I’ve been reworking Ch 2 of Reclaiming Blingdenstone, and
since there are kobolds involved, there are obviously a lot of traps.
Actually (as my 3-year-old would say) there aren’t a lot of
traps. There are basically just nets
that drop from the ceiling. Over and
over and over and C’MON PEOPLE. TRY A
BIT HARDER. There is also a pit trap and
some kobolds leaping out of holes in the walls!
Oh they are soooooo crafty.
But something is confusing me a bit with the checks involved
in traps. I also noticed this with the
secret doors in Chapter 3.
Let’s quote:
Falling Net Traps: Characters can attempt a DC 15 Wisdom check
to spot either the net stretched above the passage or one of the tripwires near
the floor. A character actively searching needs to make a DC 13 Intelligence
check instead. If a character finds anything, the adventurers can search to
find the three tripwires with three successful DC 13 Intelligence checks and
avoid the trap entirely.
I’m sorta OK with the DC 15 Wisdom check. It means that a rogue with find/remove traps
will find it automatically (take 10 and +6 bonus from +3 default and +3 trained
skill). Is that good? Less
rolling means more streamlined play… But
that means that all these traps are basically no threat to a party that
includes the pre-gens… Which it’s
assumed they will… Sure a lot of text
here for something that seems unlikely to ever threaten the party. But anyways, forging on.
What I don’t get is "3 successful DC 13 Intelligence
checks". Why are we switching back and
forth from Wis (useful for spotting things) to Int (useful for making you pretentious
to talk to at parties)? And why 3?
And why DC 13?
If the party has a rogue, these are found automatically
(Take 10 and +3 check default). If they
don’t have a rogue, they have to roll 3 times?
Why not just 1 roll with a DC of 15 to accommodate the fact that they
have to find 3 tripwires? More waste of
rolling, and why would the mage (generally speaking) be theoretically better at
finding tripwires than the rogue, who presumably does this in order to keep on
living? Makes no sense to me.
The whole thing is even worse in Chapter 3 with the secret
doors and pit traps:
A successful DC 15
Intelligence is required to find this secret door. A successful DC 13
Intelligence check made while searching
the wall at the end of the long alcove to the north reveals a pressure plate. Pressing
the plate causes the door to slide open. Otherwise, the door can be forced open
with a DC 17 Strength check, which breaks its mechanism.
WHY INT? Now the
rogue doesn’t find it automatically at least, but Int? I can see maybe the Int check to figure out
how the door opens. I like the idea of
the wizard glancing over, then saying offhand “l expect that the pressure plate
down at the end of the hall there opens the secret door. That or the elvish word for ‘friend’”, then
going back to doing whatever he was doing. But spotting it using Int makes no sense to
me.
The pit traps are even WORSE:
Anyone searching for
traps can find it with a DC 13 Intelligence check, and it can be jammed closed with
two DC 15 Dexterity checks. Otherwise, the trap triggers when a character
reaches the center of the hallway, dropping everyone in the hall into the pit.
Those who are near the outer edge can attempt a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to
leap to safety.
More INT checks. Was
this written by a different person? Are
they paying attention to their own rules?
Who can say? It’s like they don’t
even know about the find/remove traps skill.
And now we have moved to Dex checks to jam it? 2 of them?
Adding to the fun, on the map their appears to be a 10-foot walkway on
either side of the pit that isn’t included in the description… If you’re going to recycle maps, at least try
to pay attention to them.
It doesn’t do any good to bitch about this stuff if you don’t
try to fix it, so here are my alternative takes on traps and secret doors:
Pit Traps: This
hall contains a covered pit trap. The pit will be noticed with a DC 17 Wisdom
(or find/remote traps check). Anyone specifically
searching for traps can find it with a DC 13 Wisdom (or Find/Remove Traps) check,
and it can be jammed closed with a DC 15 Dexterity (or Find/Remove traps) check.
Otherwise, the trap triggers if 2 or more characters are standing on trapped squares, dropping everyone in the
hall into the pit. Those who are near the outer edge and are wearing light or
medium armor can attempt a Dexterity saving throw (Light armor DC 12, Medium DC
15) to leap to safety.
Secret Doors: A successful DC 17 Wisdom
check is required to notice this secret door.
Anyone specifically searching the hallway will find it with a DC 13 Wisdom
check. A successful DC 13 Wisdom or Int check
identifies a pressure plate at the end of the hallway that opens the door. Pressing
the plate causes the door to slide open. Otherwise, the door can be forced open
with a DC 17 Strength check, which breaks its mechanism.
Net Traps: Characters notice either the
net stretched above the passage or one of the tripwires near the floor with a
DC 17 Wisdom (or Find/remove traps) check. A character actively searching needs to make a
DC 13 check instead. If the trap is
noticed, a DC 15 Wisdom (or Find/remove traps) disarms the trap.
If a net
falls, characters in the twenty-foot diameter area of the net must make edge can
attempt a Dexterity saving throw (Light armor DC 8, Medium DC 10, Heavy DC 15) to
avoid being restrained beneath the net. A restrained character can cut the net with a
slashing weapon (2 rounds) or escape with a DC 13 Strength or Dexterity check
(1 round).
