This October, I've decided to give my players a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" experience, a multi-part adventure that includes lots of action, several cliff-hangers, exploration of ancient civilizations and at least one tomb complete with pitfalls and booby traps.

The question is, how to run the traps? I'm thinking of calling for a Perception check for each area of the tomb, regardless of whether or not it is trapped, just to keep the players on their toes. Failures & threats mean they're oblivious to signs of traps or they're looking at the wrong spot for traps...and then the trap itself. I was thinking of running it as a melee attack with a high damage of at least 10+successes to underscore the lethality of the trap, but I'm not sure. Another way would be to simply deliver said damage, which would work narratively, but it could discourage the players. I think part of the fun of springing a trap on players is giving the PCs that last little chance to evade it.

Has anyone tried to run traps? Does anyone have suggestions on how to stat them out?

Thanks!

Perhaps just have one of the traps use Perception to notice it, but have the others use differing Skills to avoid injury. Make the skill dependent on how the trap inflicts injury. That way more of the PCs can have fun dodging the traps instead of just the high perception character.

Don't do too many skill checks, only use them when they are important. Take a look at the section about various environmental hazards. Make the PCs work together in and out of the trap to disarm them. Take a page from Star Wars garbage room scene.

And for more ideas, try to find a game book series called "Grimtooth's Traps". So many lovely lovely death dealing ideas. And then scale them back seriously to avoid being tarred and feathered at your table.

Don't forget the wonderful resilience and coordination skills. The results of that dice pool could determine the results.

"Corrosive gas spills into the chamber." Failure means you suffer 7 strain, A threat means you are disoriented for a round, and each additional threat increases the duration for another round. It's a bit crunchy, but you get the point.

Some of the traps may also be avoided by attempting to dodge it altogether. The trash compactor, of course, was a trap, and it certainly inflicted strain before it had the chance to deliver physical wounds (even though it never did).

Grimtooth's traps is fun, but some of them are "you die" type of traps. Remember that in Indiana Jones, virtually all the traps were sprung in some way, but Indy had the opportunity to dogde/save/duck the danger.All traps would be triggered, but the heroes would have a chance to avoid them. The "minions" didn't, thereby losing their heads. I think incurring/inflicting strain is a good mechanic to keep it cinematic, in that it would come before any actual lethal damage were to come. It's the idea that in a play you never put a loaded gun on the stage without the gun being fired at some point during the play. Trigger the trap for the effect, but let the players use their opportunities to avoid it.

That's a good reason to use Vigilance listen to the skill monkey episode about it

That's a good reason to use Vigilance listen to the skill monkey episode about it

The entry for Perception also lists avoiding surprise for a trap. I think a trap could result in a number of checks. Perception to notice the trigger before you hit it. Vigilance to react after it's triggered. (essentially rolling initiative against the trap once it's sprung)

Example

Player: I go to the console across the control room.

GM: OK, you're going. Roll Perception (places a number of purples out for the difficulty)

Player: whew! One net success!

GM: "It's a trap!" (sorry, couldn't resist) One of the floor panels appears to have a seam around the edges. (pressure plate)

If the Perception had not yielded a net success, the PC would activate the plate, triggering wall mounted sentry blasters. He would then get a Vigilance Check to react. If there were no successes, but he got some advantage, it could mean he notices the floor "feels" different when he steps on the plate. Too late to stop the trap from springing, but allowing some boost dice in the Vigilance check.

Yes, you can use perception, I guess. But perception means actively looking, listening, etc. vigilance is non-active awareness which is why you use it for initiative when surprised.

Example 1: traveling through Tatooine and you have to go through a canyon. Player "this looks like a good place for an ambush, I look around before entering" = perception check.

Example 2: traveling through Tatoonie and tusken raiders pop out of the sand = vigilance check.

The Skill monkey episode explains it really well.

http://theskillmonkey.blogspot.com/2013/09/skill-monkey-hyper-vigilant.html

Yes, you can use perception, I guess. But perception means actively looking, listening, etc. vigilance is non-active awareness which is why you use it for initiative when surprised.

Example 1: traveling through Tatooine and you have to go through a canyon. Player "this looks like a good place for an ambush, I look around before entering" = perception check.

Example 2: traveling through Tatoonie and tusken raiders pop out of the sand = vigilance check.

The Skill monkey episode explains it really well.

http://theskillmonkey.blogspot.com/2013/09/skill-monkey-hyper-vigilant.html

Okay, that makes sense. So, I guess Perception would be more likely if it were, say, an old temple, and the player wanted to check a passageway before crossing.

p.s. listened to the Skill Monkey podcast. Brilliant!

I've listened to the Skill Monkey podcast, and it's a great idea. I also like being able to use coordination to not set off a trap if the players know it's there. Perception probably comes into play after the players inadvertantly trip the first trap...>

Having said that, I'm still at a loss for how to determine what kind of damage a trap would do. Let's say something like a spear trap or a dart trap that would do a certain amount of damage, but not kill the players.

Right now, here's my idea:

One player springs a trap where a row of spears pins him to the far wall. When he springs the trap, he has to roll Vigilance to try to get out of the way. The spear trap does a bad amount of damage--12 points, say. If the character succeeds at his Vigilance check, he takes no damage. Advantage can be spent to see how the trap mechanism works and possibly offer the character a boost die to seeing the next trap if he searches for it. Failure works like a reverse combat check--the character suffers 12 points of damage plus the number of failures rolled. Threat can be spent to disorient the character or have the spear pierce an arm or a leg. Despair could have the character immobilized by the spear trap. What do you think?

Keep in mind that even an "ancient" temple in the Star Wars universe could have some higher tech versions of traps. Flame projectors or wall mounted disrupters could be set off. The room seals and all walls and floor electrify. Throwing a "modern" trap could be a good surprise without being too lethal. "Whew! That was a jolt. Thank goodness the reactor that's powering the electrified walls is old and run down.

So, would any other GMs here give a boost die to Vigilance to all Mon Cal players for purposes of noticing traps?

So, would any other GMs here give a boost die to Vigilance to all Mon Cal players for purposes of noticing traps?

Lol, no but a nice idea. Would have been funny if they would have added something like that in AoR