Dungeon Locked Doors

Locks may be picked by a character profi-

cient with lock picks or opened by magic.

Adventuring Doors Swinging Shut

Doors opened by adventurers (by what-
ever means) are likely to swing shut after
Sequence of Play Per Turn they pass. To prevent this, doors may
1. Wandering monsters: The referee be held open using iron spikes or other
makes checks as applicable. wedges.
2. Actions: The party decides what ac-
tions to take (e.g. moving, searching, Monsters and Doors
listening, entering rooms). Monsters that live in the dungeon can
3. Description: The referee describes usually open doors (even stuck doors),
what happens. If monsters are unless they are blocked, magically closed,
encountered, follow the procedure or wedged shut with spikes.
described in Encounters, p124. Listening at Doors
4. End of turn: The referee updates Chance of success: PCs have a 1-in-6
time records, with special attention chance of detecting subtle sounds beyond
to light sources, spell durations, and a door. (Some types of adventurers may
the party’s need to rest. have an increased chance of success.)
Referee rolls: The referee should always
Doors roll for the character listening so that the
player never knows if the roll failed or if
Dungeons often have many doors, some there simply is no sound behind the door.
secret and others obvious. Many are
locked and many are stuck. One chance: This attempt may only be
made one time at any door by a character.
Searching for Secret Doors Silent monsters: Some monsters, such as
Some doors are hidden or concealed. undead, do not make any noise.
Adventurers may choose to search a 10’ ×
10’ area for secret doors. See Searching. Movement
Chance of finding: If a character is
Exploring the unknown: When ex-
searching in the right location, there is
ploring unknown areas of a dungeon,
a 1-in-6 chance of finding a secret door.
characters can move their base movement
(Some types of adventurers may have an
rate in feet per turn. This (very slow!) rate
increased chance.)
of movement takes account for the fact
Stuck Doors that PCs are exploring, watching their
Forcing: The chance of forcing open a footing, mapping, and trying to be quiet
stuck door depends on the character’s and avoid obstacles.
Strength (see Ability Scores, p16). In familiar areas: When PCs are moving
Surprise: A failed attempt to force open a through dungeon areas with which they
door eliminates any possibility of surprise are familiar, the referee may allow them
(see Encounters, p124) that the party to move at a faster rate. For example, the
may have against any monsters on the referee might allow PCs to move at three
other side of the door. times their base movement rate per turn,
when moving through familiar areas.
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 Searching
The following stipulations apply to
searching for secret doors, room traps,
and treasure traps.
Time: Searching takes one turn.
Referee rolls: The referee should always
roll for the character searching, so that
the player does not know if the roll
failed or if there are simply no hidden
features present.
One chance: Each character can only
make one attempt to search a specific
Resting area or item.
Frequency of rest: Characters must rest Searching for Room Traps
for one turn every hour in the dungeon. Adventurers may choose to search a 10’ ×
Penalty for not resting: If characters 10’ area for room traps. See Searching.
press on without resting, they suffer a Chance of finding: If a character is
penalty of –1 to attack and damage rolls searching in the right location, there is
until they have rested for one turn. a 1-in-6 chance of finding a room trap.
(Some types of adventurers may have an
Traps increased chance.)
There are two kinds of traps:
Searching for Treasure Traps
▶ Treasure traps: Small traps placed Characters with the ability to find treas-
on an item, to prevent it being tampered ure traps (as noted in their class descrip-
with or stolen (e.g. a poison needle on a tion) may choose to search items (e.g.
chest or lock). chests, locks) for traps. See Searching.
▶ Room traps: Large traps that are
Chance of finding: The chance of finding
designed to affect anyone who enters a
treasure traps, if a character is searching
certain area (e.g. a pit that opens in the
in the right location, is noted in the char-
floor when walked over).
acter’s class description.
Triggering Traps
Each trap is triggered by a specific action Wandering Monsters
(e.g. opening a door or walking over a Frequency: A check is typically rolled
particular area). once every two turns in the dungeon.
Chance of triggering: Every time a char- Chance: The typical chance of encounter-
acter makes an action that could trigger ing a wandering monster is 1-in-6.
a trap, there is a 2-in-6 chance of the trap
being sprung. Distance: Wandering monsters are en-
countered 2d6 × 10 feet away, moving in
Trap damage: Damage inflicted by a trig- the direction of the party.
gered trap is usually automatic, without
an attack roll.
Monsters: Monsters may be able to bypass
traps without risk, if the referee wishes.
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 Encounters Surprise Checks
Each side that is not already aware of the
other’s presence rolls 1d6.
An encounter begins when the characters Monsters: The referee rolls for monsters.
stumble onto a monster, either because PCs: One player rolls for the adventuring
the referee has planned an encounter in party as a whole.
the area the PCs are exploring or because
a random die roll indicates an encounter Results: A result of 1 or 2 means the side
(see Wandering Monsters, p117). is surprised.
Effects of Surprise
Encounter Sequence Both sides surprised: There is simply a
1. Surprise: The referee rolls for sur- momentary confusion—neither side has
prise, if applicable. any advantage.
2. Encounter distance: The referee de- One side surprised: The side that is not
termines how far away the monsters surprised gains a one round advantage.
are from the PCs. The surprised side cannot act that round.
3. Initiative: Any sides that are not
surprised roll initiative to determine Encounter Distance
who acts first.
4. Actions: Any sides that are not sur- The situation in which the encounter
prised decide how they will respond occurs often determines how far away
to the encounter. The encounter is the monster is. If there is uncertainty, the
played out accordingly. encounter distance may be determined
5. Conclusion: One turn has passed. randomly:
▶ Dungeon: 2d6 × 10 feet.
▶ Wilderness: 4d6 × 10 yards (or 1d4 ×
Surprise 10 yards if either side is surprised).
When to Check ▶ Waterborne: 4d6 × 10 yards (or 1d4 ×
A check for surprise is made for any side 10 yards if either side is surprised).
that is not expecting the encounter. For
example, if a monster is waiting quietly Initiative
for an approaching party that is making a (See Combat, p130 for full details.)
lot of noise, the monster would not have
Roll 1d6: For each side, at the start of
a chance to be surprised, but the party
each round.
would.
Winner: The side with the highest roll
Light and Surprise acts first. Other sides act in order from
Characters or monsters that carry a light highest to lowest roll.
in a dark environment are usually unable Ties: Either both sides may roll again,
to surprise opponents, because the light or actions on both sides may be resolved
gives their presence away. simultaneously.

