[4e] Crafting booby traps

[Nihb]

Once again, I turn to the all-knowing crowd for an answer.

See, we'll be having a 6 to 8 hours game and we're trying D&D 4th edition for the kicks. Having read most of the core (I skipped the rituals from the PHB and I'm half-way in the DMG), I thought it would be great as a one-off game since the rules seem simpler than 3.5, it's well balanced (but pretty restrictive) and battles look faster.

One of the players wants to play some kind of Solid Snake. 4th edition Rogue seems a good match since it's a bit more rough and physical than it 3.5 counterpart. The only problem we have, if for the traps that character would place. We're planning a minium of 4 battle encounters, and all the characters are 5th level. Now, with 840 gp, is there anything he could buy, or is there anything that he could make (with Thievery, perhaps?) that would allow him to trap a door, a window or some other objects?

I heard Martial Powers 2 had some rules for it, but we only have the core to work with, so I'll need to know if those rules would work with what we're trying to do.

Once again, big thanks to those who will help!

[KillianHawkeye]

Reference page 42 of your DMG for information about improvisational actions. There's a handy-dandy table!

[Thajocoth]

I'd have it be thievery checks. If you're expecting him to be able to do this during battle, I'd say a Standard Action to set up and a Minor to remotely trigger if the enemies don't. Have the attack roll be his thievery check when creating it vs Reflex. Let him have the +2 Thieves Tools bonus. Range would be probably Close Burst 1, but centered on the wall, so only hitting 3 squares (5 if a corner), friendly fire possible. Damage: 1d6 + Thievery. No enhancement bonus to either attack or damage rolls. No bonuses from gear to either roll either, unless they give a bonus to Thievery. This gives him a good reason to take skill focus Thievery at some point too... He can still apply sneak attack if applicable.

He should have a limited number of them. Perhaps have it be an encounter power... But charge him a fee for materials during his short rests if he used the power during the encounter and wants to recharge it during the rest.

[Nihb]

I don't think I'll allow the character to craft a basic trap with only a standard action. Sure thing, it's going to be a skill challenge.

Solid Snake is turning into McGyver, using whatever he has on reach to make the traps.

Making it a power is interesting, but this is not the flavour we're looking for. He'll be using traps to use the terrain to his own advantage, so he'll have to think before the encounter, maybe use some of his own powers to make his opponents trip on the trap.

We'll use Thievery to set it up, as suggested. Thajocoth, I believe you gave me a fine answer... You may claim your one (1) internet prize. We'll have to improvise much of the stuff, but I think we'll have fun. You made a first-time 4th edition DM happy!

[BobTheDog]

Try to get your hands (or his) on Adventurer's Vault. Alchemical items are pretty much what you're trying to do here (only they're thrown/shot directly, not placed then triggered, but that is a very simple house rule to apply: same action as normal item to place, immediate to trigger, +1 attack or +2 damage when used this way to make up for using up the immediate action).

This way, the character can take the Alchemist ritual (rename it for "Trapsmith" if you wish), which is based on Thievery, to make his own traps/alchemicals.

[Thajocoth]

I don't think I'll allow the character to craft a basic trap with only a standard action. Sure thing, it's going to be a skill challenge.

Solid Snake is turning into McGyver, using whatever he has on reach to make the traps.

Making it a power is interesting, but this is not the flavour we're looking for. He'll be using traps to use the terrain to his own advantage, so he'll have to think before the encounter, maybe use some of his own powers to make his opponents trip on the trap.

We'll use Thievery to set it up, as suggested. Thajocoth, I believe you gave me a fine answer... You may claim your one (1) internet prize. We'll have to improvise much of the stuff, but I think we'll have fun. You made a first-time 4th edition DM happy!

I'm glad you found my info helpful. Just a few notes: I didn't mean to craft it in battle, I meant to place it. Craft it ahead of time. That's the monetary cost. Placing a trap in the middle of battle would easy enough to do in a turn, but require most of your concentration, hence the Standard Action.

For more complex traps, you could let him learn to make a few specific traps from the list of traps available to you as a DM, or modify some of the Alchemy stuff to be more trappy... But the more complex it is, the more it should cost, obviously.

Technically, when the PCs have something on their side that's worth XP (like a trap), you're supposed to subtract that XP from the total they get, but charging gold instead won't feel like you're penalizing him for wanting to do something different. Alchemy already costs gold directly.

It would not be absurd to have him spend a feat to be able to do this. I would recommend doing so, as a matter of fact.