Trapfinding as a Feat

[airwalkrr]

While the trapfinding ability has been a hallmark of the rogue, I have often felt that there is nothing special about the rogue class or its training that makes me think this should be an ability only rogues can ever hope to attain (barring a few non-core classes). Suppose this ability were made into a feat.

TRAPFINDING [GENERAL]
Prerequisites: Search 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.
Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
You can also use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
If you beat a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check, you can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with your party) without disarming it.
Normal: Without this feat, you cannot use the Search skill to find traps with a Difficulty Class higher than 20 or the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps.

Rogues gain trapfinding as a bonus feat at 1st level. Pretty simple idea really and I'm sure it has been thought of before, but not discussed recently. Thoughts?

 

[arnon]

I was thinking about that too, but instead of making a feat out of it I was thinking of granting this ability for free once a player has: X ranks in Search and Diasble Device.

Rogues still get it for free at first level, but other characters, once they invest some time (and skill points) in learning about finding and disabling traps, will also be able to find and disable higher DC traps.

But what would be 'X'?
I'm leaning towards 5, or maybe 4, as most classes don't have it as a class-skill.
arnon

 

[airwalkrr]

Other than the fact that it defies precedent with the skills system, granting the ability to find and disable magical traps with X ranks in Search and Disable Device does a disservice to the rogue, making that class ability nigh pointless. At least by requiring a feat, it requires a significant investment of character building resources to attain the ability to find and disable magical traps without limiting that option solely to the rogue.

 

[ValhallaGH]

I say the class ability should be deleted all together. Having ranks in Search and Disable Device is a pretty clear indication that the character is supposed to find and disable traps; additionally, there is nothing about the Trapfinding feature that makes the character better at dealing with traps other than allowing it.
A fiftieth level fighter with 26.5 ranks in Search and Disable Device, who has blundered into every trap design ever constructed and a few that weren't, has a ton of mechanical and RP reasons to be able to locate, identify and disable traps. However, he's prevented from doing what a first level Rogue can attempt (and fail) to do by the retardedness of Trapfinding's existence.

You can disagree with my decision but you can't disagree with my example.

 

[Paraxis]

What I do is, first remove the cap on the finding of traps and removing of them the DC 20 limit does not exist, limiting a skill so a class ability has purpose is silly.

To make the Rogue ability mean something and speed up play I give them the ability to auto search for traps like an elf with secret doors. In movies the character that is good at traps is not spending his time looking at every 10' and slowing down movement, just right before someone is about to trip the wire he sees it.

I wanted to do something similar to Track, but since its not a class ability have decided to leave it alone for now. Maybe making my version of Trapfinding a feat and giving it to rogues for free at first level works to, that way the mountain man type ranger or special forces fighter guy can pick it up without dipping a level into rogue.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Check out Sean Reynold's Variant on "no absolutes". He gets rid of the Trap Finder ability and allows anyone with the Search skill to find macigal traps. His reasoning makes alot of sense.

 

[Valesin]

Other than the fact that it defies precedent with the skills system, granting the ability to find and disable magical traps with X ranks in Search and Disable Device does a disservice to the rogue, making that class ability nigh pointless. At least by requiring a feat, it requires a significant investment of character building resources to attain the ability to find and disable magical traps without limiting that option solely to the rogue.

I agree to an extent. When someone in the party wants to play a certain class I maintain the "specialness" of the class and its abilities. I have always had an issue with players stepping on each other's toes, especilly the rogue who is most likely to have his abilities pale in comparison to spellcasters who can mimic many of their abilities (once invisibility and phase door come into play hiding and opening locks are near useless).

That being said, with my gaming group of 4 players, sometimes the rogue niche goes unfilled. In that circumstance I allow a feat to mimic the trapfinding ability, just as track can do for a party lacking a ranger.

 

[drexes]

I like the feat angle. Personally I agree with the example above, but I also want to maintain the role of the rogue in the dungeon environment. If you don't like the feat set up, Why not give the rogue a +4 competence bonus to search rolls against traps and the elf-like version of the ability. Hrmm now that I write it out, I actually like this solution better...hrmmm. Could get put in as a house rule soon....hehe

Drexes

 

[airwalkrr]

I like the solution of giving rogues an "auto-search" ability and just letting anyone search for traps.

I do have one problem with allowing any person to use Disable Device and Search to deal with traps: divine insight. The spell is bad enough to make having a rogue almost useless if the party cleric has a few 2nd level pearls of power. Perhaps just banning the spell is the right solution. Another minor problem is that wizards become very good trapfinders and trap disablers.

 

[DanMcS]

To make the Rogue ability mean something and speed up play I give them the ability to auto search for traps like an elf with secret doors. In movies the character that is good at traps is not spending his time looking at every 10' and slowing down movement, just right before someone is about to trip the wire he sees it.

Hey, that's really good. I was going to say it should be called Trap Sense, but that sounded familiar to me... turns out that's another ability altogether. But you could kind of merge them together. Maybe at 1st level they get Trap Sense +0, which let's you reflexively "search" for traps when you're about to set them off, and then the +1 at third level and so on applies to search, reflex saves, and dodges versus traps.