Should traps have tells?

[Argyle King]

Depends on the skill of the trap maker, the purpose of the trap, and the environment.

There's also a bit of a horseshoe to consider.

An unskilled trap maker who is in a rush might leave an obvious tell that makes it easy to spot and avoid (or disable) the trap.

An especially skilled trap maker with a lot of time may leave an obvious tell as a red herring to manipulate potential targets into the kill zone of something worse.

In either case, I think it should be possible for players to discover relevant information. In the case of the latter, it may be the reputation of the person credited with constructing a tomb or a reputation of a particularly troublesome Kobold tribe that gives some insight into what to suspect.

If the trap is intended to be more like battlefield terrain to spice up an encounter than an ambush or attack, I'm more included to make the trap obvious.

Typically, I like there to be some sort of cue either at the site of the trap or prior to venturing to where said trap is because I think that's more interesting. But I also think that there are justified circumstances for not providing one.

 

[Bill Zebub]

It's interesting how different people interpret the question "should traps have tells?". Some variations in this thread:

• What is realistic?
• What are the rules?
• What is fair?
• What is fun?

 

[Reynard]

It's interesting how different people interpret the question "should traps have tells?". Some variations in this thread:

• What is realistic?
• What are the rules?
• What is fair?
• What is fun?

I am mostly Team Fun, with a side of Fair.

 

[John Dallman]

Depends on the skill of the trap maker, the purpose of the trap, and the environment.

You've just caused me to realise that I need to use a trap that has gone off prematurely, killing the person who was installing it. Their body is still inside it.

 

[overgeeked]

It's interesting how different people interpret the question "should traps have tells?". Some variations in this thread:

• What is realistic?
• What are the rules?
• What is fair?
• What is fun?

Yep. For me it’s mostly about what’s realistic and fun is secondary. To me, old-school gaming with Tucker’s Kobolds and fantasy Vietnam can be incredibly fun. But that’s because it focuses on what’s realistic while ignoring what’s “fair” and the rules. Combat as war and all that. Players using their brains to solve problems. Etc.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Yep. For me it’s mostly about what’s realistic and fun is secondary. To me, old-school gaming with Tucker’s Kobolds and fantasy Vietnam can be incredibly fun. But that’s because it focuses on what’s realistic while ignoring what’s “fair” and the rules. Combat as war and all that. Players using their brains to solve problems. Etc.

Interesting.

It seems the word "realistic" is also being used in multiple ways.

 

[overgeeked]

Interesting.

It seems the word "realistic" is also being used in multiple ways.

Realistic in the sense that traps are built to harm, maim, and kill rather than be easily-spotted gameplay elements.

 

[Retros_x]

I enjoyed running Tomb of Annihilation

Thats interesting because I hated the traps in ToA and many of them did not fall under the three points you make in your post . We had multiple character deaths due to traps without tells hidden behind a roll. Maybe our DM naughty word it up I don't know. I only know the adventure from a player perspective.

From a verisimilitude perspective, no, of course traps should not have tells. Traps are placed to scare, harm, and hinder people. Giving them tells defeats the entire point of traps.

Most RL traps have tells if you're attentive, especially pre-modern warfare. The wire of a tripwire is not invisible. I just assume the PCs are experts, slow and careful, thats why I am telling them the tells. Yes, in 5e you could hide the tell behind perception roll, but I hate that. You can also use "indirect" tells, that the trap makers did not have intented, especially on traps that can get triggered multiple times. Less dust on the trapdoor, the remains of the last victim of a trap etc.

 

[TheSword]

Thats interesting because I hated the traps in ToA and many of them did not fall under the three points you make in your post . We had multiple character deaths due to traps without tells hidden behind a roll. Maybe our DM naughty word it up I don't know. I only know the adventure from a player perspective.

Most RL traps have tells if you're attentive, especially pre-modern warfare. The wire of a tripwire is not invisible. I just assume the PCs are experts, slow and careful, thats why I am telling them the tells. Yes, in 5e you could hide the tell behind perception roll, but I hate that. You can also use "indirect" tells, that the trap makers did not have intented, especially on traps that can get triggered multiple times. Less dust on the trapdoor, the remains of the last victim of a trap etc.

All pre-published campaigns are a starting point for me not the end.