Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Poison needle traps
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Ristamar" data-source="post: 7433399" data-attributes="member: 1207"><p>I believe a DM should also consider the time required to create and complete a trap encounter relative to the knowledge and game interests of his players. How much "fun" is the trap and is it worth the time and effort?</p><p></p><p>Taking a basic lock/poison needle trap and crafting it into a puzzle-like encounter assumes:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The DM has a firm understanding of the inner workings of the lock.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The DM can clearly explain the inner workings of the lock to his players.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The DM has created a set of game mechanics based on the interaction of the lock and the trap.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The trap's game mechanics give the players a set of meaningful decision points.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The trap's game mechanics don't neuter the investment in associated PC skills (e.g. Thieves' Tools and Investigation)</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p>That's a lot of work and consideration for a simple poison needle trap. Is it worth the effort? </p><p></p><p>If the trap is a critical component of your adventure or if your players love puzzle encounters, then the answer is likely "yes". For a vast majority of groups, however, I'd posit that the required investment in prep and in play isn't commensurate with potential player enjoyment. The standard Detect/Deduce/Disable die roll sequence will often suffice, and the use of Passive skills can further expedite interactions with simple traps while still providing flavor and logically informing the environment.</p><p></p><p>To be fair, the frustration people often ascribe to the effective use of simple traps is directly linked to the game's search mechanics which are not terribly interesting or engaging. Many DMs advocate providing clues or creating decision points outside the basic search checks. I find the added complexity to be a hindrance to the flow of the game since the decision points are often too obvious or—even worse—too obtuse and may grind the game to a halt. </p><p></p><p>I prefer to err on the side of speed and simplicity, looking for the opportunity for players to avoid or fall prey to a quick BANG moment that will keep them on their toes. If the potential BANG turns into a long drawn out discussion and subsequent dissection, I've probably made a mistake.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ristamar, post: 7433399, member: 1207"] I believe a DM should also consider the time required to create and complete a trap encounter relative to the knowledge and game interests of his players. How much "fun" is the trap and is it worth the time and effort? Taking a basic lock/poison needle trap and crafting it into a puzzle-like encounter assumes: [LIST] [*]The DM has a firm understanding of the inner workings of the lock. [*]The DM can clearly explain the inner workings of the lock to his players. [*]The DM has created a set of game mechanics based on the interaction of the lock and the trap. [*]The trap's game mechanics give the players a set of meaningful decision points. [*]The trap's game mechanics don't neuter the investment in associated PC skills (e.g. Thieves' Tools and Investigation) [/LIST] That's a lot of work and consideration for a simple poison needle trap. Is it worth the effort? If the trap is a critical component of your adventure or if your players love puzzle encounters, then the answer is likely "yes". For a vast majority of groups, however, I'd posit that the required investment in prep and in play isn't commensurate with potential player enjoyment. The standard Detect/Deduce/Disable die roll sequence will often suffice, and the use of Passive skills can further expedite interactions with simple traps while still providing flavor and logically informing the environment. To be fair, the frustration people often ascribe to the effective use of simple traps is directly linked to the game's search mechanics which are not terribly interesting or engaging. Many DMs advocate providing clues or creating decision points outside the basic search checks. I find the added complexity to be a hindrance to the flow of the game since the decision points are often too obvious or—even worse—too obtuse and may grind the game to a halt. I prefer to err on the side of speed and simplicity, looking for the opportunity for players to avoid or fall prey to a quick BANG moment that will keep them on their toes. If the potential BANG turns into a long drawn out discussion and subsequent dissection, I've probably made a mistake. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Poison needle traps
Top