AD&D: Secret Doors

There is precious little information in the Players Handbook regarding secret doors. In fact, there is precious little information on secret doors in the entire Dungeon Masters Guide as well. What  information does exist is not entirely clear on how such things are handled. I will try to elucidate on this subject as best as I can.

The first mention of secret doors ANYWHERE in the rules is under the racial entry for Elves. These sneaky, pointy-eared devils are the best at locating secret doors, having a 2 in 6 chance of finding one when actively searching for one. Note the stress on that last part - one has to actively search to locate a secret door. The wording is poor, but the intent is clear so long as you are not glossing over the details on the page. This implies that other races have a lesser chance of finding secret doors - but this chance is never stated in the Players Handbook. Half-elves inherit this ability from their elven parent, and it applies in full, not as half a chance better. It is not until we get to the DMG that the chance is defined as 1 in 6 for non-elves (page 97).

However, the process of finding secret doors has never really been properly explained. According to the rules in the DMG, it seems that locating and using a secret door is a 2-part process. One has to first locate the door, then one must find the means of opening said door once it is found. No secret doors in the early modules gave any indication of how they were to be opened - only later modules gave any indications (pull a torch sconce, push on one edge, hidden finger-pulls on the edge, etc.). Did you know that some secret doors could be locked, might be switched to open in two different directions, or could be trapped to prevent unwelcome users? All these were options in the original games played by Gygax!

But what exactly is a secret door? Obviously, it's a door that no one knows exists (other than the builder and a few others lucky enough to have found one). The DMG defines secret doors as "portals which are made to appear to be a part of the surface they are in." They are differentiated from concealed doors in that a concealed door, once found, is obviously a door. A concealed door is simply hidden from view or easy detection. A door in a pitch black corridor without a light source could be considered a concealed door. A trap door beneath a carpet is also a concealed door. A metal hatch at the bottom of a murky pool could be a concealed door. However, a secret door is camouflaged and does not even resemble a door - it could be made to look like the floor, a wall section, or even a portion of the ceiling. Essentially, if a door looks like a door, but is hidden from view, it is a concealed door. If a door is in plain sight but disguised to look like something else, it is a secret door.

In order to find a secret door, one must be actively looking for one. They do not get a sense that there may be one in their vicinity simply by passing it by. This is different for concealed doors, which do allow elves and half-elves to detect by simply passing by (with a 1 in 6 chance). However, what about dwarves and their ability to detect sliding and shifting walls or rooms (4 in 6 chance)? Well, a door is not an entire wall or a room, and the dwarf must also be actively searching for such things. Perhaps a door is simply not on the scale a dwarf is used to looking for...? Besides, the elven ability works on all surfaces - the dwarves only get this with stone constructions. Most dungeons, however, are built of stone, so this may be permitted by some DMs. In the spirit of the rules, I prefer to only grant increased secret door detection ability to elves and half-elves. Also, detection may be made by manually tapping on walls to listen for hollow spots, but this could just indicate a passage or room/chamber on the other side of a normal wall.

Discovery of a secret door doesn't grant the means of how to open it. This requires a SECOND roll OR physical investigation of the area around the door. Devious DMs may place the means of opening the secret door away from the door itself (pulling up the arm of a nearby throne, twisting a wall sconce 20 feet away from the door, stepping on a certain flagstone in a corner of the room, etc.). Perhaps the door is timed and will only remain open for 2 turns once opened, then closes behind the party once entered, requiring searching for a means to open it from the other side (if one exists - there can be one-way secret doors, too)!

The DMG provides two possible methods for discovering the means of opening the secret door. Method 1 is to just let them roll a second time with the same chance as detection (1 in 6 for non-elves, or 2 in 6 for elves/half-elves). You can alter the die used if the secret door is easier (d4) or harder (d8, d10, etc) than normal to find the mechanism. Method 2 is more frustrating and rewarding for those players that enjoy "theater of the mind" gaming and puzzles. With a complete description of the area (and DMs being prepared to adlib if necessary), the characters are free to figure it out by describing how they intend on opening the door. A DM must provide any and all details on the spot regarding this door, and may cause a delay in play as the players try to work it out. However, truly clever players will enjoy this more than rolling a die (which they can easily fail).

