d100 - Some More Specific Concealed or Secret Doors

Another Random Table Resource to assist Referees with those often-under-specified Secret Doors. Some Dungeon Maps neglect to describe them in their Keys, so all one has to work with is just the S marked on the Map. Unlike my previous table, which mostly features the Triggers/Methods of Opening that might lean more to the *Magical* side, this one tends to focus a little more on Concealed or Hidden Routes of a more Mundane Nature, often leaning on Furnishings and other Fixtures that might be found. Though as you will see, I couldn’t quite contain the urge to add in a few of those useful Clues/Tells and Operating Instructions into some entries.

d00 – Peculiar Portals & Distinctive Doors

Sometimes, those “Special” Results on the sainted Stocking Table might leave a Referee a bit at a Loss. There are only so many Statues, Pools, or other features one can sprinkle about. One option I sometimes like to consider is using this as a cue to add in a Strange or Unusual Door.

I am pretty comfortable with injecting a bit of humor and whimsy into my Dungeons on occasion for a slight break in Tension, and this table began with a few ideas I cribbed from a Tunnels & Trolls Dungeon that I dug. Every Door in that Dungeon had something to say it seemed! While that might be a bit excessive for most Mythic Underworlds, here are a few ideas for that can be used to make these Thresholds of Exploration a bit more interactive. Some are a bit more akin to Puzzles, other might benefit from a quick Reaction Roll to determine their Disposition to the Party, etc. I love presenting the Players with Opportunities to talk to things, so many of these Doors can Speak or have their own Personalities. There are an awful lot of Rules about interacting with Doors in these games after all!

d100 - Where Is The Key For This Locked Door?

Locked Doors or Containers are a time-honored obstacle to exploration and discovery. They present an opportunity for the clever Thief to fiddle with their tools to flex their percentiles, the Fighter to muscle things open with a sturdy d6, or the Magic User to unleash a mighty Knock. If only there were another way?

The presence of a Lock implies the existence of a Key. Here are a Hundred places where that pesky unlocker might live. Much like my previous posts on Secret or Stuck Doors, some imply a puzzle or a skosh of Set Dressing as well. Some of the particularly tricky ones might be worthy of rewarding the Players with a passe-partout.

d100 – Why Is This Door Stuck?

Doors are so often stubbornly Stuck in Dungeons. What is it about those places that makes it so hard to hire a decent Doormaker? Having tried to hang a Door exactly once in my life and making a major mess of it, I suppose I sympathize.

Naturally, it’s seldom down to the artisans involved. With a more Mythic Underworld approach, in some of these frightening places every Door might require some Forcing for delvers and interlopers (while they are whisper quiet and open readily for Monsters of course). The Dungeon knows Her children and permits them to travel throughout freely as one of Her Dark Gifts. This creates a remarkably interesting pacing mechanism and can lead to tenser exploration. I tend to let a few of them swing freely, but still try to sprinkle in a few “Stuck” ones here and there. I do still quite like having them shut on their own, however. Drafty places those Dungeons.

One departure I like to make from that venerable “Open Doors” roll within the standard B/X procedure is that Failure doesn’t simply signal that additional attempts will be required. That re-throwing until we hit the necessary number is rather tedious. As an expedient, you’ll still generally get it unstuck in a Turn, but the “Open Doors” roll is really a way to do this quickly whilst preserving that element of Surprise for anything on the other side. Otherwise, you will be making quite the racket and triggering a check for Wandering Monsters, eager to investigate who might be ruining their Portals in addition to alerting anything on the other side to your presence to give it time to prepare. This may or may not be applicable for some of these conundrums 😊.

Some of these table entries might not be suitable for every Dungeon (without a little strategic shaving to make them fit, but feel free to choose another), and most assume a standard, appropriately thick Wooden Door. Primarily composed of stout planks of vertical or horizontal orientation that are carefully mortised and tenoned, occasionally interlaced with reinforcing boards that are threaded through the center of the wood in a perpendicular direction to help draw things together. Seasoning happens before planks can be pegged in place to prevent shrinking and swelling at a later point in time. Optionally adorned with formidable iron hardware (bands, strap hinges, or even plates for reinforcement) or handles, here are a Hundred things that might interfere with their function after installation: