OD&D with even less skills!!

[Zulgyan]

In my last OD&D games I have decided to totally ditch too 2 skills:

Find Secret Doors: No longer do I roll for finding doors. It's ALL handled in a descriptive manner. How have to find out the arm of the statue is in fact a level that opens a door. You have to find out that the eye of a fresco is in fact a button that opens up a door. You have to find out that if you pull from the candelabrum hanging from a roof you open a door somewhere. You have to find out that there is a tome in the magic-users library that by pulling, the library shifts (an old classic)

No more secret door searching roll. You must find the door by getting actively involved with the environment.

Hear Noise: everyone can hear a noise if attentive enough and if the noise is loud enough.

[coffee]

So what you're saying is, you don't roll for it. They just have to convince you that they found it, based on your descriptions and their actions.

Sounds good! I like it.

[Zulgyan]

Yes! It's all about me describing the area and then the player's interacting with it.

No more "I search for secret door", that's like pressing a button for the system to do the thing for you (what most here much criticize as the bag thing of skill systems).

Instead, you must describe what your character is doing specifically to find the secret door.

For example:

DM: As you enter this room, you can see how this room has been painted with patters of red and blue triangles. There is a door at the other side of the room.

PC 1: Wizard's are funny in taste. On we march for the door.

PC 2: Wait, maybe there's a secret door. I look at the pattern on the walls, does it look regular?

DM: It looks pretty much regular, first red, then blue, then red and again blue and so on.

PC 3: Hmmm... I search if there is any irregularity somewhere.

DM: That might take some time.

PC 1: No one saw us coming in, so let's take what time we need, I think you guys are on to something.

DM: After searching for about 10 minutes you actually find a spot where the blue color repeats itself.

PC 2: Hmmmm... I press the wall on that spot.

DM: The brick starts moving and then a whole of the wall sections starts shifting, seem you found a secret passage!

[coffee]

Sweet! Have an exalt for that!

[busman]

Hmm, I like the general idea, but I'd be concerned about your players bogging down in every room searching for secret rooms.

How do you mimic the ability of elves and others to detect things without actively looking?

I like the concept in general though.

[TheMyth]

Jun 7, 2008 23:09:25 GMT -6 busman said:

Hmm, I like the general idea, but I'd be concerned about your players bogging down in every room searching for secret rooms.

How do you mimic the ability of elves and others to detect things without actively looking?

I like the concept in general though.

Caller: Everyone will search the room for hidden doors. We'll tap the walls for hollow sounds, feel around for loose stones, and keep an ear out for a "clicking" sound as we touch the walls.

DM: Just as you all start tapping the walls, Gloriana's Elf-sense starts tingling! She tells you all to focus on the North wall.

[Zulgyan]

Jun 7, 2008 23:09:25 GMT -6 busman said:

Hmm, I like the general idea, but I'd be concerned about your players bogging down in every room searching for secret rooms.

Isn't it the same case for checks?

Anyway, random encounters are a reason not to search everywhere. Time is another factor too, time means more resources spent (torches, etc.)
And also, players simply don't search ALL the time. They don't do it, because they waste time for other things that could earn them XP.

Personally, I haven't experienced more searching in my games. Just about the same.

How do you mimic the ability of elves and others to detect things without actively looking?

I don't play with elves, but if I where to play with them I would only keep the "detect while passing by" ability. And maybe make it easier from them while searching, revealing more clues faster, etc.

[busman]

Jun 7, 2008 23:22:13 GMT -6 TheMyth said:

Caller: Everyone will search the room for hidden doors. We'll tap the walls for hollow sounds, feel around for loose stones, and keep an ear out for a "clicking" sound as we touch the walls.

DM: Just as you all start tapping the walls, Gloriana's Elf-sense starts tingling! She tells you all to focus on the North wall.

Yeah, that could work for the elf.

What you describe for the searching is exactly the concern I have. If it becomes this slow down of this rote thing that you do. I like the idea of roleplaying the secret doors, but I'd be worried about running out of interesting ideas and it becoming a tired retread.

I'll have to jump into coming up with ideas of secret doors/levers/traps/etc. and see if I can make it work.

I still think it's a great idea.