Traps occupy an odd space in encounter design, since they typically only work as expected if nobody notices them. Unless encountered coincidentally during combat with other threats, this usually means traps are triggered outside of combat, in exploration. Since that scale of play is often nebulously defined, this means that traps have to be designed to work in a manner that expects its targets to not be all that clear on where they're positioned in detail, and yet still does not feel unfair when encountered.
Some of this positioning confusion is alleviated by the one-two punch of Positioning Tactics and Affected Areas. As groups utilize the exploration scale of play, the characters' collective choice of Positioning Tactics lets them decide for themselves how close they want to be keeping in a general sense as they move around and explore. Each trap that affects an area includes in its description the Positioning Tactics it affects. These naturalistic consequences ensure that applying a trap to the right people is quick and easy, even when working without a map.
NOTICING TRAPS
Traps usually only work when they catch their targets by surprise, and so it is important to be clear about when they are and are not noticed. In this way, traps behave much like creatures that utilize stealth. It's assumed that a casual observer will not notice the presence of a trap, and traps can only be spotted by actively searching for them. The most likely method is through the use of Perception, but some traps can be noticed with skills instead, such as Crafting or Survival, when used to make inquiries about the environment.
TYPES OF TRAPS
Realm of Runes uses two types of traps, and each one interacts differently with the scale of play when encountered. Instantaneous traps are the more straight-forward ones. If set off, and instantaneous trap inflicts its effects on the creatures in its area and then stops. Since they don't linger, these traps don't usually require a transition to combat, and their effects can be resolved and reacted to entirely within the confines of exploration.
Persistent traps, by contrast, continue to have an effect after activation, requiring a transition to combat. Such a trap has a routine that it uses each time it has a turn, and which creatures are affected can change from turn to turn as events transpire. If a persistent trap has a timed duration, the trap stops once that time limit has been reached. More sophisticated or magic traps can remain active indefinitely, or until disabled.
SNARES, HAZARDS & MAGIC TRAPS
Most traps are designed and implemented in place, and are inextricably linked to the location where they are encountered. Snares, on the other hand, are portable. They work just like other traps in most ways, except that they can be collapsed for travel and reused many different times in many different locations. Using snares makes traps accessible for use as players, and snares and their formulas are readily available to find or purchase in play. Snares can even be deployed and activated during combat if necessary, and can be very useful for controlling enemy mobility even if the enemy witness where the traps are.
Environmental hazards work like traps in many ways, except that they can't normally be disabled. They use the same rules for being noticed and for determining which characters are affected when encountered during exploration. Environmental hazards are the most likely to be encountered while traveling overland, and their possibility is integrated into the rules for determining how fast and how far a group can go. Most hazards are persistent by nature, and encountering them frequently requires a transition to combat.
Some traps utilize magic in their construction or activation, or are simply spells that function as traps when cast. Magic traps are noticed much like other traps, but are more difficult to deal with if they are spells or otherwise lack any mechanical parts. Disabling a magic trap typically requires dispelling or otherwise counteracting the magic of the trap, though some characters might have enough skill to figure out how to use tools to disable them like regular traps.
As a staple of adventuring obstacles, traps are important to get right. Realm of Runes makes encountering, activating and disabling them a seamless experience. Next time we'll take a closer look at more staple challenges, poison and disease.
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