Trap
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Traps are typically found on boxes that some creatures drop as treasure or loot when searched. Most traps only require two steps to remove -- the check for traps and then the disarm attempt. Some traps, however, require more steps and/or specific items on hand to disarm them.
Traps found on boxes can be DETECTED to attempt to see the trap, and DISARMED to disarm the trap.
The Perception skill can help in detecting traps. Disarming Traps skill is needed to disarm the traps. Items needed to disarm various traps include disarming kits, which can be purchased from locksmith shops, dagger-based weapons, and lockpicks.
Types of traps
There are a number of traps found on boxes, and some have a few sub-types to go with them. Notably, scarabs have various different types of scarabs, each having a different effect when triggered.
Scarab
- Scarabs are a two-part trap. First, disarm the box to drop the scarab to the floor. Then, disarm the scarab to render it inert. Skill in Arcane Symbols will help with disarming scarabs, though that help is believed to be negligible for those with high ranks in Disarming Traps. Scarabs can also be magically disarmed from their box with Disarm (408), but the scarab itself will be lost.
- The message received when disarming a scarab is also not exact, but becomes more precise with more ranks in Arcane Symbols. Sample messaging, which may or may not indicate success:
- "You feel like you probably rendered the translucent scarab harmless, but can't be sure."
- "Deciphering the runes is relatively simple, and you're pretty sure you were successful."
- "*scritch scritch* If that had been any easier, you could have done it blindfolded."
- Disarming a loose scarab multiple times is possible and often advisable when one is unsure of their success with the first disarm. However, the value of a scarab drops each time it is disarmed. They can be sold at the gemshop.
- On detection, a live scarab trap looks like this:
Peering closely into the lock, you spy a miniature <type> scarab wedged into the lock mechanism. The scarab's surface is etched with tiny runes that seem to writhe as the light strikes them.
- A successful manual disarm (of the box, not the scarab) looks like this:
You carefully nudge the scarab free of its prison without disturbing the lock too much. The scarab falls from the lock and onto the ground in front of you.
- A box that once held a scarab trap looks like this:
The lock appears to be free of all obstructions.
- Scarabs come in five varieties
Sky-Blue Glaes
- Will bite the person who triggers it and inflict a strong disease before flying away. Box is safe after scarab is triggered.
Sea-Green Glaes
- Will bite the person who triggers it and inflict a strong poison before flying away. Box is safe after scarab is triggered.
Spiked Onyx
- Will burrow into the person who triggers it and cause damage, heading toward the heart. If it reaches your heart, it will kill you, then erupt from your chest and attack someone else in the room unless the room is a Sanctuary. Neutralize Curse can kill an onyx scarab when it has burrowed, or the afflicted limb can be ambushed off if the scarab hasn't reached the torso yet and the scarab can be attacked like a normal creature. Box is safe after scarab is triggered.
Blood Red
- Will latch onto the hand of the person who triggers it and draw blood until the victim is dead, then attack someone else in the room unless the room is a Sanctuary. Neutralize Curse can kill a blood red scarab when it is leeching, or the afflicted limb can be ambushed off and the scarab can be attacked like a normal creature. Box is safe after scarab is triggered.
Translucent
- Casts the spell Evil Eye at the person who triggers it, with a very high casting strength. The scarab returns to the box after it has been triggered. A successfully disarmed translucent scarab can be rubbed for a defensive spell effect.
Glimmering Opalescent
- Casts a very strong CS-based spell at the person who triggers it before returning to the box. Spells observed to be cast include Spike Thorn, Dark Catalyst, Boil Earth, and Elemental Blast. A successfully disarmed opalescent scarab can be rubbed for a defensive spell effect.
Poison Needle
- Poison needle traps can be magically disarmed with Disarm (408) and are also rendered inert after being triggered. They require putty from a disarming kit to be disarmed manually.
- On detection, a live poison needle trap looks like this:
Hmmm, 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.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
Using a bit of putty from your <disarming kit>, you manage to block the tiny hole in the lock plate.
- A manually disarmed poison needle trap looks like this:
You see a tiny hole next to the lock plate which has been completely plugged.
- Triggering a poison needle trap will result in a minor hand wound and a hefty poison, and looks like this:
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! You feel a fierce poison coursing through your veins!
- Needles can be removed and used as a thief trap through the Lock Mastery Rogue Guild skill. The potency of a needle trap is influenced by its difficulty, but the thief's skill has no impact on whether or not the needle is hit. The extracted trap is "a slender steel needle".
