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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AFGNCAAP" data-source="post: 3236735" data-attributes="member: 871">I really can't stand these sorts of elements in an adventure.  It really reeks of railroading, IMHO, since it basically counters any imaginitive solution and forces the players to guess the game designer's mind (if you will).It's particularly annoying when it's a homemade adventure--to a certain degree, there's an element of ego thrown in the mix, and in those cases it feels more like the DM's upset that they've been presented a solution they didn't think of, & still insist that their solution is the only viable one.There are always counters to spells, & they exist in-game.  However, I really believe that there should be more than 1 way to defeat a puzzle/problem, whether using in-game rules or the players' creative thinking.And, frankly, at times, it takes a spell to save the party's bacon in a situation.  Per the RAW, there's no auto-success or auto-failure on skill rolls, so a rogue can't roll a lucky nat. 20 & unlock a lock with a DC way above what he/she could normally get with a 20 + the skill mod.  However, if there's a knock spell available, there's another way through the door.Now, for example, you could have a door that has a high DC that prevents an Open Lock check from working, or is enspelled to prevent knock or more potent magics from working on the door, or even beign made out of adamantine to prevent the party from bashing it down, but there still can be more than 1 solution than the party absolutely finding the "special key" to open the door.  The party could gain control of an iron golem (instead of fighting/destroying it) strong enough to bash open the door.  The party may find a strong enough acid to damage the door enough to allow for an Open Lock check or a successful bash attempt.  There could be a secret door with a high Spot/Search DC that leads around the adamantine door.  There could be a rod of negation that can temporarily cancel the protective magics & allow a brief window for knock to work, etc.Now, there can be consequences for not opening the door in the intended way (such as the "special key" disarming traps past the door as well as unlocking it), but those other challenges should have multiple options as well as the original challenge.</blockquote>

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