It's been a long time since I DM'd and I recently began the Shrine of Tamoachan with some friends. If you've ever played this dungeon, you know that there are more traps than an Indiana Jones film. Sometimes I want the characters to roll to detect traps, other times I don't.
How do you handle activating traps? Do you just let them happen or give people a chance to detect them?
I am not familiar with the module but there are a few things worth considering:
1: If you make them actively investigate for traps, then they will do so every. single. time. The game will slow down to: "You see a door..." - "We check for traps!" - "...with a lever beside it..." - "We check for traps!" - "...and a tablet on the wall..." - "Traps!", and so on. Personally, I will always ask for clarification. If the player says "I would like to check for traps", then I say "Ok, what would you like to look for?", and make them talk me through it. If the trap is set off by magic, then checking for pressure plates or tripwires won't get you anywhere, however high you roll.
2: If you make some traps obvious, it will do more for the room than making them a surprise. They enter a room with holes in the walls, shafts of light piercing down, and black & white tiles on the floor, with several skeletal corpses strewn about. Make the encounter about "how do you not trigger the trap" rather than "Hah, you got trapped, take some damage". The first will encourage creative play, the second will make them check for traps in every room.
3: use their passive perception or investigation. If they say "We check for traps" in every room, then say "ok everyone, give me your passive investigation and I will assume you check for traps in each room, and tell you what you see accordingly." It will speed things up for you.
4: Don't let "I also look for traps" fly. One roll, with advantage if others are helping. There's no point in rolling if 5 people all roll to spot a DC14 tripwire. Sometimes, they will have to accept that they are going to miss things.
5: Consider rolling for them, if this is a big thing - this will prevent meta knowledge of "with a roll of a 4, it looks safe!", where they immediately go "bad roll, didn't see trap". Instead say "What's your investigation modifier?", then roll that dice for them, and narrate the results. It'll keep them from meta-gaming based on the dice result!
I am not familiar with the module but there are a few things worth considering:
1: If you make them actively investigate for traps, then they will do so every. single. time. The game will slow down to: "You see a door..." - "We check for traps!" - "...with a lever beside it..." - "We check for traps!" - "...and a tablet on the wall..." - "Traps!", and so on. Personally, I will always ask for clarification. If the player says "I would like to check for traps", then I say "Ok, what would you like to look for?", and make them talk me through it. If the trap is set off by magic, then checking for pressure plates or tripwires won't get you anywhere, however high you roll.
2: If you make some traps obvious, it will do more for the room than making them a surprise. They enter a room with holes in the walls, shafts of light piercing down, and black & white tiles on the floor, with several skeletal corpses strewn about. Make the encounter about "how do you not trigger the trap" rather than "Hah, you got trapped, take some damage". The first will encourage creative play, the second will make them check for traps in every room.
3: use their passive perception or investigation. If they say "We check for traps" in every room, then say "ok everyone, give me your passive investigation and I will assume you check for traps in each room, and tell you what you see accordingly." It will speed things up for you.
4: Don't let "I also look for traps" fly. One roll, with advantage if others are helping. There's no point in rolling if 5 people all roll to spot a DC14 tripwire. Sometimes, they will have to accept that they are going to miss things.
5: Consider rolling for them, if this is a big thing - this will prevent meta knowledge of "with a roll of a 4, it looks safe!", where they immediately go "bad roll, didn't see trap". Instead say "What's your investigation modifier?", then roll that dice for them, and narrate the results. It'll keep them from meta-gaming based on the dice result!
I love this, especially number 5, which I started doing and will likely not look back. I also love the idea of obvious traps to get players to be creative.
To deactivate traps set a DC for thieves tools or whatever. IF you roll under 2 of DC trap is not set off and try again. If under by 3 or 4 DC trap is about to go off. Roll again with disadvantage. IF you roll under 5 of the DC boom. ETC.
