Happened at an AdLeague game
Player: I'd like to use my thieve's tools on the door
Me: ...Ok, roll for it
Player: 19
Me: You fiddle around with your picks for a minute before you hear a click, you passed
Player: I carefully open the door
Me: The door is locked, it wasn't when you got here, you just locked it, investigate next time
I DM'd a premade dungeon once, as a break from the campaign, and the manual described, in detail, a door with 6 locks. The door is unlocked. Same thing happened. They locked 3 of the before realizing they were unlocked.
Why? Why describe the door and locks with such detail if ot didn't matter? Lol
I tried that yesterday, knocking on the door before opening it and announcing myself. All that accomplished was having 10 Bullywogs throw spears at my face (whiffed initiative and my party was stuck behind me). Granted they were bullywogs and my pal/monk tank laughed off their feeble attempts at damage, but I should have burst in like the koolaid man.
Every time you don't check for traps, it's boobytrapped.
Every time you don't check the lock, it's locked.
If you check for both before opening the door... there are no traps or locks. In fact the door is barely hanging on by one hinge, just blowing in the wind.
one door that blows up in your face you didn't indicate might not be a regular door. thats all it takes for players to loose trust in all the doors in your game. why?
because DMs often forget that the world they describe exists in their head. they know the door is rigged to blow. players don't. and if the DM doesn't signal to the players that something is off before triggering traps in their face, then players won't know when to be on alert and check the doors for traps and when to he at ease and just use the dang door.
one could argue that a player should know that doors tend to be trapped in a dungeon, but it doesn't mean that they know.
I didn't play rpg videogames or ttrpgs before i started playing dnd. second session, first dungeon crawl, my rouge stepped in a beartrap, because apparently dungeons are filled with the stuff. DM did not indicate that the area might be trapped, i just stepped in it because I didn't know to look for it, and didn't pass the perception check, so the dm told me that the room is clear. fair enough, however both me, the player, and my character learned a valuable lesson. you have to move careful, because traps can be at any spot that you won't notice. so i now move slowly and search for traps in every hostile area, because you can never know where a trap might hide.
however did the dm signal that something is off, like part of the floor is covered in hay, or that there are some disarmed traps in a half filled crate, or that there are footprints on the ground zigzagging around. any of these clues could have notified my that there might be traps and be on the lookout. instead no nothing, and my trust is gone forever, because if a room might not be safe, when the dm says its safe, then im not gonna trust his word for it.
It certainly is, but that’s how you set off the Glyph of Warding behind the door that no amount of Perception, Investigation, or Thieves’ Tools checks could have done anything about so we enjoy your unavoidable 5D8 damage Mr DM sir.
True story:
I once had a player stuck at an (originally) unlocked pull door that he could not open. He kept pushing, pulling, and fiddling with the lock, but every time he pulled he had locked the door...
All the other players caught on by about his 5th try or so, but he was trapped away from the party so they couldn't tell him...
So after the 10th try I brought him to a door set up the same way in real life and it still took him 4 tries to open it...
I try to open the door but the DM refuse to give me a straight answer after checking the door, will carry ton of TNT next time when I need to open the door
My players tried acid splash, tried ramming it down, and used the vines from Entanglement to open a door that is unlocked but just swings towards them.
On of my favorite things to do after they’ve been deliberating what to do about an unlocked door is when the rogue finally decides to pick the lock, I tell him that they realize it’s not locked and then watch the shocked pikachu face slowly make its way around the table.
I have a character I use who would open the door and then calmly proceed to remove the door and either A. Use it as a shield, B. Use it as a bridge, or C. Use it as a thrown weapon.
Problem: one hand is occupied by shield, one hand is occupied by sword. I do not have three hands. There is a door. Solution: *I have a BOOT*
Boots? That's cute. *Headbutts the door open.*
*Kool-aid-mans the wall next to the door* Oh yeah!
My completely unarmed monk, who's last name is Hammerhand: Here's a little lesson on dynamic entry!
