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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 5851941" data-attributes="member: 6669384">General ideas on traps:&nbsp; If you own a copy of Grimtooth's (and volume), lock it away and never reference it.As noted, &quot;Take 20&quot; can be applied to picking a lock.&nbsp; It can't be used when searching for or disabling traps.&nbsp; The risk inherent in failure makes it impossible.I've seen some clever uses of traps in dungeons.&nbsp; I've also seen them suck the fun out of a game and leave its dessicated corpse to rot on the battlemat.Presume that any building, cave or set of ruins that has any residents will have a sane number of traps, traps that can be avoided by the residents without having to perform a limbo dance or yoga exercise routine.&nbsp; If a walk to the john involves a game of hopscotch, you've included too many traps.Also, consider the cost of traps, be they magical or mechanical.&nbsp; I've seen places with a billion gp worth of traps to protect a thousand gp worth of loot. (Admitted, the cost of a pit trap is ridiculous, but keep it sane.)I ran a tournament module at a convention one time.&nbsp; There were monsters locked in cells that lined a corridor.&nbsp; A pressure plate at the entrance to the corridor would open the cells and force a combat.&nbsp; The PCs were expected to find that one.&nbsp; There was also a pressure plate at the far end that triggered the same trap.&nbsp; A lot of player groups missed that one and ended up in the combat anyway.That one was clever.In another convention game, the characters had to travel by boat from once section to another.&nbsp; Touching the water, at all, killed the PC instantly, no saving throw.That one was idiotic.&nbsp; (Note, convention tournaments out here involved eight to twelve groups going through the same game module at the same time, three times a day.&nbsp; I wasn't the author of either of those modules.)Avoid the kind of trap that goes off and hits the party hiding around the corner.&nbsp; Avoid the kind of traps that don't go off until someone tries to disarm them.In short, don't get too cute.The purpose of traps is to spice up the game, to add an element of paranoid and an air of danger.&nbsp; If all anyone can taste is the spice, you've over seasoned.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 5851941, member: 6669384"] General ideas on traps: If you own a copy of Grimtooth's (and volume), lock it away and never reference it. As noted, "Take 20" can be applied to picking a lock. It can't be used when searching for or disabling traps. The risk inherent in failure makes it impossible. I've seen some clever uses of traps in dungeons. I've also seen them suck the fun out of a game and leave its dessicated corpse to rot on the battlemat. Presume that any building, cave or set of ruins that has any residents will have a sane number of traps, traps that can be avoided by the residents without having to perform a limbo dance or yoga exercise routine. If a walk to the john involves a game of hopscotch, you've included too many traps. Also, consider the cost of traps, be they magical or mechanical. I've seen places with a billion gp worth of traps to protect a thousand gp worth of loot. (Admitted, the cost of a pit trap is ridiculous, but keep it sane.) I ran a tournament module at a convention one time. There were monsters locked in cells that lined a corridor. A pressure plate at the entrance to the corridor would open the cells and force a combat. The PCs were expected to find that one. There was also a pressure plate at the far end that triggered the same trap. A lot of player groups missed that one and ended up in the combat anyway. That one was clever. In another convention game, the characters had to travel by boat from once section to another. Touching the water, at all, killed the PC instantly, no saving throw. That one was idiotic. (Note, convention tournaments out here involved eight to twelve groups going through the same game module at the same time, three times a day. I wasn't the author of either of those modules.) Avoid the kind of trap that goes off and hits the party hiding around the corner. Avoid the kind of traps that don't go off until someone tries to disarm them. In short, don't get too cute. The purpose of traps is to spice up the game, to add an element of paranoid and an air of danger. If all anyone can taste is the spice, you've over seasoned. [/QUOTE]

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