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Switch to Forum Live View Trapsmith Mini-Handbook and Compendium
5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:02AM #1
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509
Trapsmith Handbook and Compendium


The Trapsmith is a 5 level Prestige Class from Dungeonscape (p 53). It has one of the best spell lists for indpendent casting PrCs in the game, having lots of really good spells at very low level. Its a great class to add arcane casting to any trapfinding character.

Pros

  • Medium BAB: it doesn't lose too much
  • Great spell list: more on that later; its a flavorful spell list you'd want on any trapmaking character, really.
  • Int-based spontaneous caster: synergistic for all trapfinders!
  • Cool trap-based class features
  • Good skillpoints per level, and a good skill list for trapfinders in general.
  • Relatively easy entry requirements: no feats at all, just skill points and trapfinding.


Cons

  • Caster Level is weak; Practiced Spellcaster (at a minimum) is a must!
  • Limited spell list: Yep, its true. Its a good list, but doesn't have any spells that directly affect the enemy.
  • Spells known only: Yep, you have to pick them similarly to a Sorcerer.
  • Metathinking: If you have access to Dungeonscape, you likely can use all the completes, which means that you can eventually get all the spells on the Trapsmith list via alternative routes and be a much more potent caster (example: Spellthief 1 / Conjurer 5 / Unseen Seer 10 / Arcane Trickster 4 is very potent with just Practiced Spellcaster and Master Spellthief).


Play a Trapsmith if

  • You want to add some arcane to your Trapfinder base class;
  • You expect the campaign to end around L10 to 12 (not as important);
  • You want to get into the Swiftblade Prestige Class (its one of the most efficient ways);
  • You want to make lots of traps fast (only the Combat Trapsmith can beat its speed).


/\/\/\/\/WORK IN PROGRESS; NEVERMIND OUR DUST/\/\/\/\/\
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:03AM #2
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509
Class Features




Spell list
Its in other places on the boards, so here it is again for the sake of interest:

1st: arcane sight, cat's grace, clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, fox's cunning, gaseous form, haste, knock, protection from energy

2nd: arcane eye, dimension door, lesser globe of invulnerability, resilient sphere, stoneskin, stone shape

3rd: interposing hand, break enchantment, fabricate, greater dispel, wall of stone.

You'll know (at 5th) 4 1st, 3 2nd, and 2 3rd level spells from that list. Your crappy CL means they likely are dispellable by just about anybody. I've highlighted the ones which I think are the best to know, but obviously thats not an absolute truth: I prefer spells that can not be duplicated with magic items (thus none of the +4 enhancement spells).



Booby Traps:

Simple at 1st, Advanced at 3rd
Booby Traps aren't totally useless, but they don't have a bunch of combat options (they take too long to set up). If you can set up an ambush, you can get some ok effects. Setting up an ambush is extremely DM dependent, so plan on coming up with something very clever to make this effective. There's only 4 traps listed in the sidebar on p. 54, but it says others are possible. Work with your DM to make something reasonable. I verbose on this in more detail under the 4th post below.




For dealing with existing traps:
Master Disarmer: Bonus to Disable, Search, and Open Locks equal to your Trapsmith level. Unnamed. Nice little bonus there.

Trap Sense: Hey, something for nothing isn't bad, but its not the selling point of the class

Arrow Proof: DR 5/- vs traps. Meh.

Quick Fingers: Disable even faster. Meh.

Unweave: Dispel Magical traps at CL = Trapsmith Level + 5 3/day. You can't boost this with any method other than bloodlines. It might be useful at the level you get it, but its not a good ability.

Dance through Danger: If you beat the Search by 5, you can pass it w/o setting it off (but not your party). Suckage in most situations.

Spell Proof: SR vs. magic traps similar to the Unweave ability. About as useful.

Avoid Disaster: If you miss the trap and set it off, you can take an immediate action to try to disable it. A very, very useful ability
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:04AM #3
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509
Building Your Trapsmith

Races:
Illumian: There are some sigils that boost CL by 2, which helps a lot if you don't have Master Spellthief or Practiced Spellcaster at the right level.

Human: Bonus feat is nice, and extra skill points help with some builds that are tight.