The DMG also provides some guidance on how long such a process should take (page 97). To detect a secret door, checking by simple tapping of the floor or walls in a 10' x 10' area takes 1 round. However, thorough examination for means of opening the door per 10' x 10' section requires 1 turn. Remember that wandering monster rolls occur at a given interval in dungeons (as determined by the specific module or DM-written adventure). For example, in T1: The Village of Hommlet, the lower dungeons of the Moathouse have a Wandering Monster check of 1 in 6 every turn. Checking every 10' x 10' area in the dungeon for secret doors becomes tiresome for the players AND the DM, but secret doors are so easy to miss unless you have some magical means of locating them (such as a wand of secret door and trap detection). If you spend all your time looking for secret doors, you essentially could be caught by several random encounters and never progress into the dungeon. It's important to note that wandering monsters rarely (if ever) have any treasure on them and aren't worth as much experience as monsters encountered in their lairs. Also, the method of searching for secret doors (tapping) might draw undo attention from nearby encounter areas - or even alert something on the other side of a secret door! These things have to be taken into consideration.

So, if the rules support NOT looking all over for secret doors, and they can only be found by careful examination, what are the characters expected to do? Obviously, explore the areas they can easily find and enter before starting to look for secret doors! Good gaming practice for AD&D players is to make a plan before entering a dungeon, stick to the plan, and leave when the current goal is accomplished (or when the party strength has slipped below 50%). My players enter a dungeon like a SWAT team, taking precautions that most would deem unnecessary or extreme. However, my players are 40+ year veterans of AD&D and are of a mindset that survival is paramount in all situations. If the goal is to explore all that can be explored, but then they assume that there must be more, a secret door is probably involved! Secret doors in rooms and chambers are easiest to find; those in corridors, floors, or ceilings are the hardest to find. The example of a first dungeon given in the AD&D DMG shows how devious Gygax was. He has the party facing an empty room with high ceiling. There are several square holes in the back wall spaced evenly, a pair at 3' height, and another pair at 6' height. Now, I would never have jumped to the same conclusion as the players in the example - they found splinters in one and determined that a wooden construction once existed there, attached to the wall! One climbed up on the shoulders of his comrade and checked the upper portion of the wall for secret doors, and sure enough found one! All this after spending a turn or so checking out the entire south wall (at the height of a normal Man). One must think in three-dimensions when exploring a dungeon, and always ask questions and seek details. But looking EVERYWHERE for detailed information ALL the time is tiresome, and this is why Gygax warns of wasting time in the dungeon (and probably why random encounters even exist). He wanted his players to be both cautious and clever!

But how is a neophyte player to know to even look for secret doors if they aren't playing an elf or half-elf? I've taught AD&D and D&D several times to new players, and they were completely impressed upon seeing a veteran player in the group suss out the location of a secret door! Once they new such things existed, they began searching for them, too! I don't think that there are enough examples or explanations in the Players Handbook to lead to such intelligent play. A pity really, since this is the only book that players are supposed to reference throughout their gaming experience.

One thing to take away from this is that secret doors can and do exist in just about every dungeon ever written. Their very nature prevents them from being easily detected unless magic is used (and even then one must have some indication that a secret door exists in a certain location as spell ranges and item usage vary). The problem with most of the older modules is that they tended to place the bulk of the adventure behind a secret door, which the party has only a 1 or 2 in 6 chance of locating. If they never locate the secret door, they lose out on the rest of the adventure (and the experience therein)!

AD&D Magic Items: Potions

Nothing gets a new party more excited than their first magic items acquired in the game. More likely than not, that first magic item is a potion. These "liquid spells" really are a life saver and can be extremely useful, but most potions are not overly powerful items, and as such are usually found by lower level characters with more frequency than, say, name level characters. They are great for the DM in that most potions are single-use items, they have a limited duration, and the bonus gained is not absurdly powerful or overbalancing to the game.