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Actions Movement
Encounter movement rate: During
Player Character Actions encounters, a character can move up to
The players decide how they will act. one third of their base movement rate
per round in feet (in the dungeon) or
Monster Actions yards (in the wilderness). For example, a
The referee determines monsters’ reac- character whose base movement rate is
tion to the party. Sometimes, circum- 120’ could move 40’ per round during a
stances make it obvious how a monster dungeon encounter.
will react. Otherwise, the referee may roll Maximum duration: Characters may
on the table below to determine how a move at this rate for at most 60 rounds
monster reacts to the party. (one turn).
Charisma: If one specific character
attempts to speak with the monsters, that Evasion
character’s NPC reactions modifier due to If one side wishes to avoid an encounter,
CHA (see Ability Scores, p16) is used it may attempt to flee. This is called eva-
to modify the monster reaction roll. sion and is only possible before combat
has begun. When a side decides to at-
Monster Reaction Roll tempt an evasion, the opposing side must
decide whether or not to pursue.
2d6 Result
2 or less Hostile, attacks Players: May decide freely whether they
wish to pursue fleeing monsters.
3–5 Unfriendly, may attack
Monsters: The referee must decide
6–8 Neutral, uncertain
whether monsters pursue fleeing PCs. (A
9–11 Indifferent, uninterested low roll on the Monster Reactions table
12 or more Friendly, helpful may be taken to indicate that the monster
will pursue.)
Common Actions
No pursuit: If the opposing side decides
Any action is possible in an encounter,
to let the other side flee, then the evasion
but the following are common:
automatically succeeds; the encounter is
▶ Combat: If one side attacks, casts avoided.
spells, or makes tactical movement, begin
Pursuit: If the opposing side gives chase,
tracking time in rounds, following the
the chance of the evasion succeeding
combat procedure (p130).
depends on the environment being ex-
▶ Evasion: If one side decides to flee, the plored. See Evasion and Pursuit, p126.
other may decide to pursue. See Evasion.
▶ Parley: PCs may attempt to communi- Conclusion
cate with monsters. Opening an encoun-
ter in this way can influence the mon- An encounter is assumed to take at least
sters’ behaviour (see Monster Actions). If one full turn to complete, including time
both sides decide to talk, the negotiation to rest, regroup, clean weapons, bind
may be role-played. wounds, and so on, afterwards.

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