Strongheart Halfling: Strictly better than human for a classical trapfinder, due to small size and comensurate skill bonuses.

Grey Elf: Int bonus is nice with Trapsmith. Worth taking in an elite array game, for example.




Base Classes:
Anything that gives Trapfinding will do it. Heck, you don't even need to be a trapfinding base class, these days!

Rogue / Ninja / Scout: all have their merits. Good skills and add precision damage.

Spellthief: Particularly nice because of the Master Spellthief feat, which will boost your CL considerably, and allow you to ignore some ASF.

Cleric: Kobold domain. Play a Cloistered Cleric if you do this, though. Its a nice conceptual combination, but there's few PrCs that will allow you to continue with both spell lists.

Ranger (Trapfinding Variant): Maintains high BAB and gets some nice spells via UMD of wands and such. Also, being a base class that is not in the top tier, there's tons of extra alternative features to swap around abilities (I like the Wildshape Variant).

Wizard (Domain Granted Power: Kobold Domain): OK, its a bit weird, but you can get into the Ultimate Magus class, get the very nice spell lists from Trapsmith, then abandon advancing it for another PrC's spell list (like Nar Demonbinder or Sublime Chord, for example).



PrCs of Note
Swiftblade: Since you get Haste at 1st level, its very easy to multi-class into the Swiftblade PrC. In fact, I'd argue its one of the best ways to do so! See the builds section for some examples.

Abjurant Champion: The 5th level Martial Arcanist boosts your CL quite a bit; its quite good, actually.

Ultimate Magus: Quite easy to qualify for, and getting spellcasting advancement in two classes is a very nice way to obtain high levels of spellcasting. You'd typically want to advance a fast progression casting class after obtaining maximum spellcasting in Trapsmith. See the builds section.

Nar Demonbinder, Sublime Chord, Ur-Priest, Beholder Mage, Divine Champion: All used to rebuild casting after dipping Trapsmith, if you want to go this route.

Spellsinger: Its grants the equivalent of Bardic Music, which is good for Sublime Chord to rebuild casting, but also grants an innate cross-casting method, which is pretty neat, and also grants the equivalent of enchantment spells. Has a great skill list, too. Kind of worthless prereqs, though, and 3.0, so there's some problems, but its a great class.




Feats of Note:
Master Spellthief: You stack all you Spellthief and Arcane Casting levels when determining caster level, determining the level of spell you can steal, and can wear light armor with no ASF. A very nice feat indeed!

Practiced Spellcaster: Your CL sucks, this helps a bit.

Versatile Spellcaster
: Useful for dual-casting classes, if you have this it helps a lot (consider that 2 0 level slots can get you a Haste, for example).

Shape Soulmeld, Open Least Chakra
: Another way to get trapfinding is to bind the Theft Gloves to your arms. Considering how useful Master Spellthief is, it probably is better to go ahead and drop the single level to go that route (metathinking: if you can use MoI, you can use CAdv and CScoundrel, no doubt).

Craft Wonderous Items: If you've decided to make traps, then you might as well start making magical ones, but you really want the party Wizard to take this, for lots of reason BenSan talks about here. See the DMG for the rules, and any of many threads to see the abuses.

Trap Sensitivity: Also in Dungeonscape. You qualify for it with any race with enough Trapsmith levels, but usually would already qualify with many builds. This lets you automatically make a Search check whenever you get within 10' of any non-magical traps. Between this and Arcane Eye, you almost guarantee that you'll never miss a trap (or that your DM will start adding Nondetection and Magic Aura to all new traps :D).



Equipment of Note:
Anything a trapfinder can use will also help out a Trapsmith. +Search items, + Disable items, etc (see the Rogue Handbook). I'll note anything particularly useful, though.

Pearls of Power
: Your spells are of such low level that this is actually a good option. 1000 gp gets you an extra Haste, etc, every day. Pearls of Power + Versatile Spellcaster makes them cheaper, as well (since Spell Slot level ^2 X 1000 > (Spell Slot level - 1) ^2 X 2 X 1000).

Runestaffs: Since the spell list is all around good, these are useful. They're also much cheaper to make at the lower levels available.

