Rogues and the Alarm Spell

[sir_ollibolli]

So, actually when the rogue succeeded and the party went through, the Alarm spell is still active for others... or for the party when they return.

I'd suggest otherwise: Alarm is a dismissable Spell. The rogue emulates the spellcaster's "signature" to dismiss this spell. This way the Alarm is disabled.

Edit: Spalling errorrrrs

 

[rrealm]

So, actually when the rogue succeeded and the party went through, the Alarm spell is still active for others... or for the party when they return.

I'd suggest otherwise: Alarm is a dismissable Spell. The rogue emulates the spellcaster's "signature" to dismiss this spell. This way the Alarm is disabled.

Edit: Spalling errorrrrs

I'm sold on the idea.

 

[Amal Shukup]

So, actually when the rogue succeeded and the party went through, the Alarm spell is still active for others... or for the party when they return.

I'd suggest otherwise: Alarm is a dismissable Spell. The rogue emulates the spellcaster's "signature" to dismiss this spell. This way the Alarm is disabled.

I'd suggest, assuming the Rogue beat the Spell Trap DC by 10 or more, that whether the Trap was disabled or left active behind would be up to the Rogue... He might prefer not to dismiss it altogether in order to give no evidence of his passage. Merely beating the DC is sufficient for simply disabling the trap.

I'd also suggest, although I'm going a bit out on a limb here (not too far, but I have no direct citation), that the Rogue could now bypass that particular Trap at will - having completely mastered it (as represented by beating the DC by such a margin).

A'Mal

 

[Vaxalon]

* Perhaps there is a supernatural or quasi-magical aspect to the Rogue's trapfinding ability? I think not, but it could provide sufficient justification for a 'handwaving'.​

Why not?

Makes perfect sense to me.

A fighter who can fire five arrows in six seconds certainly is doing something beyond what we expect a human to be able to do.

Evasion is just as extraordinary.

 

[Majere]

So, actually when the rogue succeeded and the party went through, the Alarm spell is still active for others... or for the party when they return.

I'd suggest otherwise: Alarm is a dismissable Spell. The rogue emulates the spellcaster's "signature" to dismiss this spell. This way the Alarm is disabled.

Edit: Spalling errorrrrs

I quite like that.
A rogue who disarms the trap works out how to dismiss the spell.
A rogue who beats the DC by 10 or more works out the password as well, allowing him to simply bypass the spell (As with bypassing mundane traps)

Of course this explanation works better for alarm than for say glyphs, but the basic mechanics are there for a almost sensible explanation

Majere

 

[krazykid]

So what every mage wants ...

Is an alarm spell that provides a conformation that it is still active. Say a mental single ping every 5 mins. Thus if an alarm was disabled by a rogue then the mage would know that the alarm was found and disabled. The rogue would then be best in such cases to try and by-pass the alarm.

Of-course if the mage was trying to sleep or concentrate a single ping could become annoying over time - with the right magic spells there could be an overnight service industry for alarm monitoring being created

 

[anon]

If my rogue has a weakness such that she is injured by any sound louder than a whisper, does the Alarm now qualify as a TRAP since I will be hurt if it goes off? Where is the reference in the rules to physical damage being a necessary component of a trap?

All lines of questioning that start with "how would she disarm..." are, IMHO, irrelevant. We don't ask that the specifics of any trap disarming be detailed--only that a certain DC be met. I agree that it is difficult to put our heads around the idea that a rogue can disarm some magical traps, but by the rules they can. If we accept that they can, then I don't think the HOW part is relevant. We certainly don't ask "How, specifically, do you cast Alarm?" of the wizard.


editted due to small typo

 

[RigaMortus]

The only problem I have is the fact that you are giving a Skill (Disable Device) the ability of a 3rd level spell (Dispel Magic) by allowing one to completely Disable the Alarm spell. Bypassing it (which I equate to temporarily turning the Alarm spell of for the Rogue and his party to pass) seems a bit more restrictive, because the spell is still active and if they want to pass through that area again, he'll have to reroll his Disable Device check again. Yet, it is weird since bypassing is HARDER to do than completely disabling it. In most cases this makes sense to me, but not in this case. I guess I shouldn't be too hung up on it since, well that is what Rogues do, Disable Traps.

 

[Majere]

The only problem I have is the fact that you are giving a Skill (Disable Device) the ability of a 3rd level spell (Dispel Magic) by allowing one to completely Disable the Alarm spell. Bypassing it (which I equate to temporarily turning the Alarm spell of for the Rogue and his party to pass) seems a bit more restrictive, because the spell is still active and if they want to pass through that area again, he'll have to reroll his Disable Device check again. Yet, it is weird since bypassing is HARDER to do than completely disabling it. In most cases this makes sense to me, but not in this case. I guess I shouldn't be too hung up on it since, well that is what Rogues do, Disable Traps.

But rogues already get the ability to "dispel" other magical traps such as glyphs so this is a non-issue.
besides if you couldnt find and disable alarm spells, rogues would be useless, people would just put the bloody things everywhere, not like first level spells cost much to have cast for you.
Its a 1st level spell for (insert deity here) sake. This thing should be of equivalent power as sleep or magic missile. Not a super-dooper spell.

Majere