Many of the places where your adventurers will go may be laced with traps to deter (or kill) would-be thieves, spies, and assassins.
Traps may be triggered in a number of ways and may have various effects; a few examples are given over the next few topics, but many gamesmasters will prefer to invent their own death-dealing devices. Inventing traps is part of the fun of being a GM. Use traps with care, though - the fun can go out of the game very quickly if the adventurers are constantly being wiped out by a sucession of fiendish traps.
Activating A Trap[]
Traps can be activated in several ways. Characters treading on a pressure plate, pulling a disguised lever, etc., may activate the trap.
However, the gamesmaster should assume that characters are being reasonably careful. So long as they are moving no faster than cautious rate, they can avoid the effects of a trap by making a successful I test. Characters moving at standard rate have a -10% modifier on this test, while the penalty rises up to -20% for characters who are running.
Characters with Spot Trap skill may modify the test by +10%. There can also be a -20% modifier if the trap was set by someone with Set Trap skill.
Booby-Traps[]
Booby-traps are small-scale traps, usually connected to chest lids, locks, clasps, handles, etc. Common devices include poisoned spikes or darts, contact poisons applied to handles, or poisonous gases made to billow forth as a lid is opened.
Booby-traps can be avoided by a successful I test, if the character is reasonably careful (otherwise, the GM may impose a -10% or even a -20% modifier). Characters with Spot Trap skill add 10% to their dice roll; again there can also be a -20% modifier if the trap was set by someone with Set Trap skill.
Characters with Spot Trap skill can spot a booby-trap after a successful Search test. Unlike larger traps, booby-traps can be disarmed by characters who max a successful Dex test.
Summary Of Traps[]
- Characters moving at the Cautious Rate avoid activating a trap, following a successful I test.
- Characters moving at the Standard Rate avoid activating a trap, following a successful I test with a -10% modifier.
- Characters moving at the Running Rate avoid activating a trap, following a successful I test with a -20% modifier.
- Booby-traps can be avoided, following a successful I test, or disarmed by characters with Spot Trap skill, following a successful Dex test.
- Spot Trap skill adds a +10% modifier to tests to avoid traps.
- -20% modifiers apply if the trap was set by a character with Set Trap skill.
Typical Triggers[]
Here are a few examples of ways in which traps can be activated:
Door: A simple catch or switch activates the trap as the door, hatch, etc., is opened.
Procedures: A set of procedures must be gone through in order to avoid setting off the trap. Such as: 1) Pull the lever on the left, 2) pull the lever on the right. Pulling them in the right order opens the door (or whatever) and pulling them in the wrong order activates the trap.
Sound: Any average/loud noise within a few yards will operate the trap - a sort of avalanche effect.
Stone Slab: A simple pressure-plate or a moving stone slab cleverly balanced to act as a trigger.
Trip-Wire: A simple trip-wire across a corridor.
Weight: In effect, a whole room or corridor which acts like a stone slab. The combined weight of two, three, or more creatures sets off the trap.
Typical Traps[]
Animal Trap: An animal trap is like a mantrap, but smaller and lighter. The jaws cause D6 damage as from a S 3 attack, on the victim's legs only.
Blocks: Passageways or doors are suddenly blocked by falling stone slabs, iron bars, sliding walls, etc.
Ceiling Lowers: Whole or part of the ceiling lowers and will crush anyone underneath within D6 rounds.
Chute: A chute opens underfoot like a pit and leads to new parts of an underground complex. Anyone falling down a chute may lose some or all of their equipment at the same time.
Deadfall: A block falls from the ceiling. Unless avoided, the block causes damage as from a S 4 attack.
Gas: Deadly gas billows out, flooding a 2 yard radius from the trap and spreading at the rate of 1 yard per round for D4 rounds. Poisonous gas causes D4 W irrespective of T modifiers, while other gases might blind for D6 game turns or cause unconsciousness. Gases can also cause victims to receive insanity points, increasing their chances of acquiring mental disorders.
Mantrap: The jaws of a mantrap cause damage as from a S 6 attack on the victim's leg and will probably cause injury in addtion.
Missile: An arrow, spear, or dart is poised to fire as soon as the trap is activated. Unless avoided, the missile causes damage as from a S 3 attack.
Pendulum: A swinging axe causes damage as from a S 4 attack.
Pit: The floor opens up revealing a pit five yards deep. Such pits can have spikes, in which case roll again to avoid the spikes or take damage from a S 3 attack in addition to falling damage.