Trevor

Traps Illustrated

It’s the last week of Scooby-doo month, we’ve covered the rest of the gang, and now it’s time for a little something inspired by everyone’s favorite ascot-sporting leader. In several iterations of the show, Fred is obsessed with traps, and traps have always been a huge part of the fun of D&D. Usually, the DM gets to have all the fun, and players are the ones who have to be on guard for traps, but sometimes, players get creative and lay traps for their enemies as well. For those who’d like to do that more often, we’ve created the Master Trapsmith rogue archetype. “Trapsmith” classes have appeared in D&D before, and this one draws a bit of inspiration from those, but I think ours is uniquely 5th edition in feel. If you love traps the way Fred does, this class is definitely for you.

Variation – I pictured this character primarily as a rogue, but it could also be modified as a ranger archetype, with the abilities appearing at the appropriate levels for that class. The capstone ability would need to be changed to simply have traps deal a large amount of additional damage once per round, or perhaps always deal maximum damage against favored enemies and give favored enemies disadvantage to save against your traps.

Roguish Archetype: Master Trapsmith
You love traps! The tightly tuned mechanisms, the clever and maniacal setup they require, and the dispassionate yet cruel way they harass and disable your foes. You have studied engineering, alchemy, and other fields simply to enhance your ability to build, disassemble, and rebuild traps, and you constantly review diagrams and tinker with new variations of your favorite creations. When you encounter a particularly dangerous and deadly trap in a dungeon, you must stop to admire its beauty before you begin the fiendish challenge of disarming it. You know you will likely meet a grisly end in a trap created by a superior trapper, but as the barbed net lowers you into a shark tank, you’ll be struck not with fear, but with admiration.

Talented Trapper: You are considered proficient in and add double your proficiency bonus to any checks needed to create traps, such as the hunting trap found in the PHB or the non-magical traps found in the DMG. You can create traps that require poison or alchemical components as long as you have the correct supplies. These traps require downtime to craft as with other items and cannot be easily deployed in combat; for that, see combat traps, below.

You are also considered proficient in any check needed to disarm a trap, even magical traps, add double your proficiency bonus when doing so. When you successfully disarm a trap you did not create, you always learn how to re-arm it, and also how to replicate it given the proper time and materials.

Craft Combat Traps: Beginning at 3rd level, as long as you have access to thieves’ tools and basic components (treat as a spell component pouch), you can create combat traps when you rest. You can have a maximum number of traps prepared at a time equal to your proficiency bonus. During a long rest, you create your maximum number of traps.  You may create one trap during a short rest; if you would exceed your maximum number of prepared traps, you must discard another trap you had prepared. You choose a trap’s properties when it is created; it is recommended you create cards to write down the effects of your favorite traps, much like spells. The following rules apply to all combat traps you craft:

Your combat traps are designed for rapid deployment; deploying a trap takes one action. You must deploy the trap on the ground, a wall, or another relatively large, somewhat flat surface up to 10 feet away from you. The trap is considered to cover a 5-foot space that is its trigger area, centered on itself. You can deploy a trap in a creature’s space as long as you have line of effect to that space. Each trap weighs 2 lbs and is about the size of a one-handed weapon.

The traps are always considered hidden when you deploy them and require a Perception check against their save DC to detect. If you deploy a trap in a creature’s space, that creature is automatically aware of its presence.

The trap has an AC of 12 and 10 HP once it is deployed. Any melee attack made against a combat trap that does not destroy it will trigger it, whether the attack hits or misses. After a trap is triggered it is destroyed. If a trap is not triggered or destroyed after you deploy it, you can disarm it (no check required) and recover it to use later.

A set trap triggers when a creature enters or leaves the designated 5-foot trigger area. When a trap is triggered, it deals 1d6 piercing, bludgeoning or slashing damage to the triggering creature (choose one type when you create the trap). Creatures who make a successful Dexterity saving throw take half damage. This damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

The saving throw DC for your traps is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier.

When you create a trap, you may add one of the following additional effects; you may choose different effects for each trap you create:

Alchemical damage:  This trap deals fire or acid damage instead of physical damage and does an additional die of damage.
Poisoned: Creatures who take damage from this trap must make a Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute (no effect on a successful save).
Restraining: Creatures who take damage from this trap must make Strength saving throw or stop moving and be restrained (no effect on a successful save). The target stays restrained until freed with Strength check at the same DC or the trap is destroyed.
Loud: Creatures who take damage from this trap must make a Constitution saving throw or be deafened for 1 minute; the effect lasts one round on a successful save. This trap can be heard easily and may alert other creatures in the area.
Stunning: Creatures who take damage from this trap must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round (no effect on a successful save).

Complex Traps: Starting at 9th level, you create more advanced combat traps. Your combat traps can now have two effects in addition to their regular damage, and you gain the following additional options for effects:

Quick: You can deploy this trap as a bonus action, but it is not hidden.
Area: This trap affects all creatures in a 15 foot cone, line, or sphere (your choice) when triggered; the creature who triggered the trap is always included in the area.
Blinding: Creatures who take damage from this trap must make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute; the effect lasts one round on a successful save.
Powerful: The damage dice of this trap become d8s.

At 17th level, you may add a third effect from either list to your combat traps.

Trap Sense: You have a sixth sense about traps and are rarely caught off guard. Beginning at level 13, you have advantage on Intelligence (Investigate) and Wisdom (Perception) checks made to locate traps, and on all saving throws made against the effects of traps. This ability functions as long as you are not blind, deafened, or incapacitated.

Murderous Traps: Your traps are marvels of engineering; brutal yet elegant in dispatching your foes. Beginning at 17th level, you may add your sneak attack damage to damage dealt by your combat traps or other traps you set outside of combat (this damage is added to the normal trap damage and is halved on a successful save, but affects all creatures hit by the trap). You may still only apply sneak attack damage once per turn.

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