CR11+ Traps

[QQQ]

The DMG only lists traps up to CR10. Is there a list somewhere for CR11 and above. I looked in DMG2 but there were no list there either.

 

[sukael]

Dungeonscape has mechanical traps up to CR 25 (glaive of doom trap), three magic traps up to CR 17 (intelligent empowered polar ray trap), psionic traps up to CR 12 (energy burst trap (augmented)), and expanded trapmaking rules.

 

[QQQ]

Thank you Sukael. Just what I needed. Seems like I must pick up that book.

 

[blargney the second]

A pit that drops you on a CR 11+ monster.

 

[green slime]

A pit that drops you on a CR 11+ monster.

*chuckle*

 

[Jhaelen]

Dungeonscape has mechanical traps up to CR 25 (glaive of doom trap)

This trap exemplifies one of my pet peeves. It isn't only exorbitantly expensive (and thus mostly a theoretical exercise in trap design), it's also pathetically weak for a CR 25 trap AND this 'XP machine' comes packaged with magical treasure (a glaive of doom? how neat!).

Sorry for the rant but I really hate the 3.5 trap treatment. Not using any traps instantly improves any game, imho.

 

[Li Shenron]

You could also scale them or combine multiple traps together, with the rule that doubling = +2 to CR.

 

[Nail]

High CR traps - without special treatment - are usually not worth the paper they're printed on in 3.xe. Remember, Search is a static, repeatable check, and Disable Device is a solo skill, rather than a group effort.

In other words, the DC the DM sets either allows the rogue to bypass the trap, or it doesn't. There's precious little the rogue PC can do, and the rest of the party is just in the back cooling it's heels.

Pathetic. ....and boring.

To do a high CR trap right, you need to think of it as a "monster", and stat it up accordingly, with attacks, hp, special abilities, and vulnerabilities. You need to specifically design it so that it engages the entire party, and that defeating it isn't predicated on rolling 1 die. And you need to remove the notion that a trap must be engaged by walking through a room ('cause at high level, who walks anymore?).

To create a true high CR trap, you have to throw out the DMG design guidelines, and design it like any other high CR encounter.