This article will seek to clear up all the rules concerning potions and their use in an AD&D campaign. I'll also touch on the creation of potions and why these should probably be some of the few easily-accessible magic items permitted for characters to create on their own.

POTIONS
Potions are one of the most common magic items found. There is a full 20% chance of finding one or more potions using the random Magic Item generation tables in the DMG on page 121. Most potions can be used by any character, with the only notable exceptions being giant strength, heroism, invulnerability, and super-heroism which can only be used by fighters. The accessibility and usefulness of potions cannot be understated. There are few potions that have little or no use in most situations. Only those potions which are overly specific - mostly the control-type potions - have limited usefulness based on the surrounding monster ecosystem.

Potions are typically found in ceramic, crystal, glass or metal flasks in sufficient quantity to provide one person with one complete dose to achieve the magical effects listed (DMG, p.125). Therefore, potions can look like something unexpected, and the DM can describe their containers in any way he chooses - from a metal, engraved boot flask to a corked pottery jug marked with three "X's". Gygax suggests that no identifying marks be placed on the containers to prevent characters from instantly knowing the contents. He suggests making them sample from each container they find to determine the contents. Apparently, even a minor sip should be able to give a hint of some sort as to what the potion does - even if just an urge. Gygax goes even further, suggesting that a DM create a list of a few different sorts of potions (not on the list in the DMG) in order to cause difficulties in identification. Also, the same types of potions derived from different sources are likely to smell, taste, and look differently. In essence, Gygax wanted to make the identification of potions non-trivial, and also wanted to set the bait for the use of the "cursed" potions (delusion, poison). After all, how do you get someone to drink a poison potion if they can identify it easily by common means?

The use of potions is rather generally explained. Most potions/oils without a stated duration will last 4 + 1d4 turns (that's 5-8 turns, or 50-80 minutes). It may seem like a long time, but if the characters are not in combat (or the combat only lasts a few rounds), then that potion will be used up before you know it! Clairaudience potions only last 2 turns. Clairvoyance potions last only 1 turn. Diminution potions last 6 + 2-5 turns, ESP potions last 5-40 rounds, fire resistance 1 turn, giant control 5-30 rounds, human control 5-30 rounds, invulnerability 5-20 rounds, oil of slipperiness 8 hours, speed 5-20 rounds, super-heroism 5-30 rounds, treasure finding 5-20 rounds, undead control 5-20 rounds, and water breathing 6 turns + 1-10 rounds.

One can see from the above that those potions meant to be used in encounters are of shorter duration than those of general use. It should also be noted that some potions without a listed duration do NOT function for 4 + 1-4 turns but have a permanent effect on the drinker instead: healing, extra-healing, longevity, and the aging effect of a speed potion. One does not simply take back all their damage 8 turns after consuming a healing potion! Some potions can be taken in lesser doses to achieve lesser results. For example, consuming 1/3 of a potion of extra-healing only heals 1-8 points of damage per dose, but consuming the entire potion restores 6-27 (3d8+3) points of damage. Sipping 1/8 of a potion of invisibility grants invisibility for only 3-6 turns. Drinking half a potion of fire resistance confers only half the bonuses against non-normal fires for half the duration. In fact, most potions of non-specified duration can be half-drunk for half-duration effects.

Most of the control potions grant the targets of their effects a saving throw, so these are not guaranteed to work! Control potions are quite powerful in encounters with the given creature and could potentially unbalance an encounter in favor of the party if only one or two such creatures are encountered. Such potions are marked with an asterisk (*) on the random potions table (DMG, pg. 121). However, control potions can be very limited in what they can specifically control. For example, a potion of dragon control could be limited to green dragons only, copper dragons only, or evil dragons only. A potion of human control might be limited to only affecting elves/half-elves, or only humanoids, or maybe only humans. The specific creature type controlled must be rolled for on a random table (or decided by the DM). A potion of vampire control would be useless to most adventurers if they never encounter such an undead creature! Or it could be a godsend if they are adventuring in Ravenloft! Most control potions are non-generic, with the exception being plant control. Coincidentally, this is the only control potion with a listed range of effect (9"). The others state that they function as a charm monster spell (which has a static range of 6") or a charm person spell (which has a static range of 12"). Specifics as to how this works are for the DM to know and the players to find out (but all details are listed in the DMG under the specific listings)!

