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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gaiden" data-source="post: 1632974" data-attributes="member: 103">I have only read pages 1-3 so forgive me if this has already been stated.It seems to me that the entire debate over alarm vs. trap is one of semantics.  Granted they are two different things and have separate definitions.  I am not about to argue that they ought to be considered the same thing.  The alarm spell is clearly distinct from the bladed pendulum swinging from the ceiling to cleave you in two when the bell tolls.However, I return to this being an argument over semantics.  Given my above example, it certainly also could not be denied that the alarm spell is intimately connected to that swinging pendulum.  In the same way that the alarm spell is not the trap, neither is the arm of the bladed pendulum, nor the chain connecting it to the ceiling, nor the releasing hook, etc.  The alarm spell is certainly PART of the trap though.  It is the trigger, or ironically, the "alarm".  Arguing that the trigger is not a trap is a meaningless debate because it is absolutely true.  However, arguing that the trigger is not part of a trap is as nonsensical as arguing that the bladed pendulum is not part of the trap.  If you are unconvinced, ask yourself this:  "How is the trap supposed to work and would it work if the alarm spell was disabled?"  If your answer to the latter question is no, then there is no legitimate justification for not including the trigger of a trap as part of that trap as a whole.  Again, to argue otherwise is semantics.Hopefully, I have been succinct enough to move on to how to actually handle the alarm spell.  I foresee several possiblilities:1.) Deal with the paradox just like you do when you allow freedom of movement to work underwater and not have the character sink or "fall" to the bottom of the ocean.  In other words, don't worry about the physics of such a situation and just say that it happens.  Works for me <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />.2.) Allow the DD skill to be used, in this case in place of UMD, to bypass the trigger of the alarm spell by acting as a dimunitive or smaller creature to get to the center of the emanation.  I say use DD because it would be unbalancing to require a rogue to have UMD to disable this particular trap when DD is supposed to cover his skill at such things.  YMMV (what does that mean anyway - I know it is appropriate to use there - I have been toying with different acronyms and have decided upon your mood might vary - but I don't think that is right - I want to say it stands for something along the lines of you might move to disagree - but the whole V vs. D thing just isn't working for me).Anyway3.) Allow the rogue to disable a section of the spell - effectively change the AoE almost like an AoE DM when funcitoning on duration AoE spells like blade barrier for example.Hope that is helpful</blockquote>

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