05-15-2018, 08:31 AM
Searching has always been an issue. It either takes too long and slows the game down (especially when takeing20) or RAW there is no penalty for failure so you can technically always take20. I don't think it is unreasonable to not let the player roll when searching for traps. When I DM I usually roll. I feel if the player knows they rolled low then they will consciously or unconsciously alter their actions. Also it speeds the game up by me rolling only when there's an actual trap rather then ever 5'. I also see nothing wrong with there be a second trap that is hidden behind another but the player should still have a chance to detect the trap. Maybe by searching again after disarming the first trap just to be certain.
I believe DMs have the right and obligation to make encounters including Traps interesting. But IMO DMs should be careful of making every Trap a complicated mess of fake triggers, multiple traps, and hidden air current triggers. Only the most skilled of Trap Makers could be capable of creating such intricate Trap Designs. Some things may not be possible without magic. For example, it would be very difficult to create a technological trap that triggers with the shift in air currents by a subtle sniff. All this doesn't even take into account the reason Rogues are one of the few classes that can detect traps. They have the instincts, intuition and the skills to know how to detect things like the subtle shifts in air currents.
A player picks the Rogue class to be able to help find TRAPS. Nullifying their special ability just because it's inconvenient is not very fun for the player. And some players can only take so much tinkering with the abilities they expect to work as written before they decide that they don't like their character any more. It's like a wizard whose spells never seem to work. Who wants to play that kind of character (unless that's the character they wanted, of course).
I believe DMs have the right and obligation to make encounters including Traps interesting. But IMO DMs should be careful of making every Trap a complicated mess of fake triggers, multiple traps, and hidden air current triggers. Only the most skilled of Trap Makers could be capable of creating such intricate Trap Designs. Some things may not be possible without magic. For example, it would be very difficult to create a technological trap that triggers with the shift in air currents by a subtle sniff. All this doesn't even take into account the reason Rogues are one of the few classes that can detect traps. They have the instincts, intuition and the skills to know how to detect things like the subtle shifts in air currents.
A player picks the Rogue class to be able to help find TRAPS. Nullifying their special ability just because it's inconvenient is not very fun for the player. And some players can only take so much tinkering with the abilities they expect to work as written before they decide that they don't like their character any more. It's like a wizard whose spells never seem to work. Who wants to play that kind of character (unless that's the character they wanted, of course).
