Page 114 - Xanathar's Guide To Everything

TRAPS REVISITED the location of the trigger and the activity that causes
the trap to activate.
The rules for traps in the Dungeon Master’s Guide pro- Effect. A trap’s effect occurs after it activates. The
vide the basic information you need to manage traps trap might fire a dart, unleash a cloud of poison gas,
at the game table. The material here takes a different, cause a hidden enclosure to open, and so on. This en—
more elaborate approach—describing traps in terms of try specifies what the trap targets, its attack bonus or
their game mechanics and offering guidance on creating saving throw DC, and what happens on a hit or a failed
traps of your own using these new rules. saving throw.
Rather than characterize traps as mechanical or magi- Countermeasures. Traps can be detected or defeated
cal, these rules separate traps into two other categories: in a variety of ways by using ability checks or magic.
simple and complex. This entry in a trap’s description gives the means for
counteracting the trap. It also specifies what happens, if
SIMPLE TRAPS anything, on a failed attempt to disable it.
A simple trap activates and is thereafter harmless or RUNNING A SIMPLE TRAP
easily avoided. A hidden pit dug at the entrance of a
goblin lair, a poison needle that pops from a lock, and To prepare for using a simple trap in play, start by mak—
a crossbow rigged to fire when an intruder steps on a ing note of the characters’ passive Wisdom (Perception)
pressure plate are all simple traps. scores. Most traps allow Wisdom (Perception) checks
to detect their triggers or other elements that can tip off
ELEMENTS or A SIMPLE TRAP their presence. If you stop to ask players for this infor-
The description of a simple trap begins with a line that mation, they might suspect a hidden danger.
gives the trap’s level and the severity of the threat it When a trap is triggered, apply its effects as specified
poses. Following a general note on what the trap looks in its description.
like and how it functions are three paragraphs that tell If the characters discover a trap, be open to adjudicat-
how the trap works in the game. ing their ideas for defeating it. The trap’s description is
Level and Threat. A trap’s level is actually a range of a starting point for countermeasures, rather than a com-
levels, equivalent to one of the tiers of play (levels 1—4, plete definition.
5—10, 11-46, and 17—20), indicating the appropriate time To make it easier for you to describe what happens
to use the trap in your campaign. Additionally, each trap next, the players should be specific about how they want
poses either a moderate, dangerous, or deadly threat, to defeat the trap. Simply stating the desire to make a
based on its particular details. check isn’t helpful for you. Ask the players where their
Trigger. A simple trap activates when an event occurs characters are positioned and what they intend to do to
that triggers it. This entry in a trap’s description gives defeat the trap.