Ring of Wizardry: Typically not useful for most spellcasters, due to the ridiculous cost, but the great spell lists makes the viability much higher!



Other Tweaks
Expanding your Spell list: I won't go into details here, but will redirect you to the following links. Its not an easy thing to do, really, but considering the great nature of your spell list, it might be worth the effort:
http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/ … p/t-616344
http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/ … p/t-387294
http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/ … p/t-674335
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=873373
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:06AM #4
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509
Builds


jameswilliamogle builds:

Iconic Trapsmith:
any race
any trapfinding class 5 / Trapsmith 5 / any class at all 10
The abilities of the Trapsmith make it worth taking if you are in the role of party Trapfinder. The skill list and abilities are perfect for it.

Ultimate Magus Trapsmith
:
Human
Spellthief 1 / Wizard 5 / Trapsmith 1 / Ultimate Magus 4 / Nar Demonbinder 1 / Ultimate Magus +6 / Arcane Trickster 2

Feats: Able Learner, Iron Will, Craven, SF: Conjuration, Master Spellthief, Versatile Spellcaster, any Metamagic feat, 1 free, 2 bonus feats.

You get ND spells of a 5th level ND, Trapsmith spells at L4, Wizard spells at L17, your CL = 20 for all of them, and cast in light armor. Master Spellthief is critical, as you won't be able to boost whatever casting class you want without it. Versatile Spellcaster lets you cross-cast spells pretty nicely (boosting spells per day for either ND or Trapsmith). You could take the Granted Domain variant w/ Wizard 5, but you would still have to make up for a lot of skill points rapidly that way.



Super-duper See-all Trapsmith

Spellthief 1 / Wizard 5 (Spontaneous Divination variant) / Trapsmith 1 / Ultimate Magus 6 / Unseen Seer 7

Feats: Master Spellthief, Craven

Wizard casting at L18, Trapsmith at L5, decent sneak attack, huge boosts for divination spells. A very solid arcane trapfinding build, over all, and really good at divination spells.



Swiftblade Trapsmith
Human
Factotum 8 / Trapsmith 3 / Swiftblade 9

Factotem SLAs @ L15, Trapsmith spells @ L9, BAB +17

House Rule: PrC's that advance spellcasting can advance Factotum's Arcane Dilletante (seems reasonable, given the precedence with Warlocks and Dragonfire Adepts); the 3rd level haste slot requirement is waived (as per the designer's advice; it can be any level, as long as it is still Haste).

1,H Dodge, Font of Inspiration
3 Improved Initiative
6 Mobility
9 Practiced Spellcaster: Trapsmith
12 Font of Inspiration
15 Font of Inspiration
18 Font of Inspiration

Description Show
Basic idea is to use both Spring Attack and later Bounding Assault (granted by Swiftblade) with lots of extra standard and move actions to fly around the battlefield before the enemy even gets a chance to act.

I'm not entirely sure how to optimize it further, or if this has been done yet (I know there's variations of Initiative-based builds and dervish-spring attackers, but I think this brings a few aspects together nicely).

Some equipment ideas: a Sudden Stunning weapon to use while the opponent is flatfooted, +Int items, maybe a keen Rapier for getting increased crit chance while the opponent is flatfooted and getting Int to damage twice, or a greater mighty wollop'd morningstar or greatclub while enlarged for lots of damage. Pearl of Power L1 is absolutely critical, as you get to recharge Haste slots with them (think about that: 1k gp for a regularly L3 spell - pretty awesome!).

Trapsmith Spell Selection:
1st: Arcane Sight, Haste, Gaseous Form, Protection from Energy
2nd: Arcane Eye, Dimension Door, Stoneshape
3rd: Fabricate, Wall of Stone

*****
A great alternative to boost CL:
Spellthief 1 / Factotum 8 / Trapsmith 2 / Swiftblade 9
Replace Practiced Spellcaster with Master Spellthief, and you get CL 20 for everything!

