So, I've been running a very trap-heavy dungeon for the past few weeks in my campaign, and I have rogues with pretty ridiculous DD scores. However, a large number of my traps use proximity (alarm) triggers, and, I got to thinking, "how does a rogue manage to disable an entirely spell based trap that fires when he gets close?"
I ultimately decided they couldn't, but they got an extra save to avoid the effects (acid arrow traps, for the most part), but I'm curious if anyone else has ideas on how to handle this?
So, I've been running a very trap-heavy dungeon for the past few weeks in my campaign, and I have rogues with pretty ridiculous DD scores. However, a large number of my traps use proximity (alarm) triggers, and, I got to thinking, "how does a rogue manage to disable an entirely spell based trap that fires when he gets close?"
Just as a modern rogue might know how to bypass an electronic alarm or fingerprint ID device (without knowing how to build one), a rogue in a magical land might know how to detect and bypass magical traps.
"You see those lines in the dust I scattered? They mean there's something magical about the doorframe! Pour some of your muscatel on the floor there: That should obscure the sensory glyph long enough for us to slip past!"
Magical systems might have vulnerable points, just as real-world systems do.
So, I've been running a very trap-heavy dungeon for the past few weeks in my campaign, and I have rogues with pretty ridiculous DD scores. However, a large number of my traps use proximity (alarm) triggers, and, I got to thinking, "how does a rogue manage to disable an entirely spell based trap that fires when he gets close?"
I ultimately decided they couldn't, but they got an extra save to avoid the effects (acid arrow traps, for the most part), but I'm curious if anyone else has ideas on how to handle this?
Per the book, you could assume the trap is mechanical in reading the proximity of any creatures. Which even states it is simply reading changes in the air. Assuming a character knows this, while difficult it wouldn't be impossible to disable, it would simply take a great deal of time as any movement, would have to be laboriously slow, and the DC to disable it (in my mind) would be considerably higher due to needing to watch your EVERY possible move.
I always thought that disabling a magical trap ought to involve both a DD check and a UMD check, due to the magical nature.
I don't know about UMD check, in this particular case, because if you get down to it, unless it is a spell that is acting like the proximity sensor, as oppose to the book's description of it being a mechanical device, then simply by disabling the section of the trap which senses proximity, the trap would no longer work. The spell which activates when the sensor goes off would still be active and sitting there but it would ultimately never be triggered.
Additionally, you would need to disable any other possible triggers on the device, but that goes back to the single disable device check.
It goes to disabling a bomb generally you are not disarming the explosive material rather you are disarming the fuse, or trigger, etc... but typically the explosive material is just as dangerous as it was just now it won't go off.
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It's almost like asking how a rogue can identify explosive runes without reading them (and, thereby setting them off). If the book says they can do it, then they can do it. Why allow a rogue to have the ability to disable magical traps if magical traps are designed not to be disabled? Seems counter-intuitive to me
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So, I've been running a very trap-heavy dungeon for the past few weeks in my campaign, and I have rogues with pretty ridiculous DD scores. However, a large number of my traps use proximity (alarm) triggers, and, I got to thinking, "how does a rogue manage to disable an entirely spell based trap that fires when he gets close?"Just as a modern rogue might know how to bypass an electronic alarm or fingerprint ID device (without knowing how to build one), a rogue in a magical land might know how to detect and bypass magical traps.
"You see those lines in the dust I scattered? They mean there's something magical about the doorframe! Pour some of your muscatel on the floor there: That should obscure the sensory glyph long enough for us to slip past!"
Magical systems might have vulnerable points, just as real-world systems do.
Good explanation.
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Make it double trouble. Check out the white cat article on KQ: koboldquarterly.com.
Disabling a device consists of examining a fairly simple or fairly small mechanical device and disabling it.
I would say a way around around rogues auto disarming traps would be to have disable divice check alowing them to examine the trap you describing to them how they see it working, The higher the check the better the description. Be it by air preasure changes, or preasure plates, wires runing to the door yatta... effectivly enough for them to logicaly find a means to disable it and then they RP or explain what they plan to do to disable it. The group could also join in to help if as assists. ofcourse this would be tiresome on every trap but it could be a way to work in traps that are not just skiped through based on not rolling a nat 1.
ps... my mad plans confuse my groups socks off. but i reacon that makes sence.
I've always imagined that they're selectively erasing the glyphs used to set the traps - the equivalent of cutting the blue wire or the red wire.
I've always imagined that they're selectively erasing the glyphs used to set the traps - the equivalent of cutting the blue wire or the red wire.
Yup. Either this or drawing a line/smudge/paint over/through the right rune at the right place... and a failed roll being that "that was the wrong rune".