jgsugden
Legend
I've seen a lot of discussion in a variety of threads that discuss traps as a waste of time, a HP tax, or otherwise meaningless. I have a few suggestions for folks that find traps to be hard to use meaningfully in a game. I'm sure others have a few more.
Observant PCs: Before I start on the advice about how to make traps meaningful, I will start by addressing how to make them meaningless in a fun way. 5E has some options in it that can make the location of a trap an effortless process. The right feat, class ability and ability score combination can make it nearly impossible for a PC to miss seeing a nasty trap. DMs are often frustrated that the party has nothing to fear from their traps. I believe that is the wrong mentality. The PCs can easily find these traps because a player devoted resources to being able to spot them. If a player devoted resources to something, we should reward that expenditure by making their abilities sound heroic. Don't stop including traps just because they can spot them - continue to include them and play up the moment when the PC finds the traps... and as discussed below, finding a trap doesn't always mean that the trap is of no concern.
Avoid Isolated Traps: A trap that is located by itself with no other threats nearby is often triggered and then negated by a rest. The PC that springs a spiked log trap in the jungle will take a few hps damage, but will heal it up by resting before the ne]xt combat. Instead, place traps near encounters that will be triggered when the trap goes off. That means that any effects for the trap have to be dealt with during the context of the battle.
Avoid Flat HP Traps: A trap should do something more than just deal damage. It should create a challenge for the PC to overcome. A pit trap, chute, revolving wall or teleporting trap isolates PCs from their allies. Quicksand traps the PCs in place until they can be rescued or can escape. An alarm spell lures in extra enemies into a battle. Domination pits allies against allies. Slimes, oozes and puddings might destroy equipment. Make sure your traps do more than just HP damage... although ones that deal damage until you take an action to counter them (light someone on fire until an action is spent to put them out) can be fun.
Located Traps are Features: Once a trap is located, it is not negated - it becomes a feature of the location. If a combat takes place in the room, the participants can use the trap as part of the combat. Shoving an enemy into a pit can be a great moment in a battle.
The Three Trap Issues: Traps require three events to be fully handled. They must be located, understood and disarmed. A perception roll is often required to locate a trap, but it is not always required if the trap is obvious. Understanding a trap lets players know how a trap works. Simple traps like a pit might require no roll to understand, but a complex trap might require an investigation, arcana, or other role to understand how it works. Once someone knows how a trap works, a roll will be required to disarm the trap (if the PCs do not just decide to bypass it and leave it armed).
Requiring three rolls for every trap is likely a mistake as probability will make it unlikely for a PC to be able to handle a trap. A 70% chance to spot, 70% chance to understand and 70% chance to disarm would result in a just under a 1 in 3 chance of being able to spot, understand and disarm a trap. Instead, pick 1 or 2 rolls for most traps and require 3 rolls only for traps that are major features - and make sure you understand the math behind the traps to make sure that the three required rolls are something the PCs can handle. When you do have three rolls, consider having a good success on one roll give advantage to a subsequent roll. A very good perception roll could give you advantage on a roll to understand the trap, and a good result on understanding the trap might give you advantage when trying to disarm it.
Give the Traps Personality: Someone setting a trap wants an enemy to fall for it. They'll use their best efforts to make it a challenge. Make sure you know which enemy made the trap and try to put yourself in their shoes when they make it. What would they be trying to achieve? What tools do they have to disguise the trap? What could they do to make it harder to avoid the trap? If you consider these things, the traps start to give more personality to the dungeon/setting.
Anyone else have any other suggestions?
Observant PCs: Before I start on the advice about how to make traps meaningful, I will start by addressing how to make them meaningless in a fun way. 5E has some options in it that can make the location of a trap an effortless process. The right feat, class ability and ability score combination can make it nearly impossible for a PC to miss seeing a nasty trap. DMs are often frustrated that the party has nothing to fear from their traps. I believe that is the wrong mentality. The PCs can easily find these traps because a player devoted resources to being able to spot them. If a player devoted resources to something, we should reward that expenditure by making their abilities sound heroic. Don't stop including traps just because they can spot them - continue to include them and play up the moment when the PC finds the traps... and as discussed below, finding a trap doesn't always mean that the trap is of no concern.
Avoid Isolated Traps: A trap that is located by itself with no other threats nearby is often triggered and then negated by a rest. The PC that springs a spiked log trap in the jungle will take a few hps damage, but will heal it up by resting before the ne]xt combat. Instead, place traps near encounters that will be triggered when the trap goes off. That means that any effects for the trap have to be dealt with during the context of the battle.
Avoid Flat HP Traps: A trap should do something more than just deal damage. It should create a challenge for the PC to overcome. A pit trap, chute, revolving wall or teleporting trap isolates PCs from their allies. Quicksand traps the PCs in place until they can be rescued or can escape. An alarm spell lures in extra enemies into a battle. Domination pits allies against allies. Slimes, oozes and puddings might destroy equipment. Make sure your traps do more than just HP damage... although ones that deal damage until you take an action to counter them (light someone on fire until an action is spent to put them out) can be fun.
Located Traps are Features: Once a trap is located, it is not negated - it becomes a feature of the location. If a combat takes place in the room, the participants can use the trap as part of the combat. Shoving an enemy into a pit can be a great moment in a battle.
The Three Trap Issues: Traps require three events to be fully handled. They must be located, understood and disarmed. A perception roll is often required to locate a trap, but it is not always required if the trap is obvious. Understanding a trap lets players know how a trap works. Simple traps like a pit might require no roll to understand, but a complex trap might require an investigation, arcana, or other role to understand how it works. Once someone knows how a trap works, a roll will be required to disarm the trap (if the PCs do not just decide to bypass it and leave it armed).
Requiring three rolls for every trap is likely a mistake as probability will make it unlikely for a PC to be able to handle a trap. A 70% chance to spot, 70% chance to understand and 70% chance to disarm would result in a just under a 1 in 3 chance of being able to spot, understand and disarm a trap. Instead, pick 1 or 2 rolls for most traps and require 3 rolls only for traps that are major features - and make sure you understand the math behind the traps to make sure that the three required rolls are something the PCs can handle. When you do have three rolls, consider having a good success on one roll give advantage to a subsequent roll. A very good perception roll could give you advantage on a roll to understand the trap, and a good result on understanding the trap might give you advantage when trying to disarm it.
Give the Traps Personality: Someone setting a trap wants an enemy to fall for it. They'll use their best efforts to make it a challenge. Make sure you know which enemy made the trap and try to put yourself in their shoes when they make it. What would they be trying to achieve? What tools do they have to disguise the trap? What could they do to make it harder to avoid the trap? If you consider these things, the traps start to give more personality to the dungeon/setting.
Anyone else have any other suggestions?