Jaws
- This trap has a large amount of roundtime associated with disarming it, but generally disarms easily. A pair of springs are left in the box after this trap is disarmed. Setting the trap off severs the hand of the person handling the trap.
- An example of a live jaws trap:
You notice a discolored oval ring around the outside of the chest which makes you suspicious. Your suspicions are confirmed when you look inside the keyhole and notice the spring-loaded jaws pressed flush against the chest walls.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
Using the pair of metal grips, you manage to pull out the two pins that hold the upper and lower jaw pieces together. As the pins are removed, the jaws suddenly close and warp under the tremendous strain applied by their arming mechanism.
- A manually disarmed jaws trap looks like this:
You notice a discolored oval ring around the outside of the strongbox which makes you suspicious. Your suspicions are confirmed when you look inside the keyhole and notice the spring-loaded jaws pressed flush against the strongbox walls, but the pins that hold the jaws together have been pushed out.
- The jaws can also be extracted via Lock Mastery and used as a thief trap. Nothing about a jaws trap is influenced by its difficulty, and the ability for a thief to avoid it or steal it is strictly based on their training. Only the highest level and highest trained thieves can actually steal them, and even at maximum training the chance is slim. The extracted trap is "a pair of small steel jaws".
- An example of disarming a jaws trap and removing the trap component:
Using the pair of metal grips, you manage to pull out the two pins that hold the upper and lower jaw pieces together. Using your metal grips, you carefully remove a pair of small steel jaws from the silver chest before piecing the apparatus back together.
Sphere
- The sphere is unique in being disarmed in that the person disarming the trap must be holding a lockpick when disarming it in order to pry the gem from its set location. Setting this trap off casts the spell, Major Elemental Wave (435), which can have devistating results to all persons in the room. The gem may also be removed with Lock Mastery, and used as a thrown weapon. When thrown, the gem creates a wave similar to the spell mentioned earlier, but to reduced effect.
- On detection, a live sphere trap looks like this:
Examining the box, you locate a small dark reddish-brown sphere held in a metal bracket towards the back of the lock mechanism. The spherical crystal gives off a faint humming noise, occasionally extruding a thin spiky filament. It appears that were the tumblers to be activated, the gem would be caught amongst them.
- You will need a lockpick to disarm this trap. Be careful that habit doesn't kick in and you pick the box when you pull out the lockpick to disarm it, or the trap will go off.
No matter how you try, your fingers are just too big to get back there to the gem. You'll need some sort of thin, rigid implement like a lockpick.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
With utmost care, you slip your ora lockpick into the lock and gently nudge the tiny gem until it begins to work loose and its inner glow begins to fade. Another moment of prodding, and you are able to poke the gem free of its metal housing, whereupon it falls down into the lock mechanism and out of sight.
- A successful manual disarm with a successful trap extraction looks like this:
With utmost care, you slip your copper lockpick into the lock and gently nudge the tiny gem until it begins to work loose and its inner glow begins to fade. Tilting the box forward, you knock the gem free of its metal housing and poke it out through the back of the lock, allowing it to gently roll down the inside of the box's front wall.
- A manually disarmed sphere trap looks like this:
A thorough search of the area inside the tumblers reveals what appears to be a metal bracket of some sort, although it seems to be empty now.
- The extracted trap can be any one of the follows:
- a small light violet sphere
- a small icy blue sphere (cold)
- a tiny stone grey sphere
- a small amethyst sphere (plasma)
- a tiny wavering sphere (lightning)
- a small dark red sphere (fire)
- a miniature emerald sphere (acid)
- a small dark reddish-brown sphere (impact)
Scales
- Boxes with scales traps must be unlocked before it is disarmed. If the box is opened before it is disarmed, the trap will explode, sending shrapnel flying and possibly killing anyone nearby. If an unlocked but not disarmed box is handed off to another, the locksmith would be the one liable according to the justice system.
- After picking the lock, a dagger is needed to disarm the box.
- On detection, a live scales trap looks like this:
At first glance, the maoral strongbox appears to be covered with hundreds of tiny metal scales. Closer examination reveals the "scales" to be razor sharp at the edges and possessing of a downward-facing needlelike tip. However, you should be able to avoid cutting yourself if you are careful.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
You carefully open the lid of the maoral strongbox the tiniest bit, and peer inside. To one side of the locking mechanism, you can see what appears to be a thin cord connecting the lid to something within the strongbox itself. You feel like you've made an adequate attempt. You gently slide your dagger into the space under the lid and slice through the cord. That oughta do it.