*****
If Font of Inspiration isn't allowed, I'd go: TWF, PBS, iTWF, Rapid Shot, gTWF and focus on using Fabricate to make your own Alchemists Fire and Acid Flasks, using the hell out of them to make tons of ranged touch attacks with Sneak Attack added on. This gives a little more combat schticks than the Spring Attack route (now you can hide behind the fighter and attack, too :D).



Tome of Battle Swiftblade Trapsmith
Human
Ranger (Trapfinding Variant) 2 / Swordsage (Unarmed Variant) 2 / Crusader 1 / Trapsmith 1 / Swiftblade 9 / Master of Nine 5

BAB +17, L5 Trapsmith spells (CL 7), IL 14

Feats
Dodge, Mobility, Improved Initiative, Blindfight, Adaptive Style, Craven, iTWF, gTWF

Synopsis Show

Dual Stance, gets the equivalent of Dual Maneuver (L9 Swiftblade ability), lots of late-stage maneuvers and stances gained, Trapfinding, good skillpoints. I was adapting this build to use all the TWF feats in the world, along with the Raging X Tiger Claw maneuvers, with alchemical weapons once I realized that it doesn't limit one to melee attacks only; Fabricate as a spell helps you make it, and Sneak Attack along with Craven will add 2d6+20 to each attack (that's 9 extra attacks with any thrown weapon, and 3d6+20 damage each with acid, then you get an extra standard action with Swiftblade 9 to make another attack ).

Even using TWF regularly shouldn't be too bad: while under haste, you Burning Blade, then full attack with your TWF, and then still have another standard action to make a strike with the extra fire damage. Heck, even use Adaptive Style as a full-round action then use a regular strong maneuver with the extra standard action! Plenty of options!

Picking up those late-game maneuvers shouldn't be so bad, as Mo9 gets a lot of maneuvers in its 5 levels (much faster than the base classes).


Shadowpouncing Trapsmith
Human
Monk 2 (Cobra Strike) / Ranger 3 (Trapfinding) / Trapsmith 5 / Teflammer Shadowlord 4 / Montebank 6 (BAB +14)

1 2 free
3 Blindfight
6 Deceitful
9 Spring Attack
12 iTWF
15 gTWF
18 Craven

Simple build, with a twist for getting Alter Self for two good combat forms (say Trogodyte for simplicity). Montebank also adds 2d6 sneak attack, and a small 20' DD twice per day.





Carnivore builds
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=875328
BoB the Trap Master Extrordinaire (Psionic Trapsmith)

Dragon Born Gray Elf( +2 Int,-2 Str ...... the other attribute bonuses cancel each other out)
DragonBorn Template Show

+2 Con,-2 Dex
+2 Dodge vs Dragon type
Immune to Frightful Presence
Draconic Aspect:
1)Mind:....Immune to Paralysis, Magic Sleep Effects
Darkvision 30'
Low light vision
+2 Racial to Spot, Search, Listen

@6HD ...Darkvision 60'
@9HD ...Darkvision 90', 3x human Lowlight vision
@12HD ...Darkvision 120', 4x human Lowlight vision
@15HD ...Darkvision 120', 4x human Lowlight vision,blindsense 30'


Rogue(Feat Variant) 2/ Psion 3/ TrapSmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Cerebremancer 9

32 point buy:
Attributes@ 1st lvl:
10 Str, 14 Dex, 12 Con, 18 Int, 10 Wis, 14 Cha

Attributes@ 20th, with items Show


20 Str(base+ 4 Inherrent(Paralyzing arm graft) +6 Belt)
24 Dex(base+ 4 Inherent(tome) +6 Belt)
18 Con(Base + 6 Belt)
32 Int(base+ 4 Inherent(tome)+ 4 Lvls + 6 Belt)
16 Wis(base + 6 belt)
26 Cha(base + 1 lvl + 5 Inherent +6 belt)


Feats:
1st lvl:Areni Focus(perform)..... gives perform Always as a class skill, and +3 to perform checks(functions as Skill Focus(Perform)
1st lvl :bonus: Blind Fight
2nd lvl :bonus: Weapon Finnesse
3rd lvl: Trap Engineer
3rd lvl :bonus: Psicrystal Affinity(meticulous(+3 search) or Single Minded(+3 Concentration)
6th lvl: Combat Tinker
9th lvl: Improved Counterspell
12th lvl: Trap Master
15th lvl: Trap Sensitivity
18th lvl: Practiced Caster(Sublime Chord)

Full Build data Show
the Main problem with Trapsmith, is Low Caster Level. This takes care of that and focuses on being a well rounded versatile Trapfinding Character.

