hero’s inventory, the floor underneath them, and 8 surrounding spaces for doors or containers that the tool can be used on. If there is only one such thing, automatically use the tool on that thing without prompting. If there are multiple, either prompt for each one in sequence or offer a menu of things to use the tool on.
This has a problem in that heroes may end up accidentally locking doors they want to go through. The problem may not be that important, since they can just unlock it again. Another suggestion is to make the map symbol for a locked door different from an unlocked one.
Artifact key that creates a door in a wall wherever it’s applied. (Unless the wall is nondiggable?)
Applying a key at a non-door and getting “You see no door there” shouldn’t take a turn. Using the open command at a non-door doesn’t take a turn, so why should keys be any different?
Watchmen don’t yell at you to stop picking a lock if you’re using a key and therefore not picking the lock.
The castle chest containing the wand of wishing requires a special unique key to open (it can’t be opened any other way). The key is carried by a random lieutenant or captain generated on the level.
Assuming a new Gehennom generation algorithm which generates doors, some of which must be passed in order to get through the level: have a special type of “demon key” to open doors in Gehennom. Lots of them generate in Gehennom (though not as many as there are doors; possibly a certain type of monster there generates with them so you can obtain more if you get stuck), but each key is single-use and breaks when used to open a door.
Every lock in the game has a deterministic chance (based on object ID if a box and xyz coordinates if a door) of being unopenable by a credit card. Attempting gives the message “It doesn’t look like this lock can be opened with a credit card.”
Skeletons may drop skeleton keys when killed.
Bringing back different types of keys for different sorts of locks. This is not the old random key shapes and random lock shapes system; the discussion concluded that special keys should be used for a few specific purposes: game progression, a one time use reward, or some non-unique type of door where each key is one-time use or limited use. In particular, this third one could be used in Gehennom to block off areas, with “soul keys” or something similar that open special doors there and are generated with demons. Gehennom doors could also involve a blood ritual requiring some sort of expenditure of resources or damage to the player.
Keys only work on locks in one dungeon branch.
There should be some circumstance in which keys break, in order to solve the problem where you only ever need 1 key in the whole game. Perhaps a cursed key would have a chance of breaking when you try to use it.
However, this should not go the SLASH’EM route of allowing any unlocking device to break, since that just makes the player carry around extra keys. Skeleton keys should be made of bone and can break. Perhaps add a new key that is not breakable but is rarer than skeleton keys (stealing some of skeleton keys’ probability).
Lock picks and credit cards should possibly be able to break too.
