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What do you do to make traps more interesting?
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<blockquote data-quote="Koewn" data-source="post: 3437629" data-attributes="member: 13172"><p>Hm. I just ran an adventure with some traps; I was unhappy with both how I presented them and how they presented themselves.</p><p></p><p>The only ones that were of any interest, really, were the ones the party couldn't get around - they avoided a Lightning Bolt trap by avoiding the door (went through the wall, which is fun). The other "trap" wasn't a traditional trap; wererat rogues cut the lines on huge bells which then dropped at the party (Rflx Save - DC 15 to avoid damage but be under the bell, DC 20 to get out, or 12d6 damage).</p><p></p><p>Getting up into the belltower (heavily modified Speaker In Dreams) there were traps; but they were just...boring. </p><p></p><p>Eric is correct on what to add (which my tower traps lacked) - clues on presence, good explanations on mechanics, and alternate effects.</p><p></p><p>The "bells dropping" adds hong's concise comment - it's a trap-like mechanic controlled directly by conquerable opponents. Traps are a faceless foe; less automation and more lever-pulling by cackling villians add entertainment.</p><p></p><p>Some of it is dependant on DM and party; we have a very diplomacy-heavy kick-in-the-door playstyle. The puzzle-type traps or Grimtooth-style James Bond things just won't fly very often, and even standard DMG traps aren't seen as much more than a locked door - a die-roll-solved obstacle from the next plot or fight.</p><p></p><p>My next time with traps will be more along the lines of the underground complex in the Hellboy movie; party-splitters and path-blockers - they're things that don't have to (or can't) be disarmed, and they'll hopefully inspire a little more interest and/or brainstorming about solutions in the party.</p><p></p><p>And really, that's what they need sometimes. Imagine a party without a rogue - they have to avoid traps in ingenious ways, often after someone gets hit with it.</p><p></p><p>A table from the last room acts as a tower shield to block poison darts. Candlewax seals up exhausts for sleeping gas. All that fun *thinking* gets taken out back and shot by the Disable Device skill. Sure, a good rogue player will come up with that sort of stuff when making his roll, but often times Disable Device is like...Fireball. It's a "spell" the rogue "casts" to "kill" the trap, and the mechanics of the game support doing it that way.</p><p></p><p>Dunno how to fix that. (and wow, this got long.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Koewn, post: 3437629, member: 13172"] Hm. I just ran an adventure with some traps; I was unhappy with both how I presented them and how they presented themselves. The only ones that were of any interest, really, were the ones the party couldn't get around - they avoided a Lightning Bolt trap by avoiding the door (went through the wall, which is fun). The other "trap" wasn't a traditional trap; wererat rogues cut the lines on huge bells which then dropped at the party (Rflx Save - DC 15 to avoid damage but be under the bell, DC 20 to get out, or 12d6 damage). Getting up into the belltower (heavily modified Speaker In Dreams) there were traps; but they were just...boring. Eric is correct on what to add (which my tower traps lacked) - clues on presence, good explanations on mechanics, and alternate effects. The "bells dropping" adds hong's concise comment - it's a trap-like mechanic controlled directly by conquerable opponents. Traps are a faceless foe; less automation and more lever-pulling by cackling villians add entertainment. Some of it is dependant on DM and party; we have a very diplomacy-heavy kick-in-the-door playstyle. The puzzle-type traps or Grimtooth-style James Bond things just won't fly very often, and even standard DMG traps aren't seen as much more than a locked door - a die-roll-solved obstacle from the next plot or fight. My next time with traps will be more along the lines of the underground complex in the Hellboy movie; party-splitters and path-blockers - they're things that don't have to (or can't) be disarmed, and they'll hopefully inspire a little more interest and/or brainstorming about solutions in the party. And really, that's what they need sometimes. Imagine a party without a rogue - they have to avoid traps in ingenious ways, often after someone gets hit with it. A table from the last room acts as a tower shield to block poison darts. Candlewax seals up exhausts for sleeping gas. All that fun *thinking* gets taken out back and shot by the Disable Device skill. Sure, a good rogue player will come up with that sort of stuff when making his roll, but often times Disable Device is like...Fireball. It's a "spell" the rogue "casts" to "kill" the trap, and the mechanics of the game support doing it that way. Dunno how to fix that. (and wow, this got long.) [/QUOTE]
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What do you do to make traps more interesting?
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