Rogues and the Alarm Spell

[Darklone]

I don't remember where I read that, but wasn't there something about glimmering or hot air above magical effects? That way you could see (if you look carefully enough) the range of the effect.

 

[Thanee]

Dunno. I'd normally think they are not visible.

I see the rogue's ability as somewhat mystic on that behalf.

If she searches in the right place (which really isn't obvious in most cases), she can sense some... uhm... disturbance in the force.

Once detected, she can attune herself to not trigger the trap while disarming it, since she obviously either has to enter the radius or disarm it from the outside, the first seems more 'logical' to me.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I think long lasting Abjuration spells can be spotted and overlapping areas of Abjuration spells. But maybe I'm wrong.
I think I would allow a rogue to "disarm" the alarm spell as a spell trap of equivalent level.

 

[Darklone]

Ok, I guess it was from Traps & Treacheries.... so nothing core.

Edit: Duh, was it in Song&Silence?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

IMHO the common sense answer is that the Alarm spell is a particular kind of magical trap and it must follow the normal rules for Rogues & traps. The only thing that makes Alarm special is that it is a low-level wizard spell. I do not consider that sufficient justification to write an entire new set of rules to cover it as a special case.

 

[Caliban]

Is the alarm spell by itself really a trap? I can where it can be used as part of a trap (as the "proximity trigger"), but in that case the alarm spell is restricted to the area that the trap protects. (DMG, page 68, Elements of a Trap, Trigger, Proximity).

I guess I can see a rogue being able to disable an alarm spell built into a trap, but not just the standard alarm spell.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Of course since an alarm spell is an emanation, you could always just throw a cloak over the emanating point, at which point it will emanate within the cloak, letting you do whatever you want.

But only if you're a rogue. Knowledge of this sort of thing is probably what disable device gives.

Finally I think that making a first level spell that obviously SHOULD be classified as a trap totally unfindable is being a little bit silly.

 

[Caliban]

Of course since an alarm spell is an emanation, you could always just throw a cloak over the emanating point, at which point it will emanate within the cloak, letting you do whatever you want.

But only if you're a rogue. Knowledge of this sort of thing is probably what disable device gives.

Finally I think that making a first level spell that obviously SHOULD be classified as a trap totally unfindable is being a little bit silly.

Why should it be classified as a trap?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Why should it be classified as a trap?

It's used as the trigger for a number of traps. Triggering an alarm spell causes an effect which is usually unwanted by the triggerer. It fits the standard definition of the word trap. The section within the srd listing magical traps merely say that many spells make magical traps, and unless the spell says otherwise, they use the standard mechanics under search to resolve. The standard search mechanics list spells which can be found and disabled, spells which can be found but not disabled, and a spell which has an odd DC. The list is by no means exhaustive - I've yet to see it specifically expanded in any future books, and surely there are other trap-like-spells?

 

[Caliban]

It's used as the trigger for a number of traps.

Yes, I stated that earlier. But being a component of a trap doesn't necessarily make it a trap.

A piece of rope can be used to trigger a trap (tripwire). Are all pieces of rope now considered traps?

Triggering an alarm spell causes an effect which is usually unwanted by the triggerer. It fits the standard definition of the word trap. The section within the srd listing magical traps merely say that many spells make magical traps, and unless the spell says otherwise, they use the standard mechanics under search to resolve. The standard search mechanics list spells which can be found and disabled, spells which can be found but not disabled, and a spell which has an odd DC. The list is by no means exhaustive - I've yet to see it specifically expanded in any future books, and surely there are other trap-like-spells?

All the trap spells listed in the core rules directly harm or affect the person who triggers it in someway. Your standard alarm spell does not. (An alarm spell used as the trigger for a trap is part of the trap, and I agree it should be possible to detect and disable it as part of disabling the trap.)

All I'm talking about is your standard alarm spell that alerts the spellcaster when it is triggered. Not an alarm spell that has been modified to act as the proximity trigger for a trap.