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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Abstraction" data-source="post: 3972629" data-attributes="member: 25995">I always had problems with traps in my game. Sure, traps make sense in the Grand Old King's tomb. You'd expect lots of traps and few monsters. But it always seemed like you had to have a couple traps in order to validate the Rogue's skills. In the secret evil temple, are the acolytes forced to contend with the traps every time they need to use the privy? What's even worse are the puzzle/question traps. On the door is the question "How disciples did Kane the Mad have?" with six numbered doorknobs. The wizard makes a Knowledge check and the group turns Handle 4. Well, wouldn't it be a better trap if the "correct" knob was the wrong answer? Better, if all the knobs are trapped! But, it breaks the game.I like the 4E take on it. The trap isn't necessarily hidden from the party, but it is still dangerous. I like the way the residents of the area aren't blindly sitting in a room hoping a trap will catch the unwary, but actively pushing the intruders into the pit or the scything blade.I also like traps as terrain features with static Perception DCs. After all, in 3E, quicksand is essentially a "trap", just not set by anybody. When I design an area, I could have the master trapmaker roll for how well each trap is disguised, or have him take 10, or just set the static DC myself. None of those make any difference to the player. It might be important if the Kobolds are using Perception-draining poisons (although we don't know if ability damage exists), the Rogue is unconscious, or if the group uses Perception-enhancing magic. I could also see Perception as having a distance cutoff, like Listen checks in 3.X. The rogue can auto-perceive that trap as soon as he gets within 15 feet, but the fighter is twenty feet ahead. Oops, sorry. Change marching order time!</blockquote>

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