Rogues identifying magical traps

[Haunted_Leg]

I was wondering if there are any rules for rogues regarding magical traps. Rogues are specifically noted as being able to disable magical traps with the trapfinding class feature. My questions are as follows and assumes a rogue with no magical skills, only skills with traps.

1) Can a rogue identify runes or other magical traces as being part of a trap? If so, what kind of skill roll would this be?

2) Are rogues able to determine anything about magical traps? Such as the trigger mechanism or range/radius of the effect? If so, what kind of skill roll would this be?

3) Can rogues determine what spell is on a magical trap? Either vaguely like "a blast effect" or "summons something" or specific like the exact spell. What kind of skill roll would this be?

Thank you for any and all help!

[dragonhunterq]

1&2) Perception discovers traps and parts of traps such as trigger mechanisms and should also tell you the range/radius (if the perception check is high enough, taking into account the -1/10' they may be within the triggering radius before they spot it*).

3) Identifying the effect probably requires a know (arcana) check.

*the rules are not particularly clear, it is possible that the outer edge of the radius counts as part of the trap and no penalty to the perception check applies. Both are legitimate interpretations of the rules.

[Nefreet]

You would need detect magic and Spellcraft to accurately identify exactly what the trap is. This is the utility of the Minor Magic Rogue Talent.

It's really up to the GM to dictate what a Rogue can glean from a trap otherwise, but regardless it should have no impact on the Rogue's ability to detect and disarm said trap.

[Haunted_Leg]

Thank you. I figured it might be one of those DM discretion areas.

I personally am of the opinion that rogues should be able to use perception to determine range/radius and trigger with perception. But have had others rule that knowing that would require spellcraft (DC of the trap, so 25 + spell level).

I also have had some rule that magical traps cannot be bypassed by a rogue without either high spellcraft or dispel magic because the rogue doesn't know magic so doesn't know how to interact with the trap.

I know it specifies with mechanical traps that if you beat the DC by 5 or more your know aspects of what the trap does, but I wasn't sure if there was an equivalent for magical traps.

Just looking to see if there had been anything I had missed in the rules.

[Nefreet]

Nothing you missed. I think it's intentionally ambiguous so GMs can have freedom to rule how they wish.