- A manually disarmed scales trap looks like this:
Peering in through the crack between the lid and the casing, you see what appears to be a thin cord dangling from the case. It looks to have been sliced through.
Sulphur
- On detection, a live sulphur trap looks like this:
Feeling around the inside of the lock, you notice that 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.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
You carefully use the tip of a small metal file 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.
- A manually disarmed sulphur trap looks like this:
Feeling around the inside of the lock, you notice that the casing is coated with a rough, grainy substance. A small section of the casing has been scraped clean of the strange substance. You lean forward and peer between the walls of the casing. Examining the lock closely, you notice a deflated bladder wedged between the tumblers. There is a small hole in the bladder, most likely from whatever ruptured it. The lock emanates a strong scent of sulphur.
Gas Cloud
- On detection, a live gas cloud trap looks like this:
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 it if the lock is tampered with.
- A successful manual disarm with a successful trap extraction looks like this:
Using the metal grips from your gold-painted toolbox, you manage to reach in and grasp the post of the metal hammer, and bend the weak metal out of striking range of the vial.
Having rendered the hammer harmless, you carefully remove a green-tinted vial filled with thick acrid smoke from the fel coffer.
- A manually disarmed gas cloud trap looks like this:
Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a tiny hammer device which has been bent back slightly.
- The vials can be extracted via Lock Mastery. These vials can be hurled at enemies to do lightning damage or used to disarm plate-trapped boxes. To use a vials to disarm plate-trapped boxes, the vial can either be held in the hand or bundled into the locksmith's toolkit and accessed like a normal tool (by doing nothing but having the toolkit available). The extracted trap is "a green-tinted vial filled with thick acrid smoke".
Acid Vial
- On detection, a live acid vial trap looks like this:
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.
- A successful manual disarm with a successful trap extraction looks like this:
You carefully push a small ball of cotton into the lock mechanism, surrounding and protecting the small vial from anything that may shatter it.
Using a pair of metal grips, you carefully remove the padded clear glass vial from the maoral coffer.
- A manually disarmed acid vial trap looks like this:
Looking closely at the lock, you spy a small metal housing set just inside the lock mechanism, but it appears empty.
- The vials can be extracted via Lock Mastery. These vials can be hurled at enemies to do damage or used to disarm plate-trapped boxes. To use a vials to disarm plate-trapped boxes, the vial can either be held in the hand or bundled into the locksmith's toolkit and accessed like a normal tool (by doing nothing but having the toolkit available). The extracted trap is "a clear glass vial of light yellow acid".
Springs
- On detection, a live springs trap looks like this:
After carefully examining the lock, you move on to the hinges of the coffer. Just as you were to pass the coffer off as safe, you notice what appears to be the ends of springs incorporated with the hinges. Seems rather odd to have a coffer designed to spring open when it is unlocked.
- A manually disarmed springs trap looks like this:
With a little force applied to the springs, you manage to pop them inside the coffer, from within which comes the tinkle of breaking glass, followed by a strong acrid smell.
- A manually disarmed acid vial trap looks like this:
You discover no traps.
- The vials can be extracted via Lock Mastery. These vials can be hurled at enemies to do damage or used to disarm plate-trapped boxes. To use a vials to disarm plate-trapped boxes, the vial can either be held in the hand or bundled into the locksmith's toolkit and accessed like a normal tool (by doing nothing but having the toolkit available).
- Occasionally the springs can be PULLed and straightened. A straightened spring may be used like a steel lockpick.
Fire Vial
- On detection, a live fire vial trap looks like this:
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.
- A successful manual disarm with a successful trap extraction looks like this:
Using the metal grips from your gold-painted toolbox, you manage to reach in and grasp the post of the metal hammer, and bend the weak metal out of striking range of the vial. Having rendered the hammer harmless, you carefully remove a thick glass vial filled with murky red liquid from the thanot chest.
- A manually disarmed fire vial trap looks like this:
Looking closely into the keyhole of the lock, you spy a tiny hammer device which has been bent back slightly.
- The vials can be extracted via Lock Mastery. These vials can be hurled at enemies to do damage or used to disarm plate-trapped boxes. To use a vials to disarm plate-trapped boxes, the vial can either be held in the hand or bundled into the locksmith's toolkit and accessed like a normal tool (by doing nothing but having the toolkit available). The extracted trap is "a thick glass vial filled with murky red liquid".
