Is it a good idea to pull a lever in a dungeon?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

WIS 11 or less, I pull the lever. WIS 12 or more, I check for traps first.

 

[Odhanan]

Right! Stand well back, and pee on it from a distance.

(...or do only my players do that?)

Reminds me of someone in the 30-years anniversary book for D&D who was describing his first game of D&D in these terms. The DM describes an evil altar and the guy says:

"I pee on it!"
The DM then says "- Oh err... sure you wanna do that?"
"- You bet I do!"
"Oh... okay. A lightning bolt shoots down from the sky and strikes you where you stand. You're dead, man."
"This game is SO COOL!"

 

[Lanefan]

Cannot usefully vote here as it is completely situation- and character-dependent. A low-wisdom and-or chaotic character might pull the lever just for fun...others might not. The setting the lever is in makes tons o' difference as well: is anything useful likely to come of pulling it, or is it a possibly dangerous red herring? Is it at the start of the adventure, the middle, or the end? Are there tracks around it? Dust on it? Am I bored at the time we find it? Does it radiate magic?

Never mind there's always the chance the lever will turn you to dust.

Lanefan

 

[Snapdragyn]

T'lar would pull the lever. T'lar would wait until the party telling him 'Don't pull the lever!' was asleep & sneak back to pull the lever (and did). T'lar died a couple of times, almost died a lot, & went to Hades once (without a handbasket!) because he liked to pull levers. I liked T'lar.

Galorin wouldn't pull the lever, not because he'd think of the possible ramifications (nor could he pronounce 'ramifications') but because rogues pull levers -- Galorin fights.

Dranik would search the lever, get the other rogue in the party to doublecheck his search, consider the risks... then pull the lever if it seemed worthwhile. In fact, if he were absolutely convinced it furthered the goals of his organization, he'd pull it even if the party tried to stop him -- even if people had to die. 'A few must die to make safe the many,' that was Dranik (& the actual willingness of those few was incidental).

(IOW, it all depends on the character.)

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

once had a pc pull a lever labled trap ....yep he just couldnt stop himself

 

[Sejs]

It's probably made out of candy. Pull it! Pull it now!

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

It's boring if you don't pull the lever.

 

[The Forsaken One]

It's boring if you don't pull the lever.

But its obviously reckless cq stupid.

 

[Wik]

You have to pull the lever! It's all about doing crazy stuff and then running like hell!

Mind you, I'm the guy who...

DM: Okay, you can 1,000 GP, or what's in the mystery box!
OTHER PLAYER: Hey, let's take the gol....
WIK: The box! The Box! What's in the box!?
DM: 500 GP. Aw, too bad.

 

[silentspace]

Just to repeat what others have said....


You are in a dungeon. You find a door. You do not know what is behind the door. Is it a good idea to open the door?