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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wofano Wotanto" data-source="post: 9268377" data-attributes="member: 7044704">I usually use what you define as "attrition traps" as part of the defenses constructed by intelligent tool-using (and generally humanoid) creatures to protect their base/lair/hideout.  So bandits, cultists, isolationist spellcasters, conspirators, etc.  Generally not used for real combat powerhouses like a mercenary warband or tribe of giants - they just build proper fortifications and dare anyone to attack them, rather than skulking around.  The traps are not only intended to weaken intruders and swing the odds in a fight with some surprise damage, they're also designed to slow down assaults and (potentially) pursuit if the defenders flee.  They're usually connect to some kind of an alarm system, and replace or supplement sentries, especially for covering secret passages and escape routes where having some schmuck with a polearm standing around would just draw attention."Killer traps" see more use in places where the builder just wants people to stay out, or die horribly if they insist on trying to enter without authorization. They can be "solved" through some clever countermeasures (or boring thievery rolls) that exploit a wealness in teh design, but they're meant to kill you if you won't go away.  So tombs, treasure vaults, prisons, the occasional planar gate or other arcane nonsense that shouldn't be tampered with, that sort of stuff.  They generally aren't high traffic areas, and may have countermeasures to keep random vermin from triggering them - and if not, you may find "tripped" killer traps with squashed gelatinous cubes or giant rats or whatever overkilled in them.  Kind of a fan of Questing Beast/Ben's advice about making these things really obvious rather than concealed the way attrition traps are.  They're meant to be a menace to discourage people, and they aren't doing that if they can't be easily detected.Only a loon builds an actual "puzzle trap" where the victim is intended to solve it, with clues and hints and stuff to fiddle with.  They belong in funhouses and mad wizard's lairs, and they're really more about testing the players' patience and problem-solving skills more so than the PCs' abilities.  I don't use them often, but they're a dungeoncrawl trope so they show up once in a blue moon.  Justifying them is difficult, although making them an explicit "test" for proving one's worth according to some cryptic standard can sort of work, especially with gods, demons and actually insane wizards involved.  If you want to lose players, make one of these things and don't have an actual solution planned.  People just love wasting hours on a question with no answer, you bet.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />As a player my opinions reflect my tastes as a GM.  I want traps to make at least some kind of sense in the game world (including making no sense because a Chaos God just warped reality - that will fly once in a while), I want them to balance lethality/game impact with how well-concealed/obvious they are, and I want them to have a viable solution (even if it's just in the GM's head) and not completely roadblock an adventure if they can't be solved.FWIW, many environmental hazards function as de facto traps, and similar considerations should be used when putting them in a game.</blockquote>

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