Spores
- If tripped, a spores trap sends spores into the air which then poison the lungs of everyone in the room. Chest and neck damage is given for several rounds. Leaving the area immediate mitigates the damage.
- On detection, a live spores trap looks like this:
Peering into the chest's lock, you see a small tube towards the bottom of the tumbler mechanism. The tube is capped with a thin membrane, but it seems likely that the tumblers would tear it off while turning.
- A successful manual disarm looks like this:
Taking a lump of putty from your <locksmith's toolkit>, you carefully apply it to the end of the small tube. That should block whatever it's meant to deploy.
- A manually disarmed spores trap looks like this:
Peering into the chest's lock, you see a small tube towards the bottom of the tumbler mechanism. It appears as though the tube has been plugged with something.
Plate
- This trap consists of a plate blocking the lock, rendering it inaccessible. There are several ways to overcome a plated box. Unless the box is enruned or made of mithril, it can by popped open with Disarm (408). A warrior can bash a plated box open. A locksmith practicing Lock Mastery can use a wooden wedge to force the box open. A vial of acid can be used to melt the plate away, allowing a locksmith access to the lock to attempt to pick the box open.
- On detection, a plate trap looks like this:
There appears to be a plate over the lock, sealing it and preventing any access to the tumblers.
- A manual disarm with use of an extracted acid vial looks like this:
You carefully pour the contents of a green-tinted vial filled with thick acrid smoke onto the maoral chest where you think the keyhole ought to be. Amidst a cloud of acrid smoke, the metal plate covering the lock begins to melt away.
- A manually disarmed plate trap looks like this:
You see a metal plate covering the lock plate, but it appears to have been melted through, granting sufficient access to the lock to attempt picking it.
Glyph
- When tripped, a glyph trap will send the tripper into a rift. An example of a glyph trap being set off:
>pick fourth coffer You settle into the difficult task of picking the lock. You make a good attempt (d100=78). You struggle with the coffer. As you do, you get a sense that the coffer has a fairly easy lock (-270 thief-lingo difficulty ranking). Then...CLICK! It opens! Suddenly a dark splotch erupts from the lock mechanism and envelops you! Time seems to slow down and almost stop... Suddenly you see yourself lean towards a locked coffer about to try and pick the lock...something goes wrong but... Suddenly you see yourself lean towards a locked coffer about to try and pick the lock...something goes wrong but... After a moment you feel a great sense of deja vu.... Suddenly you see yourself lean towards a locked coffer about to try and pick the lock...something goes wrong but... Your head begins to throb from all this. 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, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down
- On detection, a glyph trap looks like this:
You notice some spiderweb-like scratches on the lock plate which seem, after some bit of scrutiny, too organized to be just wear and tear -- it might be some type of glyph spell.
- A successful disarm of a glyph trap looks like this:
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.
- A manually disarmed glyph trap looks like this:
You notice some spiderweb-like scratches on the lock plate which seem, after some bit of scrutiny, too organized to be just wear and tear -- it might be some type of glyph spell, but some of the markings have been altered. This may prevent any magical nature they have from manifesting itself.
Rods
- If tripped, the rods are still active.
- On detection, a rods trap looks like this:
Looking closely into the keyhole, you notice a pair of small metal rods a hair's width from touching each other. Peering around the inside of the keyhole, you can see that the lock would push the two rods together should the lock be tampered with.
- A successful disarm of a rods trap looks like this:
With great care you take a pair of metal grips and bend the sensitive metal rods out of alignment. It looks as though they cannot be pressed together by the lock mechanism any more.
- A manually disarmed rods trap looks like this:
Looking closely into the keyhole, you notice a pair of small metal rods that have been bent in opposite directions of each other.
Boomer
- A boomer trap is named such because if tripped, it will explode.
- On detection, a boomer trap looks like this:
Carefully, you feel around the lock and notice the inside chamber is coated with a strange white substance. From your experience you recognize this as a common magical/chemical detonation system for an explosive mixture that was used to treat the chest.
- A successful disarm of a boomer trap looks like this:
Using a bit of putty from your gold-painted toolbox, you cake a thin layer on the lock casing, hopefully sufficient to prevent sparks when the metal arm strikes it.
- A manually disarmed boomer trap looks like this:
A thin layer of mud or putty has been dabbed on the connecting point of the striking arm and the white substance to prevent it from igniting the chest when it is unlocked.