Thursday 10 February 2011

Triffles (8) - A trapdoor

A tried, tested and maybe tired trope today, a possible entrance to a secret passage.



a large drop                                       
beneath                                      

\               

a trapdoor

/             \

    easily overlooked /          a weakened/damaged
concealed                           structure



This is less suited to wargaming than recent Triffles, but if a trapdoor is included as part of a terrain piece - as the entrance to yesterday's passage perhaps - it makes sense to consider that drop: does it only slow movement or potentially cause injury?

Roleplayers might be more interested in whether or not the trapdoor can actually be found. It could be most easily overlooked if high, especially in vaulting, or possibly concealed by an object if low. If underfoot with a weakened/damaged structure, it would be best to find it sooner rather than later.

For all, the key question might be of what's on the other side, especially if the space is dark, and writers may need to consider how we feel about this unknown. Often, in fiction, there's something down (or up) there...

3 comments:

The Angry Lurker said...

Roleplayers again maybe with a potholing expedition that find an entrance/door/shaft in the depths that leads to unmapped areas but they are not alone and maybe when they don't return the following federal authorities searching for them start a new development, its maybe got disaster themed elements (unstable roofs of caves, trapped in landslides) but also horror elements (creatures in the dark with night adapted vision and big teeth).

Lydia Kang said...

These triffles are fascinating!

Porky said...

@ The Angry Lurker - You might be in the wrong job, Angry. That's not a bad basis for a short story, novel or movie - how about writing it up and submitting it? You could even serialise it at the blog and get a whole new audience.

@ Lydia K - Thanks again! I hope it's useful. It's aimed at everyone, and while many of us do like to let our hair down occasionally with the same old good ideas, I'm trying at the very least to show the most creative what needs to be improved on.