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TO DISARMING TRAPS A Bashers Guide to Disarming Traps |
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TO DISARMING TRAPS A Bashers Guide to Disarming Traps |
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You see a aged Dwarven warrior wander in, quietly eating a raw piece of meat, observing you as you read the scroll in his forge. He reaches into his belt-pouch and removes an ink-stained quill.
Gently he grins and begins to pick his teeth with the quille . . .
(Scribes Note: After the Good-Dwarf Haephestus passed out . . . errrrr, . . . fell asleep, I rendered his verbiage into something a little more readable to the common adventurer in Elanthia. Please don't tell him as my life may be forfeit if he finds out.)
"OK! OK! Stop all the blasted yelling! I know this isn't a subject addressed often by fighters, but I must know a little bit. I didn't get to my advanced age as a basher without understanding the traps found on the boxes in these lands. Even my legendary vault doesn't hold enough silver to pay for all the deeds I would have used if all I did was drop the box and begin to flail away at it.
I learned all my lessons on my own over the years. This guide is the result of some rather painful research on my part. I am writing this guide in hopes that a few lives may be saved, as well as giving all of you an understanding of what Pickers, Bashers, and Poppers face if we go wrong with a trap.
If you came here looking for formulae on the mechanics of disarming, or what statistics need to be placed where to be a true master, then I fear you have come to the wrong guide. What I will do is:
1. Name the common names of the traps.
2. Describe what it looks like when you find it.
3. Describe a successful disarming attempt.
4. Describe a badly failed disarming attempt.
5. Add my notes and observation on each trap as it pertains not only to Bashers, but to Pickers and Poppers as well.
I will begin with what are considered the "baby" or small traps, and work my way up to the nasty ones that will leave you lying in the dirt with a surprised look on your face.
THE TRAPS
THE POISONED NEEDLE TRAP (a.k.a. Needle Trap)
When you find it you will see..
"Hrmmmm, you can see what appears to be a tiny hole next to the lock plate which doesn't seem to belong there. Looking closer you see a gleaming sliver of metal recessed in the hole."
When you disarm it you see..
You manage to block the tiny hole next to the lock plate."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see ..
Ouch! You feel a tiny prick in your finger! You see a needle protruding from a small hole beside the lock plate with a little of your blood on it!"Missing this trap causes poison from the needle to poison the unlucky soul. The strength of the poison is directly proportional to how badly you fail you resistance check. It is entirely possible to set this trap off, and not be poisoned by making your resistance check.
This trap can reset itself after you have set it off, so setting it off once does not mean the box is now safe, it can go off again. Always check the box again after setting it off.
This trap can be picked past.
This trap can be safely by-passed by bashing. My personal feelings are always disarm traps, even those safe to bash. Sloppy habits formed young means sloppy warriors for Empaths and Clerics to learn from later.
BLOODY JAWS TRAP # 1
(a.k.a. Jaws Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"You see a pair of bloody jaws clamped tightly before the lock plate on the box."
When you disarm it you see . .
"Using the end of a twig you found lying around, you manage to pop out the two pins that hold the upper and lower jaw pieces together."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"You watch with disbelief and terror as part of the chest face breaks away and a pair of gleaming jaws clamp down on your hand! You let out a shriek as your hand falls to the floor!You are stunned!"
As you see, if you miss this one you need an Empath or herbs handy (pun intended).
This trap resets itself after a failed attempt.
This trap must be disarmed before it can be picked.
This trap can be safely bashed past without disarming it. Again, avoid sloppy habits.
BLOODY JAWS TRAP # 2
(a.k.a. Jaws Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"You notice a discolored oval ring around the outside of the box which makes you suspicious. Your suspicions are confirmed when you look inside the keyhole and notice the spring loaded jaws pressed flush against the box walls."
When you disarm it you see . .
"Using the end of a twig you found lying around, you manage to pop out the two pins that hold the upper and lower jaw pieces together."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"You watch with disbelief and terror as part of the chest face breaks away and a pair of gleaming jaws clamp down on your hand! You let out a shriek as your hand falls to the floor!You are stunned!"
