Craft: Trapper
Trappers transform an ordinary environment into a field of choices. They master the design of triggers, the reading of terrain, the camouflage of mechanisms, and the assembly of devices that punish recklessness or create windows of advantage.
A trapper may work with precision mechanisms, hunting traps, chemical diffusers, and even techmaturgic solutions, depending on the resources available and the type of threat they intend to contain.
Attribute. The attribute for tests related to the Trapper Craft is Intelligence.
Synergies. Using a Trapper Set, you can utilize this craft with the following skills, enabling certain effects:
- Investigation, Perception, and Sleight of Hand. Your knowledge of how traps work makes it easier for you to search for, detect, disarm, and understand how traps function.
- Survival. Your skill in the Trapper craft makes it easier to deal with risks posed by natural traps.
- Technology. You know how to identify parts and tools that can be used in the construction of traps.
Trapper Set
A trapper's kit includes tools for building, installing, and tampering with triggers and mechanisms, as well as camouflage and safety items for working without triggering the trap itself.
Contents. Precision pliers and tweezers, hooks and needles, micro saw, thin cord, wires, pins and wedges, small pulleys, springs, utility knife, bottles and applicators, marking powder, chalk or charcoal, small mirrors, wax and resin, as well as common spare parts.
For the purpose of interacting with traps, a Trapper Set counts as the appropriate tool whenever a trap mentions specialized tools. When the scene involves a lock, safe, or mechanism whose focus is opening and closing security devices, the game master may require a specific set for that purpose.
Traps like formulas
The formulas for this craft create ready-to-use traps. Each trap defines its detection and disarming DC, its triggering mode, and what happens when it is activated.
In the field, dealing with a trap usually involves several stages with different objectives.
- Search. An active action to scan a section, object, or passage for clues.
- Detect. Perceiving clues without deliberately searching, such as marks, residue, asymmetries, wires, non-standard plates, or recent maintenance.
- Understand. Examining what was found to deduce trigger, range, anchor point, disarming device, and consequences.
- Bypass, neutralize, or disarm. You decide how to proceed.
- Bypass: avoids triggering by bypassing the area, avoiding the trigger, or changing the path.
- Neutralize: causes the trap to trigger without risk or removes the threat of triggering, without necessarily rendering the mechanism inactive.
- Disarm: renders the mechanism inactive. An unarmed trap can either remain so or be rearmed, depending on the construction.
A description that makes the outcome obvious should work. Tests exist to resolve uncertainty, not to replace planning.
Creating new traps
You can create traps outside the list, provided there are materials and time, and the table agrees to the effect. Generally, this happens in two ways.
"Improvised traps" utilize what is already in the environment. They are quick, cheap, and often inconvenient. They typically involve a test of skill to assemble the mechanism and another test to camouflage or position it.
"Formula-based traps" are planned devices. They have a clear specification sheet, defined components, cost, production time, and detection and disarming procedure.
When designing a new trap, use the reference below to keep risk and reward consistent.
| Gravity | Risk Levels | DC and Attack Bonus | Base Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setback | 1–4 | 11 / +3 | 1d6 |
| Annoying | 5-8 | 13 / +5 | 2d6 |
| Dangerous | 9-12 | 15 / +7 | 3d8 |
| Deadly | 13-16 | 17 / +9 | 4d10 |
| Lethal | 17-20 | 19 / +11 | 6d10 |
The base damage assumes the trap hits or the creature fails its saving throw. Adjust the result if the trap affects an area, if it can be chained, if it has multiple stages, or if the table judges that the context makes the risk higher or lower.
Formula template. To create a trap formula, fill in the following fields and describe how it works.
- Craft: Trapper X
- DC: DC to detect, understand, and disarm, as per the proposal
- Component: materials, catalysts, and tools
- Value: total cost in gold pieces
- Time: Standard, according to the general craft production rules
- Description: trigger, effect, area, saving throws, attacks, conditions, and how to circumvent, neutralize, or disarm
- 20 natural: a thematic improvement, following the masterpiece pattern
Level 1 |
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Hidden Needle(lock mechanism) Craft: Trapper 1 A thin needle attached to a lock, cover, or unlocking mechanism. When attempting to open it without following the correct procedure, the needle is fired. When triggered, the trap makes an attack with a +3 bonus against the creature interacting with the mechanism. On a hit, it deals 1d4 piercing damage and applies contact poison, if present.
