Searching for the Damn Door

20 Nov, 2025

After reading Beau Rancourt’s survey of search procedures, I was struck by how tedious it all seemed. As one commenter put it,

“If I'm spending 10 minutes analyzing a small wall section (this is after walking into the room using a snail pace tier exploration turn), then I only get 16%? Come on.”

Indeed, there seemed to be broad skepticism that anyone really played this way. I certainly don’t. I’ve been doing something like the method outlined below through pure vibes. So I set it out in more precise terms. Because I like rooting the fiction in explicit time or distance. Embrace space. Also I want to run B4, which has loads of unkeyed secret doors in need of a sensible procedure.

As I see it, there were a few concerns to cover. “Passive perception” is an element of many systems. Like it or not, it makes sense, so that is handled by the “quick scan” table. Then space is made for narrative interaction, primarily to avoid traps and quickly find loot. Last, we just need to know how long it takes to scour the dungeon the slow way.

Timing most closely resembles AD&D's rate of 1000sqft/10min, but I make no claim to an accurate simulation. I think leaving the precise amount of surface vague is both more realistic and workable anyways. I use “location” to mean roughly a room or POI and “area” to mean one or more locations. However, timing is precise. It reveals in clear detail how the area relates to the characters.

Some effort was made to play nice with Landmark, Hidden, Secret prep styles. Considerations for roles like lookouts to mitigate surprise from wandering encounters are left to the referee's system.

These rules are overlong. Oh well. It’s more of a development document. If I polished these, I would sand them down to simpler heuristics. Especially the hex searching rules. Without further ado…

Searching

These rules have 3 motivations:

1. Secrets are supposed to be found.
2. Methodical searching is balanced against risk.
3. Clever narrative interaction is the best way to explore. Use these rules after the fun stuff has been tried.

A dedicated search of an area already visited will find whatever there is to be found.

Search the area within 20 minutes (a “double-turn”) of cautious movement.

Generally, an entire dungeon level may be covered by 1-3 separate searches. Alternatively, 2d6 rooms is a fair search area.

Search Throw

Each search requires a throw of the dice.

Roll d6s equal to the Dungeon Level. After that many double-turns a concealed thing (secret door, trap, object, creature ect.) is found.

If more than one thing is concealed in the search area, each is found after another d6 double-turns each. Searchers know when there is nothing left to be found in the search area.

Dungeon level may be substituted for any measure of hostility inherent to an area.

Hints

If the thing is concealed by special cunning, instead one or more hints of its presence is found.

Multiple hints may be given, and some may be red herrings.

Special cunning is reserved for locations whose keys note such devices. The average secret door is merely difficult to spot. Ditto for traps that lack noted camouflage for their mechanisms.

Example: A bookcase which only swings open when a button disguised as a book is pushed. A search reveals 3 wells of differently colored ink in a drawer (red herring) and a book that is free of dust (the button). Note that a character must still operate the button correctly via experimentation.

Modifications

These reduce the die result of the search throw:

Proficiency:

• 1, as hunter trained in signs of quarry
• 2, as thieves practicing their art
• 3, as elves against doors

Clues: 1 for each known¹

Helpers: 1 each and also the proficiency of each

Concealed only by inconspicuousness: 1 to 3 (This is like finding a particular document in a sheaf of scrolls otherwise out in the open)

Reduced to 0 or less, the thing is spotted right away. (Still roll additional d6s for any further concealed things)

Example: A thief (2) and 2 untrained helpers (2), who learned from a captured goblin of a secret treasure chest nearby (1) reduce their search throw by 5.

Hide and Seek

If the thing actively evades discovery by sneaking, add its HD to the Dungeon Level.

Alternatively it may instead roll HD to escape unnoticed in as many double-turns. If the search is not completed first, it is home free. Of course, it may noisily leg it earlier.

Guards roll collective HD to determine how long to commit to searching for an intruder. (Note that this is only against the intruder's HD, the area is presumably Dungeon Level 0 to the guards).

Well-chosen hiding spots function as special cunning.

