Ideal Traps - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ideal Traps

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
mercenary_pen
May 01, 2008 10:06:52 I debated over whether to put this topic here or in Monsters, but since traps are inherently part of whatever dungeon they're placed in, I decided to place it here...

Feel free to drop in your own trap ideas...

Here's one of mine to get things started:

Ruined Whirling Blade Trap XP100
In better days, this trap was its own force of annihilation- run by a driveshaft off a nearby water-wheel. Now, the mechanism is broken, literally blasted apart by a fireball, leaving the blades in plain sight covering a 10ft by 10ft section of corridor.

Any PC attacked within the area of the trap- or moving more than half their combat move total through the area of the trap- must make a saving throw or take 1d4+3 damage

This one was intended entirely as a passive trap, which- with no other threat in existence- is easily avoided. However, once you're trying to fight a squad of Goblins or Kobolds across it, it becomes that much deadlier.
#2
boarstorm
May 01, 2008 11:42:35 Three things:

1) Light blue on (off)white? Bad. It's barely legible. I had to highlight the trap in order to read it.

2) The XP value seems pretty high, for such low damage and small effective area. Even the slowest party member will be able to scamper through to the other side in a single move action. Heck, if they played it right, they could even force the goblins or kobolds to cross the blades to get to them, turning the trap into an advantage.

3) I'm not sure about the "saving throw" mechanic, here. Just a random 50% (well, 45%) determination regardless of training seems wonky for avoiding static blades. I'd probably go with something like acrobatics (at a low DC, so even those untrained in the skill have a decent chance of avoiding it).

All that said, I like the concept but I think it could be jazzed up a bit. Maybe have a random chance any given round that the gears manage to actually thread together and the blades lurch a quick quarter rotation before settling again? Or if you get cut, there's a chance of contracting something akin to tetanus?
#3
kevinf
May 01, 2008 13:42:53 I agree that the XP is probably a little high, I'd suggest 100 XP for this trap.

I'd also suggest resolving the attack as an attack of about +2 vs Ref. If the idea of ignoring armor seems inappropriate, you could try resolving the attack against the higher of AC or Ref, but if you go that route, I'd bump the attack bonus up to at least +4 to give you something approaching a 50% hit rate for all but the most nimble or well armored characters.
#4
mercenary_pen
May 01, 2008 17:34:19 Have changed color and dropped the XP a little...

Have also refined the flavour text for the trap a little. I prefer the save or damage mechanic in this case, with the combat only proviso... This best reflects the fact that the PC has to focus on both the position of the blades and whatever they're fighting IMO.

Having been literally blasted apart, this trap isn't going to suddenly start working again, but careful work could see it repaired into something MUCH nastier... In terms of RL mechanics, I'm thinking a big cog off the waterwheel meshing onto a much smaller one on the driveshaft, to give the blades maybe 1/2 revolutions per turn of combat...

Anyone fancy posting their own trap ideas?
#5
countesskathleen
May 06, 2008 6:35:54 Not a particular trap idea but I had some good experiences spicing up simple 10 foot pits by placing some vermin in them.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mercenary_pen May 01, 2008 10:06:52	I debated over whether to put this topic here or in Monsters, but since traps are inherently part of whatever dungeon they're placed in, I decided to place it here... Feel free to drop in your own trap ideas... Here's one of mine to get things started: Ruined Whirling Blade Trap XP100 In better days, this trap was its own force of annihilation- run by a driveshaft off a nearby water-wheel. Now, the mechanism is broken, literally blasted apart by a fireball, leaving the blades in plain sight covering a 10ft by 10ft section of corridor. Any PC attacked within the area of the trap- or moving more than half their combat move total through the area of the trap- must make a saving throw or take 1d4+3 damage This one was intended entirely as a passive trap, which- with no other threat in existence- is easily avoided. However, once you're trying to fight a squad of Goblins or Kobolds across it, it becomes that much deadlier.
#2 boarstorm May 01, 2008 11:42:35	Three things: 1) Light blue on (off)white? Bad. It's barely legible. I had to highlight the trap in order to read it. 2) The XP value seems pretty high, for such low damage and small effective area. Even the slowest party member will be able to scamper through to the other side in a single move action. Heck, if they played it right, they could even force the goblins or kobolds to cross the blades to get to them, turning the trap into an advantage. 3) I'm not sure about the "saving throw" mechanic, here. Just a random 50% (well, 45%) determination regardless of training seems wonky for avoiding static blades. I'd probably go with something like acrobatics (at a low DC, so even those untrained in the skill have a decent chance of avoiding it). All that said, I like the concept but I think it could be jazzed up a bit. Maybe have a random chance any given round that the gears manage to actually thread together and the blades lurch a quick quarter rotation before settling again? Or if you get cut, there's a chance of contracting something akin to tetanus?
#3 kevinf May 01, 2008 13:42:53	I agree that the XP is probably a little high, I'd suggest 100 XP for this trap. I'd also suggest resolving the attack as an attack of about +2 vs Ref. If the idea of ignoring armor seems inappropriate, you could try resolving the attack against the higher of AC or Ref, but if you go that route, I'd bump the attack bonus up to at least +4 to give you something approaching a 50% hit rate for all but the most nimble or well armored characters.
#4 mercenary_pen May 01, 2008 17:34:19	Have changed color and dropped the XP a little... Have also refined the flavour text for the trap a little. I prefer the save or damage mechanic in this case, with the combat only proviso... This best reflects the fact that the PC has to focus on both the position of the blades and whatever they're fighting IMO. Having been literally blasted apart, this trap isn't going to suddenly start working again, but careful work could see it repaired into something MUCH nastier... In terms of RL mechanics, I'm thinking a big cog off the waterwheel meshing onto a much smaller one on the driveshaft, to give the blades maybe 1/2 revolutions per turn of combat... Anyone fancy posting their own trap ideas?
#5 countesskathleen May 06, 2008 6:35:54	Not a particular trap idea but I had some good experiences spicing up simple 10 foot pits by placing some vermin in them.