Rules Spotlight - Traps

I really like traps.

I like the raw inventiveness of setting up a dangerous device that requires patience to use effectively.

It’s one of the reasons I laid down a solid metric in the adventure guide to make it easy for a G.M. to create a trap.

Then one day, I was playing Sang-Froid - Tales of Werewolves, I came to a strange conclusion.

I really want to play a trap expert in DRev and have it be competitive with the other classes.

At that point, I began to re-purpose my trap rules for npcs and began to see what a pc could do with them.

I broke down classic traps into my system and came up with some basic rules.

1. Traps costs money
2. Traps can only be built up to the level of the character.
3. Explosives are more powerful and therefore have a lower level cap for both balance and the fact that explosives are more dangerous overall.
4. Traps can be dissembled and used again and again until triggered
5.  Traps take time to setup.

In my opinion, there is no real difference between a spellcaster dropping a 5d6 fireball and a trapmaker building a trap that does 5d6 fire damage.  Only when it’s used and what resources are expended.

Both ultimately soften up the target and the trap might stop the fight before you even pull out the mini’s.

It is also why some common adventuring items might be more expensive than they are in other d20 games.  It’s because they follow the same metrics that I laid down in the trap rules.

Trapmaker Build – Clever Serpent

<Copied over from the adventure character build pamphlet>

 

Clever Serpent

Step Aside and I’ll show you how it’s done.

Class/Path:  Adventurer/Troubleshooter

Recommended Races:  Medusa; requires Gaze and Vision Racial Talent Trees

Party Role:  Skill monkey; you are very good at improvising unique solutions to unusual problems.  Through a combination of training, intelligence and good old fashion luck, you manage to slither your way out of dangerous situations.     Your role is often defensive in nature, ranging from traps and basic self-defense.  But you have your trusty pistol just in case.

Focus On:   Intelligence (Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 14); Best Skills: Knowledge, Perception, Sabotage, Survival, Treat Injury

Who Are You?  You always have an answer for just about anything, even things you’re technically not trained in.

Equipment: You like traps:  picking up an alarm is usually the first step, but explosive traps and portable traps are always on your wish list. You almost always get some sort of magic storage device when they become available.  Your armor should be light to be able to move out of danger.

Level 1

Feats: Combat Expertise

Talents:  All Around Vision, Daunting Stare, Knack, Trap Rigging

Level 5

Feats: Parry, Save: Iron Will 

Talents: Cat Burglar, Knack-Lucky Shot, Evasion

Level 10

Feats: Parry-Advanced, Save: Nerves of Steel

Talents: Gaze Attack- Mesmerize, Knack-Fortunes Favor, Problem Solver

Achievement: Combat Expert Achievement

Level 15

Feats: Iron Will-Improved, Save: Brave

Talents: Cannibalize Material, Gaze-Improved, Steady Hands, Trap Line

Achievement: Willpower Achievement

Level 20

Feats: Dodge, Dodge-Improved, Improved Initiative

Talents: Evasion, Improved, Uncanny Dodge ,Uncanny Dodge-Improved

Master Path: Trap Wiz

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