Dungeon Master's Guide

(Perception) check. To set an appropriate DC for the
check, see chapter 8.
Opening a Secret Door. Once a secret door is
detected, a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check
might be required to determine how to open it if the
opening mechanism isn't obvious. Set the DC according
to the difficulty guidelines in chapter 8.
If adventurers can't determine how to open a secret
door, breaking it down is always an option. Treat it
as a locked door made of the same material as the
surrounding wall, and use the guidelines in chapter 8 to
determine appropriate DCs or statistics.
CoNCEALED DooRs
A concealed door is a normal door that is hidden from
view. A secret door is carefully crafted to blend into its
surrounding surface, whereas a concealed door is most
often hidden by mundane means. It might be covered
by a tapestry, covered with plaster, or (in the case of
a concealed trapdoor) hidden under a rug. Normally,
no ability check is required to find a concealed door. A
character need only look in the right place or take the
right steps to reveal the door. However, you can use
the characters' passive Wisdom (Perception) scores to
determin·e whether any of them notices tracks or signs
of a tapestry or rug having been recently disturbed.
PORTCULLISES
A portcullis is a set of vertical bars made of wood or
iron, reinforced with one or more horizontal bands. It
blocks a passage or archway until it is raised up into
the ceiling by a winch and chain. The main benefit of a
portcullis is that it blocks a passage while still allowing
guards to watch the area beyond and make ranged
attacks or cast spells through it.
Winching a portcullis up or down requires an action.
If a character can't reach the winch (usually because it is
on the other side of the portcullis), lifting the portcullis
or bending its bars far enough apart to pass through
them requires a successful Strength check. The DC
of the check depends on the size and weight of the
portcullis or the thickness of its bars. To determine an
appropriate DC, see chapter 8.
DARKNESS AND LIGHT
Darkness is the default condition inside an underground
complex or in the interior of aboveground ruins, but an
inhabited dungeon might have light sources.
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CHAPTER 5 I ADVENTURE ENVTRONMENTS