At the referee's option, "hide and seek" can be reckoned on any time scale that makes sense; the important part is the opposed rolls of HD.

Quick Scan

Searchers may "quick scan" when visiting a location for the first time to see if anything is discovered right away.

Quick Scan Table

It may be expedient to roll d100 instead of calculating a full search throw.

Columns = Total reduction modifier (Helpers, Proficiencies, other reductions)

• If multiple things can be discovered, also compare the roll against 1 row lower.
• If explorers use a procedure of searching for X double-turns in each location entered, you can move X columns right.

Quick scanning on early dungeon levels is especially effective. This is intended, but a referee may wish to limit the maximum chance to 67% (4 in 6) to preserve some challenge.

Note on Traps

Traps often only matter the first time a location is visited. Thus, either the party will rely on a quick scan to alert them, or gingerly experiment to reveal the trap.

They might commit to laboriously searching each location one at a time, (in which case they will proceed without triggering any traps).

Some referees may be unhappy that the "simple and slow" method is 100% safe. (But remember: a camouflaged trap only reveals a hint of what it is about!)

To make a "simple and slow" search risky, let the trap fire when a wandering encounter would interrupt the unlucky investigators midway. Either in place of the encounter or in addition to.

Wandering Encounters

Common rates of wandering encounters are 17% (1 in 6) every 10 or 20 minutes. Thus, 6 or 3 checks would be rolled each hour.

To simplify checking over 1+ hours of searching, round down to the nearest hour. Then roll d100 in place of however many checks.

The first encounter arrives after d6 x 10 minutes, the second after another d6 and so on.

Ransack

Instead of searching as carefully as possible like in the above procedures, go as violently as possible.

Roll search time and as above. Then reduce time by half, rounded up. Has the following effects:

• Everything one could turn out or break is
• Creatures up to 1 dungeon level lower are alerted
• A wandering encounter is automatically triggered
• Traps always catch the ransackers by surprise
• Any hints to cunningly secreted things are destroyed
• 1 in 6 chance to miss anything concealed anyways

Searching Hexes

The equivalent dungeon level of the outdoors depends on how carefully travelers must move. A country subject to average banditry might be level 1. Monster haunted wilderness could be up to level 4.

Hex terrain is figured as open (ex: grassland, farmland), dense (forests, hills), or very difficult (mountains).

Completely searching an open hex requires separate search throws equal to its width in miles, double if it is dense, triple if very difficult.

Partially Searching a Hex

An entire hex need not be searched if only something specific is sought, such as a hunter’s quarry, a rumored lair or regaining a lost path. The referee might attempt to track which fractions of the hex the party searches and deem the search successful when the correct fraction is searched.

However, a more practical approach is to randomly choose a search throw to be successful.

Roll an appropriate die for the width of the hex². After as many search throws the thing will be found. If the hex is dense, roll 2 hex dice. If the hex is very difficult, roll 3 hex dice.

Thus, to determine the number of hours spent searching a hex for a specific prize use this procedure:

1. Speed factor = Roll 1/2/3 hex dice if terrain is Open/Dense/Very Difficult
2. Base throw = Roll d6s equal to (Dungeon Level x Speed factor)
3. Efficiency = Reductions x Speed factor
4. Final hours = (Base throw - Efficiency) $÷$ 3³

Wilderness Encounters

Wandering encounters outdoors typically occur at a rate of 17-50% (1, 2 or 3 in 6) once a day. The number of hours available for searching might depend on local daylight or the referee’s system of choice. 8 or 12 hours per day is most common.

Hex Search Tables

For convenience, tables for average days spent searching a hex for a specific prize are given for 8 hour search days at Dungeon Level 4.

3 Mile Hex

6 Mile Hex

10 Mile Hex

Looking Around of all Types

These procedures might be adapted with a little creativity to any activity that needs exhaustive, diligent effort.

I can imagine library research, casing a heist, or probing a network handled with search throws. Even something unusual like canvassing a neighborhood for a political campaign might be done.

The question is if you have enough time (and therefore resources). So why not get a firm grasp on how much time is in fact needed?