tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754170279177021419.post5094919611561135304..comments2024-03-25T19:47:36.154-07:00Comments on Goblin Punch: A Comprehensive Guide to Secret DoorsArnold Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12603155377769597516noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754170279177021419.post-29972755149063800782018-08-27T11:57:24.191-07:002018-08-27T11:57:24.191-07:00Great post. Have you ever read "Secret Chambe...Great post. Have you ever read "Secret Chambers and Hiding Places" by Albert Fea? It basically a survey of the priest holes and concealed passages in old English country houses, and it contains a lot of great ideas for secret doors (and traps). If you like M.R. James you'll enjoy the book. Here's the link: https://archive.org/details/secretchambershi00feaaDaniel James Hanleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03491624064919618569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754170279177021419.post-61315948464831860412018-08-24T13:37:53.988-07:002018-08-24T13:37:53.988-07:00A different and perhaps more appealing take on the...A different and perhaps more appealing take on the "Hidden Door, Obvious Lever" approach is to have the Obvious Lever have some puzzle or key needed to activate it, that invites the party to mess with it, but what it will do isn't clear.<br /><br />So the party finds a golden idol that seems like it should be holding something, then you figure out its the ornamental scepter you find elsewhere, and when they slot it in, a hard to spot door opens.<br /><br />If they did suspect that the trigger would open a door, they might search the walls and find it, allowing them to attempt other ways of getting through.Kalypteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05988999210118074246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754170279177021419.post-72244620440153641832018-08-24T09:40:49.007-07:002018-08-24T09:40:49.007-07:00I like your take. I've always used secret door...I like your take. I've always used secret doors in a vanilla way, as a way to conceal short-cuts. So a party clears out three levels then finds the staircase back to the entrance of the dungeon and the back-side of a secret door. Figure out how it works and they can skip those three levels upon their return. <br /><br />This also helps me rationalize how factions could live down deep without fighting their way up and down each time they have to leave the dungeon.Ruprechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00139664977453444000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754170279177021419.post-12510429945141242312018-08-24T06:43:45.662-07:002018-08-24T06:43:45.662-07:00Another thing I've tried to keep in mind when ...Another thing I've tried to keep in mind when designing spaces is asking myself not just why I want the PCs to find a secret space, but why the NPC would built it wanted that secret space.<br /><br />I try hard not to just drop a room in because it's cool or because I want to give the PCs something to do. Why would the owner of the castle / dungeon / loft / etc., want to hide an entire room from visitors and less trusted staff? That's a dramatic step and should be thought out. <br /><br />Or does the current owner even know it exists? If the owner didn't build the place, is it possible the previous owner or the original builder set up the room, so its contents are even older?<br /><br />Keeping those kinds of things in mind helps me not design "dungeons" that make no logical sense. cm123456https://www.blogger.com/profile/09557744861839380891noreply@blogger.com