What the heck am I missing about TRAPS?!

[MasterGarrow05]

I'm sure there are threads devoted to traps, but no search engine = no find.

I know there has been a update to the skill challenge tables, and dragon magazine has a new table for determining trap DCs and damage. But it seems to me traps become meaningless with these DCs!

I mean, at 20th level an average rogue is going to have a +24 Thievery Skill (+10 level +5 trained + 7 dex +2 tools), but probably better.

Going off the template of the Flame Jet trap in the DMG, it uses a moderate DC to disable a nozzle (just one success needed) and a hard DC to disable the entire trap (4 successes before 2 failures). If I bump that up to 20th level, and use the new DC chart from Dragon to fill in the DCs, then a rogue can get up to the nozzle and disable the nozzle with a DC 22 check (or automatic) or disable the whole trap for with 4 DC 26s (2 or better).

Am I confusing something? I mean, why bother? Sure, it takes the rogue out of combat for 2 rounds, but no equal level monster will be taken out by one character in a mere 2 rounds! Did WotC still screw this up?

 

[Milambus]

A Flame Jet trap is level 8, why would you expect it to give a level 20 Rogue a challenge?

At level 20 try a Symbol of Suffering, level 24 with a DC of 36.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'm sure there are threads devoted to traps, but no search engine = no find.

PSA: You can search the boards using Google, by typing in site:enworld.org/forum/. It's not as elegant as the board search, but it works.

 

[LostSoul]

You should use Traps with monsters; I think that's how they work best.

If you want to go with all traps in the encounter, your level 20 party should be facing 5 level 20 traps for a normal challenge.

What if you had 3 Kinetic Wave traps that pushed PCs into two Fields of Everflame?

Let's say you have an "empty" room with a chest in the middle. It's the centre of the Kinetic Wave. Around it is a Field of Everflame.

On the other side of the room, maybe up a ledge, you have a 4 Fire Giant Forecallers and a Green Slaad.

That's a normal challenge for the level 20 party.