Tool Cupboard Authorization: Managing Access for Your Team
Getting TC authorization right is the difference between a smoothly shared base and a constant source of arguments.
For any base with more than one player, how you manage Tool Cupboard authorization directly affects both your defense against outsiders and how smoothly your own team can actually use the base.
What Authorization Actually Controls
Being authorized on a Tool Cupboard grants building privilege within its range (letting you place or modify structures there) and, functionally, marks you as "belonging" to that base for purposes like avoiding your own traps or turrets. Unauthorized players can't build inside the TC's range at all.
Who Should Be Authorized
Generally, your trusted core group — teammates you'd want to be able to repair, expand, or restock upkeep on the base without needing to wait on one specific person. For larger or looser groups, some clans restrict full authorization to a smaller trusted subset while still letting everyone else use the base day to day.
Managing Access as a Group Grows
As a clan expands, blanket-authorizing everyone can become a liability — a single bad actor or compromised account with TC access can cause real damage (demolishing structures, changing locks, locking out the rest of the team). Some groups solve this with a tiered trust system: full members get TC access, newer or less-trusted members get base access without building privilege.
Re-Authorizing After Disputes
If someone leaves the group on bad terms, updating TC authorization promptly matters — an ex-member with lingering access is a real security risk, not just an awkward situation.
Can too many authorized players actually hurt a base's security?
Yes — every authorized player is a potential point of failure, whether through a compromised account or a genuine falling-out, so authorization should reflect real trust, not just group membership.
What happens if I don't update authorization after someone leaves the clan?
They retain building privilege and effectively continued access to the base, which is a real risk if the departure wasn't amicable — updating authorization should be one of the first things done after any group change.
Should new or unproven clan members get full TC authorization immediately?
Many established groups wait until trust is established before granting full authorization, giving newer members base access without full building privilege in the meantime.
Does authorization affect trap and turret targeting?
Yes — authorized players are generally treated as "friendly" by base defenses tied to that Tool Cupboard, which is exactly why unauthorized outsiders (including a raider who's taken the TC) get targeted instead.