SirRick wrote: what happens in that situation?
I'm glad you asked.
Searching can only be done if an area is cleared of monsters, if there's goblin in the way, that's no searching.
As for traps... in the link in my Sig.
Treasure Search: A room not searched for traps, featuring a trap, will trigger the trap. Place the Hero on the trapped square, don’t pick a card.
The weapon search is the treasure search action, except you are picking up the item, not the gem in the boot or quest note specific. Remember how the "If a Hero searches for Treasure they will find a..." it's already in the game, but instead of finding an ancient artefact, the Talisman of Lore, you're are finding the Axe of Jimmy, or what ever you happened to call your Dwarf.
If the trap was in the opposite direction, it's tough, you should of searched for traps first, the action implies moving around the area.
SirRick wrote:I find it hard to believe monsters would just sit there and watch a hero scrounging around for a weapon and not attack.
It could be lurking in the darkness waiting for you to come closer before unleashing its attack. However, for the sake of searching, we only play 1 section, corner to corner, the doors would be placed but you'd have to be in that area specifically to search it. This still leaves the issue of that 1 adjoining square but it's non issue.
What we're actually doing is expanding the game without needing to add anything that isn't already there. It's utilising the mechanics that already exist within the system, just twisting the words. It can't get any simpler than that other than making it magical! without it being magic a "just cos" mechanic, returns to you at the end of your turn regardless, which is dull!