Page 124 - DnD 5e - Xanathar's Guide to Everything

DEFEATING COMPLEX TRAPS another character's way and disrupt the effort. Once a
A complex trap is never defeated with a single check. In- character succeeds on a check, another character can't
stead, each successful check foils some part of it or de- attempt the same check against the same trap element
grades its performance. Each element of the trap must until the end of the successful character's next turn.
be overcome individually to defeat the trap as a whole. Not all of the characters' options need to be focused
As part of determining how your trap can be over- on stopping a trap from operating. Think of what charac-
come, look at your map and consider where the cha rac- ters can do to mitigate or avoid a trap's effects. Making
ters must be located to attempt an action that can foil the trap vulnerable to this sort of effort is a way to en-
part of the trap. As a rule, the characters should need to gage characters who might be ill-suited to confront the
be near or adjacent to an element to have a chance of af- trap directly. A successful Intelligence (Religion) check
fecting it. An element can be designed so that it protects might provide insight into the imagery displayed by a
itself. A fighter might be able to break a whirling blade, trap in a temple or sh rine, giving other characters a clue
but moving close enough to attack it requires giving the about how and where to direct their effor ts. A character
blade a chance to strike. could stand in front of a dart trap while holding a s hield
What methods are effective against your trap? Obvi- that the darts can target harmlessly, while other charac-
ous candidates a re activities covered by the same sorts ters trigger that element as they work to disable it.
of checks used to defeat s imple traps, but use your
knowledge of the trap's design to identify other options. DOWNTIME REVISITED
A valve that leaks poison gas into a room can be stopped It's possible for the cha racters to start a campaign at 1st
up. A statue that emits a deadly aura can be pushed over level, dive into an epic story, a nd reach 10th level and
and smashed. Attacks, spells, and special abilities can beyond in a short amount of game time. Although that
all play a role in undermining a trap.
pace works fine for many campaigns, some DMs prefer
Leave room for improvisation by the characters. Don't a campa ign story with pauses built into it-times when
create a few predetermined solutions and wait for the adventurers are not going on adventures. T he downtime
players to figure out the right approach. If you under- rules given in this section can be used as alternatives to
stand the mechanism behind how a trap works, that the approach in the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon
makes it much easier for you to respond to the players' Master's Guide, or you can use the material here to in-
ideas. If a character wants to try something you haven't
spire the creation of your own options.
allowed for, pick an ability, assess the chance of suc-
By engaging the characters in downtime activities that
cess, and ask for a roll. take weeks or even months to complete, you can give
Shutting down one part of a complex trap usually your campaign a longer time line- one in which events
requires multiple successes. As a default, it takes three
in the world play out over years. Wars begin and end, ty-
successful checks or actions to disable an element. The
rants come and go, and royal lines rise and fall over the
first successful check might reduce the element's saving course of the story that you and the characters tell.
throw DC or attack bonus. The second successful check Downtime rules also provide ways for characters to
might halve the element's damage, and the final suc- spend-or be relieved of- the monetary treasure they
cessful check shuts it down. amass on their adventures.
For elements that don't attack, allow each successful
The system presented here consists of two elements.
check to reduce that element's effectiveness by one- First, it introduces the concept of rivals. Second, it de-
third. A lock's DC is decreased, or a gate opens wide tails a number of downtime activities that characters
enough to allow a Small character to squeeze through can undertake.
it. A mechanism pumping poison gas into the room be-
comes defective, causing the gas's damage to increase
RIVALS
more s lowly or not at all.
It takes time to disable a complex trap. Three charac- Rivals are NPCs who oppose the characters and make
ters can't make checks in rapid s uccession to disarm a their presence felt whenever the characters are engag-
complex trap in a matter of seconds. Each would get in ing in downtime. A rival might be a villain you have
featured in past adventures or plan to use in the future.
Rivals can also include good or neutral folk who are at
C OMP LEX TRAPS AND L EGEN D ARY M O NST ERS
odds with' the characters, whether because they have
A complex trap is like a legendary monster in some ways.
It has several tricks it can use on its turn, and it remains opposing goals or they simply dislike one another. The
a threat throughout the round, not just on its turn. The cultist of Orcus whose plans the characters have foiled,
trap's active elements are like a legendary creature's nor- the ambitious merchant prince who wants to rule the
mal actions, and its constant elements are equivalent to city with an iron fist, and the nosy high priest of Helm
legendary actions-except they are tied to specific areas in who is convinced the cha racters are up to no good are
the trapped room. all examples of rivals.
Although a legendary creature can move, improvise A rival's agenda changes over time. Though the char-
actions, and so forth, a trap is set to a specific script-an acters engage in downtime only between adventures,
aspect that has the potential to make a complex trap stale their rivals rarely rest, continuing to spin plots and work
and predictable. That's where dynamic elements come in. against the characters even when the characters are off
They keep the players on their toes and make dealing with
a complex trap feel like a challenging, evolving situation. doing something else.

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON .MAST.ER'S TOOLS