These are not like modern doors.
No knob to turn.
No door handle.
Often, the outside has a keyhole and nothing else.
Maybe an iron loop or rung to grab, but these are most likely used to pull the door shut when leaving; may double as knockers.
Hinges are on the inside.
They almost always open inward.
On the inside are often multiple locking mechanisms beyond a possible keyhole: Latches that slide sideways, latches that slide into the floor and ceiling. Rungs for wooden beams to slide into.
They are solid as fuck.
You are not hacking through these doors with your weapons.
It takes one full 10 minute turn per attempt to pick the lock which may include multiple latches and such. Two turns if a non-thief is somehow attempting. (My rule).
It could take one full turn before that to search for traps... or you could say that is part of the picking process, but still, two rolls, three, if you find and need to remove prior to picking. Whatever, one turn minimum for the whole process.
One full turn per attempt to open a stuck or heavy door.
Looking at the doors below, bashing them down seems ludicrous in many cases and of course should result in a mandatory and heightened wandering monster check.
It's hard to imagine hearing anything through them... that's why it's a special thief ability. And you're putting your ear to where the door meets the floor, not up against the door itself like you're trying to crack a safe. (Maybe while picking). Perhaps an ear to the keyhole.
Attempting any of the above forfeits any hope of surprise. In fact, it should guarantee surprise against the PCs.
Simply opening the door should forfeit surprise. Imagine the noise.
Doors are obstacles.
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As solid as those doors are, I imagine in most cases you aren't trying to break the door so much as snap the hinges! As a player in previous editions, my solution was an adamantine dagger, slicing out the lock, or slicing through the stone around the hinges. (Doesn't work in 5e, the way adamantine has been redefined.)
ReplyDeleteA lot of those doors though - just looking at the pictures - are "solid wood, with ornamentation". NOT like the massive "fortified front door" of your first picture. I'm totally with you that - barring superhuman feats - PCs aren't just breaking down that iron-reinforced monstrosity! But the barbarian throwing his bulk and STRength against the last few doors - wood with a couple iron-bolt locks - I can see him succeeding there... perhaps opening the door with the locks still intact, and powdered stone settling into the room beyond!
(And if he does it on the first attempt, or with a great STR check, then I would impose Surprise on those within, who believed their door "impregnable"!)