Trap Making

 The character must keep the scrolls for the staff to reference when using this skill. The Trap Making skill allows a character to create traps or bypass them.

Description
A Trap Maker can gather and implement schematics for the creation of traps. There is one schematic for each of the various trap effects, one schematic for each of the trigger types and one schematic for the number of trap effects that can be placed on a single trap. Each effect or trigger schematic will list the components needed. A Trap Maker of the appropriate level can learn these schematics from magical scrolls. Once a scroll is used, the scroll disintegrates but the character has the schematic memorized forever. When you decide to set a trap, take the schematics that you are using and all of the components required to the plot cabin. There, a plot member will verify your schematics, take your components, and update your cabin notes.

Traps may only be placed in Marshaled areas. You may place up to five traps on or in an individual building. Inside that building, only one trap may be set on individual containers, doors, or windows; floors, walls, and ceilings may have up to the normal limit. Multiple traps cannot physically overlap each other. Traps cannot be set on flexible items such as pouches when they are being worn or carried. If you pick up a trapped pouch and attempt to leave with it, throw it, or otherwise move it from its original position, the trap on the pouch is considered tripped due to the movement/agitation of the item. Once triggered, the components of a trap are destroyed and cannot be recovered.

The maker of a trap may set or unset a trap without triggering it or losing the components. The maker of the trap may also teach up to 3 other characters how to disarm and re-arm that particular trap. Those 3 characters cannot teach or show anyone else how to disarm the trap, however they may show others where the trap is located and how to pass around it (i.e. "Step over that wire."). The maker of a trap may also move it from one location to another. The three individuals who know how to operate a trap are reset between each gather.

At least one trigger, one effect, and one gauge schematic must be used for each trap. Traps with multiple effects require only one trigger. Multiple triggers may be included to allow the trap to cover multiple areas but if any of them are triggered, all the trap components including the other unused triggers are spent. For traps with a set dimension, the parameters must be outlined when the trap is set. All individuals who fall within that frame are affected by the trap if it is set off.

Traps cannot be evaded, negated, or shielded; however, immunities would still apply. Trap effects are considered physical and do not have a limited duration. If a victim triggers a trap that snares, that victim is snared until the effect is removed. A triggered trap’s lingering effects may be removed as noted in the trap effect description. The maker of a trap may also release a victim from its effects. In some cases, others may rescue a victim from the lingering effects of a trap. For example, someone who was not caught in a pit trap can be rescued if someone above drops down a rope for the victim to climb out or someone could break the cage imprisoning a victim from the outside to release them.

Characters must have the same or higher level of Trap Making to disarm a trap. If a trap is physically created, a character may attempt to manually disarm it without tripping it. Alternately, if a trap exists in play but is not constructed, the character must roll 15 or higher on a 20 sided dice to successfully disarm the trap, otherwise the trap is activated. A character that successfully disarms a trap salvages half of the components rounded down. Which components the character receives are decided at random.

Single Gauge
The Single Gauge schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with one effect. The number of triggers is not limited by the gauge.

Pit
This schematic allows a trap maker to create a Pit Trap. A 20 x 10 x 10 pit is dug and funnels upwards to a 5 x 5 hole at the top. The victim will take 10 points of Pain damage upon hitting the bottom and is trapped down there unless he has a means of escape (i.e. has a teleport, another person drops a rope down, etc.). Pain damage passes through armor and directly reduces the health points of a character but it does not cause any reduction of armor points. A victim may not teleport out of the pit mid fall or use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Net
This schematic allows a trap maker to rig a net that with either fall on or scoop up the targets. A 10 x 10 net envelops the victim(s). A victim may use a small edged weapon to cut out of the rope on a 10 count or may break the net on a 5 count with 5 or more points of strength. The holes in the net are not large enough to teleport through and the net does not allow any horizontal movement. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Warning
This schematic allows the trap maker to create a warning device. When triggered, an alarm sounds that is audible to anyone in the immediate vicinity. The noise should cover up to a shouting distance and can last up to 30 seconds. Once triggered, the sound cannot be muffled or prematurely ended.

Tripwire
This schematic allows a trap maker to rig traps with a tripwire trigger. A string or wire is stretched across an area with an auditory indicator attached like a bell, chimes or mousetrap. Anyone disturbing the line enough to activate the auditory component has triggered the trap. Tripwires can be disarmed if the wire is cut or removed without triggering the auditory indicator.

Double Gauge
The Double Gauge schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with two effects. The number of triggers is not limited by the gauge.

Falling Objects
This schematic allows a trap maker to craft a Falling Objects trap. Dangerous objects are rigged to fall on the victim causing 30 points of Pain damage to all targets within the area of the trigger. Pain damage passes through armor and directly reduces the health points of a character but it does not cause any reduction of armor points. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Spikes
Sharp iron spikes shoot out of a spring-loaded contraption on the ground, wall, door, ceiling, etc to impale and fixate the victim. The victim takes 20 Pain damage and is snared. Pain damage passes through armor and directly reduces the health points of a character but it does not cause any reduction of armor points. The victim may be freed by breaking the impaling spikes on a 7 count with minimum of 7 points of strength. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Oil
The Oil Schematic will allow a trap maker to use an oil without the Poison skill but only for trap applications. The trap maker may coat the following traps with a oil: falling objects, spikes, serrated wire, and disrupting blades. For traps with multiple of the optional affects, the oil effect is only delivered once but does affect all the targets involved. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered. The specific effects generated are determined by which oil is used, as is the component cost.

