Which map? If you refer to the Guildhouse player map indicating ''There's a secret door here someplace'' it's because the mapmaker purposefully marked it as a clue.
Which map? If you refer to the Guildhouse player map indicating ''There's a secret door here someplace'' it's because the mapmaker purposefully marked it as a clue.
What is the point of having secret doors, if you show them in the artwork on the players map, meaning I can't actually use it?
Frustrating lack of care in production.
So I get it, it does show there is a secret room. I'm not sure why it would make you angry though or why it would cause any frustration. As a DM you should accept that map or no map it is normal for parties to use perception or investigation checks around a room. This can be two characters making two rolls or one helping the other to give advantage on a single roll. Some DMs would allow one from everyone. Regardless of method, it should be expected rolls for secrets may be typical.
If a group normally never makes such checks but on seeing this suddenly want to: you can ask them why. If they say "because the map..." then you get to tell them the map given is not a map the characters have and is given to players only to facilitate co-ordination and communication. Then you can deny them the roll. Some level of metagaming is always unavoidable. This is especially true with published adventures because the players may have already read or played it. Separation of player knowledge and character knowledge is expected of all players and the DM should be making decisions to facilitate that separation.
If this is a physical map you have laid out on a table - you can use card to block off unexplored areas - including the secret closet. VTTs like Foundry, AboveVTT and Roll20 also let you do this with digital maps : it's called a "fog of war".
So.. Yes, you can use the map. Very very easily and with the most minimal of fuss. So your frustration is caused by yourlimitations, not the tiny, miniscule, not-even-remotely-an-issue oversight on the map.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
What is the point of having secret doors, if you show them in the artwork on the players map, meaning I can't actually use it?
Frustrating lack of care in production.
While you can still use the map (assuming that it's the same one shown above), yeah, it is frustrating. When you've paid for an adventure, it's not good form for the author to mandate that you have to fix it.
Personally, I wouldn't advocate aggravating your players by directly accusing them of metagaming (and therefore D&D's version of cheating) and then trying to enforce punishments for being honest with you about their intents. My first thought would be that, if you want to use the map but don't want your players to see the secret room, then my first instinct would be to take a screenshot, then edit out the room using Paint or something. My phone has AI that will do something like that for you, but it shouldn't take very long using Paint. The bit where the door was will probably look a bit off, but that's fine - you probably need at least a hint that something is off in order to get them to think to do checks for it. At least now, they'll be more likely to accept a failure as opposed to trying to find another way around it to "discover" the, ah, "secret" room. Alternatively, if you don't want to go to that effort, then I'd just leave it. Let them see it and point out that it is meant to be a hidden one. I'd then just trust them to be capable of being mature and manage their own metagaming. You can only do so much as DM to help them have a good time, at some point you just have to let them make up the difference. Your job as DM is to help them enjoy themselves and have a good time - not to do all the work required for that to happen.
Which, of course, doesn't excuse what would have been an easy fix on the author's end, but at least you have some options to work with.
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What is the point of having secret doors, if you show them in the artwork on the players map, meaning I can't actually use it?
Frustrating lack of care in production.
Which map? If you refer to the Guildhouse player map indicating ''There's a secret door here someplace'' it's because the mapmaker purposefully marked it as a clue.
I think they're referring to Map 3.2:
-
So I get it, it does show there is a secret room. I'm not sure why it would make you angry though or why it would cause any frustration. As a DM you should accept that map or no map it is normal for parties to use perception or investigation checks around a room. This can be two characters making two rolls or one helping the other to give advantage on a single roll. Some DMs would allow one from everyone. Regardless of method, it should be expected rolls for secrets may be typical.
If a group normally never makes such checks but on seeing this suddenly want to: you can ask them why. If they say "because the map..." then you get to tell them the map given is not a map the characters have and is given to players only to facilitate co-ordination and communication. Then you can deny them the roll. Some level of metagaming is always unavoidable. This is especially true with published adventures because the players may have already read or played it. Separation of player knowledge and character knowledge is expected of all players and the DM should be making decisions to facilitate that separation.
If this is a physical map you have laid out on a table - you can use card to block off unexplored areas - including the secret closet. VTTs like Foundry, AboveVTT and Roll20 also let you do this with digital maps : it's called a "fog of war".
So.. Yes, you can use the map. Very very easily and with the most minimal of fuss. So your frustration is caused by your limitations, not the tiny, miniscule, not-even-remotely-an-issue oversight on the map.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
While you can still use the map (assuming that it's the same one shown above), yeah, it is frustrating. When you've paid for an adventure, it's not good form for the author to mandate that you have to fix it.
Personally, I wouldn't advocate aggravating your players by directly accusing them of metagaming (and therefore D&D's version of cheating) and then trying to enforce punishments for being honest with you about their intents. My first thought would be that, if you want to use the map but don't want your players to see the secret room, then my first instinct would be to take a screenshot, then edit out the room using Paint or something. My phone has AI that will do something like that for you, but it shouldn't take very long using Paint. The bit where the door was will probably look a bit off, but that's fine - you probably need at least a hint that something is off in order to get them to think to do checks for it. At least now, they'll be more likely to accept a failure as opposed to trying to find another way around it to "discover" the, ah, "secret" room. Alternatively, if you don't want to go to that effort, then I'd just leave it. Let them see it and point out that it is meant to be a hidden one. I'd then just trust them to be capable of being mature and manage their own metagaming. You can only do so much as DM to help them have a good time, at some point you just have to let them make up the difference. Your job as DM is to help them enjoy themselves and have a good time - not to do all the work required for that to happen.
Which, of course, doesn't excuse what would have been an easy fix on the author's end, but at least you have some options to work with.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.