Main Points:

Caster Level:
Sublime Chord = 2(1/2 trapsmith lvls) + 10 Sublime Chord + 4 Practiced Caster = 16th lvl Caster
Trapsmith = 5 Trapsmith + 16 Sublime Chord = 21st lvl Trapsmith Caster .....very important with Greater Dispel as 3rd lvl Spell

Manifester Level: 12th Psion
PP= 126 + 66 bonus = 192 PP
6th lvl powers

Powers Known(Kineticist):
Powers Known

1st lvl:
Control Flames
Control Object
Grease
Vigor
Synesthe

2nd lvl:
Share Pain
Elf Sight
Crystal Storm
Damp Power

3rd lvl:
Dispel Psionics
Danger Sense
TouchSight
Timehop

4th lvl:
Empathic Feedback
Divination
Correspond
Control Body

5th lvl:
Ecto Shambler
Plane Shift
Adapt Body
?????

6th lvl:
Disintegrate
Retrieve


Powers Known :Bought...by Psychic Chirgury

Dimension Hop(PW 1)
Psychic Scimitar(Psion 2)
Find Traps(Psychic Rogue 2)
MicroKinesis(Psychic Rogue 3)
Schism(Telepath 4)
Metamorphosis(Egoist 4)
Dispelling Buffer(Kineticist 6)
Teleport(Nomad 5)




Items:

200000gp +6 Belt of Magnificense
40000gp Paralyzing Arm (Undead Graft)
xxxxxxxxxgp 13 Wishes cast by 17th lvl Wizard(inherent Bonuses)
21000gp Crystal Mask of Insightful Detection( +9 Insight to Search and Spot)
55000gp Dragons Eye amulet( +10 enhancement to Search and Spot, and 30' Blindsight)
3500gp Lense of Detection(+5 Search)

this should be playable at ALL Levels

Invocation:
Rogue 2/ Warlock 3/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Eldritch Theurge 8
BAB+11
9th lvl Spells(full SC casting)
11th lvl Warlock abilities(6d6 EB, 1 Greater, 3 Lesser, 3 Least)

Divine
Rogue 2/ Cleric 3/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Mystic Theurge 9
BAB+10
9th lvl Arcane Spells(full SC casting)
12th lvl Cleric
6th lvl Divine

Martial/ Gish
Core
Ranger(trapfinding Variant) 5/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Eldritch Knight 8
BAB+17
9th lvl spells

Martial Caster level
Ranger(trapfinding Variant) 5/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 6/ Eldritch Knight 2
BAB+17
9th lvl spells
Caster Level:
Sublime Chord= 20th(with Practiced Caster)
Trapsmith = 29th(with Practiced Caster)

Telekinesis variation
Ranger(trapfinding Variant) 5/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Abjurant Champion 6/ Master of the Unseen Hand 3
BAB+17
7th lvl spells
Caster Level:
Sublime Chord= 20th(with Practiced Caster)
Trapsmith = 29th(with Practiced Caster)
Telekinesis= 23rd..... thus attacks with TK @ +23/+18/+13/+8

Super Trapmaster

Elf

Rogue 5/ Trapsmith 4/ Spellsinger 1/ Sublime Chord 1/ Arcane Trickster 9

Feats:
1st lvl:Areni Focus(perform)..... gives perform Always as a class skill, and +3 to perform checks(functions as Skill Focus(Perform)
3rd lvl: Trap Engineer
6th lvl: Combat Tinker
9th lvl: Improved Counterspell
12th lvl: Trap Master
15th lvl: Trap Sensitivity
18th lvl: Practiced Caster(Sublime Chord)

9th lvl spells and great skills .....




