Help with Traps
- Thread starter zealot73
- Start date
Celebrim
Legend
As I have said elsewhere, this is one of those situations in which you have to use your judgement, however heinious some my find that concept. There aren't any hard and fast rules.
I tend to scale it to the level of the party intended for the module. For DC's of search/disable traps, I tend to _average_ 19 + character level. Look at equivalent published traps. Some are supposed to be in general harder or easier to disarm than others. If the game text implies that the trap is particularly easy or hard to find or disable, apply +1/-1 per 5% that the text adjusts the find/disable traps roll. Third edition mechanics are much more uniform than 1st edition mechanics. Convert over to the third edition standard if you feel that the mechanic used in the text is a little bit clunky or old fashioned. Saves vs. Paralyzation convert to Reflex Saves. Ability checks convert to DC 10 ability checks (usually), or skill checks when it seems a skill is particularly applicable. I prefer skill checks when the situation implies an armor check penalty would be applicable. Straight random chance converts usually to a ability check with a DC equal to 1/5% chance of failure. For instance, if the text says that there is a 35% that the character jumps clear of the swinging pendalum, you could either use a DC 13 Dex check (65% chance of failure), or a DC 13 Jump check.
Poison mechanics have changed so much that you really have to use your experience as a DM.
Assign CR/EL based on the difficulty of equivalent traps in the DMG or Sound & Silence or Traps & Treachery or published modules. In general, traps can be converted fairly straight without scaling them to a different CR - and if you want them published here you have to do that. However, in the unlikely event that you discover that a published module for 3rd level characters contains a trap that when converted to 3rd. edition is CR 7 or higher, you might want to consider in practice scaling it back. Unless this is 'Tomb of Horrors', traps are intended to be a hinderance and a problem to solve - not the principal challenge of the game.
I tend to scale it to the level of the party intended for the module. For DC's of search/disable traps, I tend to _average_ 19 + character level. Look at equivalent published traps. Some are supposed to be in general harder or easier to disarm than others. If the game text implies that the trap is particularly easy or hard to find or disable, apply +1/-1 per 5% that the text adjusts the find/disable traps roll. Third edition mechanics are much more uniform than 1st edition mechanics. Convert over to the third edition standard if you feel that the mechanic used in the text is a little bit clunky or old fashioned. Saves vs. Paralyzation convert to Reflex Saves. Ability checks convert to DC 10 ability checks (usually), or skill checks when it seems a skill is particularly applicable. I prefer skill checks when the situation implies an armor check penalty would be applicable. Straight random chance converts usually to a ability check with a DC equal to 1/5% chance of failure. For instance, if the text says that there is a 35% that the character jumps clear of the swinging pendalum, you could either use a DC 13 Dex check (65% chance of failure), or a DC 13 Jump check.
Poison mechanics have changed so much that you really have to use your experience as a DM.
Assign CR/EL based on the difficulty of equivalent traps in the DMG or Sound & Silence or Traps & Treachery or published modules. In general, traps can be converted fairly straight without scaling them to a different CR - and if you want them published here you have to do that. However, in the unlikely event that you discover that a published module for 3rd level characters contains a trap that when converted to 3rd. edition is CR 7 or higher, you might want to consider in practice scaling it back. Unless this is 'Tomb of Horrors', traps are intended to be a hinderance and a problem to solve - not the principal challenge of the game.
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