D&D 5E How do you do secret doors?

[Gaxkang]

I'm gearing up to run Caverns of Thracia converted to 5e in the Summer and I really don't have an idea on how to do secret doors in a meaningful way. In the old days it was just a d6 roll whenever the party passed on, and I suppose the logical continuation of that would be a perception check now (or passive perception). But something about that feels like its missing something, its not very robust and more than a little arbitrary. But in the same vein, every time I've tried to describe an area of the wall in such a way that hints at something being there, like "this part of the wall is covered in a newer looking coat of plaster, then the door is always found and its not very secret.

So how do you do secret doors? What ways have you tried that work?

 

[aco175]

I never liked Passive Perception. It was the DM setting the DC and either auto find or fail. The cleric had the best Wisdom and a passive score of 14, so he would automatically find most of everything. I never really use it unless someone is sneaking or something.

I do like having people roll things and I could see a Perception check here, maybe followed by Investigation to actually find how to open it. There are several threads here arguing back and forth about where and how to use either one. I liked going with Perception to notice something is wrong with the wall. Maybe some scratches on the floor, or a curtain wavering tells you something is wrong or out of normal. Now that people suspect something- they need to figure out what it is and how to get in it. Investigation is the minute looking for clues and knowledge on how things work. Figuring out that the sconce opens the door, or pushing in the button formed out of a carving drops a set of stone stairs. Indiana Jones type of things.

The only problem is if you have players that meta-game and stop to search things since you asked them to roll a perception. The other thing to consider is when you have 5 people rolling a check, you most likely get one rolling a good number and finding everything. This isn't bad since you put in secrets for the players to find and enjoy finding, even though the purpose of these secret doors is to keep people from finding them. It makes for a fun game though.

 

[SunGold]

To notice the doors, make your players collect notes from dead or crazed adventurers. To pass through them, they must knock and inquire forcefully about the stories of Gaxkang.

 

[Shiroiken]

I roll a d20 against the party's passive perception, using a modifier equal to the DC of the door -9. If it beats everyone's Passive Perception, then it's not seen. If someone is actively searching, I allow either a Perception or Investigation (player's choice) instead. Once found, an Investigation check is required to figure out how to open it.

 

[The Scythian]

The way I handle it is that I set a target for each secret door, on the fly if necessary, and try to figure out what the secret door is, how it is hidden, and how it is activated. When players want to search, I have them tell me what, specifically, they want their characters to search--something like, "I check out the wall behind the altar."

A passive Wisdom (Perception) check would be required to notice the possibility of a secret door if a character is not focused on searching a wall for a secret door directly -- say they're rifling through a nearby chest, searching the debris in a disused storeroom, or mapping a dungeon corridor.

If they are directly searching an area where a secret door is located, they get a regular Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check. Depending on how the door is opened (and what check they succeed on), they may simply discover a door is there, they may discover its trigger, or they may discover both.

Of course, there's always the possibility that players will somehow stumble onto the secret door without any mechanics being used. If you decide the secret door at the back of the meat locker is triggered by pulling on one of the meat hooks in the last row, and a player has their character go through the room pulling the meat hooks, they're going to find the door.

 

[ccs]

In general in my games you have to be specifically searching (none of this passive stuff in my games ).
And you have to be searching the right area (south wall, bookcase, whatever)....
Just a generic statement of "I search/I search the room" doesn't often yield much that requires a dice roll if I'm the DM.

 

[iserith]

I'm gearing up to run Caverns of Thracia converted to 5e in the Summer and I really don't have an idea on how to do secret doors in a meaningful way. In the old days it was just a d6 roll whenever the party passed on, and I suppose the logical continuation of that would be a perception check now (or passive perception). But something about that feels like its missing something, its not very robust and more than a little arbitrary. But in the same vein, every time I've tried to describe an area of the wall in such a way that hints at something being there, like "this part of the wall is covered in a newer looking coat of plaster, then the door is always found and its not very secret.

So how do you do secret doors? What ways have you tried that work?

First, I telegraph in some fashion that secret doors are a thing in the adventure location. That might be mentioned in the exposition somehow ("The Blue Knight used a series of secret doors in the keep during the battle to surprise the goblin invaders in several skirmishes, but ultimately it wasn't enough...") or there might be a secret door that is already opened somewhere. Basically I try to say, via describing the environment, that you might find secret doors around here if you look for them.

Then, I get each player to tell me what the character are generally doing while exploring the adventure location with the understanding that unless you're a ranger in favored terrain, you're generally either Keeping Watch for Danger or doing something else distracting from that (some exceptions may apply). They can, for example, Forage, Navigate, Draw a Map, Track, or do something like Search for Secret Doors. While doing these tasks, they are at risk of being automatically surprised if Team Monster is lurking. (But not all monsters try to gain surprise, so it's not too bad a trade-off.) Players can, of course, switch their task to something else at will.

