Disarming traps, the dumbest thing

T

theridion

First Post

• Feb 14, 2002

• #1

I've run a couple 3e rogues, and i've decided that picking locks is the most dangerous and unnecessary thing to do(atleast when they are trapped). quite often, metagaming of course, i've thought to myself, we could always come back to thsi chest, or drag it out of the dungeon and deal with it...

locked doors impeding progress are one thing, but more often then not, why would you risk death in a dungeon? its almost an unecessary risk.

any else run into thsi sort of problem? is it metagaming or out of character for the traditional d&d, dungeon delving flavor?

 

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Lord Pendragon

First Post

• Feb 14, 2002

• #2

You want to go BACK into the dungeon?!?

Interesting. I play a 3e rogue right now, just hit 12th-level. I always try to open each chest our party comes across.

Why? Because often when we finish our business in a particular dungeon, there are still critters in there, or critters who may very well come back. Why risk your life in the hydra's lair a second time going back for a chest? Or worse, alert the hydra to your presence by noisily dragging a chest around the dungeon with you?

Nah, I'll pick the lock now, I think, and just take all the goodies with me the first time through. There are reasons to go into a dungeon once, but backtracking is more dangerous than its worth, IMO.

 

S

StealthyMark

First Post

• Feb 14, 2002

• #3

This isn't metagaming. Every character loves to live. If he can open the treasure chest later with higher survivability, he would drag it away home and open it there. If he can drag it. If he is sure, not to find any important things (notes, keys) in it.

If a character presumes to find important things, he would open it in place. And maybe use a scroll or a wand of Knock.

 

F

Fade

First Post

• Feb 14, 2002

• #4

Or an axe.

I mean, what kind of idiot puts very expensive magical potions in glass bottles?

 

H

hong

WotC's bitch

• Feb 14, 2002

• #5

Fade said:

Or an axe.

Click to expand...

Or a disintegrate spell, also known as opening locks "the sorcerous way".

 

Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

• Feb 14, 2002

• #6

Or a disintegrate spell, also known as opening locks "the sorcerous way".

Click to expand...

You can do both at once.

From the SRD:

Disintegrate
Transmutation
Level: Bbn 1, Destruction 7, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M/DF/BF

Arcane Material Components: A lodestone and a pinch of dust.
Barbarian Focus: A big axe.

Click to expand...

-Hyp.

 

shilsen

Adventurer

• Feb 14, 2002

• #7

Depends...

... on the kind of character you're playing too. I'm currently playing a rog/rgr, with pretty good trap detection/disabling skills. So taking 20 on a chest (only takes 2 minutes, after all) means I'll almost certainly find any traps on it. Of course there is always the chance of setting it off when disabling, but I take it as a job hazard. I've played other rogues before who'd search for traps, find one, let the party know about it, and back off immediately.

Also, considering that every once in a while we find something in a chest that saves our bacon shortly thereafter, I prefer to open them as soon as we find them.

 

LostSoul

Adventurer

• Feb 14, 2002

• #8

Fade said:

Or an axe.

I mean, what kind of idiot puts very expensive magical potions in glass bottles?

Click to expand...

I always figured they were in some kind of pottery. I mean, glass hasn't always been that easy to make.

 

Tom Cashel

First Post

• Feb 14, 2002

• #9

The kind of idiot who spent all his money creating potions and can't afford iron flasks?

Besides, what kind of idiot wants to carry around ten iron flasks? They'd get heavy really quick...

 

Shin Okada

Explorer

• Feb 14, 2002

• #10

It is a real world science and may not be applicable in DnD world, but people put chemical stuffs in glass bottle because glass is immune to most of chemical reactions. Putting medicine (or even water) in iron flask is not always a good idea.