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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7528808" data-attributes="member: 20323">I was reflecting on how you do secret doors as a risk-vs-reward aspect of exploration, and I'm wondering if "secret door" might be an umbrella for a 3 separate concepts. The secret path, the secret passage, and the magic secret door.A secret path is something like the hidden West Gate into Moria or the pass of Cirith Ungol into Mordor. The sense of discovery comes from locating the path. It often (though not necessarily) circumvents a threat or allows stealthy movement behind enemy lines. This type seems well-suited to the sort of exploration techniques you use   [MENTION=97077]iserith[/MENTION].Then there's a secret passage which is the sliding bookshelf or trap door concealed under the rug. There isn't much sense of discovery in the passage itself, rather the discovery comes from whatever cool thing lies beyond the passage. It often leads to hidden treasure or a special beneficial area (e.g. a safe resting spot). This type seems to be the default assumption in the D&D rules of the sorts of "secret doors" PCs are encountering. And then theres the magic secret door which is exemplified in Harry Potter's Diagon Alley, which is entered by going through an inn and tapping a wand against exactly the right spot on the brick wall. Another classic example would be the Dwarven Door into Lonely Mountain which can only be opened by moonlight on Durin's Day. The sense of discovery mostly comes from figuring out the trick to using the secret door, and often (though not necessarily) that trick involves magic. This is the type of secret door I'm thinking of when I talk about wonder, mystery, and discovery.</blockquote>

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