Mechanical
This schematic allows a trap maker to rig traps with a Mechanical trigger. This type of trigger is placed on a door, a box, a lever, a lock, or anything that is at least a simple machine. When the device is activated (i.e. opening the door or box, pulling the lever, opening/picking the lock), the trap is triggered. This trigger may be disarmed by interrupting the connection between the trap and the trigger. For example, if opening a door would pull a rope that activates a Falling Object trap, circumventing the door and cutting the rope would disarm the trap.

Triple Gauge
The Triple Gauge schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with three effects. The number of triggers is not limited by the gauge.

Weakening Cage
This schematic allows a trap maker to construct a mini prison. A 10 x 10 steel cage falls down or otherwise envelops the victim(s). After enveloping the victim, the cage causes a Weaken 5 effect to each victim inside. A victim may teleport or be teleported out of the cage. The steel cage may also be broken on a 9 count with 9 points of strength. The cage bars are too close together to allow combat through the bars. The weaken effect lasts until the individual leaves the cage unless healed by a Cure Metabolic or Cure All effect. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Poison Gas
This schematic allows a trap maker to apply a gas effect to a trap without needing the Poison skill. A gas is sprayed into the face of the targets in range of the trigger. All the targets take the effect. The specific effects generated are determined by which gas is used, as is the component cost.

Serrated Wire
This schematic allows a trap maker to set up a trap where serrated wire snaps across one of the victim’s limbs, mutilating it. The trap affects all individuals within the trigger’s range. The trap maker designates which limb is affected. The Mutilate lasts until cured by a Restore Limb effect. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Pressure
This schematic allows a trap maker to construct traps with a Pressure trigger. A mat or otherwise flat object is placed on a surface. Anyone stepping on or otherwise touching the mat has triggered the trap. This trigger may cover a maximum of 5 x 5 feet of space. This trigger may be disarmed by interrupting the connection between the trap and the trigger. For instance, if the pressure plate causes spikes to shoot out of the wall, the lever tripped by the plate could be disengaged.

Quad Gauge
The Quad Gauge schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with four effects. The number of triggers is not limited by the gauge.

Teleport
This schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps that generate a magical teleportation effect. The victim is teleported up to 20 steps away to a location set by the trap maker and at the choice of the trap maker can be stunned for 10 seconds. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered however if a character is already under a "Disrupt Teleport" effect, this teleport will be nullified.

Explosion
This schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps that generate a localized explosion with the victim(s) at the epicenter. This explosion causes massive trauma to all the targets within range of the trigger, dealing 50 Pain damage. Pain damage passes through armor and directly reduces the health points of a character but it does not cause any reduction of armor points. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Disrupting Blades
This schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with moving blades. Weapons reach out to bash and slice all the victims within range of the trigger. All targets take 40 Pain damage and a disrupt effect. Pain damage passes through armor and directly reduces the health points of a character but it does not cause any reduction of armor points. The Disrupt effect ends all ongoing beneficial feats include feats with the "Transform," "Hide" or "Invisibility' taglines or any ability with a "Concentration" or "Performance" duration. The target is also prevented from activating any feats for ten seconds. The target cannot use any shields, negates or evades to avoid the trap once triggered.

Movement
This schematic allows a trap maker to craft traps with the Movement trigger. The trap maker designates an area wherein any movement triggers the effects of the trap. For example, it could be across a building’s porch or through a given doorway. However the space cannot cover more than a 5 x 5 area. This trigger may be disarmed by interrupting the connection between the trap and the trigger or by disabling the sensor that registers movement.

Trap Making Scroll Making
A Grand Master of Trap Making has thoroughly learned the craft to the point where he/she can scribe the magic scrolls that are imbued with schematics other trap makers need to create common defensive effects and triggers. Scribing scrolls requires a great deal of concentration from the trap maker, the willpower to imbue the scroll with magic and a certain combination of components capable of holding the magic. A Grand Master can create a scroll for any schematic he/she knows from levels one to four but may not create scrolls for unique schematics he/she may have developed. For information on component requirements, see the Scroll Scribing page.

Trap Making Research
A Grand Master has moved beyond what he/she can learn from others but can now begin to create rare or even potentially unique schematics. Generating these proprietary schematics take a period of research and experimentation. If the result a character is attempting is fairly common and easy to generate, it may not take very long to perfect the schematic. However if he/she is trying to generate a high level effect or something beyond the range of typical magical practices, it may take a lot of time to create something stable and effective. It should also be noted that some things simply cannot be created do to lack of a component that generates the necessary magic or because it is simply beyond the boundaries of magical law. You can learn more about the specifics of the process on the Research page.