A few by Pad300
Triple Threat
Ranger (trapfinding variant) 1/Bard (Divine, Sage variants) 4/Trapsmith 4/Abjurant Champion 1/ Sublime Chord 1/Fochluan Lyrist 9
Bab +17
9th level Spells (full fochluan lyrist casting) +full trapsmith casting + 13 levels of divine sage bard casting
13th level bardic music and lore
Significant skill monkey (1*2 + 1*4 + (18+3)*6+23*int)= 132 +23*int
Season with cheese to taste (ie getting in F Lyrist by use of Shape Soulmeld (impulse boots) and open least chakra, as well as assorted methods of acquiring the Druidic language.

The Bardic Gish
Ranger (trapfinding variant) 1/Bard 4/Trapsmith 4/Abjurant Champion 1/ Sublime Chord 2/Abjurant Champion 2-5/4 levels of choice
Bab +13 at level 16
Full trapsmith casting, sublime cord 6 casting at level 16
6th level bardic music and lore



Dictum_Mortem
Spellthief 1 Able Learner, Dodge
Spellthief 2
Duskblade 1 Mobility
Duskblade 2
Duskblade 3
Trapsmith 1 Open
Trapsmith 2
Trapsmith 3
Trapsmith 4 Master Spellthief
Trapsmith 5
Swiftblade 1
Swiftblade 2 Elusive Target
Swiftblade 3
Swiftblade 4
Swiftblade 5 Open
Swiftblade 6
Swiftblade 7
Swiftblade 8 Open
Swiftblade 9
Swiftblade 10
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:06AM #5
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509
Advice for Good Play and Function


Although most builds will inevitably need to be focused on their individual styles, here's some tidbits of wisdom that might help you along.



Spell list
Your spell list is king, despite its limited variety. You need to learn every spell you know verbatim to know exactly when they are or are not appropriate. Here's a breakdown of most of the list:

  • Arcane Sight / Arcane Eye / Gaseous Form: Arcane Sight is one of the most valuable spells an arcane trapfinding can have: you'll automatically spot any Invisible creature and any magical trap (without a Nondetection or Magic Aura spell) within 120' (see the FAQ if your DM doesn't like it). You should have as many up and running when delving any dungeon (in fact, with both running, you likely could scout an entire dungeon out without ever entering). Gaseous Form + Arcane Sight can do this as well, at the first level. I don't like Clairaudience/Clairvoyance as a selection, however, due to Arcane Eye being better, and available soon anyways (plus, there's no built-in retraining spells options).
  • Fabricate / Wall of Stone / Stoneshape: NOW we're talking! Make any stone shape you can imagine in 10 min casting time. Very useful for making traps (the old "defend the city / stronghold" scenario), but also useful for other purposes (like making a fortress in the middle of a dungeon, for example). Fabricate basically reduces the cost of any mundane item to 1/3 the cost, but with Wall of Stone, your imagination is the only limitation.
  • Interposing Hand, Resilient Sphere, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability: These spells are decent, but with only a few known from each level, I think there's better choices. If you aren't the primary trapfinder for some reason, or are just dipping Trapsmith for the spell list, they might be more valuable.
  • Break Enchantment, Dispel Magic, Greater Dispel Magic: these all rely on caster level checks, which might not be good on your particular build. If it is (due to Master Spellthief), then it might be worth taking these, but otherwise I'd take a pass (these are all staple Wizard and Cleric spells, and are prepared regularly by them).
  • Protection from Energy / Dimension Door / Haste: These are just generally great spells. Generality, usefulness, and saves your hide.




Trapmaking
The usefulness of traps is highly campaign and DM dependent. If you have time to setup an ambush, there's a chance: think of an MMO where someone gets aggro and leads the enemy to a choke-point where the rest of the team snipes them. If you think this tactic would work, and your DM is down for that kind of foresight, then traps can be ridiculously useful. If not, well, its not worth investing in the feat Craft Wonderous Item, but there's still a few things you can do with the booby traps built into the class (see below).

With respect to the costs associated with each of these, you should always use Fabricate to make every mechanical trap you can. If you can make it out of stone, you should, and if you can make it alchemical instead of magical, you should. Why? Because stone traps are FREE, and magic traps take tons of TIME and XP. Now, you'll regain XP faster than your allies if you fall behind a level, but the "experience is a river" adage doesn't really apply if the trap isn't portable.