Natural 20. The needle can be reloaded and the firing is silent. The CD to detect increases by 2. |
Firing Line(bolt) Craft: Trapper 1 A line connected to a simple trigger that releases a bolt in a straight line. When triggered, the trap makes an attack with a +3 bonus against a creature in its line of fire. On a hit, it deals 2d6 piercing damage.
Natural 20. The trap can be quickly rearmed and the bolt deals +1d4 damage. |
Level 2 |
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Pressure Plate(arrows) Craft: Trapper 2 A plate on the ground connected to a firing mechanism that releases arrows or bolts from a wall. When triggered, the trap makes a line or narrow cone attack, at the builder's discretion, with a +5 bonus against creatures in the area. On a hit, it deals 4d10 piercing damage.
Natural 20. The trigger is double. The trap can trigger twice before emptying. |
Camouflaged PitCraft: Trapper 2 A well hidden beneath flimsy cover and camouflage. When triggered, the creature falls into the pit. It must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 2d6 fall damage (or depending on the depth) and, if there are stakes, an additional 2d6 piercing damage. On a successful save, it avoids the fall or grabs onto the edge, at the GM's discretion.
Natural 20. Camouflage is improved. The DC to detect increases by 2, and the fall imposes the prone condition even on success. |
Level 3 |
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Pressure Plate(punch or net) Craft: Trapper 3 A plate activates an impact (punch) mechanism or a capture net. When triggered, the trap makes an attack with a +5 bonus. On a hit, it deals 4d10 bludgeoning damage (punch) or traps the creature (net), depending on the choice made during creation.
Natural 20. The trap can be switched between punch and net when rearmed. |
Narcotic Gas(or similar) Craft: Trapper 3 A reservoir releases gas when activated. When triggered, creatures in the area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are poisoned for 1 minute. The GM may replace the effect with an equivalent one, depending on the reagent used.
Natural 20. The gas persists for longer and the effect worsens with repeated failures, at the GM's discretion. |
Level 4 |
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Pressure Plate(magic) Craft: Trapper 4 A plate that activates a stored magical effect. When activated, it triggers an effect equivalent to a formula or spell appropriate to the risk, defined in the creation. The target makes the saving throw indicated by the effect (DC 17) or suffers the indicated attack (bonus +7).
Natural 20. The effect can be rearmed without redoing the entire inscription, provided there are catalysts. |
Sentry(servant) Craft: Trapper 4 A simple servo installed as both a sentry and a trigger. He doesn't need to be intelligent. His role is to detect, block passage, or trigger another trap. When activated, the servant performs the behavior defined during creation, such as sounding an alarm, blocking a door, attacking a specific creature, or triggering a device.
Natural 20. The servant gains Redundancy. Neutralizing requires two steps or two successes, at the GM's discretion. |
Level 5 |
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Containment Prism(field) Craft: Trapper 5 A device that creates a brief containment field when activated. Creatures in the area must make an appropriate saving throw (DC 17). On a failure, they are prevented from moving through the area or suffer an equivalent restriction defined at creation, for 1 minute or until the field is destroyed, as per the construction.
Natural 20. The field lasts longer or creates a safe 1-round disarm window before stabilizing. |
Level 6 |
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Techmaturgic Logic Trigger(sensor and timer) Craft: Trapper 6 + Technologist 5 A set of sensors and simple logic that allows for conditional and timed triggering. It is not a trap in itself, but an advanced trigger that can be coupled with another trap. When creating a trigger, define a trigger condition (creature type, weight, movement pattern, proximity, sound, light, time) and a delay (immediate, short, long). The trigger can be rearmed and recalibrated.
Natural 20. The trigger accepts two combined conditions or allows you to choose between two routines, alternating like an action. |
