But kobolds with traps just might down a player (although given how rarely character death happens in 5e…). Kobolds would hurt but not kill by themselves. That trap would hurt but not kill by itself. But follow them into your lair, and you’re in for a world of hurt, as you step on a twig that alerts all kobolds in the complex that you’re here, and also flings some rusty forks covered in Alchemist’s Fire at your face. Kobolds have a challenge rating of ⅛, which means a mob of angry commoners could wipe out a few. Kobolds might be annoying in large mobs (like zombies) but their small size, measly hit points, and low-damage attacks most likely won’t give you a TPK, even at a lower level (unless you homebrew kobolds with levels in Rogue, which would make them super-OP and even cuter). This is probably the best example in 5e of sentient monsters using traps to effectively double or triple their challenge rating. The answer is obvious: design all the traps to trigger when something over 20-ish pounds walks over it. The lightest gnome or halfling will weigh about 30 pounds or so.
You can go in without squeezing (a problem in itself). The townsfolk have even cast some reduce spells on you (or you’re all gnomes because halflings don’t have darkvision). Let’s say you’ve been asked to clear out a kobold lair. Even dumb creatures, like goblins, can create traps.Ī great example of monsters and traps combined is the mighty kobold. Although even a first-level character can one-hit a regular kobold, they can be worthy foes for two reasons. A dungeon with traps has or had sentient creators once, for sure. While traps keep the players guessing and monsters keep players on the defensive, their best use is together. The Value of Using Monsters and Traps in Concert But dodging the minotaur in our examples doesn’t mean you thwarted it, it just means it might hit you next turn. Jumping over a tripwire means it no longer poses a threat- that’s some easy XP for almost nothing.
Since monsters are more often sentient than not and traps will most likely not be, they can regroup and attack. But monsters have the advantage of being (usually) durable.īecause PCs are cautious to a fault around traps if they avoid the trap that’s usually it. This effect is, however, diminished not only because players may fight multiple monsters of the same kind at the same time, or use schema (and/or class features) to learn things about it. Monsters also have an air of mystery to them because the player can’t see the stat block of it. The fact that you know the minotaur wants to kill you doesn’t change the fact that it’s charging at you and trying to kill you. The Value of Monsters Compared to TrapsĮven though they are obvious, monsters can still pose a challenge. Because it’s best to assume the worst out of everything you encounter in a dungeon (the leading cause of why old men with quests are killed), traps that do very little may slow down a player party considerably, giving more time for the dungeon’s inhabitants (assuming it still has them) to regroup and attack. This brings in doubt, which can cripple decision-making and make even a superficially trap seem deadly. Of course, you’ll have some ideas but they won’t be assured. But if you find a wire in an otherwise empty room, you don’t have any solid idea of what the trap could be. If you see a minotaur charging at you, you know it wants to fight you. You can never really tell what a trap is in advance, even if you find a trap. You have to somehow defeat them or neutralize the threat they pose. Monsters or hostile NPCs are pretty clear, as far as a challenge goes. Others require you to run reaaaally fast. Some traps require intricate solutions to bypass them.
What’s the XP value for overcoming it? Why? What happens if the trap manages to kill or KO a player or players? It’s all quite confusing, so I hope this article will clear it up a bit. How do you make a balanced trap- most likely you’re going to want to homebrew some traps. And then we get to the classification of traps as obstacles. But traps are special for the DM, as well as presenting a challenge for the players. You fail your Dex save or don’t notice the tripwire at your feet. I’m sure it’s happened to everyone who’s played D&D seriously. Applefritter has a love for writing and creating content for D&D 5e in particular. They play a wide variety of RPGs including The Burning Wheel, Call of Cthulu, and D&D 5e. Hi all! Today’s awesome guest article was written by Applefritter ( reach them via E-mail here).
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