Disable Device after trap is triggered (Crypt of the Everflame)

[MyOwnMusician]

I'm the GM for my Crypt of the Everflame sessions. Having gone through the room with the Pillar of 1,000 Arrows and finding it difficult to describe how our rogue disabled the pillar, this is my question: Is it possible to Disable Device for traps that have already been triggered?

For this trap, the trigger is the door opening to the room. If it's triggered, and the pillar rotates and begins shooting the arrows, how would it be disabled? Closing the door does not stop it, of course. It doesn't make much sense that there would be a way to disable it.

I'm very new to GM'ing. So, although I know I can just call it as I see it, doing that doesn't really teach me the real game mechanics.

[Chakat Firepaw]

MyOwnMusician wrote:

I'm the GM for my Crypt of the Everflame sessions. Having gone through the room with the Pillar of 1,000 Arrows and finding it difficult to describe how our rogue disabled the pillar, this is my question: Is it possible to Disable Device for traps that have already been triggered?

I see no reason that you couldn't disable a device with an ongoing effect while it is in operation. At least not in general, there isn't much you can do about that giant stone wheel rolling down the corridor, (but at least there is an alcove to hide in¹).

Quote:

For this trap, the trigger is the door opening to the room. If it's triggered, and the pillar rotates and begins shooting the arrows, how would it be disabled? Closing the door does not stop it, of course. It doesn't make much sense that there would be a way to disable it.

Well, a successful check could represent getting access to the door end of the mechanism and pulling back on the release to force the catch back into place. A success by a margin of less that 10 would mean that doing so jammed it solidly, (requiring repair for it to work again), 10 or more being done just right to turn it off without breaking anything, (allowing it to be reset or simply rearmed with whatever duration is remaining).

You might also rule that the character has to go up to the pillar to jam it there, with the movement time considered part of the time required.

1: Bonus points for those who know why this won't work, at least for the warriors and clerics.

[PokeyCA]

Once the rogue gets next to the pillar, they can attempt to disable the pillar. However, they are still subject to the attacks from the pillar during this time. The pillar can be disabled because it is an ongoing trap for 10 rounds. An easy way to describe it is that the rogue figured out how to stop the rotation of the pillar, therefore the arrows stop firing from it.

[thorin001]

If you don't worry about picturing how a wizard turns bat crap into a fireball you should not worry about picturing how a rogue disables a trap.

While it should be theoretically possible to disable an ongoing effect in practice it is not. Disabling a trap takes 2d4 rounds without some sort of talent.

[MyOwnMusician]

Thank you!