Trap question

[Ahrimon]

I can't find anything specific on exactly how some traps work. The DMG suggests that they are treated just like a monster. Does that mean they are limited to the same amount of actions as a monster?

For example, a dart trap is a lvl 1 blaster
Trigger: If a character enters a trigger square or starts its turn in a trigger
square, the dart trap attacks.
Attack: Immediate Interrupt
Target: Character who enters or starts its turn in a trigger square

So, assuming this one trap has 4 trigger squares would it:
A) Attack each and every time someone enters any trigger square and again for each character that starts his or her turn in a trigger square. Or...
B) Attack the first person who enters a trigger square or who starts their turn in a trigger square after the traps initiative (where it's actions would reset).

 

[Ahrimon]

Or even better:
C) you rip your players books to shreds instead of damage from the attack.


What?

 

[Boarstorm]

As I understand it, the attack is an immediate interrupt, meaning as soon as someone sets foot on the trigger, that person gets nailed. However, since it can only perform one immediate interrupt each round, you have to wait until the next round before it fires again.

 

[Khime]

Trap attacks use the same rules as creature attacks, so if the trigger results in an immediate interrupt, then the trap can only make its attack once per round. Many of the trap examples in the DMG trigger into opportunity actions, though, so they can fire off every combatant turn.

In my mind, if a trap is an immediate interrupt, then that indicates it is somewhat slow, and takes a moment to reset for the next shot. So several people can hit the trigger within a combat round, but only the first one would set it off.

 

[malacapricornis]

Speaking of traps, in the kobold hall DMG adventure how have you been running the boulder trap? Do you ever have it stop moving?

 

[Ahrimon]

I rolled initiative for it and had it move it's full movement. Anyone that got hit got attacked. It's attack is an opportunity action, so I assumed that could make as many attacks per round as needed.

Now I'm not so sure. Players and creatures only get one opportunity attack, but I'll have to look up opportunity actions to see if they're restricted to one per round. It would be kind of silly if the trap "attacks" the first person in it's path, but rolls harmlessly around everyone else that round.

 

[Ahrimon]

I started the encounter using A, but after a couple rounds I felt I was doing it wrong, explained to the players and went with B for the rest of the encounter. We were all learning, so there weren't any hard feelings.

 

[Boarstorm]

Don't confuse immediate interrupts with Opportunity Attacks.

A character (or trap, in this case) gets a single OA per enemy per round.

 

[malacapricornis]

It hits whoever it rolls over cus of the OAs being per character per round. I didn't know if I should ever have the boulder stop rolling or keep rolling the whole combat. It would probably have been a TPK if I had not stopped the boulder at the door after making 1 complete lap.

 

[Ahrimon]

Don't confuse immediate interrupts with Opportunity Attacks.

A character (or trap, in this case) gets a single OA per enemy per round.

I was refering to any differeance between opportunity action and opportunity attack. If there is indeed any. The boulder attacks with an oportunity action. If that is the same as an opportunity attack, then the boulder would attack the first person it hits and then ignore everyone else this turn since you only get one opportunity attack per round. (unless of course I'm goofing up my opportunity attacks.)

It hits whoever it rolls over cus of the OAs being per character per round. I didn't know if I should ever have the boulder stop rolling or keep rolling the whole combat. It would probably have been a TPK if I had not stopped the boulder at the door after making 1 complete lap.

I kept the boulder moving throught the combat. It takes 3 rounds to make a full circle. It made for some interesting tactical choises, rescue the friend who is stuck and in the path or keep pounding on the BBEG.