As you see, if you miss this one you need an Empath or herbs handy (pun intended).
This trap resets itself after a failed attempt. This trap must be disarmed before it can be picked.
This trap can be safely bashed past without disarming it. Again, avoid sloppy habits.
SPRINGS TRAP
(a.k.a. The Catapult Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"After carefully examining the lock, you move on to the hinges of the box. Just as you were about to pass the box off as safe, you notice what appears to be the ends of springs incorporated with the hinges. Seems rather odd to have a box designed to spring open when it is unlocked."When you disarm it you see . .
"With a little force applied to the springs you manage to pop them inside of the box."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"You jump back a little as the lid of the chest flies open! You close your eyes involuntarily as a tongue of liquid hurtles at your face from inside the chest! You feel an excruciating burning sensation on your face and neck, your eyes burn and tear like two fiery rivers! You scream in pain!"Missing this trap can be disfiguring. As you see from the example, a bucketful of acid in the face is not a pleasant experience.
You will need to visit an Empath if you survive the trap, as your wounds are almost always to severe to allow you to continue disarming.
This trap is safe once it has been set off.
This trap must be disarmed before picking the lock.
This trap must be disarmed before the box can be safely bashed.
FIRE CLOUD TRAP
(a.k.a. Napalm trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a small vial of fire red liquid and a tiny hammer device which seems poised to shatter it if the lock is tampered with."
When you disarm it you see . .
"You manage to bent the weak metal of the hammer out of striking range of the vial."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
'Uh oh! You hear what sounds like a vial being shattered from inside the lock mechanism. You jump back from the box as a cloud of billowing red begins to pour from its seams engulfing you and covering you with globs of fiery goo!The flames engulfing you flare up and sear your skin!
... 30 points of damage! Extreme heat causes your left leg to expand and snap. That hurts!
You are knocked to the ground!
You are stunned for 6 rounds!'
Now the nasty part, tripping this trap coats you with a napalm like substance
The only way to hope to survive this self-immolation is to lie down, and have a buddy roll you around. It needs to be a pretty good buddy though, as in rolling you to put out the flames, they will receive rather nasty burns to their hands.
If there is no one there to roll you around, the phrase "crispy critter" comes to mind.
Minor water no longer extinguishes these flames.
This trap functioned differently in the past. It used to be that it released a cloud that after a few rounds, began to rain fire down upon the entire room. All people in the area were targets that the fire could strike.
Needless to say, setting this off in Town Square Center or other similar crowded areas didn't make the disarmers of old popular folks. Because of these area traps, the tradition of only disarming and opening boxes in quiet locations began. In many areas there is still a strong taboo against disarming in "public". I encourage you to follow these traditions.
It is my understanding this trap was changed for a two-fold reason. One was elimination of the spell upon which it was based. The second was the direct result of so many uncaring disarmers injuring others resulted in much wasted time and effort on the part of the Game Masters.
Pickers with enough skill can pick past this trap.
Bashers must disarm this trap to bash it safely.
GAS CLOUD TRAP
(a.k.a. Cloud Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a small vial of liquid and a tiny hammer device which seems poised to shatter if the lock is tampered with."
When you disarm it you see. .
"You manage to bent the weak metal of the hammer out of striking range of the vial."If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"Uh oh! You hear what sounds like a vial being shattered from inside the lock mechanism. You jump back from the coffer as a cloud of vapors begins to pour from its seams!You notice a gas cloud begin to form above you." As you see, if you mess up a cloud forms and begins to attack all the folks in the area once it is fully formed. This cloud, like any beast spell of a similar nature, can be dispersed by a variety of spells.
Needless to say, setting this one offf in public is not a good way to win friends and influence people. Again, this is one of the traps that is responsible for the many "No Disarming Areas" spread throughout the towns of the land.
This trap can be picked around.
Bashers must disarm this trap to bash it safely.
In the past, if you set this trap off while sitting at a table, it would be dispersed automatically soon after it began to form.
In modern times, this cloud will stay at the table after it has formed. If you flee the table, it will be there for the next soul who enters that table. Please do not leave clouds at tables. A nasty surprise, and an even nastier way to die.
