D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Trap Help!

[raconteurr]

I feel like I've looked everywhere for info on this, but I honestly just want to know a few basic basic things about traps:

1. Do you get EXP for disabling/avoiding/surviving a trap? As well, does the EXP only go to the person(s) who disable/avoid/survive the trap?

2. Do all traps have a basic save that you have to roll after enabling a trap? Or do some traps, once triggered, simply damage you?

I feel like I may have more questions I simply cannot think of right now, but if someone could answer these basic questions for me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you from a new DM! =]

 

[SuperJebba]

1. Often in published adventures, traps have a CR and award experience. I usually award XP to the entire group for traps. Your rogue would gain a ton of XP from traps if you didn't split it up. And I don't know what the technical rule is, but I only award XP for traps that are disabled. If they set it off and survive, I usually don't award it.

2. No, all traps do not have a basic save. Mechanical traps often have an attack modifier and attack like a regular weapon attack. Spells that have attack rolls like scorching ray also make attack rolls and don't require saves.

Hope this helps.

 

[raconteurr]

Thank you very much! I just wanted to make sure I was setting up my traps correctly.

 

[Jhaelen]

And I don't know what the technical rule is, but I only award XP for traps that are disabled. If they set it off and survive, I usually don't award it.

Triggering and surviving a trap will also grant xp. And, yes, xp are awarded to the whole group.

 

[Ranger19k]

DMG p 39 gives guidance for how to set an appropriate challenge rating for a trap. It's basically +1CR for every 2d6 damage, or +1 for every spell level in the case of a magic trap.
It also says that "overcoming the challenge of a trap involves encountering the trap, either by disarming it, avoiding it, or simply surviving the damage it deals." So you need to be aware of it and then somehow deal with it.
Personally, I don't give the xp for setting it off unintentionally (ie failing the disable check or just stumbling through it). I know its the rules, but I've never liked it. But finding it and then intentionally setting it off is a different story imho.
Either way, I would also split xp among the entire party, not just to the thief.

 

[Rhun]

You can find lots about traps over in the trap index at the d20 SRD site.

 

[aboyd]

I would note that Dungeonscape has rules for "encounter traps" -- traps that generally require the whole party to disable. These traps make more sense to me when giving out XP awards. They all participate, they all get a share of the XP.

 

[NaturalFn20]

Traps are given a CR rating as everyone else said and therefore given Exp for overcoming the trap. Despite many GMs not liking to give exp for traps that are sprung unintentionally or not disabled, according to the rules you do get exp for surviving the trap.

It's up to the DM really to decide whether they want to REWARD the rogue for being a rogue and having the ability to disable a trap and give only him exp or give it to the entire group. Honestly, it depends partially on the module, the writing, the DM, the group and how often rogues are played in your group. Sometimes you may want to reward someone for choosing to be a rogue and only give them exp for disabling traps, but most groups decide to give exp to everyone.

You can really break the game though with repeatable traps. You take a bunch of damage, heal up, run back in the trap etc. At that point, I would simply stop the exp benefit after the first time it went off. Up to DM.