craft(trapmaking) [Archive] - Wizards Community

craft(trapmaking) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Citizen Fry
07-27-05, 01:35 AM I'm trying to figure out how to work the craft(trapmaking) skill to make it useful but not broken for a PC. Let me explain: to make a stock trap that shoots one arrow, it costs 1000 gp. For ONE arrow. You could make a totally custom trap that has search DC of 5, disable DC of 5, and hits three times per round at +14 with a greatsword dealing (2d6+1) for 100 gp. Put it on a timer to go off every single round...heck, it doesn't list a maximum number of times per round. Have it go off fifty times per round. It's CR 1. I'm sure I'm reading something incorrectly here....anyway, anyone have any suggestions on modifications to the DMG rules for traps, or references to other books that do a better job with it?
BlueFlames
07-27-05, 02:32 AM First, you're making an incorrect assumption about your custom greatsword trap. Just because it uses a melee attack instead of a ranged attack doesn't allow it to go off multiple times. You'd need the automatic reset feature for that, which will send the cost (and the CR, though I can't find the number) soaring.

That aside for the moment, the greatsword trap that you've outlined is such a low CR because it's so easy to find. Remember that if the search DC is lower than 20, you don't need the trapfinding class feature to find it. That means that Thag, the 8-INT barbarian could find the trap, with a decent roll. Since it's a melee attack, it's even weaker than your arrow trap, in that you can simply make sure you don't step within five feet of that swinging blade of death, whereas a crossbow tied to a trip wire could hit you from basically anywhere.

Of course, there are things that WotC may not have accounted for when writing the trap creation rules, like an arrow trap loaded with Consumptive Burst arrows, but that's why you have a DM. Consult with him/her when designing a trap to get his advice and see what kind of ad-hoc cost or DC modifiers he might throw in.
Citizen Fry
07-27-05, 10:33 AM First, you're making an incorrect assumption about your custom greatsword trap. Just because it uses a melee attack instead of a ranged attack doesn't allow it to go off multiple times. You'd need the automatic reset feature for that, which will send the cost (and the CR, though I can't find the number) soaring.

That aside for the moment, the greatsword trap that you've outlined is such a low CR because it's so easy to find. Remember that if the search DC is lower than 20, you don't need the trapfinding class feature to find it. That means that Thag, the 8-INT barbarian could find the trap, with a decent roll. Since it's a melee attack, it's even weaker than your arrow trap, in that you can simply make sure you don't step within five feet of that swinging blade of death, whereas a crossbow tied to a trip wire could hit you from basically anywhere.

Of course, there are things that WotC may not have accounted for when writing the trap creation rules, like an arrow trap loaded with Consumptive Burst arrows, but that's why you have a DM. Consult with him/her when designing a trap to get his advice and see what kind of ad-hoc cost or DC modifiers he might throw in.
If you bonk the search/disable DCs as low as I mentioned, you can cover the cost of automatic reset (1000 gp, and no CR mod that I can see). Instead of greatswords, you could just as easily have a multi-crossbow.

If your target creature doesn't have a reason to be searching, it doesn't matter how bad the search DC is. Stick it in the middle of a random hall, and when the orcs come barreling through they should get ground up into hamburger. Of course, since you know where the trap is, "finding" it and disabling it is a snap if you need to get by.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Citizen Fry 07-27-05, 01:35 AM	I'm trying to figure out how to work the craft(trapmaking) skill to make it useful but not broken for a PC. Let me explain: to make a stock trap that shoots one arrow, it costs 1000 gp. For ONE arrow. You could make a totally custom trap that has search DC of 5, disable DC of 5, and hits three times per round at +14 with a greatsword dealing (2d6+1) for 100 gp. Put it on a timer to go off every single round...heck, it doesn't list a maximum number of times per round. Have it go off fifty times per round. It's CR 1. I'm sure I'm reading something incorrectly here....anyway, anyone have any suggestions on modifications to the DMG rules for traps, or references to other books that do a better job with it?
BlueFlames 07-27-05, 02:32 AM	First, you're making an incorrect assumption about your custom greatsword trap. Just because it uses a melee attack instead of a ranged attack doesn't allow it to go off multiple times. You'd need the automatic reset feature for that, which will send the cost (and the CR, though I can't find the number) soaring. That aside for the moment, the greatsword trap that you've outlined is such a low CR because it's so easy to find. Remember that if the search DC is lower than 20, you don't need the trapfinding class feature to find it. That means that Thag, the 8-INT barbarian could find the trap, with a decent roll. Since it's a melee attack, it's even weaker than your arrow trap, in that you can simply make sure you don't step within five feet of that swinging blade of death, whereas a crossbow tied to a trip wire could hit you from basically anywhere. Of course, there are things that WotC may not have accounted for when writing the trap creation rules, like an arrow trap loaded with Consumptive Burst arrows, but that's why you have a DM. Consult with him/her when designing a trap to get his advice and see what kind of ad-hoc cost or DC modifiers he might throw in.
Citizen Fry 07-27-05, 10:33 AM	First, you're making an incorrect assumption about your custom greatsword trap. Just because it uses a melee attack instead of a ranged attack doesn't allow it to go off multiple times. You'd need the automatic reset feature for that, which will send the cost (and the CR, though I can't find the number) soaring. That aside for the moment, the greatsword trap that you've outlined is such a low CR because it's so easy to find. Remember that if the search DC is lower than 20, you don't need the trapfinding class feature to find it. That means that Thag, the 8-INT barbarian could find the trap, with a decent roll. Since it's a melee attack, it's even weaker than your arrow trap, in that you can simply make sure you don't step within five feet of that swinging blade of death, whereas a crossbow tied to a trip wire could hit you from basically anywhere. Of course, there are things that WotC may not have accounted for when writing the trap creation rules, like an arrow trap loaded with Consumptive Burst arrows, but that's why you have a DM. Consult with him/her when designing a trap to get his advice and see what kind of ad-hoc cost or DC modifiers he might throw in. If you bonk the search/disable DCs as low as I mentioned, you can cover the cost of automatic reset (1000 gp, and no CR mod that I can see). Instead of greatswords, you could just as easily have a multi-crossbow. If your target creature doesn't have a reason to be searching, it doesn't matter how bad the search DC is. Stick it in the middle of a random hall, and when the orcs come barreling through they should get ground up into hamburger. Of course, since you know where the trap is, "finding" it and disabling it is a snap if you need to get by.