Trap Sensitivity Quandary [Archive] - Wizards Community

Trap Sensitivity Quandary [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
teshen
02-22-07, 06:31 PM The feat trap sensitivity from Dungeonscape requires Elf or Trapsense +2 and lets you make an automatic search roll to detect traps.

As it is written, this does not give elves without the trapfinding feature the ability to sense traps with a DC of 10 or higher... so that makes this feat pretty much useless for elves without a level in a class that has trapfinding, and marginal for rogues since a good rogue will be looking for traps when he enters a strange place anyway.

Is there something I'm missing, or is it just a really weak feat?
cwslyclgh
02-22-07, 07:44 PM actually, anybody can find traps with a DC of 10 (or even 20).

Trapfinding: Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.

not having dungeonscape yet I can't look the feat over, but does the free search check prevent the character from searching the area again if he or she doesn't find a trap the first time? from what your wrote about it I see it as not any weaker then the elven racial ability to automatically make a search check for secret doors if the come with in 5 feet of them.
teshen
02-22-07, 08:42 PM Ah. DC 20. I tend to get that and the DC 10 for Track mixed up for some reason...

And yes. It basically expands the elven racial ability to find traps as well as secret doors. For those without the elven ability, they may now auto search for traps the same way an elf auto searches for secret doors.
Steevo
02-23-07, 12:12 PM not having dungeonscape yet I can't look the feat over, but does the free search check prevent the character from searching the area again if he or she doesn't find a trap the first time?

I don't know about that. The fact that it's a free search check sort of implies the character is not actively searching. The character can, of course, choose to stop and search actively, in which case he can keep retrying until he finds the trap (or satisfies himself that there's nothing here.) But the free search check from this feat is something that happens automatically and (I should imagine) immediately before the character falls into the trap. If he fails the check, then, he fails to see the trap and steps in it.

Some DMs might allow the character to stop and retry the search after failing the free one, but I personally think that reeks of metagaming. The character isn't aware that he just failed a search check, because he hasn't found anything. If the character wants to be cautious and advance slowly that's one thing (making normal search checks) but if he just wants to advance normally and rely on this feat to find traps for him, he's taking a risk by not slowing down.

The way I see it, this feat is still useful because it will "fill in" for those times when the rogue forgets to search or lets his guard down. It would also be handy for non-rogues who don't generally do the searching for traps routine anyway.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
teshen 02-22-07, 06:31 PM	The feat trap sensitivity from Dungeonscape requires Elf or Trapsense +2 and lets you make an automatic search roll to detect traps. As it is written, this does not give elves without the trapfinding feature the ability to sense traps with a DC of 10 or higher... so that makes this feat pretty much useless for elves without a level in a class that has trapfinding, and marginal for rogues since a good rogue will be looking for traps when he enters a strange place anyway. Is there something I'm missing, or is it just a really weak feat?
cwslyclgh 02-22-07, 07:44 PM	actually, anybody can find traps with a DC of 10 (or even 20). Trapfinding: Rogues (and only rogues) can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. not having dungeonscape yet I can't look the feat over, but does the free search check prevent the character from searching the area again if he or she doesn't find a trap the first time? from what your wrote about it I see it as not any weaker then the elven racial ability to automatically make a search check for secret doors if the come with in 5 feet of them.
teshen 02-22-07, 08:42 PM	Ah. DC 20. I tend to get that and the DC 10 for Track mixed up for some reason... And yes. It basically expands the elven racial ability to find traps as well as secret doors. For those without the elven ability, they may now auto search for traps the same way an elf auto searches for secret doors.
Steevo 02-23-07, 12:12 PM	not having dungeonscape yet I can't look the feat over, but does the free search check prevent the character from searching the area again if he or she doesn't find a trap the first time? I don't know about that. The fact that it's a free search check sort of implies the character is not actively searching. The character can, of course, choose to stop and search actively, in which case he can keep retrying until he finds the trap (or satisfies himself that there's nothing here.) But the free search check from this feat is something that happens automatically and (I should imagine) immediately before the character falls into the trap. If he fails the check, then, he fails to see the trap and steps in it. Some DMs might allow the character to stop and retry the search after failing the free one, but I personally think that reeks of metagaming. The character isn't aware that he just failed a search check, because he hasn't found anything. If the character wants to be cautious and advance slowly that's one thing (making normal search checks) but if he just wants to advance normally and rely on this feat to find traps for him, he's taking a risk by not slowing down. The way I see it, this feat is still useful because it will "fill in" for those times when the rogue forgets to search or lets his guard down. It would also be handy for non-rogues who don't generally do the searching for traps routine anyway.