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<blockquote data-quote="Felon" data-source="post: 3855655" data-attributes="member: 8158">See my comments above, which cover this sentiment handily. There's something akin to both entitlement and obligation when it comes to looking for traps. If detecting is all the function of one all-purpose skill check, then it's easy to get boxed into performing it ad nauseum, without even having to consider the current environment or circumstances; whether it's a pit trap, an overhead scythe blade, a poison needle in the lock, poison gas in the box, crushing walls, or a big ball coming the hallway, it's all just a perfunctory Search check. That makes the challenge rather dull and unexciting, so it's no wonder a lot of folks now consider them a chore to deal with rather than an emjoyable part of the game. I think that turning trap detection in a passive check--something the DM initiates--can alleviate certain issues. Nobody walks around making Spot and Listen checks every time they move a square, because they know the DM will tell them when to make a check. Traps could work like that. But in general I'd rather traps be approached in a reductionist manner, not a unilateral one. From an adventuring standpoints, some traps work best when they aren't found before they spring. OTOH, some work best when players spot them right away and have to figure out how to bypass them. I think the designers should do the same thing with traps that they're doing with monsters: classify them by purpose. I may take a shot at this myself when I have some free time.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Felon, post: 3855655, member: 8158"] See my comments above, which cover this sentiment handily. There's something akin to both entitlement and obligation when it comes to looking for traps. If detecting is all the function of one all-purpose skill check, then it's easy to get boxed into performing it ad nauseum, without even having to consider the current environment or circumstances; whether it's a pit trap, an overhead scythe blade, a poison needle in the lock, poison gas in the box, crushing walls, or a big ball coming the hallway, it's all just a perfunctory Search check. That makes the challenge rather dull and unexciting, so it's no wonder a lot of folks now consider them a chore to deal with rather than an emjoyable part of the game. I think that turning trap detection in a passive check--something the DM initiates--can alleviate certain issues. Nobody walks around making Spot and Listen checks every time they move a square, because they know the DM will tell them when to make a check. Traps could work like that. But in general I'd rather traps be approached in a reductionist manner, not a unilateral one. From an adventuring standpoints, some traps work best when they aren't found before they spring. OTOH, some work best when players spot them right away and have to figure out how to bypass them. I think the designers should do the same thing with traps that they're doing with monsters: classify them by purpose. I may take a shot at this myself when I have some free time. [/QUOTE]

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