Security

Security covers the keys and locks of Knox Country. A Key opens the doors of one building, and a Vehicle Key starts one car. A Padlock or a Combination Padlock keeps a crate shut. Each of these items weighs almost nothing, yet each can save a long detour, a broken window or a noisy break-in.

All Tools and Equipment Categories

Best Security

The top pick for each role, by the game's own figures.

For	Name	Image	Stats	Spawn ID
Lightest	Key		0.05 weight	/additem Base.Key1
Heaviest	Combination Padlock		0.3 weight	/additem Base.CombinationPadlock

Building Keys

The Key weighs 0.05. Each one belongs to a single building. It locks and unlocks that building's doors. The Lock Door and Unlock Door options appear on the door itself.

A locked house is a common sight. The Locked Houses Frequency sandbox option sets how often the doors of homes and buildings are locked when first found. Without the key, the way in is a window. Smash Window breaks the glass loudly. Remove Broken Glass then clears the frame before climbing through. A quiet entry through an unlocked window is always better.

Windows can be locked as well. Forcing a locked window can break its lock, and the game plays a Break Window Lock sound when that happens. The Burglar trait lowers the chance of breaking a window lock.

Keys turn up in houses and on the dead. Check counters, dressers and the pockets of zombies killed near the front door.

Copying Keys

The Blank Key weighs 0.05. The Copy Building Key recipe uses one to copy a building key. It keeps the original key and needs a set of small files as the tool. The recipe must be learned first. The Burglar occupation knows it from the start.

A copied key is handy in multiplayer. Each member of a group can carry a key to the shared base. The doors can stay locked, and nobody waits outside. Blank keys come almost only from the keymaking counters of tool stores.

Vehicle Keys

A Vehicle Key weighs 0.05. Each one belongs to a single vehicle, and the game names it after that car. The key starts the engine. Without it, the car menu warns that hotwiring needs Electrical level 1 and Mechanics level 2. Hotwire Engine then tries to start the car, and the attempt can fail. A hotwired car starts again later without a key.

The Burglar trait reads "Can hotwire vehicles. Less chance of breaking window locks." A character with it can hotwire a car at any Electrical and Mechanics level. The Burglar occupation grants the trait, along with Nimble 2, Sneaking 2 and Lightfooted 2.

A key left in the ignition starts the car at once. Other keys lie in the glove box. The Locked Vehicle Frequency sandbox option sets how often cars are found locked. A game option can leave the key in the ignition when the driver gets out. The Easy Use vehicle sandbox option decides whether found cars are locked and need keys at all.

Padlocks

The Padlock and the Combination Padlock each weigh 0.3. Their tooltip reads "Used to lock containers. Items and equipment can be stored securely." The Use Padlock option fits a padlock to a container, and Remove Padlock takes it off again. The combination lock has its own Use Combination Padlock and Remove Combination Padlock options.

A Padlock Key weighs 0.05 and opens the matching padlock. That makes padlocks most useful on multiplayer servers, where other survivors can reach the base.

Key Rings and Alarms

A key ring holds keys and other small key-sized items. It sits in the Bags and Containers category. Every new character starts with one, along with an ID card in the character's name. Forge Key Ring makes a Key Ring - Forged, a Key Ring - Silver or a Key Ring - Gold at a forge.

Alarms are the other half of security. The House Alarms Frequency option sets how likely a house alarm is to go off when breaking into a new house. An alarm is loud and draws zombies from far around. The Alarm Battery Decay option sets how long alarm batteries last after the power shuts off. The Vehicle Alarms Frequency option sets how often found cars carry an active alarm.

Locations

The Padlock fills janitor tool rooms, big store tool aisles, tool stores and farm shelves. The Combination Padlock is a locker item. School lockers, pool lockers, army lockers and prison guard lockers all hold them. Tool stores stock both kinds.

Building keys and vehicle keys stay close to what they open. The Keys loot sandbox setting covers keys for buildings and cars, key rings and locks. Raise it for an easier start in locked towns.

Notes

• Keys fit in a wallet as well as a key ring.
• Forge Key Ring needs a Primitive Forge or better, charcoal, a smithing hammer and a scrap of metal.
• Prison guard lockers hold both kinds of padlock.

All Security

CraftedLooted

Name	Image	Skill	Weight	Spawn ID
Key		None	0.05	/additem Base.Key1

Name	Image	Weight	Spawn ID
Blank Key		0.05	/additem Base.Key_Blank
Combination Padlock		0.3	/additem Base.CombinationPadlock
Padlock		0.3	/additem Base.Padlock
Padlock Key		0.05	/additem Base.KeyPadlock
Vehicle Key		0.05	/additem Base.CarKey