Rogues getting Cleric style loving?

[blargney the second]

I *love* the trapsense = auto-detect idea. I'd go so far as to say I'd like to see the same idea applied to the Track feat, as well as Investigate, Research, and Urban Tracking from Eberron.

-blarg

 

[Voadam]

I adopted the trapsense = auto search as well for my game after I saw it in the Everquest RPG version of rogues.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Autodetecting traps like elves detect secret doors is a great idea. I generally loath house rules at this point but I have to admit I find it appealing.

Yeah, that's a good one. I'm stealing it, too.

 

[Graf]

Paladin: "I've still got a lot of hit points. I open the chest."

Voadam: "Wait a second for me to back up a little."

DM: "Too late!Voadam doubles over and coughs up part of his lungs. 3 permanent con drain."

Yeah... that was how it went... if I recall correctly a few of the traps got people stuck in rooms like that for a couple of rounds.

And then the time that equated #of traps on a room with the quality of treasure inside and unleashed the unstoppable ever-expanding demonic horde with no hit points and two party members down from triggered traps.

 

[Herobizkit]

I claim the trapsense as elf-like detect ability in the name of Canada.

Vive le Canada!

 

[Numion]

So I'm wondering if others feel the same way about the "necessity of the rogue"? Is it a game system inflicted hurdle?

Nope. I've noticed that rogues aren't required in standard D&D game. I base this on my experience as a 3E dungeon master that mostly DMs published adventures from Dungeon and WotC (so you know my games aren't specifically trap-light).

Clerics are more than apt in dealing with most traps. It's mostly reactive trapfinding though - in standard dungeon environment clerics in my games have protective spells on, so the normal way of dealing with traps is that the strongest (or most well-protected characer) risks it. For example, poison traps are a non-issue with delay poison, pit traps are a non-issue with air walk, energy damage traps are stopped by protection from elements .. granted, it's not elegant but I've seen it work. When we played Banewarrens (which is basically a trapped warehouse of arcane stuff), we did it without a rogue (ironically the rogue died to a poison arrow trap earlier in the game).

Most traps are limited to CR 10, so the issue is mostly moot at higher levels.

 

[JoeBlank]

Just professing my conversion to the trapsense = auto search house rule. I dig it.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I long ago made it a house rule that anybody who beats the DC can find a trap, regardless of weither the DC is 20+

Then I changed the Trapsense ability. Now Trapsense grants the rogue the ability to make an automatic search check (secret, rolled by DM) anytime he comes within 5' of a trap (sort of like elves and secret doors). So the rogue is still the best trap-finder but now is not totally essential. As a bonus this encourages the party to not take 20 on searching every damn 5' square unless they have a reason to expect a trap.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, that's like the one First Edition-ism left. For some reason. I don't like it, but the only other class that gets search is the Bard.

 

[Voadam]

I claim the trapsense as elf-like detect ability in the name of Canada.

Vive le Canada!

Too late! White Wolf released it as OGC in the EQ RPG PH years ago.