Traps/Weapons

[xjermx]

It is my impression that traps and hazards require no operator and are free-standing and independent. As opposed to, say, a ballista.

I'll be interested to see if there is a ballista or something similar in the game, but I'm curious how it would relate to encounters. Another example is having monsters across the room from the party and on a raised platform, releasing pots-on-chains filled with glue or oil or what-have you. Think Dangerous Pinata. This would increase the challenge of the encounter, but - like the ballista- it doesn't operate on its own.

Thoughts, anyone?

(is this the right forum for this thread?)

 

[xjermx]

*bump*

So lets say you've got a big room that has an encounter in it. A party of newbie adventurers comes down a corridor and enters the chamber on the south. Occupying about 1/4 of the room, across the northern side, is a raised section, protected by battlements, with a single ramp leading up to the raised section. On this raised section, protected by the battlements are a party of goblins. They've got two tricks up their sleeve. One, an armored ballista. Its set so that it can be easily rotated and fired. One goblin operates it, while another stands by to reload it. Lets say it can fire every other round. Its going to do... 2d10+4 damage. The goblins operating it get cover. The other trick that they've got has to do with the chains attached to the ceiling. A number of chains hang suspended from the ceiling above, and attached to them are clay pots, which the goblins have secured behind the battlements. Some are gluepots, some are naptha, that they will light. In either case, they just pick up the pot and launch it over the battlement. It carries on the end of the chain just like a swing, right toward the party. If the goblin has aimed well enough, CRASH! It'll break on a member of the party.

So... any guesses on how this might be handled? Should each of these be regarded as an extra monster of the same level as the players? Will that keep the encounter somewhat balanced?

Anyone have any similar clever ideas?