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Traps can be either mechanical or magic in nature. They consist of a trigger and the scripts that apply the effect of the trap. Traps can cause damage, affect ability scores, apply curses, add or subtract items from a character's inventory, or really anything the module designer can dream up and script.

Traps can be placed on doors, placeables, or the ground. They represent hazards for anyone who is not a "friend" of the trap; both hostile and neutral creatures can set off the trap. Traps that are placed with the set trap skill belong to the trap setter's faction, while traps placed by the module builder typically belong to the standard hostile faction (but can be placed in any faction). Door traps are triggered when either the door is bashed or the door is not locked and an attempt is made to open the door (the attempt fails and the trap is set off). Similarly, placeable traps are triggered when either the placeable is bashed or the placeable is not locked and an attempt is made to use it. Ground traps are triggered when the center of a creature enters the trapped area.

Setting traps is part of the repertoire of skills of rogues, rangers, and assassins. While anyone can disable their own traps, only rogues and assassins have a special affinity for disabling others' traps. In addition, many casters can use the find traps spell to quickly eliminate traps.

Detecting the trap: When a character is close enough to the trigger for a trap, that character makes a search check. (Close enough is 10 feet, unless the character is in detect mode or standing still, in which the range is 20 feet.) Characters cannot detect traps with a detection DC higher than 35 unless they are rogues. If successful, the trigger area is highlighted in red if the trap is hazardous, in green if not. (These colors can be changed via nwnplayer.ini). This allows the character either to avoid the trap by moving around the trigger, or to disable the trap. Default detection DCs are listed in the set trap notes, but it must be stressed that those defaults are easily changed by a builder.

Notes[]

  • A module designer can disable the default detection routines for a particular trap and substitute a detection script. This allows for effects such as a trap that is only detectable by a particular race, and a trap that is automatically detected by the bearer of a particular item. However, most traps in most modules follow the default behavior described in this article.
  • Sometimes only part of the trigger area is highlighted due to the unevenness of the surface.
  • While NPCs can detect traps, they have a tendency to walk into the triggers, unless they are capable of disarming the trap.
  • The default traps are listed in the following tables. For traps with a special effect, a successful saving throw (of the listed type against the listed DC) negates the effect, but does not reduce the damage. For other traps, a successful saving throw reduces the damage by half.
    • Negative energy traps heal undead the same amount they would damage others. Also, the undead do not suffer the associated negative effects.
    • The special effects of negative traps are supernatural, while the other special effects are magical.
    • A creature with immunity to mind-affecting effects is protected from the special effects of acid blob, frost, or sonic traps, though those traps may not seem to be mind-affecting.
    • Most traps that can affect multiple creatures respect the PvP setting when selecting targets. (They harm party members only in Full PvP areas.) The exceptions are likely bugs.
Type Strength Target Damage Special Save DC
acid blob minor single creature 3d6 acid paralysis, 2 rounds reflex 15
average single creature 5d6 acid paralysis, 3 rounds reflex 20
strong single creature 12d6 acid paralysis, 4 rounds reflex 25
deadly single creature 18d6 acid paralysis, 5 rounds reflex 25
acid splash minor single creature 2d8 acid   reflex 12
average single creature 3d8 acid   reflex 14
strong single creature 5d8 acid   reflex 17
deadly single creature 8d8 acid   reflex 20
electrical minor 4 creatures, 15 ft radius 8d6 electrical   reflex 19
average 5 creatures, 15 ft radius 15d6 electrical   reflex 22
strong 6 creatures, 15 ft radius 20d6 electrical   reflex 26
deadly 7 creatures, 15 ft radius 30d6 electrical   reflex 28
epic 7 creatures, 15 ft radius 60d6 electrical   reflex 35
fire minor 5 ft radius 5d6 fire   reflex 18
average 5 ft radius 8d6 fire   reflex 20
strong 10 ft radius 15d6 fire   reflex 23
deadly 10 ft radius 25d6 fire   reflex 26
epic 10 ft radius 50d6 fire   reflex 33
frost minor single creature 2d4 cold paralysis, 1 round fortitude 12
average single creature 3d4 cold paralysis, 2 rounds fortitude 13
strong single creature 5d4 cold paralysis, 3 rounds fortitude 14
deadly single creature 8d4 cold paralysis, 4 rounds fortitude 15
epic single creature 40d4 cold paralysis, 4 rounds fortitude 30
holy minor single creature 2d4 (4d10 if undead) divine none  
average single creature 3d4 (5d10 if undead) divine none  
strong single creature 6d4 (8d10 if undead) divine none  
deadly single creature 8d4 (12d10 if undead) divine none  
negative minor single creature 2d6 negative -1 strength fortitude 12
average single creature 3d6 negative -1 strength fortitude 15
strong single creature 5d6 negative -2 strength fortitude 18
deadly single creature 8d6 negative -1 level fortitude 21
sonic minor 10 ft radius 2d4 sonic stun, 2 rounds will 12
average 10 ft radius 3d4 sonic stun, 2 rounds will 14
strong 10 ft radius 5d4 sonic stun, 3 rounds will 17
deadly 10 ft radius 8d4 sonic stun, 4 rounds will 20
epic 10 ft radius 40d4 sonic stun, 4 rounds will 30
spike minor single creature 2d6 piercing   reflex 15
average single creature 3d6 piercing   reflex 15
strong single creature 5d6 piercing   reflex 15
deadly single creature 25d6 piercing   reflex 15
tangle minor 5 ft radius   slow, 3 rounds reflex 20
average 5 ft radius   slow, 4 rounds reflex 25
strong 10 ft radius   slow, 4 rounds reflex 30
deadly 10 ft radius   slow, 5 rounds reflex 35

Gas traps do not directly harm creatures. Instead, they release a poisonous gas, covering an area with a 15 foot radius, and persisting for 2 rounds. Creatures entering this gas cloud are poisoned, with the exact poison depending on the strength of the trap. (If the initial poisoning is resisted, creatures can remain in the cloud with no ill effects.) The types of poison, the ability damage caused by each, and the DC of the poison's fortitude saving throw are as follows.

Gas trap strength Poison name Initial damage Secondary damage Save DC
minor giant wasp poison 1d6 dexterity 1d6 dexterity 18
average deathblade 1d6 constitution 2d6 constitution 20
strong dark reaver powder 2d6 constitution 2d6 constitution 18
deadly black lotus extract 3d6 constitution 3d6 constitution 20
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