Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Traps Revisited

Raunalyn · Feb 27, 2017

This week's Unearthed Arcana deals with traps. "Traps—how to design and survive them—are the focus of this week’s Unearthed Arcana, which expands on the trap rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide". The PDF presents 9 simple traps and 3 complex traps and presents rules for designing them.

SaveSave

flametitan · Feb 27, 2017

The countermeasures section I think needs some more clear wording as to its intent. The way I read it at first was "You need to be explicit in the way you attempt to disable the trap," in which case the traps are woefully underexplained as to how you can disable them.

If it's how others are reading it (That you simply need to be clear where everyone is when attempting to disable it), then that should be the part emphasized, rather than the "roll to disable isn't good enough."

iserith · Feb 27, 2017

The trigger, effect, and countermeasure organization looks a lot like how they formatted traps in D&D 4e.

Parmandur · Feb 27, 2017

Interesting; easter egg mentions of Pyremius, Duel god of fire, and B2: the Lost City in there. Interesting to see how the DMG2/PHB2 elements of the new book are developing...

Sent from my BLU LIFE XL using EN World mobile app

Guest 6801328 · Feb 27, 2017

Is there a typo in the very first example, of the Bear Trap? Since it's "dangerous" shouldn't the DCs be 15?

Gardens & Goblins · Feb 27, 2017

It'd be nice to have some guidelines on crafting them. Perhaps open up some of the simple traps to the characters. The crossbow trap, for example could be used to secure a campsite to ensure some security during rests.

Especially with regards to the crossbow trap, it seems so very simple that a character with Survival or something similar (create some trapsmith tools?) could whip up one, or even a few, quick enough to make them appealing to an adventuring party.

Sacrosanct · Feb 27, 2017

That bear trap must be a koala bear trap. It would barely impact a real bear. A black bear would break out in 3 rounds on and a brown bear on 2 rounds on average. Not a very good trap...

Other than that, I like this UA and the content.

Gardens & Goblins · Feb 27, 2017

With regards to Complex traps, I found this interesting:

Aim at requiring three successful checks or
actions to shut down one part of a trap.

...a reminder of the rule of threes/value of threes. Works in comedy, drama, beats etc. 3 strikes. 3 rounds. 3 lives. It's, for lack of a better term, an interesting example of 'game pacing'.

Parmandur · Feb 27, 2017

Gardens & Goblins said:
With regards to Complex traps, I found this interesting:

...a reminder of the rule of threes/value of threes. Works in comedy, drama, beats etc. 3 strikes. 3 rounds. 3 lives. It's, for lack of a better term, an interesting example of 'game pacing'.

Also seems to echo 4E-style Skill Challenges, possibly?

Sent from my BLU LIFE XL using EN World mobile app