I am not familiar with the module but there are a few things worth considering:
1: If you make them actively investigate for traps, then they will do so every. single. time. The game will slow down to: "You see a door..." - "We check for traps!" - "...with a lever beside it..." - "We check for traps!" - "...and a tablet on the wall..." - "Traps!", and so on. Personally, I will always ask for clarification. If the player says "I would like to check for traps", then I say "Ok, what would you like to look for?", and make them talk me through it. If the trap is set off by magic, then checking for pressure plates or tripwires won't get you anywhere, however high you roll.
2: If you make some traps obvious, it will do more for the room than making them a surprise. They enter a room with holes in the walls, shafts of light piercing down, and black & white tiles on the floor, with several skeletal corpses strewn about. Make the encounter about "how do you not trigger the trap" rather than "Hah, you got trapped, take some damage". The first will encourage creative play, the second will make them check for traps in every room.
3: use their passive perception or investigation. If they say "We check for traps" in every room, then say "ok everyone, give me your passive investigation and I will assume you check for traps in each room, and tell you what you see accordingly." It will speed things up for you.
4: Don't let "I also look for traps" fly. One roll, with advantage if others are helping. There's no point in rolling if 5 people all roll to spot a DC14 tripwire. Sometimes, they will have to accept that they are going to miss things.
5: Consider rolling for them, if this is a big thing - this will prevent meta knowledge of "with a roll of a 4, it looks safe!", where they immediately go "bad roll, didn't see trap". Instead say "What's your investigation modifier?", then roll that dice for them, and narrate the results. It'll keep them from meta-gaming based on the dice result!
Man...that's all solid advice. I have nothing to add...
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It's been a long time since I DM'd and I recently began the Shrine of Tamoachan with some friends. If you've ever played this dungeon, you know that there are more traps than an Indiana Jones film. Sometimes I want the characters to roll to detect traps, other times I don't.
How do you handle activating traps? Do you just let them happen or give people a chance to detect them?
I am not familiar with the module but there are a few things worth considering:
1: If you make them actively investigate for traps, then they will do so every. single. time. The game will slow down to: "You see a door..." - "We check for traps!" - "...with a lever beside it..." - "We check for traps!" - "...and a tablet on the wall..." - "Traps!", and so on. Personally, I will always ask for clarification. If the player says "I would like to check for traps", then I say "Ok, what would you like to look for?", and make them talk me through it. If the trap is set off by magic, then checking for pressure plates or tripwires won't get you anywhere, however high you roll.
2: If you make some traps obvious, it will do more for the room than making them a surprise. They enter a room with holes in the walls, shafts of light piercing down, and black & white tiles on the floor, with several skeletal corpses strewn about. Make the encounter about "how do you not trigger the trap" rather than "Hah, you got trapped, take some damage". The first will encourage creative play, the second will make them check for traps in every room.
3: use their passive perception or investigation. If they say "We check for traps" in every room, then say "ok everyone, give me your passive investigation and I will assume you check for traps in each room, and tell you what you see accordingly." It will speed things up for you.
4: Don't let "I also look for traps" fly. One roll, with advantage if others are helping. There's no point in rolling if 5 people all roll to spot a DC14 tripwire. Sometimes, they will have to accept that they are going to miss things.
5: Consider rolling for them, if this is a big thing - this will prevent meta knowledge of "with a roll of a 4, it looks safe!", where they immediately go "bad roll, didn't see trap". Instead say "What's your investigation modifier?", then roll that dice for them, and narrate the results. It'll keep them from meta-gaming based on the dice result!
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I'll keep all this in mind. Thanks!
One way of doing this is, rather than the PCs making rolls at all, have the traps make rolls against their passive perception.
That's a good idea. Thanks!
I love this, especially number 5, which I started doing and will likely not look back. I also love the idea of obvious traps to get players to be creative.
To deactivate traps set a DC for thieves tools or whatever. IF you roll under 2 of DC trap is not set off and try again. If under by 3 or 4 DC trap is about to go off. Roll again with disadvantage. IF you roll under 5 of the DC boom. ETC.
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Man...that's all solid advice. I have nothing to add...