This post is a continuation of <a href="https://crateredland.blogspot.com/2025/07/conspicuous-secret-doors.html">this post</a> where Velexiraptor originally post <i>the first 20</i> secret doors.
Here they are again:
- Tapestry/rug conceals door/trapdoor.
- Bookshelf slides away when false book “The Secret Way” pulled.
- Brick sticks out of the wall. Pushing it back in opens a hidden door.
- Wind blows through room from an illusionary wall.
- Furniture piled against wall, concealing regular door.
- Discolored plaster on wall seals up former doorway.
- Grimy statue with polished bits often moved to open a secret door behind it.
- Obvious lever opens a secret door elsewhere. Gears, ropes, and pulleys connect the two through buried channel in floor; rat-sized creatures can traverse it with ease.
- Lighting an unlit torch causes nearby wall to swing open.
- Keyhole on wall, but door is well concealed and key is kept elsewhere.
- Secret door left open by inhabitants who recently passed through.
- Ivy has grown over the walls and doors, concealing any difference between the two.
- A fireplace burns, but the room doesn’t fill with smoke. Where does the chimney go?
- Water leaks into the room from beneath a secret door.
- Brick pattern changes to allow a secret door to hinge.
- Carved relief with socketed gems is a secret door. Pushing gems opens door, removing gems triggers trap.
- Raised pressure plate opens secret door, but only while plate is held down.
- Obvious door opens to brick wall. That wall is a secret door.
- Pool of water conceals underwater entrance to another room.
- Dark rafters conceal door high up in room.
And here are mine (some of these I stole from books/movies):
- Mirror reflects room while the real room has a bare wall where the reflection shows a doorway.
- Hourglass on pedestal - turning it upside down opens a door for exactly one minute.
- Musical notes carved into wall - playing the correct tune opens the door.
- Chess/checkers board - moving pieces to recreate a famous game position opens secret door.
- Weathervane spins freely - pointing it in the correct direction opens nearby door.
- Bell rope hangs from ceiling - pulling it in a specific sequence (long-short-long-short) opens door.
- Sundial casts shadow - moving the gnomon to point at a specific hour opens the door.
- Prayer wheel or spinning mechanism - rotating it a precise number of times opens door.
- Scales of justice - balancing them with specific weights opens the door.
- Candelabra with moveable arms - arranging candles in correct pattern opens door.
- Abacus beads - sliding them to show a specific number opens door.
- Wind chimes hang silent - striking them in correct order creates door-opening melody.
- Compass points to magnetic north - rotating it to point at true north opens door.
- Astrolabe or armillary sphere - adjusting it to show a specific celestial configuration opens door.
- Spinning prayer cylinder - stopping it at exactly the right symbol opens door.
- Mechanical clock face - setting hands to a specific time opens door.
- Stone dials with rotating rings - aligning symbols correctly opens door.
- Pendulum swings endlessly - stopping it at the right moment opens door.
- Combination lock with symbols instead of numbers opens door.
- Magic 8-ball or crystal sphere - asking it the right question opens door.
- Telescope points at wall - adjusting its angle to point at specific constellation marking opens door.
- Pulleys and counterweight system - adjusting weight distribution opens door.
- Balance beam tips left and right - achieving perfect balance opens door.
- Rotating barrel with symbols - aligning them correctly opens door.
- Hand crank requires specific number of turns - too few or too many triggers trap.
Environmental Camouflage (46-65)
- Moss and fungi growth patterns make door blend perfectly with natural cave wall.
- Dust accumulation is suspiciously even - the door has been cleaned recently.
- Spider webs stretch across what appears to be solid wall but is actually a door.
- Mineral deposits/stalactites hang in front of cave entrance.
- Wood grain pattern continues seamlessly across door and wall.
- Stone texture matches perfectly but mortar lines reveal door edges under close inspection.
- Paint or wallpaper pattern continues across hidden door.
- Rust stains and weathering on metal wall hide door seams.
- Carved reliefs and decorations make door invisible among ornate wall details.
- Fabric or leather wall covering conceals door underneath.
- Bricks sized differently - door bricks are actually wooden facades.
- Temperature difference - door area is slightly warmer/cooler due to air circulation.
- Sound echoes differently when tapped - door area sounds hollow.
- Scratches and scuff marks on floor reveal door's swing pattern.
- Air current creates subtle draft from crack under hidden door.
- Different stone composition - door is made of softer stone that wears differently.
- Magical illusion creates false wall - door is actually in plain sight.
- Mirrors create optical illusion - door appears to be part of reflected wall.
- Shadow play from lighting makes door invisible from certain angles.
- Trompe-l'oeil painting makes flat door appear to be architectural details.
Mechanical Triggers (66-85)
- Specific floorstone depressed - must step on exact spot while pulling hidden handle.
- Two triggers must be activated simultaneously by two different people.
- Weight-sensitive mechanism - door only opens when exactly the right amount of pressure is applied.
- Sequence of pressure plates must be stepped on in correct order.
- Rotating room or wall section - entire wall segment spins to reveal door.
- Tilting mechanism - pushing on one side of wall panel makes it rotate like a revolving door.
- Magnetic lock - only opens when specific metal object is brought near.
- Light beam must be broken in specific pattern to open door.
- Temperature trigger - door opens only when torch flame or heat source is applied.
- Vibration sensitive - door opens only when specific rhythm is tapped out.
- Air pressure mechanism - blowing into hidden pipe or horn opens door.
- Liquid trigger - pouring water or oil into hidden receptacle opens door.
- Electrical/magical circuit - completing connection between two points opens door.
- Counterbalance system - removing specific object from one location opens door elsewhere.
- Gear mechanism visible through grate - inserting rod and turning opens door.
- Pullchain hidden behind curtain or hanging fabric opens door.
- False bottom in container - removing it reveals button that opens door.
- Sliding panel puzzle - arranging tiles correctly opens door.
- Color sequence trigger - touching colored stones in correct order opens door.
- Breath-activated mechanism - speaking specific word or phrase into hidden speaking tube opens door.
Deceptive Constructions (86-100)
- Entire wall is actually a door - the "small door" visible is just decoration.
- Floor panel lifts up - what appears to be solid floor is actually trapdoor.
- Ceiling panel slides away - secret door is above, accessed by climbing.
- Multiple fake doors surround one real secret door.
- Door opens inward into wall cavity - appears to be solid when closed.
- Sliding door moves laterally instead of swinging open.
- Door is behind another door - opening obvious door reveals brick wall with hidden door.
- Revolving wall section - pushing causes entire wall section to rotate 180 degrees.
- Hinged floor section - trapdoor opens downward into lower level.
- False wall thickness - wall appears thick but is actually thin facade hiding door.
- Modular wall sections - entire wall panel can be removed and repositioned.
- Expandable/collapsible doorway - opening mechanism makes doorway grow larger.
- Curved door follows wall contour - blends with rounded or irregular wall shape.
- Multi-panel door - several wall sections must be moved in sequence.
- Gravity-operated door - tilting entire room or section causes door to swing open.