AnthonyRoberson
First Post
I saw an example of a trap as skill challenge SOMEWHERE, but I can't remember where. Can anyone point me to an example of trap as skill challenge from a rulebook, adventure, Dragon, Dungeon, etc.?
Example of Trap as Skill Challenge?
- Thread starter AnthonyRoberson
- Start date
ZetaStriker
First Post
Well, the DMG uses the example of a trap where the walls are closing in and the PCs need to disable it first... but shortly afterwards, it says that skill challenges should never be win or die situations, which sort of shoots its example in the foot.
Every trap in the DMG also has rules to disable it via a skill challenge, but you should be warned that unless you devised some insidious Solo Trap that requires the entire party to hold off its effects while someone does the actual disarming, you're in for a very boring series of Thievery rolls. Especially if a character is wasting combat turns to do so.
Every trap in the DMG also has rules to disable it via a skill challenge, but you should be warned that unless you devised some insidious Solo Trap that requires the entire party to hold off its effects while someone does the actual disarming, you're in for a very boring series of Thievery rolls. Especially if a character is wasting combat turns to do so.
Radiating Gnome
Adventurer
The intention, I believe, is that traps are not encountered on their own, but has complications in encounters that have other opposition as well -- like a crossbow turret that shoots at the PCs while they're trying to deal with some clay scouts (an example from an early LFR adventure).
Of course, spending your standard action disarming a trap rather than sticking your dagger in one of the bad guys tends to be less exciting, and in a lot of cases there are rules for doing damage to the trap, and it often seems easier to just bash the heck out of the crossbow trap rather than disarm it.
I think the important thing is not to follow any strict set of rules for traps, but to imagine the sort of effect you want to achieve and find a good way to get that. If you want to have the trash compactor from Star Wars, that IS the sort of solo trap that the PCs can try to make strength checks to hold back while another tries to disarm it.
-rg
Of course, spending your standard action disarming a trap rather than sticking your dagger in one of the bad guys tends to be less exciting, and in a lot of cases there are rules for doing damage to the trap, and it often seems easier to just bash the heck out of the crossbow trap rather than disarm it.
I think the important thing is not to follow any strict set of rules for traps, but to imagine the sort of effect you want to achieve and find a good way to get that. If you want to have the trash compactor from Star Wars, that IS the sort of solo trap that the PCs can try to make strength checks to hold back while another tries to disarm it.
-rg
LostSoul
Adventurer
For a skill challenge like this, you could have failure = certain doom!
I agree with the DMG, probably not a good idea. What you do instead is say, "Okay, failure means you will lose all your Healing Surges as you break out at the last possible moment, gasping for breath from crushed lungs." Or set up some kind of sliding scale; 0 successes = certain doom!, 1 success = lose all Healing Surges, 2 successes = lose 6 surges, etc.