DARK CRYSTAL TRAP
(a.k.a. Earth Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock you spy a small, dark crystal which seems imbedded in the locking mechanism. It looks as if opening the lock without the exact key should shatter it."
When you disarm it you see
"With a little ingenuity you manage to grind down parts of the lock mechanism so it won't come in contact with the crystal when you open it."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"You hear a tinkling sound from the lock and notice a small purple flash of light. Suddenly the ground begins to rumble as you move back away from the trunk. With a loud crack the ground beneath the box rips open and exhales a cold, evil breath. The trunk hovers for a moment and then falls straight down into oblivion. Before you can do anything the ground seals itself, leaving no trace anything had happened."
Failing this trap, as you see, causes the box involved to be lost forever. Not a great way to get return customers. The box, and it's contents are irrevocably lost.
Rumor has it that occasionally, not just the box will go, but the disarmer as well. It is said that if this happens it can be a bit painful.
This trap can be picked around. Bashers must disarm this trap to bash it safely.
Glyph Trap
When you disarm it you see . .
"Knowing how delicate magical glyphs can be, you scrape some extra lines into the markings hoping to alter their meaning and defeat the spell they may hold."If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"Suddenly a dark splotch erupts from the lock mechanism and envelops you! Time seems to slow down and almost stop...Your head begins to throb. After a moment your vision clears and you see...
[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you. You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future. Beyond these strange and confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness. It is very cold here.
Obvious paths: north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, up, down."
As you see, unlike the Dark Crystal, you go away, the box stays where you were if you weren't holding it in your hands.
The temporal rift is a puzzle all by itself, my hint to you is to be single minded in your escape plans.
The trap can reset itself after it has been bashed once, although occasionally, bashing will damage the glyphs enough to disarm the trap.
This trap must be disarmed by Pickers. This trap can be bashed past with determination.
BOOMER TRAP
When you find it you will see . .
"Carefully you feel around the lock and notice the inside chamber is coated with a strange white substance. From you experience you recognize this as a common magical/chemical detonation system for an explosive mixture that was used to treat the box."
When you disarm it you see . .
"A little mud has been dabbed on the connecting point of the striker arm and the white substance to prevent it from igniting the box when it is unlocked."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"Your heart skips a beat as you hear a small sizzle from the coffer's keyhole. You begin to jump back, but not in time as the entire coffer explodes in a deafening, fiery detonation!The mithril coffer explodes in a searing ball of fire!
Being closest, you bear the brunt of the blast..."
This used to be an area trap. Currently it only harms the person failing their disarm. In the past it hurt all in the room. This is another example of where the public picking taboo comes from.
When this trap goes off, it destroys the box, and all silver and items in the box.
If you are lucky, you will survive, albeit a bit lighter from missing parts, if your luck in out, then so too may be your life.
This trap must be disarmed by all.
RODS TRAP
When you find it you will see . .
"Looking closely into the keyhole, you notice a pair of small rods a hair's width from touching each other. Peering around inside of the keyhole, you can see the lock would push the two rods together should the lock be tampered with."
When you disarm it you see . .
"With great care you manage to nudge the sensitive rods out of alignment. It looks as though they can not be pressed together by the lock mechanism any more."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"There is a tiny flash from the keyhole and suddenly your entire body jerks from a massive electrical shock...... 50 points of damage!Immense electrical bolt finds left eye the perfect conductor to ground out in. A shocking death indeed.
It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...
You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor."
As you see, blowing this trap can be fatal, if not, it has a nasty habit of fusing your nerves along with varied body parts.
This trap can be picked around.
Bashers must disarm this trap to bash it safely.
SCARAB TRAP
(Both Sea-Green and Sky-Blue)
When you find it you will see . .
"Peering closely into the lock you spy a miniature sky-blue (or sea- green) glaes scarab wedged into the lock mechanism. The scarabs surface is etched with tiny runes that seem to writhe as the light strikes them."When you disarm it you see . .