If someone chooses Search for Secret Doors as his or her general task, then passive Perception applies while the character travels the dungeon. If that score meets or exceeds the DC for the secret doors the party passes along the way, the character is rewarded for the risk he or she has taken by noticing faint cracks in the wall or scuff marks on the floor, something like that. Then that character or the rest of the party can investigate to figure out the mechanism by which it opens which may call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check if there's an uncertain chance of figuring it out and a meaningful consequence of failure. If they can't figure it out, they can break it down, but naturally this takes time and makes noise which may call for a wandering monster check.

To me, secret doors are almost always a bonus for the PCs. They either lead to treasure, a shortcut, valuable (but not required) information, or some other resource that is nice to have, but that they don't necessarily need (such as a safe space to rest in the dungeon or whatever). If nobody bothers to choose to Search for Secret Doors, the adventure won't be stymied as a result - they'll just be potentially passing up some goodies.

 

[robus]

First, I telegraph in some fashion that secret doors are a thing in the adventure location. That might be mentioned in the exposition somehow ("The Blue Knight used a series of secret doors in the keep during the battle to surprise the goblin invaders in several skirmishes, but ultimately it wasn't enough...") or there might be a secret door that is already opened somewhere. Basically I try to say, via describing the environment, that you might find secret doors around here if you look for them.

Then, I get each player to tell me what the character are generally doing while exploring the adventure location with the understanding that unless you're a ranger in favored terrain, you're generally either Keeping Watch for Danger or doing something else distracting from that (some exceptions may apply). They can, for example, Forage, Navigate, Draw a Map, Track, or do something like Search for Secret Doors. While doing these tasks, they are at risk of being automatically surprised if Team Monster is lurking. (But not all monsters try to gain surprise, so it's not too bad a trade-off.) Players can, of course, switch their task to something else at will.

If someone chooses Search for Secret Doors as his or her general task, then passive Perception applies while the character travels the dungeon. If that score meets or exceeds the DC for the secret doors the party passes along the way, the character is rewarded for the risk he or she has taken by noticing faint cracks in the wall or scuff marks on the floor, something like that. Then that character or the rest of the party can investigate to figure out the mechanism by which it opens which may call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check if there's an uncertain chance of figuring it out and a meaningful consequence of failure. If they can't figure it out, they can break it down, but naturally this takes time and makes noise which may call for a wandering monster check.

To me, secret doors are almost always a bonus for the PCs. They either lead to treasure, a shortcut, valuable (but not required) information, or some other resource that is nice to have, but that they don't necessarily need (such as a safe space to rest in the dungeon or whatever). If nobody bothers to choose to Search for Secret Doors, the adventure won't be stymied as a result - they'll just be potentially passing up some goodies.

I do like this. I (and I think many others) assume that the passive scores are always on but that really takes agency away from the players. You only get to use a passive ability *if* you've declared an action. No action declaration = no skill check!

 

[redrick]

I assign a mechanism for every secret door in an adventure. Classic adventures usually don't do this — secret doors are just marked on a map and intended to be found using a "search for secret doors" mechanic, so I look for every "S" on the map and make a notation. They don't have to be incredibly original.

Once I know how the door is concealed and how it is operated, it just becomes an issue of what the characters are doing in the location, and how "important" the secret door is. If I want the characters to find the secret door, I'll try to telegraph its existence more — a worn passageway leading to a dead-end, for instance. The players will hopefully have their characters look in specific places, and I may let them roll perception and investigation checks to aid this search. Specificity trumps rolling, but a player can be vague or on the wrong track and have a good roll steer them back in the right direction. So, for instance:

PLAYER: I check the wall for loose stones that could be pressure plates.
DM: Great, roll an investigation check.
PLAYER: 19!
DM: Ok, you don't find any loose stones on the wall, but as you are searching, you do notice a series of scuff marks on the floor next to the book shelf.

I'd love a handy table of common secret doors. Should dig that up or put that together some day.

I don't use passive perception for secret doors. Just traps and sneaking monsters. Missing a secret door shouldn't ruin anybody's day, so if players aren't searching for it, I'm ok with them not finding it. (And if I need them to find it for some reason, I just need to telegraph it better.)

--

EDIT: Here's a link from the Hack & Slash blog with 10 basic secret doors.

 

[Eltab]

How to handle a Secret Door depends on the part the door plays in the bigger adventure.
- it is VITAL the PCs find this door (only entrance to BBEG's sanctorum)
- some cool toy or a bit of in-game lore is behind the door
- this is the shortcut to the goal, but another longer 'public route' exists
- the door hides an unnecessary (but flavorful) fight
- all BBEG's loot and cash is behind the door
- the door is also hidden from BBEG by a treasonous 'ally'

If the things behind the door are important to completing the adventure, make more efforts / allow more rolls / describe giveaway clues. Give the PCs every chance to realize that something important is here. If the PCs completely blow it, insert some minion who can blurt out, "Didn't you find that door?"*
If the things behind the door are not important, give the PCs a handful of opportunities to figure it out, then move on. Maybe later, whatever/whoever was behind the door moves into BBEG's "abandoned" lair? So they have to go back in and clean it out again, with the knowledge that they missed something the first time.

* Ed Greenwood claims that Elminster was originally a mechanism to tell his players in-game that they had missed something important.