OOTS #1220 - The Discussion Thread

[Dr.Zero]

My theory would be that if you trigger the trap unintentionally you don't notice it. It's supposed to be an invisible portal.

I don't know. Your theory surely makes the story move onward, and in that it makes sense.

But as a trap...
Let's take as an example what the order did in DCF: a trapped door (even if they were not sure it was trapped, anyway let's assume they use the same modus operandi) triggered on purpose by the meat shield. Maybe with the justification "Come on, we're plenty of healing potions."

The meat shield walks in and the trap doesn't do anything (apparently, but creates a portal secretly). Doing nothing (apparently) would be a great hint to the party that the trap did something secretly.

Instead if the trap adds a damage effect for good measure, the party will think that the damage was the purpose of the trap and will ignore the possibility of it doing something else secretly.