Potions in Combat
Of great importance to players, is how potions are used in combat situations. It is stated (DMG, p.125) that potions take effect 2-5 segments after they are imbibed. But just how long does it take to drink a potion? This question is answered in another section entirely! On page 71 of the DMG, there is a sections entitled Actions During Combat and Similar Time-Important Situations. Halfway through the section is a bold-faced reference to DRINKING POTIONS, which, curiously enough, is not listed in the index, but can be found on page 119 of the DMG as a sub-section under USE OF MAGIC ITEMS. Here the rules state:

"It takes but a segment (6 seconds) to open and consume the typical potion. Thereafter, however, a certain delay will occur while the contents are ingested and the magical properties of the potion take effect. The delay will be from 2-5 segments as a rule. When a potion is imbibed, simply roll d4, add +1 to the result, and in that number of segments the effects of the dose will take full effect. You may establish specific times for various potions if you so desire, but this is a complication which is not generally recommended."

Turning back to page 71 where this rule is referenced, is an example of declared actions for a character and their resolution by the DM.

"In a similar vein, some players will state that they are going to do several actions, which, if allowed, would be likely to occupy their time for many rounds. For example: "I'll hurl oil at the monster, ignite it, drink my potion of invisibility, sneak up behind it, and then stab it in the back!" How ambitious indeed. Where is the oil? In a pouch, of course, so that will take at least 1, possibly 2 segments to locate and hurl. If the potion is in the character's back pack, 3 or 4 segments will be taken up just finding it, and another 1 segment will be required to consume its contents. (See DRINKING POTIONS.) Now comes the tricky part, sneaking up. Assuming that the potion has taken effect, and that our dauntless character has managed to transfer his or her weapon back into his or her hand (for certainly all the other activity required the character to at least put the weapon in the off hand), he or she is now ready to creep around the fringe of the combat and steal up behind the foe to smite it in the back."

Some potions state that it takes much longer for them to be consumed. For example, the healing potion states that "An entire potion must be consumed in a single drinking (round) in order for this liquor to restore 4-10 (2d4 + 2) hit points of damage." This implies that the potion drinking takes an entire round to do. I simply assume that a character can do nothing else in a round that a healing potion is consumed. Some people interpret this line differently. Either way, it seems that the effects are immediately gained by the end of the round at the latest and the duration of the potion ends. This is important when considering potion miscibility; see below).

Using Oils
There are two oils listed in the DMG: etherealness and slipperiness. Unlike potions, they are applied externally to the character and his or her gear, but the effects are generally the same. The contents are poured out over hands and body and smeared appropriately. The normal time of 1 segment is used for opening and pouring, with the same time delay of 2-5 segments for the oil to take effect. Really, there is little difference.

Potion Miscibility
This rule appears to exist to discourage characters from drinking more than one potion at a time to gain multiple benefits. I can see the reasoning behind the rule, but it rarely comes up in a single combat, and most combat potions last only rounds, not turns. However, it is a real consideration when a character is under the effects of a potion and wants to drink a healing potion! In desperation, a character could also take two potion flasks and mix them before consumption in the hopes of getting a cool new result, creating a vile poison to use against a monster, or simply to cause an explosion (a rare result at best)!

In any case, mixing two or more potions together requires a roll on the Potion Miscibility table (DMG, p. 119). Results could be an explosion, creation of a poison, cancellation of both potions, limited miscibility, both function normally, or a new potion is created from the mixture of the two. As a DM, one has to be on the look-out for when a PC makes that fatal error of forgetting about the dangers of mixing potions. Obviously, this is only a problem if one potion is still in effect on a character and another is consumed, and most frequently happens when in danger of death and healing potions are the only saving grace.

