Traps & Find Traps

A common staple of every dungeon is the trap. Many traps are simple, such as concealed pits in the floor or large, suspended dead weights that will fall down and crush any characters beneath. These types can sometimes be detected by a character passing over
or past the device. Usually, though, a character is unaware he has even encountered one unless he accidentally triggers it.

For these simple pits and dead weights a roll of 1 or 2 on a d6 indicates that the trap was sprung. The deeper the pit or heavier the weight, the more damage is done; 1d6 for each 10’ fallen, or 1d6 per 50 pounds of weight dropped upon the victim.

Some traps will be large enough to affect more than one member of the party. The GM should determine if this is the case and decide which character springs the trap based on the party’s actions. The GM may allow a saving throw for those characters who are caught in the area of effect but who did not actually trigger the device. A successful save indicates they either avoided the trap or sustained only half damage as a result.

More complex traps include spears or darts that shoot out of hidden mechanisms set into walls, or nets that drop from above, or any number of other devious devices. Each must be designed by the GM, with appropriate damage assigned accordingly.

The Thief Skills table lists a percentage for Find/Disarm Traps, but other characters can use a simple Find Traps roll on a d6. The character detects a trap on a roll of 1.

 

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