So, yesterday we started our first adventure with the Beginner Box, with a first time DM at the helm. I had pre-warned her to expect "anything except what is written on the manual" - and this is exactly what happened. However, we also stumbled into a genuinely interesting problem.

Scene: a drunken goblin is hiding right behind the double stone doors leading to the "glowing fountain" room. We hear him, and the stout dwarf fighter KICKS OPEN THE STONE DOOR RIGHT INTO THE GOBLIN FACE.

How would you have solved it?

Our approach was as follows: kicking open the door was automatic (it was not locked or barred) except if the dwarf rolled a "1" (he didn't). He then rolled against the goblin a normal attack: BAB + Strength +1 for racial hate vs. the goblin's flat-footed AC. If the dwarf hit (he did) the damage would have been 1d4 + Strength modifier.

Why 1d4? Well, that was my (accepted by the DM) call: since 1d4 is the most basic damage a weapon can usually do (and a door is a weapon but it isn't a weapon, if you get my gist...) I felt that for a stone door 1d4 was about right - less were it a wooden door.

For the curious: the goblin survived and gave us hell - but this is another story...

Anyway, how would you have managed this situation? Will the Pathfinder manual (which I just ordered) cover situations like this one? It didn't even seem a special case to me: actually, given the tactical situation, it was quite a logical fighting choice.

So, yesterday we started our first adventure with the Beginner Box, with a first time DM at the helm. I had pre-warned her to expect "anything except what is written on the manual" - and this is exactly what happened. However, we also stumbled into a genuinely interesting problem.

Scene: a drunken goblin is hiding right behind the double stone doors leading to the "glowing fountain" room. We hear him, and the stout dwarf fighter KICKS OPEN THE STONE DOOR RIGHT INTO THE GOBLIN FACE.

How would you have solved it?

Our approach was as follows: kicking open the door was automatic (it was not locked or barred) except if the dwarf rolled a "1" (he didn't). He then rolled against the goblin a normal attack: BAB + Strength +1 for racial hate vs. the goblin's flat-footed AC. If the dwarf hit (he did) the damage would have been 1d4 + Strength modifier.

Why 1d4? Well, that was my (accepted by the DM) call: since 1d4 is the most basic damage a weapon can usually do (and a door is a weapon but it isn't a weapon, if you get my gist...) I felt that for a stone door 1d4 was about right - less were it a wooden door.

For the curious: the goblin survived and gave us hell - but this is another story...

Anyway, how would you have managed this situation? Will the Pathfinder manual (which I just ordered) cover situations like this one? It didn't even seem a special case to me: actually, given the tactical situation, it was quite a logical fighting choice.

Not that the ruling was a bad one, but i think a good argument could be made that the door used in this fashion is an improvised weapon and is thus Bab + Str + dwarven racial bonus - non proficiency penalty. Damage would be a d3 +str.

Den

Im not sure I would have dealt damage. But for a game with new players I'm sure I would have improvised something instead, probably trying to incorporate CMB.

Oh, I'd have it deal damage. And on a critical hit, I'd have it knock the goblin across the room and into the fountain. :)

You won't find this particular situation in the Core Rule Book. But you'll find it under Rule 0: The GM is Always Right. :)

No 'right' answer here. Your GM did a good job with it. One can debate the damage (from d3 to d8, for being a big stone door). Other options would have been using it to bullrush the goblin (and getting to avoid AOO because the goblin can't see you), stunning the goblin via dirty tricks, or even knocking it down via a pure Strength check.

Of course, I don't know if most of my ideas are even covered in the beginner's box, heh.

Opportunity Attacks and Combat Manuvers are not a part of the Beginner Box rules.

I think your group did great! Remember, if you don't understand a rule or don't know a rule to cover a particular situation - just wing it.