I just got done reading that 4 page/~60 post thread about trapmaster from a month or so ago. I have decided that arguing with some people is a pointless and very fruitless venture. For this reason, I want to word my question/thoughts very carefully. I will give you a relatively brief explination as to my conclusions first. The I shall pose my true question. If you do not agree with my conclusions, that's fine. But, I don't really care. Please keep your "rule interpretations" to yourself for this. I only want to discuss the question at the end of this post. Thank you.

My conclusions

I have decided that the Trapmaster card would apply to ALL trap cards except for Paralyzing Gas. Whether it's the card that deals damage, an attack by a "possesed" hero that results in damage being dealt, or some freekish-spell-enchanted-chest-that-hits-like-a-beastman that deals the damage is irrelevant in my eyes. Damage (or wounds, or any other wording you want to substitute) is the result of a Trap Card being played. So, if the card says "Trap" at the top (under the title), the card costs one less threat to play AND every damage-dealing effect of that card (even potentially several turns later in the case of Mimic) gets a +2 bonus to it. The only exception to this is Paralyzing Gas. It still receives a decreased threat cost, since it is a Trap Card, but the +2 damage is not added as this card clearly is not a "Trap card that deals damage". This is the only exception. If you don't agree, please keep your opinions on this matter to yourself for the purposes of this thread

My question

For the purposes of Crushing Block, Explosive Door, Explosive Rune, and the like (cards that can have the damage reduced by rolling a certain number of black power dice), is the +2 damage bonus from the Trapmaster card unavoidable? That is, will any affected heroes take an automatic 2 damage or do they roll additional black power dice to be able to potentially reduce all damage to zero?

If the heroes take an 2 unavoidable damage from these types of cards, would it be feasable to say that this +2 damage is unavoidable for Spiked Pits as well?

If we're going with the premise that traps that deal damage deal two more, and traps that don't deal damage still don't do damage, then I think the most reasonable thing to say would be that the cards you listed each work exactly as written, except the damage number is increased by 2. Thus, Crushing Block deals 6 (instead of 4) damage, reduced by 1 for each surge rolled on 4 black dice (as normal), and Spiked Pit deals 4 damage (instead of 2) unless the hero rolls a blank on one black die.

If you tried to view the bonus damage as being a separate thing that didn't follow the same damage rules/restrictions as the normal damage done by the trap, then you'd probably have to say that the bonus damage doesn't ignore armor (since Trapmaster doesn't say it automatically does, and not ignoring armor is the default), which means it would probably be negated most of the time.

Antistone said:

+1

Antistone said:

+1 for this part. Exactly how we play.

It is always nice to be able to transform your chest into a beastman, which attacks and deals another 2 damage on top of its "normal" attack

Shmoozer said:

The mimic chest probably shouldn't be affected by trapmaster....but it's still up for review and discussion.

Thundercles said:

The OP also specifically requested that this thread NOT be turned into a debate about that.