How do you handle: Set Snare, Man Traps, etc. ?

[John Crichton]

Hello all. This is a topic I raised at the WOTC boards but only got a few responses (thread is here). I was wondering what any of you do for this situation.

Anyone remember the old 2E proficiency: set snares?

Well, I ran into an interesting question from a player in my latest session. He wants to make a trap (basically a rope snare) to catch/incapacitate a creature (man sized). Looking through the PHB and even Song & Silence I could only come up with a few solutions.

Wilderness Lore could fit the bill, but that's mostly used for smaller creatures and the like (not humanoids). The Craft (trapmaking) skill could also apply, but that doesn't really go with what the ranger would be doing. That skill seems to be more geared towards mechanics (gears, pulleys, etc.).

I finally just said that since craft can be used untrained that he could make a base craft check +2 (for 5 ranks in Wilderness Lore) if he only used items found in a natural (in this case a forest) setting.

So, I ask: What do you all do for things like setting non-deadly traps and the like?

Any help with this is greatly appreciated as the campaign I'm running now deals with a ton of ranger-esque & forest settings.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

First, there's advice on crafting traps in Song and Silence. It also tells you how you affect the Search and Disable Device DCs.

You could, of course, create a new skill: Set Trap (Dex). (maybe it can also have Int as key ability score). If you have 5 or more ranks in Disable Device, you get a +2 synergy to Set Trap.

With that skill, you can create the usual traps: snares, pitfalls, and the like. You'd need a trap kit (or a masterwork trap kit, which gives a +2 bonus on the check) and other appropriate material: if you want to cover a hole with twigs and foliage (or dirt), you'll need a hole and foliage and the like, if you want to set a snare, you need rope or vines about.

Your Set Trap check is opposed by the other's Search check. If the other one succeeds, he discovers the trap. From there, there should be no problem disarming the trap, so no Disable Device check is needed.