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How do you do secret doors?
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<blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 7082879" data-attributes="member: 6777696"><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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 <em>want</em> 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:</p><p></p><p>PLAYER: I check the wall for loose stones that could be pressure plates.</p><p>DM: Great, roll an investigation check.</p><p>PLAYER: 19!</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>I'd love a handy table of common secret doors. Should dig that up or put that together some day.</p><p></p><p>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.)</p><p></p><p>--</p><p></p><p>EDIT: <a href="http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-thursday-trick-10-basic-secret-doors.html" target="_blank">Here's a link from the Hack & Slash blog with 10 basic secret doors.</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="redrick, post: 7082879, member: 6777696"] 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 [I]want[/I] 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: [URL="http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-thursday-trick-10-basic-secret-doors.html"]Here's a link from the Hack & Slash blog with 10 basic secret doors.[/URL] [/QUOTE]
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