The Art of Traps

 

There's something about making and setting traps in D&D that's fun and adventurous. I've encountered my fair share of traps. Each one, unique in its own way. Now, traps can be pretty intimidating when you're a new player. I am always on my guard when I go into a new room in a dungeon. I always ask myself, "Okay, I need to check for traps before I do anything else." Sometimes, you find the traps. Other times, you don't exactly role well and miss one. That makes things fun and entertaining. 

For my solo campaign, one of the things I wanted to focus on was creating unique traps. It allows me to experiment with different types of traps and helps me understand how the traps operate. There is a difference between finding traps with a group and running a solo campaign where you are the only one able to find and disarm them. All the more exciting, right?

For me, I like to create traps that are fun and innovative. For example, I created a trap where when a hero comes in contact with a pool of liquid, it leaves them exhausted. Now that I have the trap and the function, I can then start to hash out the details. What kind of liquid is it? Has it been tampered with by magic? Or, is it a natural property of the said liquid? What happens when the hero falls in the liquid? What about when the hero pulls away from the liquid, but there is still some in contact with the skin? Does it still have the exhaust effect? 

These are questions that are good to have answers for. 

For this particular example, the exhaustion is a natural element to the liquid. The liquid was made from alchemy. You don't know what the liquid is, exactly, but you know some of the elements that make it up. The exhaustion stays with you as long as there is liquid on your skin. So, even if the hero had just a small drop on him, he would feel the effects of the exhaustion. If the hero fell in, well... it's very possible that he wouldn't make it out. (That's where a saving check would come in.) 

Having traps hashed out and placed in the dungeon makes things go smoothly. It does take quite a bit of work and creativity figuring out what traps and where to place them, but it's definitely a rewarding experience. Of course, the type of trap you make depends on the campaign/dungeon you are going through. You want the traps to be relevant to the story and fit in the narrative you are trying to create.

Traps are definitely a complex part of the wonderful world of Dungeons and Dragons.

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