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<blockquote data-quote="TiQuinn" data-source="post: 9613465" data-attributes="member: 4871">So IMO, this is what I’m trying to avoid and it’s why a straight up retroclone that wants to emulate these features of older modules doesn’t appeal to me. The pit-trapped hallway in Tomb of Horrors for example works&nbsp; because there’s layers of traps occurring in that one room, as well as non-trapped features and riddles that the party needs to figure out - it works together as a whole. Transporting that same trapped hallway into another adventure often just shifts that single element - the pit traps - and now it simply feels like a gotcha. They have no greater context. If you look at another adventure like White Plume Mountain, it’s certainly a funhouse dungeon, but it doesn’t repeat that element - the traps are unique and memorable. Shadowdark does a good job of trying to teach GMs how to create unique traps that aren’t gotchas. If there’s a pit trap, as an example, there should be some sort of indicator that something is amiss. Blood may stain the floor and then stop abruptly. A boot print may be halfway cut off where the pit opens up, or dust on the floor shows where something or someone slid or was dragged down the hallway.I like smarter adventures that blend older styles of play with better design.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="TiQuinn, post: 9613465, member: 4871"] So IMO, this is what I’m trying to avoid and it’s why a straight up retroclone that wants to emulate these features of older modules doesn’t appeal to me. The pit-trapped hallway in Tomb of Horrors for example works because there’s layers of traps occurring in that one room, as well as non-trapped features and riddles that the party needs to figure out - it works together as a whole. Transporting that same trapped hallway into another adventure often just shifts that single element - the pit traps - and now it simply feels like a gotcha. They have no greater context. If you look at another adventure like White Plume Mountain, it’s certainly a funhouse dungeon, but it doesn’t repeat that element - the traps are unique and memorable. Shadowdark does a good job of trying to teach GMs how to create unique traps that aren’t gotchas. If there’s a pit trap, as an example, there should be some sort of indicator that something is amiss. Blood may stain the floor and then stop abruptly. A boot print may be halfway cut off where the pit opens up, or dust on the floor shows where something or someone slid or was dragged down the hallway. I like smarter adventures that blend older styles of play with better design. [/QUOTE]

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