How does finding and disabling traps work?

[greycastle]

Alright...lets say your non-chalantly walking down a corridor, and your rogue is up front, walking at a normal pace *lets say halfling, meaning at about 10-15ft* Now you want to say that he's looking around warrily for traps...but how does it work?
Does the he effectivly take 20? 10? do you only make a search check BEFORE you hit/find the trap?
Is it a spot check if your not looking for traps or lack a rogue in your party? How does it work?

And what about disabling? Lets say theres a Secret Door that your elf found...now your rogue examines it, and find out how to open it...however, due to circumstances, unless he knocks 3 times on the door, a pit trap behind the door opens, though there is no chance of anyone falling in *unless they try to jump it*...there is also a lever in another area that makes the bit 'active' or 'safe'. Does disabling the device if you hadn't knocked make the pit trap close? reset? do nothing?

Could someone be kind enough to explain how it exactly works, or else give some very good page references that truly explain it.

Thanks ahead.

 

[Spatula]

Searching a 5'x5' square takes one round and one Search check. If there's a trap in that spot, the searcher may or may not discover it depending on the result of the skill check. Taking 20 on searching a 5'x5' square takes 20 rounds, or 2 minutes. If the searcher is not a rogue, traps with a Search DC higher than 20 cannot be detected. Dwarves are an exception to this limit when detecting stonework traps. Dwarves can also detect stonework traps just by passing near them, without actively searching, but it's still a Search check.

Word is that in 3.5E, rogues will be able to detect traps without actively searching for them, like a dwarf can with stone traps. But we'll have to wait until July to know how that works.

EDIT: Also see the Search skill description. You need to be within 10 feet of the spot to be searched, and it is a full-round action so you can't move if you're searching.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Word is that in 3.5E, rogues* will be able to detect traps without actively searching for them, like a dwarf can with stone traps.

* or anyone wearing a Helm of Trap Detecting as a codpiece.

-Hyp.

 

[greycastle]

Thanks ^_^...

codpiece?

 

[Hypersmurf]

codpiece?

Codpiece.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliber]

Codpiece.

It makes me wonder about Peter Pan calling Hook a Cod fish ...

 

[Norfleet]

Well, searching for traps, obviously, requires that the searcher proceed calmly and cautiously through the area to be searched, rather like a man holding a mine detector. As Spatula mentioned, searching an area is a full round action with a range of 10'. However, even a full round action entitles you to a 5' step, so you can still move, contrary to what he says, but at 5'/round. Since your search point is 10' away, and it takes you that one round to search, you can effectively do a continuous path sweep while moving at 5'/rnd.

Traps can also be detected using the "Polish Minesweeper" technique, which is a move-equivalent action, and therefore can be taken in conjunction with anything that a move-equivalent action can be taken in conjunction with, provided the searcher survives. This technique is best performed by summoned creatures, expendable ensigns, barbarians, or fighters, in approximately that order of preference.

As for disabling traps, a "Disable Device" attempt takes 1 round and is "at least a full round action", but intricate and complex devices require 2d4 rounds.

Other options exist for "disabling" a trap, such as the aforementioned "Polish Minesweeper" technique.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Other options exist for "disabling" a trap, such as the aforementioned "Polish Minesweeper" technique.

But wait! If you order now, not only do you get our attractive, hardcover manual, "Minesweeping for Dummies" - we'll throw in a halfling-on-a-10'-pole ABSOLUTELY FREE!

-Hyp.

 

[Rel]

But wait! If you order now, not only do you get our attractive, hardcover manual, "Minesweeping for Dummies" - we'll throw in a halfling-on-a-10'-pole ABSOLUTELY FREE!

-Hyp.

In a recent campaign our party lacked a Rogue. The trap detection method devised by the Chaotic Neutral Psychic Warrior was to tie a rope to a fallen foe (in this case, a Siv from Monsters of Faerun) and chuck him as far down the corridor as possible and then drag him back, real slow like. It wasn't very effective, but the laughter was well worth the effort.

Perhaps it would have more effective if the Siv had been a Rogue.