Quickleaf
Legend
One thing I'd like to see more dungeons do is have locks (and secret/concealed doors) integrated into the overall design. For example, locks become more significant if there's a need for secrecy or a chase scene later on.
It's pretty common for a lock to appear with meager description (e.g. your DC 20 to pick the lock example) in a place with low stakes/urgency.
I just was converting an AD&D Dungeon magazine adventure by Chris Perkins, "Dragon's Delve" (in #62), and I like its judicious approach to locked doors. There are only three locked doors in the fortress:
However, the adventure repeatedly falls into the same trap that most D&D adventures do with locked chests: there's no tension, no urgency, and no consequences. Here's an example:
It's pretty common for a lock to appear with meager description (e.g. your DC 20 to pick the lock example) in a place with low stakes/urgency.
I just was converting an AD&D Dungeon magazine adventure by Chris Perkins, "Dragon's Delve" (in #62), and I like its judicious approach to locked doors. There are only three locked doors in the fortress:
- One is the prison cell with the captive dwarven emissaries that PCs are trying to rescue. The keys are on the jailer.
- The other two are in the throne room, connecting it to the vaults and guest chambers. These either serve as alternate routes for the PCs who find the keys / open the doors, or as an escape route for a villain who has keys to both.
However, the adventure repeatedly falls into the same trap that most D&D adventures do with locked chests: there's no tension, no urgency, and no consequences. Here's an example:
The padlock securing Rhorvald's chest is very sturdy and can be broken only by a single blow inflicting 12 hp damage or more. It is also well-made, imposing a -15% penalty to a thiefs open locks attempt. Inside the chest is a sack of 154 gp, a gem-studded beard comb (worth 225 gp), and a pair of well-oiled dwarven gauntlets wrapped in sheep skin.