The player with this skill should read the section in Chapter 7 dealing with setting and removing traps and general in-game thievery before they use this skill.
The character with this skill can set traps that vary in effect and damage based on how many ranks of the Set Trap skill they have. There are many different types of approved traps that can be set at LAIRE and the character can set any of them with this skill alone.
For every rank of the Set Trap skill the character has they can make a trap that deals 5 points of normal damage, up to a maximum of 25 points per trap that only effects the character that set off the trap. The trap can be made to affect an area. For every rank used, the radius can be extended by 5 feet, up to a maximum of 10 feet. A rank can only either add to the damage or increase the radius of effect. So, a character with five ranks of the Set Trap skill can make a trap that will affect a single character dealing 25 points of normal damage, a trap that deals 20 points of damage in a 5 foot radius, or 15 points of damage in a 10 foot radius. The character can make traps using less than their maximum number of ranks. In the above case, a character can make a trap that deals 5 points of damage to a single person even though they have five ranks of the Set Trap skill.
The basic trap deals normal physical damage. The type of damage can be changed by expending the additional cost given below. So, a character can make a trap that deals fire damage, silver damage, or Dwarven damage, but not a combination of these effects. With five ranks of the Set Trap skill, the character can incorporate an alchemical item into their traps. The character must choose to deal damage or an alchemical item, not both. If the alchemical item affects a single character then it must be a contact item. The Set Trap skill cannot augment the alchemy in anyway; therefore an alchemical item that is contact cannot be made to affect an area with this skill. The character must acquire the alchemy separately in addition to the appropriate cost for setting a Rank 5 trap.
A Trap Tag must be purchased from the Treasure Marshal or a Rogue Marshal ahead of time. The character declares what the trap’s effect will be when they purchase it and it is recorded on the tag. This cannot be changed later. The character pays the required in-game money and provides any extra cost for making the desired trap at the time the tag is acquired. A character must have the required number of ranks of the Set Trap skill to set a trap. For example, a character finds a Rank 5 trap but only has two ranks of the Set Trap skill; they cannot use that trap. Setting a trap takes 1 minute per rank of the trap. A trap must be placed on an object and cannot be set on a character. A character cannot set a trap on a Skeleton, a Golem, an Elf or any other character. Each trap must have its own independent trigger and each trigger can only have one trap. You cannot string traps together. You can set a trap to go off on a box when it is opened, and on an object in the box, but could not set two traps to go off when the lid is opened, ever, with this skill.
There is no targeting of traps and no chance the trap will miss. The player needs to call the appropriate defense that stops physical attacks to avoid damage. A character many not use marital defenses like the Slay Parry, Master Parry or Critical Attack skills. A trap can only be disarmed with the Disarm Trap skill.
A character can teach another how to disarm a specific trap on a particular object. For example, a character can set a trap on a box and teach his friends how to disarm that specific trap. Even if the character comes across another trap of the exact same type, they cannot disarm it. A trap must always be able to be disarmed.
The cost of a trap is given in the table below.
Effect
Cost
Each Rank of the Trap
5 Copper Pieces
Fire Damage
5 Copper Pieces
Copper Damage
1 Copper Pieces
Silver Damage
1 Silver Piece
Gold Damage
5 Silver Pieces
Mithril Damage
10 Silver Pieces
So, a rank 3 trap that deals 10 points of silver damage in a 5 foot radius would cost the character 25 copper pieces. A rank 3 trap that deals 5 points of fire damage in a 10 foot radius would cost the character 20 copper pieces. All traps are purchased whole and cannot be augmented later or disassembled for parts. Once a trap is set, it normally cannot be reused unless it is disarmed without damaging the physical trap itself
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