Traps are way too hard to disarm

[Regicide]

To let players with high thievery really shine, just make DC+10 = 2 successes.

Reducing time with greater success is a really good idea that fits well with some encounters. It would fit well with skill challenges, but they didn't really integrate the idea of time into them.

One of the big advantages with this is that the only penalty for "unskilled" attempts can be the loss of time. So success can assured, but the time to achieve it in can vary.

 

[Gort]

What about parties without a rogue? The idea in 4th was that you weren't supposed to be forced to take any one class. There were to be alternatives for each role.

There are. You ready an attack for when the blades come past, and if you destroy one, that row of squares is safe. That bit works fine and is not an issue. The problem is that you're better off without a rogue because it takes so long to disarm traps - you might as well go with the "smash it" approach against traps every time.

 

[Gort]

With a +2 from using thieves tools, unless the rogue is an idiot. So he's at +13, which is okay. If he's still worried that he's not certain to disarm the trap, he could get some help via Aid Another (another +2, so +15) and/or Delay the Trap rather than Disarm (for a whopping +5!). So I'd say having a +18 or +20 vs a DC of 22 isn't bad at all.

The Perception DC is higher, but can be made by everyone in the party instead of a single rogue. I still wonder if it's too high, but I'm also less concerned by this.

Using aid another means removing another party member from the encounter - remember, traps aren't to be used in a vacuum. Monsters will be attacking the party at the same time, so you often can't spare another member from the real fight for the 4-5 rounds it'll take to disarm the trap.

Delaying a trap only makes the area safe for one round, as well. I don't see spending 4-5 rounds for a single round of respite from a trap as worthwhile in a lot of situations, and it certainly wouldn't have been much help in the encounter I used in my example.

I did forget about the thieves tools, but that's still a +13 vs a DC of +22, which is only a 60% chance of passing. The chance of passing a 60% check four times in a row is only 13%, which I think is far from "okay".

 

[Jhaelen]

Hmm, I'm surprised the broad skill DC errata didn't apply to the example traps, since traps work sort of like skill challenge monsters.

I expect the trap DCs to be covered by future errata. Maybe the DDI article about traps that has been announed will also have something on this issue.

 

[lukelightning]

Skill challenges and related things in 4e make me think of the Simpsons. As Homer says: "What did we learn, kids? Never try!."

 

[ricardo440]

As the player in the encounter, I've got to say it was rather bizzare.

I was default trap disarmer as our rogue had previously died. I'm a ranger with just +4 for dex +2 for half level, and a +2 for thieves tools which I had forgotten. And I think a -1 armour penalty.

But I just took 4 turns out of the fight of dealing lots of damage on the ghosts, and instead made the trap go crazy and deal over 60HP damage between two characters in one round and knock us prone, then we stand up and get the pain again the next round.