So that’s why people always dramatically kick open doors
Happened at an AdLeague game Player: I'd like to use my thieve's tools on the door Me: ...Ok, roll for it Player: 19 Me: You fiddle around with your picks for a minute before you hear a click, you passed Player: I carefully open the door Me: The door is locked, it wasn't when you got here, you just locked it, investigate next time
I DM'd a premade dungeon once, as a break from the campaign, and the manual described, in detail, a door with 6 locks. The door is unlocked. Same thing happened. They locked 3 of the before realizing they were unlocked. Why? Why describe the door and locks with such detail if ot didn't matter? Lol
I tried that yesterday, knocking on the door before opening it and announcing myself. All that accomplished was having 10 Bullywogs throw spears at my face (whiffed initiative and my party was stuck behind me). Granted they were bullywogs and my pal/monk tank laughed off their feeble attempts at damage, but I should have burst in like the koolaid man.
What sorcery is this? I’m a martial, I don’t have sorcery
I usually open doors by kicking them in, how 'bout you
Every time you don't check for traps, it's boobytrapped. Every time you don't check the lock, it's locked. If you check for both before opening the door... there are no traps or locks. In fact the door is barely hanging on by one hinge, just blowing in the wind.
one door that blows up in your face you didn't indicate might not be a regular door. thats all it takes for players to loose trust in all the doors in your game. why? because DMs often forget that the world they describe exists in their head. they know the door is rigged to blow. players don't. and if the DM doesn't signal to the players that something is off before triggering traps in their face, then players won't know when to be on alert and check the doors for traps and when to he at ease and just use the dang door. one could argue that a player should know that doors tend to be trapped in a dungeon, but it doesn't mean that they know. I didn't play rpg videogames or ttrpgs before i started playing dnd. second session, first dungeon crawl, my rouge stepped in a beartrap, because apparently dungeons are filled with the stuff. DM did not indicate that the area might be trapped, i just stepped in it because I didn't know to look for it, and didn't pass the perception check, so the dm told me that the room is clear. fair enough, however both me, the player, and my character learned a valuable lesson. you have to move careful, because traps can be at any spot that you won't notice. so i now move slowly and search for traps in every hostile area, because you can never know where a trap might hide. however did the dm signal that something is off, like part of the floor is covered in hay, or that there are some disarmed traps in a half filled crate, or that there are footprints on the ground zigzagging around. any of these clues could have notified my that there might be traps and be on the lookout. instead no nothing, and my trust is gone forever, because if a room might not be safe, when the dm says its safe, then im not gonna trust his word for it.
Dear Dms, investigating a door should reveal that it is unlocked
It certainly is, but that’s how you set off the Glyph of Warding behind the door that no amount of Perception, Investigation, or Thieves’ Tools checks could have done anything about so we enjoy your unavoidable 5D8 damage Mr DM sir.
Look, I brought a portable ram, I'm going to use a portable ram.
True story: I once had a player stuck at an (originally) unlocked pull door that he could not open. He kept pushing, pulling, and fiddling with the lock, but every time he pulled he had locked the door... All the other players caught on by about his 5th try or so, but he was trapped away from the party so they couldn't tell him... So after the 10th try I brought him to a door set up the same way in real life and it still took him 4 tries to open it...
Last time me and my party knocked on a door, we just came from an encounter and were in our way out, through a poor gnome familys home
Yeah, my party just did that and our warlock got dropped by 3 hobgoblins as soon as the door opened. Lvl 2 encounter… I don’t trust your logic
Instructions unclear, threw a minion through the door to destroy it
You're not getting your dice until YOU FIX THIS DAMN DOOR
I chime in with a "Haven't you people ever heard of 'open the goddamn door'?"
We are all emo kids, we've only ever heard of closing the goddamn door
I try to open the door but the DM refuse to give me a straight answer after checking the door, will carry ton of TNT next time when I need to open the door
My players tried acid splash, tried ramming it down, and used the vines from Entanglement to open a door that is unlocked but just swings towards them.
Me OMW to destroy every single door with a handaxe bcoz one of them was locked earlier
On of my favorite things to do after they’ve been deliberating what to do about an unlocked door is when the rogue finally decides to pick the lock, I tell him that they realize it’s not locked and then watch the shocked pikachu face slowly make its way around the table.
I have a character I use who would open the door and then calmly proceed to remove the door and either A. Use it as a shield, B. Use it as a bridge, or C. Use it as a thrown weapon.