Essentials Thief can't take Trap Master?

[Prestidigitalis]

Okay, I'm a big fan of the Essentials builds, but this is irritating.

I really want to take Trap Master (MP2, Rogue Utility 16, at-will minor action to make a Thievery check). But there doesn't seem to be a way for a Thief to take it. Both of the high-level Thief utilities (16 and 22) are locked in to a specific power, and can't be changed -- at least not in the Character Builder.

Frankly, I think Trap Master should be a skill power anyway. Comments?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Both of the high-level Thief utilities (16 and 22) are locked in to a specific power, and can't be changed -- at least not in the Character Builder.

Have you tried to retrain Slip from the Grasp to Trap Master? New CB issues aside, I don't see why it shouldn't work. Actually, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to take Trap Master right away; check the "Other Sources" entry on page 57 of HoFL.

 

[the Jester]

The problem is in the CB, not the thief.

 

[Klaus]

Okay, I'm a big fan of the Essentials builds, but this is irritating.

I really want to take Trap Master (MP2, Rogue Utility 16, at-will minor action to make a Thievery check). But there doesn't seem to be a way for a Thief to take it. Both of the high-level Thief utilities (16 and 22) are locked in to a specific power, and can't be changed -- at least not in the Character Builder.

Frankly, I think Trap Master should be a skill power anyway. Comments?

If you get a "Rogue Utility 16", you can pick any power that matches that line, including Trap Master.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

Have you tried to retrain Slip from the Grasp to Trap Master? New CB issues aside, I don't see why it shouldn't work. Actually, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to take Trap Master right away; check the "Other Sources" entry on page 57 of HoFL.

Retraining doesn't work -- the option doesn't come up.

I agree that it's probably just CB, as usual. But I still think Trap Master should be a skill power -- does anyone have any comments about that?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

But I still think Trap Master should be a skill power -- does anyone have any comments about that?

On one hand I think it should remain restricted to rogues because finding and removing traps has traditionally been their specialty.

On the other hand I'd be inclined to allow it if the character in question has a rogue MC feat and a story reason to attain such a level of mastery in removing traps (represented by the Trap Master power, obviously). This has the side effects of making the Acolyte Power feat obsolete in this case and weakening the rogue archetype a bit IMO.

Trap Master seems to be a good fit for artificers, too, so I'd allow them to take it.

 

[GameDoc]

When you are in the menu for selecting powers, make sure have the "other options" box checked. Otherwise it just shows you choices from HotFL.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I think it makes sense as a skill power. It's sorta like the "be an eladrin" thing from the Eladrin Knight article: a needlessly specific limitation.

Let it be a skill power. The game was made so you didn't NEED to be a cleric to get heals, and you didn't NEED to be a fighter to get defensive, so you shouldn't NEED to be a rogue to get good at traps.

 

[Dausuul]

When you are in the menu for selecting powers, make sure have the "other options" box checked. Otherwise it just shows you choices from HotFL.

That's not the issue. The CB doesn't even offer a power selection at 16th level. There is no "other options" box to check--there are no options, period. "Slip From The Grasp" just pops up on your character sheet.

I'll tinker with it a bit more, but I suspect the OP is just going to have to print out the sheet, cross out "Slip From The Grasp," and write in "Trap Master" by hand. (Also, I recommend filing a bug report. I plan to do so.)

 

[Dan'L]

If you check out the original printed source, neither the Paragon Thief nor the Epic Thief have any options for utility powers at any level 11-30. It's hard-wired into the builds.

Compare the chart for Thief (HotFL 174) where levels 2, 6, and 10 all read "utility power" to the Paragon Thief & Epic Thief charts (p. 186 & 189) which instead list the names of the specific utility powers gained.

So, the CB is correctly applying the lack of choices by RAW, because a Paragon Thief does not get a choice of utility power at level 16. But, I'm sure any reasonable DM would let the swap occur, anyway.

As far as being accessible as a Skill Power, well, not everything that could be is. Some things are left to be flavor tied to specific classes. And mechanically, I'm not really seeing much precedent in the Skill Powers where a power directly makes using its base skill better for that skill's normal applications. There are a few that let you use the associated skill in place of other skills, or to use it to do things the skill normally doesn't.

-Dan'L