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Rogues and the Alarm Spell
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<blockquote data-quote="jgbrowning" data-source="post: 1624567" data-attributes="member: 5724"><p>Is a string with bells surrounding a specific area a trap? I think almost everyone would say, yes, that's a trap because any contrivance that alerts you to the presence of a enemy is a trap for that unseen enemy.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p>It acts like a magical string of bells. It does meet the definition of trap. The problem your having is that it doesn't match the other types of spell traps listed in the PHB. That's a separate issue. I'm more inclined to believe that the <em>Note: Magic traps such as...</em> text was excluded by error than to believe that <em>alarm</em> isn't a spell trap because <em>alarm</em> is the magical poster child for a large range of mundane detection/location traps.</p><p></p><p>A trip wire with a smoke grenade or flare.</p><p>A wire with bells.</p><p>A piece of hair placed carefully in a door to indicate if someone's entered your room while you've been away.</p><p></p><p>All of these things are traps. Traps that rogues have the ability to notice and disarm. All <em>alarm</em> is, is a magical version of these detection/location traps.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p>As I've stated above, catching isn't a required componant of a trap. The DMG lists <em>permanent images</em> used to <strong>confuse</strong> as a trap. So there can be magic traps that don't fit the catching criteria according to the DMG.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p>I think only every spell trap <strong>that does "damage" to the trap tripper</strong> lists a search and disable DC (damage being a state of change in the tripper, be that phyical hurt or change of location). There is no search and disable DC listed for the DMGs example of <em>permanant images</em> yet it's listed as a trap. Just because <em>alarm</em> doesn't explictly state its a trap doesn't mean it can't be one.</p><p></p><p>My guess is that the designers were blind-sided by this one because the only way that <em>alarm</em> can be used is like a detection/location trap. It really has no other uses. It's so obvious, they probably missed the "Note: Magical traps..." text.</p><p> </p><p>joe b.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jgbrowning, post: 1624567, member: 5724"] Is a string with bells surrounding a specific area a trap? I think almost everyone would say, yes, that's a trap because any contrivance that alerts you to the presence of a enemy is a trap for that unseen enemy. It acts like a magical string of bells. It does meet the definition of trap. The problem your having is that it doesn't match the other types of spell traps listed in the PHB. That's a separate issue. I'm more inclined to believe that the [i]Note: Magic traps such as...[/i] text was excluded by error than to believe that [i]alarm[/i] isn't a spell trap because [i]alarm[/i] is the magical poster child for a large range of mundane detection/location traps. A trip wire with a smoke grenade or flare. A wire with bells. A piece of hair placed carefully in a door to indicate if someone's entered your room while you've been away. All of these things are traps. Traps that rogues have the ability to notice and disarm. All [i]alarm[/i] is, is a magical version of these detection/location traps. As I've stated above, catching isn't a required componant of a trap. The DMG lists [i]permanent images[/i] used to [b]confuse[/b] as a trap. So there can be magic traps that don't fit the catching criteria according to the DMG. I think only every spell trap [b]that does "damage" to the trap tripper[/b] lists a search and disable DC (damage being a state of change in the tripper, be that phyical hurt or change of location). There is no search and disable DC listed for the DMGs example of [i]permanant images[/i] yet it's listed as a trap. Just because [i]alarm[/i] doesn't explictly state its a trap doesn't mean it can't be one. My guess is that the designers were blind-sided by this one because the only way that [i]alarm[/i] can be used is like a detection/location trap. It really has no other uses. It's so obvious, they probably missed the "Note: Magical traps..." text. joe b. [/QUOTE]
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