Potion Brewing
Most fantasy settings I have ever dabbled in have some type of class or character type involved in the making of potions. These could be apothecaries that brew healing potions and herbal remedies or alchemists changing the elements and brewing magical draughts, to the witches stirring their cauldrons to brew poisons and love potions. In AD&D, Gygax permitted the creation of potions, probably because they were such limited items and required the character to adventure in order to procure the components necessary. For instance, when the stock of extra-healing potions in the city of Selenica were depleted, the clerics there offered to brew more potions for the characters if they could secure troll blood in specially prepared sacred vials. The characters agreed and, the next time they encountered trolls, collected what blood they could and returned to the clerics where they were rewarded with potions at a discounted price. Such interaction makes the party part of their world, where they realize that components of monsters may have value (beyond experience), and increases interaction with NPCs in gaining something either for their own use, or for the promise of assistance or additional work in the near future.

Since the DMG was the last published work by Gygax in the three core books, the rules here trump those of the previous Player's Handbook. According to the section, Manufacture of Potions (DMG, p. 116), potions may be made by any magic-user of 7th level or above, if he or she enlists the aid of an alchemist. An alchemist is an NPC hireling found only in cities unless one is specifically located elsewhere by the DM, requiring an offer of 10-100 gp bonus money, plus a well-stocked laboratory and the assurance of not less than a full year of employment to even attract one to service. The magic-user must then support the alchemist at a rate of 300 gp per month salary. That's a large outlay of money for a 7th level character, especially given the by-the-book training costs for player characters and the cost of spell books, inks, and other spell research components!

At 11th level, the magic-user no longer requires the assistance of an alchemist, although having one in your employ can reduce the money and time required to make a potion by 50%.

Potions can only be made one at a time, and the magic-user must have a proper laboratory with fireplace, workbench, brazier, and several alchemical implements of specialized nature before work can begin. These are only found in cities that support alchemists or can be specially made by craftsmen at a cost of 200-1,000 gp. Upkeep of the lab requires 10% of the base cost/month to replace used/broken equipment and restock supplies. The place is always considered to be in use when an alchemist is employed, as they continue to research when not busy in the manufacturing process.

The cost and time needed to brew a potion is derived from the XP Value of the potion on the charts. If no XP value is given, the potion has a 200 gp base for cost and time determination. The XP value is the amount of gold that must be spent to brew the potion. The number of days required to brew the potion is the same figure divided by 100. Each hundred or fraction thereof indicates a full day of time. Thus, in order to create a potion of invisibility with 250 XP value will cost 250 gp in components and take 3 full days to complete (250 / 100 = 2.5 rounded to 3). Each potion also requires one or more special ingredients to empower the magic. These special ingredients are listed for those potions in the DMG on pages 116-117. These are suggestions only, but show how rare the components should be for such magical items. For example, an invisibility potion would require invisible stalker ichor - not something that a 3rd or lower level character could come by easily. A DM could state that skulk blood or slithering tracker plasma could also be substituted if desired (or the DM could hint that other ingredients could substitute and the result being that the potion only confers blending or chameleon powers with the same duration as an invisibility potion). Obviously, the more powerful the ingredients, the more potent the brew should be. One might need only a drop of pixie dust to empower an invisibility potion, and such a component would be much easier to come by.

The brewing process has no failure percentage associated with it - the only cost is time and money. However, a DM could state that there is a 5-20% chance of failure to all potion manufacturing, and that any failure results in a delusion potion of the same type as that attempted. Assuming that this rule is used, a magic-user attempts to brew an invisibility potion and fails the roll. They now have a delusion potion that makes them think it is an invisibility potion! Their associates may look at them funny when they drink such a potion and boldly step into a chamber full of monsters thinking that nothing can see them...

Poison potions can be manufactured only by assassins of 9th level or higher, using the rules found in the DMG and PHB under POISON. Assassins need no labs or alchemists, but cost and time are found as if a normal potion was being prepared.

