(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
Where was the pool in relation to the room, and where were the PCs at encounter start? Did they split up for some reason? Need more detail.
Traps in 13th Age
Where was the pool in relation to the room, and where were the PCs at encounter start? Did they split up for some reason? Need more detail.
GrahamWills
Hero
The players entered a tomb, which split left and right into two passages, both of which
went through pools of acid with invisible steel monkey bars above them.
they all went left and say some skeleton archers on the far side of the pool, so the melee
fighters crossed over and attacked, with wizard and bard left safely on far side.
well, safe until the skeletons came around the far side and ambushed them from behind,
causing the melee fighters to return back across the pool and kill them off, which was
about the time the skeletons on the far side reanimated and so they had to cross again.
The fighters skilled intercept did save the wizard and bard from being hit, but it ate up
soem nice damage, intercepting through a pool of acid. The barbarian was able to jump
once and fell in once. The rogue detected the handholds and was able to swing along
them safely.
I extremely dislike traps, no matter the RPG system. Imho, they're more often disruptive to gameplay than not. So, I'm quite glad that the default assumption in 13th Age is to use them sparingly, if at all.
I could imagine using them in a combat encounter as a kind of hazardous environment or as an encounter trap (to use D&D 4e terms: a skill challenge), but that's about it.
I could imagine using them in a combat encounter as a kind of hazardous environment or as an encounter trap (to use D&D 4e terms: a skill challenge), but that's about it.
Tony Vargas
Legend
I like the 13A take on 'living dungeons' (and thus "arbitrary magical traps"). I suppose it's just lampshading, but it revitalizes the tropes a bit, for me. 
I definitely like the idea of living dungeons, but I'm still a bit unsure how to implement/use it in my game.
Using it just as an excuse to populate it with non-sensical creatures (gelahedrons, I'm looking at you...), or handwave any explanation why there's a completely wild mix of inhabitants living in neighbouring rooms, seems to be selling the idea short. I suppose it would serve as a neat explanation why traps are automatically resetting or even changing locations, though.
In the Earthdawn RPG there's a Named Horror that fills a similar role and uses minor Horrors to set and reset traps. Can't recall its name atm, though.
Come to think of it: I really liked how Earthdawn's setting provides an explanation for 'dungeons' (i.e. Lost Kaers and Citadels) and why they often feature deadly traps (i.e. to ward off Horrors).
I still have yet to check out 'Eyes of the Stone Thief'. Do you know it?
I'm pretty sure I'll have a better grasp on the concept of Living Dungeons after reading it.
Using it just as an excuse to populate it with non-sensical creatures (gelahedrons, I'm looking at you...), or handwave any explanation why there's a completely wild mix of inhabitants living in neighbouring rooms, seems to be selling the idea short. I suppose it would serve as a neat explanation why traps are automatically resetting or even changing locations, though.
In the Earthdawn RPG there's a Named Horror that fills a similar role and uses minor Horrors to set and reset traps. Can't recall its name atm, though.
Come to think of it: I really liked how Earthdawn's setting provides an explanation for 'dungeons' (i.e. Lost Kaers and Citadels) and why they often feature deadly traps (i.e. to ward off Horrors).
I still have yet to check out 'Eyes of the Stone Thief'. Do you know it?
I'm pretty sure I'll have a better grasp on the concept of Living Dungeons after reading it.
Tony Vargas
Legend
Best published adventure I've seen in a long time.
But, the Stone Thief is an atypical living dungeon. The living dungeon life-cycle is like a boil, it grows and rises to the surface.
Most of the allusions to the process that I recall painted that as a bad thing, once it reaches the surface it disgorges hordes of monsters on the land...
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