You should max out Craft:Trapmaking, anyways. It fuels some of your class abilities. If you can, make stone traps using Stoneshape, Wall of Stone, and Fabricate, to keep your raw materials down in cost. Here's a handful of some useful traps, but the rules for mechanical traps are highly abusable. The best traps are portable (add it to a wagon, for example, and haul it around with mules).

  • Automatic Reset Haste Trap. If anything approaches within 120', casts Haste on the party. Craft DC: 30.
  • Automatic Reset CLW Dart trap. Obvious. Craft DC: 25
  • Mechanical: Automatic Reset Acid Thrower and Acid Distillery Cart. Proximity trigger, attacks multiple opponents at a +10 Touch Attack bonus, Search and Disable DC of 15 , does 6d6 damage per hit. Craft DC: 30.
  • Mechanical: Automatic Wall Maker. Casts Wall of Stone exactly halfway between opponent and you upon trigger, automatic reset. Craft DC: 25 (thanks to the low level Wall of Stone).


Likewise, the class comes with some Booby Traps that you can make right off the bat. The nice thing is that although they cost some initial price, the amount is totally trivial by 5th level. Getting the enemy into the trap can be difficult: one trick useful for all Booby Traps (and regular for that matter), is to have a Bull Rushing fighter push the enemy into the trap, or the Throw maneuvers from Tome of Battle, for that matter. Although they take too long to set up in combat (not literally, though these kind of do), here's some potential uses:
  • +X Crossbows + XBow traps + Flame Arrow: Setup a barrage of crossbow fire at a critical square, and get someone to Bull Rush him in.
  • Stoneshape + Trip Rope Trap: Make a Pit Trap in any area, and trip the enemy to fall in. Very easy method for trapping big dumb animals
  • Wall of Stone + Stoneshape + Drop Trap: Just in case you don't have lots of stone lying about, make your own!
  • Alarm Trap: This one can't really be used in conjunction with anything; its a basic alarm.
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 7:45AM #6
true_shinken
Date Joined: Jun 20, 2007
Posts: 944
Wow, I like it. Add a list of Races! Illumian helps with CL.
Also, mention Abjurant Champion's Martial Arcanist and the various ways of expanding your spell list (heck, I'll make a handbook for this as well any of these days).
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 9:47AM #7
Dictum_Mortuum
Date Joined: Sep 21, 2005
Posts: 1,213
Spellthief 1 [b]Able Learner[/b], [b]Dodge[/b]
Spellthief 2
Duskblade 1 [b]Mobility[/b]
Duskblade 2
Duskblade 3
Trapsmith 1 [b]Open[/b]
Trapsmith 2
Trapsmith 3
Trapsmith 4 [b]Master Spellthief[/b]
Trapsmith 5
Swiftblade 1
Swiftblade 2 [b]Elusive Target[/b]
Swiftblade 3
Swiftblade 4
Swiftblade 5 [b]Open[/b]
Swiftblade 6
Swiftblade 7
Swiftblade 8 [b]Open[/b]
Swiftblade 9
Swiftblade 10

You rock when using rings of wizardry I-III
Dictum Mortuum's Handbooks - My personal Character Optimization blog. 
Nerdy Meeples - A blog about reviewing and providing strategies on boardgames. 
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 2:25PM #8
The_Shaman
Date Joined: Feb 9, 2006
Posts: 2,527
Speaking of elves, I'm sure there was a feat allowing an elf with trap sense to sense traps just as s/he senses doors. Does anyone remember how it was called?
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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 2:34PM #9
jameswilliamogle
Date Joined: Jun 1, 2005
Posts: 2,509

The_Shaman wrote:

Speaking of elves, I'm sure there was a feat allowing an elf with trap sense to sense traps just as s/he senses doors. Does anyone remember how it was called?


Yup, Trap Sensitivity from Dungeonscape. Works on mechanical traps. Its a good one.

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5 years ago  ::  Feb 17, 2008 - 3:10PM #10
carnivore
Date Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 3,307
wow... great job ... i will post some stuff later ... nice work




:D
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