House Rules
My players are a very cautious lot. They would never sip from any unknown flask to determine the contents of a potion. So we developed rules for an alchemist to identify potions. The time required is 1-3 days and the base cost is 40 gp (modified by haggling with Charisma being a prime determinant). I roll a 5-15% chance for each alchemist to check how good they are at doing their job for each potion, or once to determine their base skill as an alchemist. If this percentage chance is rolled when an identification is taking place, a mishap occurs and the potion can be ruined, an explosion can occur, or some other mishap (refer to the Potion Miscibility table for possibilities). Alchemists must make a saving throw vs. spells as a 0-level human to correctly identify a potion of delusion. Failure makes them declare it as another type of potion.

This seemingly prevents the instant death or problems of the cursed potions. However, such potions can be misidentified if the skill level of the alchemist is too low (indicated by a high chance of failure). As stated, only cities support alchemists, so this option may not be available for lower level characters unless they base themselves in a major city, and even so, the cost of identification is high enough to cause lower-level characters pause.

This house rule has served us well for almost 20 years now and is integrated into the fabric of our campaign setting. We have seen many potions identified truly as they were, with some misidentified, and one spectacular explosion that decimated an alchemist shop (ending with the temporary incarceration of the party ranger who was accused as purposefully bringing in dangerous contraband to the town). Feel free to use this in your own campaigns if desired, adjusting the cost and time accordingly My price estimate came from 10% of the GP sale value of a potion of healing, with the 1-3 day variable based off the average brewing times of the most common potions. We have since integrated the lists from Unearthed Arcana without much problem and no adjustment to the time or costs listed here.

So What is a Philter?
Gygax loved using extravagant and Medieval-flavored words in the DMG. A philter is a potion specifically designed to arouse sexual feelings towards another - in essence, a love potion. Thus the philter of love and philter of persuasiveness are so named because they have a specific purpose: namely the influence and desire of someone of the opposite (or same) sex. He could have just called these Charisma potions and Love potions, but this gives it more flavor and makes it sound exotic. In OD&D, witches were known to cast spells on men to lure them into sexual relations. This is derived from Greek Mythology and sword & sorcery fantasy of the Conan caliber. These effects of charming and persuading men to do something they would not normally do made witches a powerful force for evil in the original D&D game. They actually created these love potions for use on their subjects (and you thought they were just cooking dinner in those cauldrons?).

Why differentiate between these and control-potions? Well, for one thing, the enamoring effect of a philter of love is permanent until dispelled! The philter of persuasiveness is essentially a Charisma booster that could be useful in any number of different interactions with NPCs or even monsters! Imagine a paladin with 18 Charisma and +35% reaction adjustment with a philter of persuasiveness (granting an additional +25% to reactions). That's a guaranteed +60% to reaction rolls on any creature encountered, practically guaranteeing a peaceful and possibly profitable arrangement for the PCs. This potion also allows the use of a suggestion once per turn on any creature within 3" for as long as the potion lasts. This is like the greatest Jedi mind trick ever! One should never underestimate the value of good NPC relations in AD&D.

Final Thoughts
Potions are great one-use magic items that a DM can insert into an adventure to aid the players, foil them, or provide a lead to new adventures. Stumbling across the notes of an alchemist in an old ruin might have profound effects on the campaign if a new potion type is developed therein. I've used alchemical substances like potions and oils to have effects not listed in the DMG. For example, one of the modules had a cure poison potion which doesn't exist (but should). I've inserted anti-toxins that can be brewed by apothecaries or alchemists, allowed clerics and druids to also create basically curative potions, and allowed the creation of a balm that, when rubbed on a stoned creature, will return them to flesh. Such a balm obviously does not exist in the original AD&D DMG and was never added in Unearthed Arcana. These are just some of the suggestions that could be added to a list of new potions and oils.

We've also dabbled with modifying potion effects based on the potency of components. If troll blood is good for extra-healing potions, what would ogre-magi blood do to affect it? What about using extra-planar components, like demon blood, devil horn, or angel feathers? Coming up with interesting components or brewing recipes can be used as possible treasure of the non-obvious sort. When players ask what's in the books at the local magic university or personal library in town, the DM can insert one of these tidbits into the information and let the players deal with the information as they see fit. Good players will realize it for what it really is - treasure of a sort. Others may shrug and toss it aside. The value of such information is for the DM and players to work out in character interactions.