Search for Treasure & Secret Doors

[Zeus]

I removed searching for traps entirely. Instead, when a hero steps on a square or opens a chest with a trap, they get to do an Mind test to see whether they spotted the trap, and if so, a fixed 5+ test to disarm it (Dwarf on 2+, hero with toolbox on 3+). Not spotting the trap or trying to disarm and fail triggers the trap of course. I later added an option to heroes that spotted a trap in time to not have to try and disarm, but they can either step back, ending their turn and leaving the trap for another hero to disarm or trigger, or make an Agility test to try and sneak past the trap (with failure triggering the trap).

The slightly more involved way to handle a trap is more than offset by not having to search for them all the time, plus it is not much fun to search for traps on almost every turn without finding one most of the time. Also, more options/decisions for the heroes make the game more interesting for them, and not at a high complexity cost I think.

[Bareheaded Warrior]

Sorted, I think. Thanks for the inspiration

Summary of my search changes

• Searching is only possible in a room
• Once a room has been searched completely it cannot be searched again by any Hero and must be indicated as ‘searched’ by Zargon (a face down counter does the trick)
• Chests are excluded from a search and are handled by a new “Loot Action” that can only be done if you are adjacent to a chest
• Searching for Traps has been scrapped, instead when you step on a trapped square (or loot a trapped chest) you get the opportunity to “Detect & Disarm” the trap, which if failed activates the trap (+2 Dwarf, +1 Toolkit, -1 Well hidden traps - see quest note)
• Two variants of secret door exist, the standard one that can be found through movement or searching, and (indicated in the Quest Notes) the ‘really secret’ one that can only be found through a search i.e., from within the room not the corridor.
• Standard secret doors are discovered when you step on the square or search a room in which they are located, they automatically open and the normal open-door piece is placed, any contents revealed are placed.
• Search is a full turn action i.e., on your turn you may EITHER perform a search OR move and take an action - attack, cast or loot (or vice versa)

Search process is.
1. If one or more hidden traps are present in the room (excluding chest traps) then Zargon moves the Hero to the trap square (or the nearest trap square if multiple) and they must make a “detect & disarm” roll or activate the trap, either way this ends their turn and the search attempt
2. If no hidden traps are present but a secret door (or secret doors) are present then Zargon moves the Hero to the secret door square (or the closest if more than one), places a normal open-door piece, reveals any content. This ends their turn and the search attempt
3. If no hidden traps or secret doors exist then the Hero draws a treasure card (or gets an artefact or special treasure if indicated on the Quest notes) following the instructions as usual, this ends the Hero’s turn, and the room needs to be marked by Zargon as ‘Searched'

[Farwatcher]

I reworked searching into three actions: Hunt for Treasure, Broad Search, and Narrow Search.

Hunting for Treasure is pretty much as written, except with a few gimmicks for furniture. (I think someone else came up with this first, but I say a room can only be searched once, plus once more for each piece of furniture in that room.)

A Broad Search reveals any traps and any secret doors within the hero's current room or corridor, and can only be done when there are no monsters in that room/corridor.

A Narrow Search only finds traps, but it reveals any traps on any squares adjacent to the hero -- including squares on the other side of an open door -- and can be done even if a monster is nearby (as long as no monster is adjacent to the hero).