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The Tricky Trap Thread
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<blockquote data-quote="Aberzanzorax" data-source="post: 5618477" data-attributes="member: 64209"><p>In my campaign, as DM, the adventurer who is to find traps must state that they are looking for them. Depending upon the size of the room or location they need to investigate, a simple "I look for traps" may be sufficient, or specific areas may be required.</p><p> </p><p>Usually, it is important for those looking in locked areas to specifically state they are looking in those same areas (chest, locked drawer, etc).</p><p> </p><p>In essence, there are clear "trap triggers" such as doors and chests and the like. Other areas, such as hallways in dungeons or other volatile areas that are renowned to be trapped usually just require an "I search the room".</p><p> </p><p>Other areas, like an inhabited manor, tend to have MUCH less lethal traps, but searching is about the same.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sometimes traps will be obvious as well (needing no detection). This can include a wide pit in the ground that must be traversed, a series of moving blades to quickly move through, etc. Some might consider these "hazards" or "monsters" rather than traps (depending on nomenclature and edition), but since they can be disarmed/disabled, I disagree. Think "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with the webs and scything blades that only the penitent man could pass."</p><p> </p><p>Sometimes traps are obvious and sometimes they are hidden. The story denotes the reasoning behind them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>One thing I do that is a houserule as part of the skill that allows for searching for traps is to provide the difficulty of removing the trap if the player exceeds the searching type of roll by more than a certain amount. It also allows players to learn the nature of the trap so that they can potentially disable the trap without using a roll to do so...e.g. it's a pit trap...so jump it.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In terms of getting past or disabling the traps, that depends upon the resources of the party as well as the type of trap itself. An adventurer trained in trap disabling might be able to disable the trap. This depends upon rolling. There may be no competent adventurer able to disable a trap. They must either suck it up or attempt to bypass it relying upon their toughness, agility, wits, or some out of the box thinking (10 foot pole, e.g.).</p><p> </p><p>Due to my houserule, players will sometimes elect to engage the trap with other skills in the hopes that there is a deactivation lever on the other side of the trap, or they may use other abilites besides disabling the trap to bypass it.</p><p> </p><p>[spoiler] </p><p>I've done traps in this way in ad&d, 3.0, 3.5, and pathfinder.</p><p>[/spoiler]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aberzanzorax, post: 5618477, member: 64209"] In my campaign, as DM, the adventurer who is to find traps must state that they are looking for them. Depending upon the size of the room or location they need to investigate, a simple "I look for traps" may be sufficient, or specific areas may be required. Usually, it is important for those looking in locked areas to specifically state they are looking in those same areas (chest, locked drawer, etc). In essence, there are clear "trap triggers" such as doors and chests and the like. Other areas, such as hallways in dungeons or other volatile areas that are renowned to be trapped usually just require an "I search the room". Other areas, like an inhabited manor, tend to have MUCH less lethal traps, but searching is about the same. Sometimes traps will be obvious as well (needing no detection). This can include a wide pit in the ground that must be traversed, a series of moving blades to quickly move through, etc. Some might consider these "hazards" or "monsters" rather than traps (depending on nomenclature and edition), but since they can be disarmed/disabled, I disagree. Think "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with the webs and scything blades that only the penitent man could pass." Sometimes traps are obvious and sometimes they are hidden. The story denotes the reasoning behind them. [I]One thing I do that is a houserule as part of the skill that allows for searching for traps is to provide the difficulty of removing the trap if the player exceeds the searching type of roll by more than a certain amount. It also allows players to learn the nature of the trap so that they can potentially disable the trap without using a roll to do so...e.g. it's a pit trap...so jump it.[/I] In terms of getting past or disabling the traps, that depends upon the resources of the party as well as the type of trap itself. An adventurer trained in trap disabling might be able to disable the trap. This depends upon rolling. There may be no competent adventurer able to disable a trap. They must either suck it up or attempt to bypass it relying upon their toughness, agility, wits, or some out of the box thinking (10 foot pole, e.g.). Due to my houserule, players will sometimes elect to engage the trap with other skills in the hopes that there is a deactivation lever on the other side of the trap, or they may use other abilites besides disabling the trap to bypass it. [spoiler] I've done traps in this way in ad&d, 3.0, 3.5, and pathfinder. [/spoiler] [/QUOTE]
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