Just thinking.. Cursed Doors?
I keep thinking about locked doors. Too many of them. Players start kicking them open after the first hour. They stop treating it like a risk. I want them to hesitate again.
Thinking. Could I make the door itself cursed?
Not a mimic. Just a door. It remembers who forces it. Weeks later something comes for them. Marked. Silent at first. A shadow at the edge of the torchlight.
I like the idea of a door that whispers a name. Only one player hears it. They probably won’t tell the others. That’s the hook. Little paranoia. They start wondering if they should leave the next door alone.
Thinking… a Fighter pushes the door. Fails the Strength check. Door says “No.” Just that. Quiet. Then opens anyway. Party moves on. That night the fighter keeps watch. He hears the same voice behind him. But nothing is there.
“The dungeon keeps score. Doors are the ledger.”
The darker part is the choice it offers me. I can wait. I can let the tension rot in the player’s mind. Or I can cash it in immediately for a fight. Both work. But slower is crueler. I want slower.
What if the party figures it out.? They start getting scared of touching doors.
But what if the curse spreads through objects?
Rope. Crowbars. They start running out of safe options. They have to decide. Open the next door or camp in the hall forever.
I need to decide how to signal the first consequence. Maybe a missing gear piece. Or a monster they swore they killed. Or a door that’s already closed behind them. I want them to know the dungeon saw them.
Not sure if it works long term. Might turn into paranoia that stops the session. Maybe the dungeon needs a mechanic for release. Like an offering. Burn some treasure. Bleed a little. Close a door properly. I like that. A ritual to ask forgiveness from doors.
I’ll try it next game..
Disclaimer: Just thinking is me exploring ideas, sometimes they are just rambles and other times they are pure genius. You decide.
Youtube watching:
Podcasting