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In AD&D 1st edition, what is the difference between a concealed door and a secret door?

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1 Answer

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They are defined on p97 of the Dungeon Master's Guide

Concealed doors are doors hidden in some way:

  • Behind a curtain
  • Covered with plaster
  • Trap door under a rug

A PC can normally find a concealed door just by checking his surroundings well.

Secret doors are portals that look like a normal wall to the naked eye. Typically it takes more effort to discover a secret door.

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@Stewbob - no problem. The first edition rules are jam packed with information, but finding the one particular datum you need can be a trying experience sometimes! – Pat Ludwig Oct 16 '10 at 3:43
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Trap door under a rug is so cliche' that as soon as you say there's a rug in a room, players ask to look under it. :) – Stefano Borini Oct 21 '10 at 19:06
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@stefano true, but every so often they get lazy at the wrong time. :) – Pat Ludwig Oct 21 '10 at 19:14
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I commonly rule that a Thorough (time-consuming) Search automatically finds all Concealed doors, but Secret portals require the usual die-roll checks. – ExTSR Jan 8 '11 at 22:31
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@stefano: I don't tell them there's a rug unless they ask about the floor specifically. – jeffszusz Jan 28 '11 at 15:06
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