When a character tries to break something with sudden force rather than by dealing damage, use a Strength check (rather than an attack roll and damage roll, as with the Sunder special attack) to see whether he or she succeeds. The DC depends more on the construction of the item than on the material.
If an item has lost half or more of its hit points, the DC to break it drops by 2.
Larger and smaller creatures get size bonuses and size penalties on Strength checks to break open doors as follows: Fine -16, Diminutive -12, Tiny -8, Small -4, Large +4, Huge +8, Gargantuan +12, Colossal +16.
A crowbar or portable ram improves a character’s chance of breaking open a door.
| Object | Hardness | Hit Points | Break DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope (1 inch diam.) | 0 | 2 | 23 |
| Simple wooden door | 5 | 10 | 13 |
| Small chest | 5 | 1 | 17 |
| Good wooden door | 5 | 15 | 18 |
| Treasure chest | 5 | 15 | 23 |
| Strong wooden door | 5 | 20 | 23 |
| Masonry wall (1 ft. thick) | 8 | 90 | 35 |
| Hewn stone (3 ft. thick) | 8 | 540 | 50 |
| Chain | 10 | 5 | 26 |
| Manacles | 10 | 10 | 26 |
| Masterwork manacles | 10 | 10 | 28 |
| Iron door (2 in. thick) | 10 | 60 | 28 |
| Strength Check to: | DC |
|---|---|
| Break down simple door | 13 |
| Break down good door | 18 |
| Break down strong door | 23 |
| Burst rope bonds | 23 |
| Bend iron bars | 24 |
| Break down barred door | 25 |
| Burst chain bonds | 26 |
| Break down iron door | 28 |
| Condition | DC Adjustment§ |
| Hold portal | +5 |
| Arcane lock | +10 |
§If both apply, use the larger number.