"You carefully use the tip of your lock pick to nudge the scarab free of it's prison without disturbing the lock too much. The scarab fall from the lock onto the ground in front of you."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
As you bash the lock, you hear the buzzing of a tiny insect coming from within. Suddenly, something darts out of the lock and flies straight at you! You attempt to duck out of the way, but it weaves with you and lands on your neck! You gasp in horror as you feel Its stinger enter your flesh and you clap your hand to your neck to stop it, but there is nothing there. You suddenly feel very ill."Oh what nasty things these scarabs can be. For the young an instant death, for older folks, a lingering one.
Once bitten, you will be poisoned (Sea-Green) or Diseased (Sky-Blue). This is done by inflicting damage at the rate of 50 health points per round, dissipating at the rate of just 1 per round.
Now, my take on what is a serious debate in the lands. If someone else disarms a scarab off your box, then the scarab belongs to them as a tip if they desire it. That is just my take o the issue, and by no means a law of any kind.
Disarmed Scarabs can be sold as gems, and can be turned into private amulets like any other gemstone.
This trap must be disarmed by both Bashers and Pickers.
ACID TRAP
When you find it you will see . .
'Peering closely into the lock, you spy a tiny vial placed just past the tumblers of the lock mechanism. It would appear that any tampering with the lock mechanism would cause the tumblers to crush the vial and release whatever substance is inside."
When you disarm it you see . .
"You carefully push a small ball of cotton into the lock mechanism, surrounding and protecting the small vial from anything that may shatter it."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"As you bash the lock, you hear the sound of glass shattering from within the mechanism. A small droplet of acid drips from the lock, landing on the lockplate and sizzling as it eats into it."What an interesting trap, failure eats the pick if one was used, as well as making the trap impossible to open by picking or popping. If the lock is fused it can only be Bashed.
<A hint for the training warrior, Fused boxes take many more repetitions to break open, so when I was training, I used to fuse them deliberately.>
This trap can be picked and bashed past.
And last,
but by NO means LEAST,
da granddaddy O em all, da worst O da lot,
da most difficult and most painful O da traps in da lands,
I gi ta ye da...
SULPHUR TRAP
(a.k.a. Burner Trap)
When you find it you will see . .
"Feeling around the inside of the lock, you notice the casing is coated with a rough, grainy substance. You lean forward and peer between the walls of the casing. Examining the lock closely, you notice a small bladder filled with a strange liquid wedged between the tumblers. With your face this close to the lock, you pick up the faintest scent of sulphur."When you disarm it you see . .
"You carefully use the tip of your dagger to scrape away the rough, grainy substance which lines the walls of the casing. After a few moments, you feel comfortable with the small section you have cleaned. You take out a thin needle and carefully slide it between the walls of the casing, taking great care not to touch them. As the tip of the needle punctures the small bladder, a strange clear gel oozes forth from the hole. The gel gives off a strong odor of sulphur. As the air hits the gel, it begins to harden and turn To dust, blowing away in the wind as if it never existed."
If you badly fail the attempt you will see . .
"As your lock pick slides past the walls of the lock casing it rubs against a rough, grainy substance that coats them and gives off a small spark. Just as th spark comes to life a strong scent of sulphur reaches your nostrils. You have just enough time to gasp in shock, as the two volatile substances meet and ignite into a stream of fire which issues forth from the lock! Your body is savagely immolated by the flames."
Now you know what all those incinerated messages you see are about. By the time this trap is done with you, you have become a small pile of ashes. The good news is if you have a friend who is an empath, they may gain a level or two from your remains.
This trap can be picked past. (I only have second hand information on this)
Bashers must disarm this trap to bash it safely.
This ends my Bashers guide.
Recall that this is Not an official Simutronics document, I neither work for nor am I a part of the Simutronics team. This is in no way a definition of the rules, nor a guarantee that this nformation will not change. You may contact me at jseegeba@twcny.rr.com at any time about this document, with questions, or corrections
Haephestus O'Eddings
GemStone is a trademark of Simutronics Corp., all rights reserved.
GemStone III is copyright 1987-1999 by Simutronics Corp., all rights reserved.
This is not an official Simutronics Corporation page
Updated 9/15/00
Web page last updated 9/24/2000
